Chapter Six: Colette

I jolt awake, panicking for a moment as I forget where I am. Its gone 7:30 am and no sound can be heard from with in the apartment. I look round the room, spotting my clothes neatly folded on the desk by the door. Throwing the lent clothes in to the wash basket, I pull my own back on followed by my boots. Pain shoots through my feet as they're constricted in the tight PU leather. As quietly as I can, I make my exit without disturbing Felix. I debated leaving a note but when I remembered his rejection last night, I was overcome with embarrassment. How will I even be able to face him next time he comes to the Hidden World? What if he never comes back? The buildings are already decorated in a mix of shadow and light as I make it onto the street. I get my bearings, realising that I'm only a couple of blocks from the shop. My legs start moving as I try to ignore the pain my feet are in. Is it classed as the walk of shame if I didn't sleep with the man that took you home with him? I ponder. A downside to being in a small Town is that it is easy to become topic of conversation. Luckily its early sunday morning so I can hide for the day till we open tomorrow. I let out a big sigh before climbing the fire escape up to the apartment and knocking hard on the door. It seems like its been a lifetime when the door finally opens. The blonde from jodie's stands in the frame, wearing one of Ali's tee shirts and as far as I can tell, not much else. She looks me up and down suspiciously.

"I'm Lettie. I'm Ali's roommate."

"Oh! We met last night," her face brightens as she steps to the side to let me in. I give her a little smile.

"I'll go straight to my room. I'm sure you two are very busy."

Just as I thought I was getting away with a confrontation with my friend, hoping she was still in her room, I walk right into her bare chest. Alison is a free spirit to say the least. She has no issue walking around the flat completely nude when I'm in. Though to my relief, her tits may be out but at least she has pants on.

"Alright dirty stop out," her eyebrow raises as she looks me over.

"Can I tell you about my evening when you don't have a guest?"

She seems to mull it over then steps out the way.

"Thank you. I'll tell you everything later."

Its almost five in the evening when I reappear. It seems Ali has sent her one night stand home and is sat scrolling through her phone with her perfect, smooth legs up on the couch. I lift them by the ankle and flop down beside her, placing them on my thighs.

"So what happened then?"

I remain quiet for a moment, tryinf to work out the best way to tell her what happened at bodies without her flipping out. The reality is there's no way of telling your friend that you were almost sexually assaulted while she was getting drunk with her mates.

"A man I didn't know put his hands on me last night when I came out the bathroom."

Her face twists.

"But luckily Felix appeared and I was able to escape, as it were."

"Felix? As in stoic Felix that sits in the cafe frequently and doesn't say a word Felix."

I nod, tapping my fingers on her leg.

"Why didn't you come get me?"

"Well you see," I start then bite my lip.

"Wait. Don't tell me Felix started the fight?"

I remain silent.

"Jesus. Who know that hunky businessman had it in him."

"Tell me about it. He certainly knows how to throw a punch," I Muse, remembering how sexy he looked.

"Then You disappeared."

"Sorry. He got me out of there and was going to bring me home but then I realised I didn't have my bag and knew that if I went back in we could have got into trouble. So I slept at his place."

"Just slept?" She seems to have gotten over the fact Felix beat the shit out the guy and hospitalised him. I avoid looking at her, biting my lip.

"Colette."

"Just slept. I mean we made out a little, and I thought it was going to progress but… it didn't. So we went to sleep. In separate rooms. He slept in his brother's room."

"He has a brother? Is he hot?"

"I don't know! He wasn't in."

She watches me closely as I avoid eye contact.

"Did you really just make out?"

"Yes!" I raise my voice. "Im a married woman, Alison! Kissing is bad enough!"

"Barely. How boring. I was hoping you were going to come home and tell me you've just had the best sex of your life."

My mind drifts to felix and how good he looked in his white tee and skinny jeans. How his muscles bulged and the way he looked at me when I came out the shower in his clothes. How my name rolled off my tongue when I moaned it.

Snap out of it colette!

"Well that explains why you were home so early. Though I was hoping it was a hit it and run situation."

I grab the pillow and hit her with it.

"Infeel guilty enough kissing him. And then there's the fact the only person I've ever been with is Howard."

"What a sad life you lead for a woman in her early 30's."

I shoot daggers at her. When I met Howard, I thought we would be end game. That I was more than enough woman for him. But with fame and money came his adulterous behaviour. The nights I had sat and cried, listening to him bang some woman in our livingroom. When it was over he'd make me breakfast and apologise. I had to shut up and forgive. Forget anything ever happened and carry on pretending we are the happiest people in the public eye. I wonder what he would say if I had slept with felix. Would I write to him about it? Would he think me a cheap whore? Double standards have always been a thing in our relationship. A stray tear runs down my face. Ali sits up, dropping her feet to the floor and pulling me into a tight hug.

"You were always to good for him."

"Then why didn't he love me?"

We sit there in silence. Mixed emotions fill me but one person keeps popping back into my mind. Felix.