CHAPTER V
It took a good while for Kristen to finally escape from his grip, but still she couldn't sleep, his words left her mind spinning, as she tried to recollect what he'd said to her in that occasion.
***
She just wanted to die when she woke up the next morning, with the most awful hangover she'd ever had and when bits of what had happened the night before came to her mind, she panicked!
Please somebody tell me James Hetfield didn't carry my drunk stupid ass back home!
But as soon as her father began question if that
James boy
was her boyfriend, and why was she drinking so much with him, she knew the nightmare was so true, and she wanted to never see him again.
One night in early spring, after a few drinks, she was chilling out with her friends outside a bar when she saw James walking, frown faced, straight to her. Her stomach tied in knots, he looked so pissed, she was sure she was in trouble. When he came a step from her he pointed her car and said, "I saw that piece of junk and knew you were around," he grimaced at his poor choice of words.
He hates me!
Kristen winced, preparing for him to insult her, but then he shot her an amazingly sweet smile, "I worried your dad might have killed you!"
She blushed, knowing not how to react, "I'm so sorry, I really am..." she began to apologize.
"It's okay, don't worry!" he felt guilty for embarrassing her. "I wanted to, OK?" he said looking straight to her eyes, with overwhelming sincerity.
But she insisted, "Knowing my dad, I bet it wasn't pretty, but still I..."
James laughed loud, an evil spark lighted in his eyes and said, "Listen, I've met some
quite angry dads
, yours is cool".
Kristen smiled shyly, not knowing if she liked what she just heard.
"Anyway..." he paused to slowly check her out shamelessly, before continuing, "Wanna make it up to me?" He smiled that devilish smile again. So straight forward. Her mouth began to open in an offended spat at his indecent suggestion. "Just have a drink with me! " he said, raising his hands in a peace sign. "Nothing more!" he chuckled.
She narrowed her eyes at him at first, but then she smiled and nodded. Immediately his hand closed in her waist and she found herself being guided into the club's door. She barely said goodbye to her friends, just gulped.
James seized two stools by the bar, and helped her sit. "What do you want?"
"Anything..."
He didn't like her answer, he shot her an inquisitive look throw one curled brow, shook his head and turned to the bartender and said, "Two shots of mescal, one of them double."
"Isn't it kind of strong?" she asked in shock, eying him suspiciously. "I've already had some drinks."
"That's what you get for not voicing what you want," he spat back, sitting next to her.
The bartender placed the two shots in front of them, his full, hers just the half. James took a piece of lemon, put some salt on it and gave it to her. "Anyway, I think you need at least one of this, drink straight and then bite the lemon".
Kristen held up the glass, still with distrust in her eyes. He raised his and nodded twice, and both drank, wincing at the strong taste, then rushed the lemon to their mouths.
The hot liquid still ran burning through her throat as he leaned closer to ask, "You ok?"
In a hoarse voice she replied, "You're not trying to get me drunk, are you? For y'know how it ends!" she giggled as a warm sensation began to run inside of her.
"With you all over me," James replied with that same evil grin.
Kristen froze at his words,
Oh, my God! What did I do?
She looked at him in shock and shame.
He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing, realizing she remembered less than he thought, and was enjoying his mischievous prank.
"Now, what you want to drink?" She couldn't reply. "A screw driver, ok?" She just nodded back at him.
The moment he turned away she took one hand to her face, trying to remember, that couldn't be happening to her, it was worse than she thought. He handed her her drink, and she started drinking, just to occupy herself.
"Easy on!" he laughed, he was beginning to take so much pleasure in making her blush. That was so cute. "Now it's you who wants to get drunk, uh?"
Kristen stopped, and put the glass down on the table, then look at him questioningly, "D... did I really do that? I don't remember..."
But he just laughed and didn't answer, instead he asked, "Why were you alone that night?"
"Dunno, lost sight of my friend, and got surrounded by some guys that bought me drinks, at first was fun, but then I got a bit scared for I felt too drowsy, so I said I had to go to the bathroom, and never came back. Barely made it to my car."
He was just staring intensely at her. And then couldn't help to explode in laugh. She didn't understand what was happening. "I'm sorry," he kept laughing. "Can't keep you so worried, nothing happened, you were really gone, baby."
Anger crossed her eyes, and thew a karate blow to his ribs". "Why, you!" she snapped, but couldn't help to smile in relief.
"Ouch!" he rubbed his side, still grinning. "You know karate or something?" James asked grinning.
"No, just came from my heart!" she replied frowning.
"I was enjoying your worried face so much, but then I felt sorry for you. I'm almost sure someone put something on your drink, good thing you left."
"Thanks... jerk!" she replied smiling freely for the first time, these were not her first drinks of the night, and all the rush of adrenaline and the mescal began to make her feel light headed.
Wait a minute, is he flirting?
"So, what do you do? Work? Study?" he asked.
Laughing to herself she rolled her eyes, "Right now, well, let's see, I was living with a friend, but went broke when I loose my job at a store, so moved in with my parents again, and now I'm working at my dad's repair shop, until I can get on my feet again and leave."
"Ok, so much for the
independent girl
," he laughed, then handed her the second screw driver.
"I know!" she admitted laughing too. "And what's up with you and the band?
"We ended touring for a while. And FINALLY I'll get somewhere to live! Lars got... you know Lars, right?" he paused to ask, making this funny gesture of small height. She smiled and nodded. "Well, he bought this house and we're gonna make it our private rehearsal place, and I'll be able to take my stuff out from storage, y'know?"
"Oh, my! I would have never imagine you don't have a home." He just shrugged, but still she felt so bad for him.
"And we are working to release our first videotape," he smiled sadly. "Something to remember Cliff," his blue eyes fixed in hers with a meaningful look, then he added, "You know Cliff?"