"Is that everything, Mr. Anderson?" Lori asked, trying to keep her tone polite but distant. Her tightly clenched fists fixed to her sides betrayed her nervousness. It was all she could do to keep from moving away from the huge man before her, standing so close to her their clothes rustled and brushed together. Lori knew it wasn't because he had no concept of private space, but because he had done so intentionally.
The man smiled at her. "I told you to call me Jack. Mr. Anderson sounds so... formal. I'd think we're friends now, after working together for two straight late-night weeks in a row."
With a great deal of effort, Lori kept her face bland. Jack Anderson, her new boss, had been responsible for the number of late nights she had to put in. Unnecessary too. She knew it was only an excuse so he could stay in with her after work and charm her, using the pretext of teaching her how to do her work properly. He had bought her daily morning coffees. Her colleagues were beginning to talk, even though Lori had poured each coffee out. She was afraid of his insistence, and worried he might doctor the beverages.
Most of all, she wanted to go home. It was far too late. She still remembered what happened a few nights ago. She had been on her way home when she was robbed and raped. She didn't want the same thing to happen again. But despite all she had done, she was still kept late at work. And the man thought they would be friends?
"You're the boss," she side-stepped his directive.
He looked at her for a good while. In the end, he stood up. She flinched when he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Well, that I am. Good work today. I'll see you tomorrow at nine."
Lori packed up quickly and left for home. Fortunately, she managed to make it all the way home safely tonight. She slipped immediately into the shower, turning the water temperature up high so that it was almost scalding, soaping herself up, and washing away the dregs of the day, before letting the water cascade off her. She was about to pick up her hairdryer when she heard a knock on her door.
She frowned, glancing at the clock. It was far too late for anyone to be visiting. She wrapped her bathrobe tightly around her and reached for the golf club at the umbrella stand. She hadn't bought it because she played golf. It was for self-defence. A girl couldn't be too careful in the big city. Too bad it had done nothing for her that night she was raped.
She peered out of the peephole in her door. Her neighbour was standing outside, looking sightly frazzled. She relaxed a little. He had moved in a month ago, just another new graduate looking to make it in the city.
Being four years younger than her, she had thought of him as a younger brother. When she cooked on the weekends, she would share some with him. They had spoken a bit before and she realised he had been surviving on daily take-outs, which she thought was sad.
Lori opened the door cautiously. It wasn't that she suspected Ben, but last night had made her instinctively give all men a wide berth. "What's the matter, Ben?"
"Lori! Thank god you're home," Ben said urgently.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I have a last-minute document which I need to print before my interview tomorrow. Can I use your printer?" Ben explained.
Lori nodded. It was such an inconsequential thing that she didn't think much of it. She turned around to let Ben into her apartment, knowing just how frantic one could get over last minute stuff. Otherwise, Ben wouldn't have knocked at her door so late. She had already placed the golf club back in the umbrella stand.
Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision.
Turning to lead Ben to the printer in her small apartment, she realized he stopped at the doorway of her bedroom. A tendril of anxiety unfurled from within her. She told herself it was because a man was in her apartment.
"There. Why don't I unplug it and you can bring it back after you're done with it?" Lori decided. She proceeded to do as she said.
Ben took it, grinning very much like a boy who had been told Christmas was coming early this year. "Thanks, Lori! I really appreciate it."
He turned to head back out. Lori followed carefully behind him. Just when she thought Ben was going to leave, Ben stopped short of the door. He turned back to Lori, an odd gleam in his eyes.
"You know, Lori, that I'm very much into electronics, right? A few nights ago, I left a camera running at my bedroom window. Guess what I saw when I went to check on it this morning?"
Lori froze. Unlike her apartment, Ben's was located on the other side of the building. His windows looked down at the alley. Blood drained from her face.
"I-I've no idea what you're talking about," she muttered. "It's late. You should leave."
Ben didn't move. He stared at her. "I'm going nowhere. You see, I've got a very nice video of you fucking in the alleyway which you'd want to keep off the internet. Of course," he paused, his expression sly, "perhaps you'd like that instead. After all, you were having sex in public. Perhaps you'd like to have your body examined and admired by many men all over the internet."
"No!" Lori shouted. She couldn't believe this was happening, that she was being threatened with a video of her rape. "No. Give that video to me or I'm going to the police."
Ben's eyes narrowed. They held none of their usual easygoingness which made her let down her guard. "The police? Even if you go to them, I'd still have uploaded it on the net. And once it's there, it won't be so easy to get rid of it. Everyone you know, everywhere you go, people will look at you and remember the video. Is that what you want?"
Lori shook her head. She felt sick. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Ben parroted. He walked forward. He was taller than her. Although young, he was still a man. How could she have forgotten that? He reached out and undid the knot which held her robe together. She clasped it together.
Ben commanded, "Let go. Let me see what you gave away that night. I'd like a taste too."
She swallowed the lump in her throat, letting go of her robe with difficulty. It slid off her, falling to the ground in a whisper. She shut her eyes, unable to believe she was forced to strip once more before a second man in a matter of days. Even without seeing, she could sense the heat of his gaze on her. She had always thought of him as a younger brother, but it was becoming apparent he had seen her as a woman, as a sexual object.
"I've wanted to see you naked since the first time I saw you," Ben said. "You've beautiful breasts." His hand grazed her breasts. Her nipples, inexplicably, hardened. He touched them again. "Look. You're reacting to my touch. Does it feel good to be touched this way?"
Lori opened her eyes. "It's the cold. It has nothing to do with you."
Ben's lips twisted. He wasn't happy with her answer. He eyed her still wet skin and dripping hair from the shower and an idea popped into his mind. He pulled her toward the kitchen. He went to the freezer and took out an ice cube from the ice tray.
"What are you doing?" Lori squeaked.
"Making you feel good."
He placed the ice on her nipple and began teasing her with it. Lori flinched away from the cold but Ben yanked her back, cornering her against the counter.
"S-stop. It's too cold." Lori stammered. The ice cube was freezing. It felt like it was burning her. It heated upon touching her. Rivulets of cold water ran down her belly.
Ben laughed. He liked her now, all flustered and out of control. He lowered his head to suck her nipple. "Let me warm it up for you."
