Pretty Tied Up

Chapter Seven: The Hunted

This is a drawing I did of Liljana’s view of the barn when she gets to the top of the ladder: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/Plum_Gonzo/BarnInterior.bmp

Liljana arrived back on the dance floor and found the girls. She started dancing again to the new song that came on, the remix for ‘Damaged’ by Plummet.

The longer the night wore on, the more the girls drank and the more crowded the dance floor became. Liljana was finding it hard to dance without rubbing intimately against someone. She had to admit that she had missed this and danced with renewed fervour, leaning back, wiggling against the person behind her. A pair of hands gripped her hips and she kept dancing, receiving a wink from Naomi who was dancing with a tall, dark man.

A voice said in her ear, “I thought white stood for ‘innocence’.” Liljana froze for an instant before carrying on dancing.

“You stalking me now?”

“Would I do a thing like that?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“You enjoying yourself, tonight?”

“I was before I knew you were here.” She said, but chuckled and kept dancing as he moved closer.

“Are you coming on Saturday?” He asked against her ear. Naomi’s words from lunch time echoed in her head, ‘”Just go for it. Even if it only lasts for a few weeks. You’re going to regret not doing it, later on. You’ll be wondering what would have become of it. If it doesn’t work out, there are plenty of fish in the sea. There’s no harm in living dangerously once in a while.” She winked, “Dave doesn’t even have to know about it.”’

“One can only hope.” She grinned to herself as she felt Sands’ roaming hands stop in surprise. ‘Oh God. What did I do? What did I do? You stupid Cow.’ Liljana walked out of his embrace and squeezed her way to her friends, “Okay, are we ready to get gone?”

Naomi checked her watch, “Yeah. I’ll find Holly and Sarah and meet you at the bar in five.”

“Sure.”

***

Liljana downed the rest of her drink when she saw the girls fighting their way through the crowd towards her and got up to meet them. “Let’s go.” Holly had the job of calling a taxi when they got outside. The others found it hilarious watching Holly struggle to press the numbers on her phone from the effects of the alcohol.

“You know, I’m going now, too. I could give you girls a lift home.” Everyone turned their heads.

Naomi’s eyes widened in recognition, “You’re from college, right? Sands...?”

“Yeah. So what do you reckon, Ladies?” There was a collective ‘yay’ vote and Sands met Liljana’s eyes briefly before leading the group to his car.

“Hop in, Sugarbutt.” He said to Liljana, tapping her lightly on the a.ss before closing the passenger door and getting in himself.

Holly was dropped off first, then Sarah and Naomi leaving Sands and Liljana in the car. Sands pulled into Liljana’s driveway and stopped the car.

“What you said earlier...”

“What about it?”

“You finally going to admit you like me?” He smirked.

“I don’t know.” She said quietly and got out of the car.

***

Naomi had finished curling Liljana’s hair and was waiting for her to come out of the bathroom, “You done, yet?” she yelled.

Liljana appeared in the bedroom door, wearing her dress and boots, her make-up and hair, immaculate.

“Just imagine what Jeff is going to say!”

“’Hey, Sugarbutt.’” she mumbled to herself.

Apparently she didn’t say it as quietly as she thought she did, because Naomi’s head shot up, “Oh my god! It was him! It’s-”

“Shhh!”

“How could you not of told me!”

“I had a hard enough time admitting it to myself, let alone telling anyone else!”

“He could be just what you need in your life. Remember what I said-Dave doesn’t have to know anything. Live dangerously once in a while.”

“I just...”

“What he doesn’t know, won’t hurt him, right? I sure as hell won’t say anything. You know that.”

“I told Dave I’m over at your house. He has your number so if he calls, tell him I’ve gone to get some popcorn or something.”

“Sure.”

“Okay. I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this.”

“Take deep breaths.” Naomi joked.

Liljana smiled, “Wish me luck.”

“Go for it, Girl, ’cause you’ll regret it otherwise. But don’t be too easy!”

“Naomi!”

***

Liljana climbed out of the taxi and could see the lights on in the barn. She walked through the field of long grass and could hear the music as she got closer. It sounded like there were more than just a few people in there. She knocked lightly on the door before rolling her eyes ‘Of course they’re not going to hear that, are they?’ She pulled down the handle and opened the door. She stepped inside the crowded barn-almost as packed as ‘The Pitt’ and looked around. The ceiling was high, held up with beams. There looked like there was half of an upstairs, dark and empty with no walls, half of the ceiling had obviously collapsed or something. There was a small wooden ladder leading up to it that looked like it had seen better days. The floor was covered in straw and she could see bales of it, stacked up in the far corner, couples sitting on them, making out.

Liljana closed the door behind her and squeezed past people who were dancing to get to the drinks table. She poured out a large Tia Maria and topped it up with coke. ‘Don’t want to get too drunk just yet,’ Her eyes scanned the barn, looking for anyone she knew from college. She found a couple of people from Photography class and went over to chat to them.

“Hey, Lil. Didn’t think you’d be here tonight. We haven’t seen you at ‘Perry’s’ in a while.”

“Yeah. I’ve been really busy lately. I went to ‘The Pitt’ last Saturday, though. I’m getting back into it.”

“That’s cool.”

Liljana smiled lightly and took a large gulp of her drink, scanning the crowd again. Her eyes locked on a pair of brown ones across the room. He was sitting on the ladder, in the corner of the room, a couple of guys standing next to him. Liljana looked down, blushing slightly before looking back up.

He was still watching her.

Liljana cleared her throat and turned back to the people she was standing with.

“So. How's your photography going?” She asked Hayley.

“It’s okay, I guess. Not as good as yours, though. Your stuff is amazing!” John nodded in agreement.

“Thanks.” She blushed. Liljana looked over to Sands again to find he was talking animatedly with the two men he was standing with. He looked up and met her eyes, winking before going back to his conversation. Liljana smiled to herself.

It was like game. They watched each other from opposite sides of the room as they chatted and mingled with different people through the night.

Liljana was pouring her third drink when she felt him press himself against her back.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yes, actually. I expected it to be a load of Goths and blondes.”

“Well you were wrong.”

“So it seems.” Sands linked his fingers with Liljana’s and tugged on her hand.

“Come with me.” Liljana left her drink on the table and allowed herself to be pulled through the crowd. They stopped at the ladder. Sands motioned to it, “Go on. It’s perfectly safe.” Liljana looked at it sceptically for a moment before carefully climbing it, making sure to keep a hand against her dress, so no one could see up it.

She stood awkwardly as she got off the ladder, smoothing her dress out as Sands followed behind her. Liljana looked around. It was dimly lit by the lights from the party, below. The floor squeaked as Sands stood up. She walked across the room, to the edge where the floor had fallen in. People below partied and drank. Sands stood beside her.

“You look amazing, tonight.”

“So you said.” Sands ran his hands down her bare arms and gently pulled her back from the edge, turning her to face him. He tucked her curled hair behind her ears and kissed her, his hands cupping her jaw line.

Liljana pulled back, “You know, I never admitted to liking you. I could hate you.”

“You’re not pushing me away, yet.”

“Do you want me to? Because that big hole in the floor is looking awfully attractive.”

“Admit it.”

“No.”

“I’m starting to think ‘no’ is your favourite word. How about changing it to ‘more’?”

“No.”

“Just do it. You know you want to...”

“No I don’t...” Sands pushed her back and pinned her against the back wall, the roughness of the wood, scraping her skin slightly. He ravished her mouth and Liljana moaned, melting against his hard body. Sands let his hands wander down her body, stroking the outside of her bare thigh briefly before slowly sliding up the inside, giving her plenty of time to object.

But she didn’t .

She kissed him more passionately as his hand got higher and higher until she arched against him when his hand reached-

“Sands! Sands, get down here and give us a hand.”

He pulled back, reluctantly, groaning, “I’ve got to go see what’s wrong with Jack.” He kissed her lightly before climbing down the ladder. Liljana followed, her face flushed, her body tingling and saw that Sands was rushing towards two men who were fighting. She winced as Sands and Jack pulled them apart. They lashed out and Sands hit the guy he was struggling against in the nose. She could hear the crack from twenty feet away.

“What the f.uck was that for, Man?” He yelled as he held his nose.

“Keep your s.hit to yourself.”

“He slept with my f.ucking fiancée, Man!”

Liljana felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she watched from the bottom of the ladder.

The man he had been fighting sneered, “She was begging for it.”

“Get out of here. Both of you. Take your s.hit outside.” Sands shouted, grabbing his guy by his shirt collar and dragging him to the door, motioning for Jack to do the same. The door was slammed shut behind them. Sands pointed to Jack, “You, make sure they don’t come back in.” Jack nodded and Sands returned to Liljana, “You okay?” he asked her. Liljana nodded and noticed his bleeding hand.

“Want me to clean that up for you?”

“Yeah. The first aid kit’s up at the house.” Sands took Liljana’s hand and led her outside, where the two men he had chucked out were already gone. They walked up to the house slowly, hand in hand.

“I’m still with Dave, you know.” She said quietly.

“I know.” he replied as they neared the house. They entered through the back door and Sands found the first aid box, handing it to Liljana. They sat down opposite each other at the kitchen table and Liljana pulled out the cleaning kit, silently taking his hand and tending to the cuts.

“That must have been quite some punch. Your knuckles are pretty bad.” She said as she examined where the skin had split, being careful to be gentle.

“Hurts like a b.itch, too.” He smiled briefly as she finished cleaning the cuts and applied the gauze, taping it down. “Not quite what I imagined doing when you finally stopped pushing me away.” Liljana smiled lightly.

“I should get going.”

“Why? You don’t have college tomorrow. It’s Sunday.”

“I didn’t expect to stay this long, really.”

“Stay the night.”

“I don’t think so.”

“We don’t have to...just stay. Please.”

Liljana looked at him, ‘“Live dangerously...”’ “Okay, but I’m not sleeping with you.”

Sands chuckled.

“Shall we get back to the party?”

“They’ll be okay without us. Jack will keep an eye on things. What do you say we watch a film?”

***

It was gone three in the morning by the time ‘The Godfather’ had finished and Liljana was curled up next to Sands on his bed, his arm around her shoulders. She was dressed in one of his bigger T-shirts that reached down as far as her dress did, and some boxers. Sands was dressed the same. They had chatted for hours about everything, from sports, to the film, to guns and books and now they sat quietly, watching the credits roll.

Liljana had to admit that she was surprised that Sands hadn’t tried anything yet. But she was grateful, because she didn’t want to move from where she was.

“You know, I’ve never really done this before.”

“Done what?” She asked curiously.

“Sat and talked.”

“It’s nice.” she said as she snuggled closer to him.

“But you know what’s better?” He said with a grin.

“Yes I do and the answer is ‘no’. Not tonight.”

“Damn.” They both chuckled quietly, before laying down, Sands spooning Liljana, his face buried in her hair.