Part 28 (2/2)

”Don't you have to go out there?” I asked, on one of my trips through the room.

”Don't be silly,” he said. ”My public appearances are rare and fleeting.”

”Ah, right. Of course.”

”Ben and Pascual will each appear at moments, along with some of the band. Chandra, Alicia, and some of the others are there to actually speak about the production. But this is mostly about unveiling the cover of the alb.u.m.”

I had a sudden thought. ”Am I on the cover?”

He chuckled. ”You might be.” Then there was no more time to talk as I reached the trapdoor that swung open and let the sound of the crowd wash over me. As I glided away from him, I felt the vibrator click on.

I wondered if he meant for me to come while flying over all these people. It had been nearly an hour of the vibe going on and off and I was edging closer.

As I pa.s.sed over the crowd, though, I thought I heard a familiar voice. An unwelcome voice. A slightly nasal tw.a.n.g and an oily manner, that sure sounded like Phil Betancourt. I tried to see, but no matter how I moved my head there was no seeing past the blindfold, and my wiggling intensified the sensation of the vibe inside me. Then I heard people making comments about my movements so I stopped. The vibe stopped when James must have seen me squirming. Long agonizing minutes pa.s.sed before I reached him again.

”Are you here?”

”Yes, I'm here,” he said, running a hand down my side. ”Are you all right? Do you need to come down?”

”No no, it's not that. It's just... I thought I heard Betancourt's voice, schmoozing someone. I mean, maybe it's how smarmy people sound, but can you look? Can you see?”

”I will look once you're out the trapdoor. From up here I can see almost everyone in the room. As you go over, listen again and see if you can figure out where he is.”

He didn't turn the vibrator on this time, I guess so I could concentrate on listening. Most of the voices weren't familiar at all, and I couldn't make out much other than the general buzz. The room seemed to have gotten more crowded, as if antic.i.p.ating something. Perhaps they were waiting for the cover reveal.

I heard the doors swing open as I sailed slowly into the prep room again. ”James?”

The doors swung shut behind me and I could hear the whirring of the motor that kept the track moving. I sensed as he stepped close to me.

The whirring suddenly slowed and stopped. ”James?”

Someone's hand ran along my side, but no one answered me.

I s.h.i.+vered. Was he doing it to freak me out? The vibe came on suddenly and I relaxed, thinking that meant he was giving me the silent treatment but it was all another game he was playing.

A rough hand ma.s.saged between my legs, where I was getting quite wet under the spandex. Gus.h.i.+ng it around like that was surely creating an obvious wet stain. I moaned into the touch.

The next thing I felt, though, was the cool fabric being pulled away from my skin, the pocket of air forming, and then I heard the unmistakable sound of scissors, snip-snip-snip.

My p.u.s.s.y was now bare to the air. A finger traced the edges of my lips and I jumped. That wasn't James. That was someone with long fingernails. ”Who is that? Who's there?”

”Just me,” came Ferrara's voice. The vibrator clicked off and I heard her put the controller on the ledge.

”Ferrara, what the f.u.c.k? Where is James?”

”I'm here to tell you the bad news, Karina. It's all been a setup. I tried to warn you, didn't I?”

”What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?”

”James is about to come back in and f.u.c.k you like the little f.u.c.k toy you are. And you have a choice. You can either shut up and take it like a good girl, or you can scream and cry and protest. Either way works for me. When the video hits the Internet, you won't be able to deny it. Everyone at this party saw you in bondage flying overhead. They'll all know it's real.”

”Ferrara, don't be stupid. You're going to film this? This is rape. You'll go to jail.”

”Will I? Karina, don't be naive. Judges and juries blame women for their own rapes simply for wearing a skirt. You've been displayed to everyone as a s.e.x object. Are you going to convince the judge that you were coerced into this? Hmm, let me see. You've been on the payroll for months. That harness was specially fitted for you. You were even in one of the earlier rape tapes that came out. Oh, weren't those faked? Well, obviously this is faked, too.”

”You're crazy!”

”I'm driven. There's a difference. Here's what's going to happen. James is going to come in and f.u.c.k you now, and the entire thing is going to be on the Internet.”

”That doesn't make any sense!”

”Doesn't it? Think about it.” She flicked her nail across my c.l.i.t and I tried to squeeze my legs together to no avail. ”It doesn't matter if you fight, because afterward we're going to fly you over the audience with your ravaged c.u.n.t hanging out, just at the moment we unveil the alb.u.m cover, which happens to be a painting James did of you in rope bondage. If you fight though, you'll see I was so right about him, that that's what he really wants. That'll work better with the theme of the publicity videos we've been releasing. Haven't they been brilliant? The whole campaign is brilliant. The whole Internet is on fire about it.”

She was lying. She had to be. That old fear fluttered in my stomach, that maybe there was one more layer to James, one more layer of deception.

”If you don't fight, well, it'll still be a good show. I love a good, hard a.s.sf.u.c.king. Especially of an a.n.a.l virgin. But that's why I think you'll fight.”

Was that why he kept winding me up about a.n.a.l s.e.x? Because it was all a setup for this?

”Now, stay where you are. Don't move.” As if I could. She laughed at her own joke as she went to open the door to let someone in from the hallway.

I heard the shuffling of feet. It sounded like more than one person came in. One of them squeaked in distress. Becky?

I swung in the suspension, unable to move my arms or free myself. I couldn't even kick my legs. I felt large hands ma.s.saging my b.u.t.tocks.

”Get the camera closer,” Ferrara hissed. ”Film his thing.”

I could hear the wet, rhythmic sound of a p.e.n.i.s being stroked. Then hands on my thighs as someone positioned themselves between my legs.

”You don't want to do this,” I said.

A hard erection rubbed my thigh.

”I'm telling you right now to stop. I didn't consent to this.” That couldn't be James. It couldn't.

Ferrara egged him on, though. ”Go on, James. Her a.s.s is ripe for the taking. Why are you going so slowly?”

His hands pulled my b.u.t.tocks apart, ma.s.saging my flesh. For a moment I felt a flicker of fear, but his touch felt unfamiliar. ”You're not my James!” I cried out. ”I don't know who you are, but this is rape!”

I heard Becky sob.

”Becks! Tell me who that is! That's not him, is it?”

”No, Karina, it's not! I don't know who that is!”

I heard a scuffle then, and Ferrara's voice. ”Of course it is! You don't know what he looks like!”

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