Other People's Bodies Page 13

  For the next few minutes, all I can do is watch through the slats as Edward and Rachel have sex. Or, rather, it's Edward who's doing everything, while Rachel just stays in position and lets herself get taken from behind. The look on her face is one of boredom combined with mild frustration, although she lets out a few token gasps now and again, as if she's trying to persuade Edward that she's enjoying herself. Not that he seems to care, however; he's clearly just focused on his own needs, pounding away at her and building up his own rhythm. With her breasts wobbling as they dangle beneath her, Rachel seems to be merely waiting for the whole encounter to be over. There's certainly no sign of pleasure on her face, and she's obviously just letting Edward use her body for his own gratification.

  "Fuck!" Edward shouts eventually, pulling away from her and walking back over to the mirror. His erect penis glistens as he examines himself.

  "Did you?" Rachel asks cautiously.

  No answer.

  Reaching between her legs, Rachel checks. "It's okay," she says quietly. "I'll take care of it". Sliding off the bed, she hurries to the bathroom, and moments later there's the sound of water running in the sink. The whole routine seems so quick and easy, as if this little arrangement has been in place for a number of years.

  Over by the mirror, Edward is once again examining himself. Leaning closer to the glass, he seems particularly interested in his eyes, as if he's expecting to find some kind of post-coital change. His penis is already beginning to soften, its brief moment of exertion apparently long-forgotten as Edward runs a hand across his cheek.

  Just as I'm starting to think that I've seen it all, I hear a loud thumping sound from the bathroom, followed by a gasp from Rachel. Moments later, Rachel emerges with a piece of tissue in her hand, using it to dab at a fresh cut on her lip. Since I know for a fact that there was no-one else in the bathroom, it's clear Rachel must have somehow hit or punched herself. I guess I know where her cuts and bruises are coming from.

  "I'll be getting on, then," Rachel says, walking over to grab her clothes. "Let me know if you want to do something tomorrow, otherwise I'll just come to your office late on Thursday as normal. Okay?"

  Silence.

  "It was good today," she continues unconvincingly. "Really good".

  Silence. Edward is still focused entirely on his own reflection.

  Running a finger against her bleeding lip, Rachel reaches out and wipes a small smear of blood on Edward's shoulder, before getting dressed. Without saying a word, she wanders awkwardly out of the room, leaving Edward alone once again.

  I wait, terrified to find out what might happen next. After a moment, Edward grabs his clothes and starts to get dressed. It's a slow process, and he seems to be taking his time, but finally he looks respectable once again. Reaching down and straightening the bed-sheets, he makes his way over to the door, before stopping and glancing back into the room.

  "I hope you don't mind," he says suddenly, staring over at the bed. "You did offer to share it with me".

  With that, he heads out into the corridor and pulls the door shut, leaving me to stand stock still in the closet. I have no idea what I've just witnessed, other than that Edward and Rachel seem to have a very strange relationship, while Edward himself evidently has some pretty strange associations with Elizabeth Bannister's old room. Although I'm still worried about getting caught, I figure Edward is probably long gone by now, so I cautiously push the closet door open and step back out into the room.

  "What the fuck was that?" I mutter walking over to the bed and staring down at the sheets. It's clear that both Edward and Rachel are complicated, messed-up people, and on top of that it seems that Rachel is administering her own beatings. I'm finding it hard to work out what either of them got out of such a bizarre encounter, and I'm especially confused about their apparent desire to spend time in Elizabeth's room. There's definitely something strange about such an arrangement, and I -

  Hearing a noise out in the corridor again, I turn just in time to realize that someone is swiping a key-card again. Before I have a chance to make it back to the closet, the door swings open.

  Elizabeth

  Five years ago

  "Elizabeth, are you in there?"

  Looking over at the door, I suddenly realize that I must have lost track of time. I check my watch and see that I've spent almost half an hour just sitting and staring at myself in the mirror. With a sinking feeling, I realize Luke is probably going to be annoyed again.

  "Elizabeth?"

  "Hang on!" I call out, quickly checking my make-up and brushing a few creases from my dress.

  "Elizabeth, are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," I mutter, "just give me a second, Luke, okay?" I pause for a moment, double-checking my reflection before hurrying over to the door. I figure I'm already guaranteed another telling-off from my husband, but I don't have the strength to argue back right now. If tonight was a test, I've failed. "I'm okay," I say as I open the door, "I just -"

  I stop dead in my tracks.

  "Edward?"

  "Luke sent me," Edward replies, with a faint smile. "He saw you coming upstairs a while ago and he was worried you'd fallen asleep. He thought that perhaps you needed some help getting back downstairs".

  "No," I say, frowning. I was certain it was Luke's voice I'd heard a moment ago, but I guess I must have been wrong. "I just came back to take a quick break," I explain, "and I guess I totally forgot about time, and..." I pause, realizing that I've been in some kind of trance. "I'm sorry".

  "You don't have to apologize," Edward replies, stepping past me and walking into the room. "So this is what you've done with the place, is it? When Luke told me you'd asked for your own room, I couldn't really understand why, but now I get it". He turns back to me. "Room 105 is kind of like your hideaway, isn't it?"

  "I just like to come here occasionally," I reply. "I know it probably sounds crazy, but I feel like I need to keep a little part of myself back, so I don't end up being totally overwhelmed".

  "That might be a very wise strategy".

  "Luke thinks it's a bit weird," I tell him. "I think he feels threatened".

  "My brother feels threatened by a lot of things," he replies.

  "Shouldn't we be getting back downstairs?" I ask.

  "I can fully understand your need to get away from everything," Edward continues, walking over and looking at the dressing table. "Sometimes this part of the world can be a little overwhelming, even for those of us who were raised in the damn place. For someone who's completely new to it, I can only imagine how the Heights must seem". He steps over to the bed and reaches down, testing the mattress with the palm of his hand. "Do you come here often?"

  "Just..." I pause for a moment. "I guess. Once a day, maybe".

  "Once a day? That's more than I expected".

  "It's just good to have a place to come," I continue, aware that I'm probably giving him too much information but, at the same time, feeling a tinge of relief at the thought that Edward seems to understand me. I pause again, feeling that perhaps I'm seeming a little ungrateful. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable," I add eventually, "it's just that -"

  "You like having some time to yourself," Edward says, interrupting me. "I can see that. My brother, on the other hand, is young. He sees the world in very simple terms. He doesn't understand that there are some people who need to retreat within themselves from time to time. Not as a failing or an act of fear, nor as an act of provocation, but as a means to survive. I don't know about you, but if I spend too much time in a crowd, I feel as if I'm drowning".

  We stand in awkward silence for a moment.

  "I really should be getting back downstairs," I say eventually. "Luke's not going to want me to be up here for too long, but..." I stare at Edward, and for a moment I feel as if he truly understands my need to have my own room as a bolt-hole. "You can stay, if you want," I tell him. "Just make sure the door's shut when you leave".

  He stares at me for a moment, looking a little sur
prised. "No," he says finally, heading out into the corridor. "It's your room, and only yours. You shouldn't let other people use it. Preserve it for yourself. Perhaps we'd all be better off if we had our own little bolt-holes".

  Without saying anything, I follow him out of the room and turn to pull the door shut. By the time I've turned the key, I look up and see that Edward hasn't waited for me. He's already making his way back downstairs, leaving me to pause for a moment as I try to shake the feeling that in some strange and unexpected way, my brother-in-law and I have come to some kind of understanding.

  Laura

  Today

  "What's wrong?" Cole asks as he leads me back into the bar. "Don't you like being rescued? I thought I did a pretty good Errol Flynn impression back there, swooping in and plucking you from danger".

  "Rescued?" I reply, bristling at his use of the word. "You make it sound as if I was in dire danger. I was just standing in a room. I didn't need to be plucked from anywhere".

  "Not just any room," Cole points out, making his way back behind the bar and quickly grabbing his phone to make sure he hasn't missed any calls. "Be honest. When the door opened, you were terrified. I could see it in your eyes. You looked like you were about to collapse. You thought Edward had come back, didn't you?"

  "How did you know I was there?" I ask.

  "It was pretty obvious. To be honest, I came looking for you 'cause I wanted to apologize. I was pretty short with you earlier, and I felt like maybe I gave you the wrong impression. When I couldn't find you, I realized you must have given in to temptation and gone looking for information about Elizabeth. After that, it wasn't hard to work out that there was only one place you'd have gone, especially if you had a skeleton card". He holds up his own black plastic key-card. "It's amazing what you can get hold of on the black market, huh? These things are pretty popular in the industry".

  "I was just curious," I mutter. "I wanted to look around. I know it seems kind of messed-up now, but I figured I could find something and maybe I'd be able to put this whole thing to rest".

  "And did you find anything?" he asks. "Was your curiosity sated?" He waits for a reply, and I can see that there's more than just idle curiosity behind his question. "I've often wondered whether she left anything in there," he adds after a moment. "Not like a note, but just something that might..." His voice trails off.

  "You've got a key-card," I point out. "Didn't you ever sneak in there?"

  "No," he says, busying himself with some glasses that need loading into the dishwasher. "Drink?" he adds after a moment.

  I shake my head. "It's been a long day," I tell him. "I think I just need to unwind with a book or something. There are certain images I need to get out of my mind, if you know what I mean. Watching Edward and Rachel have bad sex from inside a closet isn't exactly my idea of fun".

  "I don't blame you," Cole replies, "but if you change your mind, tonight or any other night, there's a Cosmopolitan here with your name on it. On the house". He pauses. "Do you happen to know how many guests we've got staying tonight?"

  "The grand total of nineteen," I say with a sigh, turning and heading to the door. "See what I mean? A big place like this, in such a beautiful part of the world, and we've only got nineteen people staying on a late summer's night. And believe me, they're not exactly the high-rolling types, either. They all came in together as a coach-load from some old people's home up-country".

  "Nineteen old folk," Cole mutters. "Great. I guess it's gonna be another slow night".

  Walking over to the door, I pause for a moment. There's a question I want to ask, but I know it could cause trouble. Glancing over my shoulder, I see that Cole is still busy with the dishwasher.

  "Why are you still here?" I ask eventually.

  "Work to do," he mutters.

  "No, I mean why are you still working at the Heights? I looked at your file. You've been here for six years. You clearly hate the Bannisters, and it's not like this is the most exciting job in the world. So I was just wondering... Why?"

  He continues to load glasses into the machine, and for a moment it seems as if he's not going to answer. "The last time I saw her," he says eventually, "we agreed to leave together. I was going to help her get away. I stood pretty much right here and told her I'd wait for her". He pauses. "She was supposed to come back at midnight that night, but she didn't. I guess she's running late".

  "You're still waiting for her?" I ask, feeling a sharp sensation in my chest, like a kick in the heart.

  "If I'm not here," he replies, "how will she know where to find me?"

  I pause. I want to run back across the bar and hug him. In truth, I want to do more than hug him, but at the same time it's clear that Cole's heart belongs to a woman who's far, far away, and despite my somewhat sordid past, I've never stolen a man away from another woman and I'm not about to start now. Without saying anything else, I turn and head out of the bar, leaving Cole to continue his long wait for the woman he insists is still alive. At least I finally understand why he's so unwilling to give up on the possibility that Elizabeth might be out there somewhere. He can't let go of the possibility that one day she might come walking back through the door. I hope, for his sake, that he doesn't end up waiting his whole life away.

  Elizabeth

  Five years ago

  "So it wasn't torture?" Luke asks as he gets undressed.

  "No," I reply, sitting on the end of the bed. We're back in our room, with the party having finally ended just after midnight. Although I'm tempted to go to my private room for a few minutes, I figure I've probably already pushed my luck in that regard, so I'm going to stay with Luke for the rest of the night. I need to get used to being with him more. It's not fair to shut him out of my life, and a wife's place is with her husband, not hidden away in some pokey little room. Still, Luke can irritate me sometimes. "It was okay once I got used to it," I add. "I kind of went into auto-pilot mode after a while".

  "You were upstairs for a long time," he adds. "What happened? Did you fall asleep?"

  I nod.

  "I was tempted to send Edward up to look for you," he continues, "but at least you came down eventually".

  I pause for a moment. "You didn't send Edward?" I ask.

  "I might next time, so be careful".

  I sit in silence for a moment. When Edward knocked on the door of room 105 earlier, he specifically claimed that he'd been sent by Luke, but now it seems his story was a lie. It's almost as if he wanted to hide the fact that he noticed my absence. Ever since I arrived at the Heights, I've felt that there's a deeper, darker side to my brother-in-law, a side that notices everything that happens. Finally, I seem to be slowly peeling away his outer layers. Luke always says that Edward's not very good at dealing with people, but I'm not sure that's true.

  "Come on," Luke says, laughing as he walks out of the bathroom wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers. "Do you really think I'd send Creepy Edward to check on you? I know he's my brother, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the fact that he's a little weird. You know what I mean, right?"

  I nod.

  "Edward's stiff as a board. The guy's got a fucking rod up his ass". He pauses for a moment. "Seriously, I love my brother, but I can see him for what he is. He just gives off weird vibes. He's always been like that. I guess we used to tease him a bit too much when he was a kid, but it was just so obvious. Sometimes I wonder what's going on in his head. You must have noticed".

  I nod again. She have noticed that Edward is different to most other men, and that there seems to be a kind of deep calm in his expression. I can't help wondering whether he's hiding some kind of dark passion, or whether he's really just as blank as he appears to be.

  "Hasn't Edward ever had a girl in his life?" I ask.

  "Hell, no," Luke replies with a smile. "Who the hell would want that asshole?"

  I open my mouth to argue with him, but I guess there's no point arguing with someone whose mind seems to be made up. "I want to talk to your father abou
t the old summerhouse," I say eventually. "I've got some ideas for it".

  "So do you wanna come to bed?" Luke asks, ignoring my comment about the summerhouse and instead leaning down and kissing the side of my neck. "I've been waiting to get some time alone with you all night, and you know how much I hate waiting. I'm an impatient man, Mrs. Bannister".

  "Sure," I reply, realizing I've got no choice but to act like everything's normal. Standing up, I turn to him and slip out of my robe, exposing my bare, naked body. "Just promise me one thing," I add, as Luke removes his boxers, revealing that he's already hard. "Promise you'll stay by my side in future, at events like this. I was kind of lost out there. I needed you. I was waiting for you to come back all evening".

  "Whatever you want," Luke replies, smiling as he takes my hands and leads me over to the bed. "You know that, right?" he continues, holding me close and planting another kiss on the side of my neck. "You're my wife," he whispers. "There's nothing in the world I wouldn't give you". With that, he pulls me down onto the bed and begins to make love to me. All I can do is try to stop thinking about everything that happened during the evening and focus, instead, on my husband. It takes a few minutes, but finally I'm able to fake the necessary enthusiasm. Perfection can wait; right now, I just need to focus on staying staying sane, and on resisting the strange sadness that seems to permeate every part of this hotel.