The Trafficked

26

Becky got back to the flat in a great mood. She couldn’t believe she was flying out the next day-by lunchtime she would be on the way to Hong Kong. And then she remembered she hated flying-shit! The thought of it made her stomach go weak. She was going to have to block it out of her mind till the last minute and she was going to have to have a few drinks to get to sleep tonight. But, hopefully, Alex would be in the mood…

She dialled his number again-it went straight to answer phone. She didn’t look at the clock but she knew it was late. She knew if she glanced that way and saw what time it was that she would instantly feel tired, feel regret. She had to get up at six. She must get to the office by seven and get sorted for her trip. She took another drink and switched the music up a little louder. She looked at her reflection in the kitchen window, moving her hips slowly and sensually. She liked the way she moved in the silk slip and the way the candlelight caught the folds of the fabric. She liked the way it felt against her skin. She ran her fingers down her cleavage-not bad- the push-up bra had worked. It fascinated her to see that she had a sexy body. She didn’t make this kind of an effort to show it off very often. Mann was right. She did look nice.

She sighed, stopped dancing, and took another gulp of her wine ‘ Cheers,’ she said to her reflection. ‘ Here’s to ten fucking years offucking marriage.’ She lost her balance slightly and banged her hip on the side of the worktop. Should have stayed in the pub with Johnny. Becky giggled drunkenly. ‘Now that would have been a lot more fun,’ she said out loud.

She stopped. Bugger! What the hell was she thinking getting so pissed? Now she was even talking to herself She put the glass down on the kitchen worktop and went upstairs to the bathroom to study herself in the mirror. She stared hard at her face-her eye makeup was heavy, smudged, her eyes looked bloodshot and her face was ashen. She took a deep breath, sighed and turned away. Not quite as sexy or appealing as I thought, then!

She checked her watch: twelve twenty-five. She fumbled in the bathroom drawer and found the paracetamol, swallowed two and drank two glasses of water. She felt the pain in the top of her nose and her eyes began to water. Not when she was pissed as well…whythe hell did she have to cry now? She was only crying because she was pissed. She never did it normally. She didn’t dare look into the mirror. She held on to the sink and looked back through the open bathroom door down towards the kitchen. The music was still playing. Bastard…why did he always do it to her? She looked into the mirror. So fucking stupid-stop crying-your eyes will be puffy tomorrow and everyone will know.

A sob broke the silence. It was a horrible guttural sound. Becky hated the sound of it, What was she getting in such a state about? She didn’t know why it hurt tonight more than any other. It didn’t just hurt it make her fucking angry. She took a deep breath and splashed water on her face. He was working late. He was ambitious. She had known he was when she married him, she said to herself as she furiously brushed her teeth. She’d also known he didn’t want kids, but she’d thought he would change his mind about that. It had begun to irritate her when he called her ‘baby’. She wasn’t a baby; she was a grown woman who should have her own baby by now. But she certainly didn’t want a child with someone who didn’t want one with her. After years of badgering him she had finally realised he was never going to change his mind, so now she had her career and Alex had his, and they saw even less of each other. She couldn’t say she hadn’t seen it coming. But here she was on their tenth wedding anniversary, getting pissed in her best frock, on her own. She looked at her reflection and shook her head sadly. Yep-definitely should have stayed in the pub with Johnny. Her smile briefly returned, then she heard the sound of a key in the front door.