Chapter 5 - Edward and Lisette's story

Chapter 5“Wow,” Lisette sounded breathlessly when she saw Edward’s car.  As she walked all around it admiringly, she couldn’t help but feel impressed.“Maserati,” she finally said.“Yep,” Edward replied a little embarrassed by the ostentatiousness of the car all of a sudden.  He was glad she was impressed but he felt like a middle age man creeping on a younger woman with his gaudy expensive car.He wasn’t middle aged, just thirty-one years old.  And even though he did want to get her in bed, he wasn’t all desperately up on her about it.  She was so innocent and he wasn’t.But he wanted her so badly.  Never had he wanted a woman like he did her.  If the car helped him to get her then what the hell, he’d buy ten more.“Hop in,” he said opening her door.“Thank you.”“Wow that engine,” she groaned hearing it purring.  “I love it!”He smiled at her enthusiasm.“How fast can you go?”“It says 180 but I’ve only every gotten it up to 130 before I chickened out.”“That’s so cool.  I would love to know what flying at 130 feels like.”“It’s quite an adrenaline spike.”“I bet!”“So you’re interested in cars,” Edward asked as he drove them to Jace’s place.“I like to look at pretty cars,” she answered shyly.  “I’m not a race fan or anything.  I just like the styling of fast cars.  Or any car really.”“You ever have been to the Tiny Town Car Museum up in Columbia?”“No!  There’s a car museum close by?” she asked excitedly.He looked over at her and was caught by her sparkling eyes.  She was really thrilled about this car museum.  Now he knew where their second date would be.Second date, he asked himself?  What are you doing?  This will be your one and only date with this child.  You need to walk away for both your sakes.But he couldn’t.  He was love struck.  She was his to protect and cherish.  If she let him he would keep her safe from all the monsters out there in the world.  No one would get close enough to hurt her ever again.“Is something wrong?” she asked seeing him frown.  “We don’t have to eat if you don’t want to anymore.  You can drop me off at the next bus stop and I –”“There is no way in hell I’m dropping you off at a bus stop.  Even if I didn’t want to eat I would at least have the decency to drop you off at your home,” Edward sounded gruffly.  “I’m not such an asshole.”“I didn’t mean to imply you were,” she said quietly but steadily.  “I don’t think you are an – asshole.  But I do know that most men find it hard to be seen in public with a scarred, fat girl.”“Well I’m not one of those men,” he snapped.“No sir,” she said meekly.“Damn it,” he whispered.  He ran a hand through his black hair in frustration.“I’m sorry,” he conceded.  “I didn’t mean to – get angry with you.  It’s not you I’m angry with.”“Who are you angry with?” she asked looking back at him wonderingly.“The bastard who hurt you both physically and emotionally.”“Oh.”“Who was it?” he asked gently.  “Who gave you that scar?”She sat quietly in the passenger seat looking out the window for a few long minutes.“My mother,” she finally relented in a small soft voice.  “She found out my stepdad was – raping me and she accused me of seducing him.  She said she would make it so that no man would want me.  She used a kitchen knife.  I only had twenty stitches but it was so jagged it left a – mark.”“I’m so sorry that happened to you.  Mothers should protect their children not be jealous of them.”He was surprised to hear her chuckle darkly.  “That’s what I told her when she came to see me in the ER.  She pleaded with me not to turn her in.  I didn’t because that would leave me alone with – him.  Now that she knew I figured he would leave me alone.”  She paused before continuing.  “He didn’t.”“Did you run away?” Edward asked gruffly as they pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot.  He was having trouble keeping his anger in check.  If he ever saw her rapist he would kill the son of a bitch.  How dare the man take her innocence and trust against her will?  How could her own mother attack her instead of getting her away from that raping bastard?“Yeah.  When my face was healed up as much as it could be, I left.  They were about to kick me out anyway because I was eighteen.  Too old for my stepdad.” she said angrily.  “I lived on the streets for the past several years.  It was tough but I made it I guess.”“What is it?” he prodded gently.  Only she could calm the beast inside of him that wanted to kill.  Her emotional health took precedent over his.  She needed to tell her story.“I really missed my mom,” she said her voice breaking but the tears didn’t follow.  “When it was just me and her, things were tough but we were happy.  She married my stepdad when I was ten.  Life was ok until I started to – develop.  From thirteen until I was eighteen life was a bitch.  I thought it couldn’t get worse until I was homeless.  Then I realized life can always get worse.”“Is that where you met Joan, on the streets?”“Yeah.  I tried to get a job at the strip club she was working at.  I couldn’t because I was too – ugly.  But she and I hit it off and she asked me too look her up when I found a job.  I could stay with her instead of trying to save up for a deposit and first and last month’s rent.  I managed to get a job at the local shelter checking people in and out.  It hardly paid anything, but I looked Joan up and she was still willing to let me move in.”“Did you come from the shelter to the Underground?” Edward asked as he helped her out of the low-slung car.“Yeah.  I heard about the job from Ms. Darling.”“I was going to ask if you worked with Ms. Darling at the shelter she volunteers at.”“Yes.  I helped her out and she told me about the position at the club.  I asked her if she thought it would be ok for me to apply given that I wasn’t – pretty.  She said that wouldn’t be a problem.”“She said you weren’t pretty?”“No she said I was – pretty.”“That sounds more like her.”“Mr. Edward,” the beautiful hostess said as soon as the two of them walked into the restaurant holding hands.  “So good to see you and your lovely date.”“Oh no, I’m not –”Lisette stopped talking with just one look from Master Edward.“Ms. Ava and Mr. Jace are at their usual table,” the hostess went on as if she didn’t notice Lisette’s submissive affectation.  “Would you like to join them or would you like your own table?”“Let’s join them shall we?” he asked Lisette.  She looked up at him with just her eyes, her head still bent down.“Ok,” she answered softly.
“This way then!” the hostess said cheerily grabbing two menus and turning on her heel to lead them to the back of the restaurant.