Luke gets his revenge with a little help from Luka.
PART 3
On Sunday I attended church as was my weekly routine and unable to find peace, I decided to walk the country lanes to think over my predicament. Clearly, Miss Johnson was enjoying her power over me, and sooner rather than later she was going to use me again, and she probably wouldn't be satisfied with anything as coy as a hand or blowjob. The thought of fucking that dried up old bitch repelled me and excited me, but past experience told me that I might be inadequate for her needs. What if I didn't satisfy her? Would she stoop to even more extreme measures to get her gratification?
I was lost in thought and didn't notice a raven-haired woman approaching in the opposite direction. She seemed to materialise out of the morning fog like a wraith dressed in black.
As I passed her she stopped, and asked, "You're Luke Coldrum aren't you."
Shocked I stopped and looked at her unable to understand how she knew my name. I could not place her accent -- eastern European perhaps -- maybe Ukraine -- I couldn't be sure -- but it was like honeyed silk. She looked in her mid-thirties, but her face was ageless. Her skin was milky white and her knowing eyes were dark wells that sucked me down.
"Yes, "I stuttered. "How do you know me?"
"Oh I'm somewhat of a people person, I know a lot of things," she said. "In fact, I know lots of things about you, even you're little liaison with Miss Johnson the other day."
She paused for effect but she needn't have bothered because I felt the colour drain from my face.
"How do you know that?" I gasped, shocked by the revelation.
"As I said, I know people, better than they know themselves sometimes."
My head swam as she smiled revealing gleaming white teeth framed between ruby red lips. She held me with her gaze and I felt the breath leave my lungs. At that moment I can honestly say that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
"I can help you with your problem," she continued.
"Oh?" I said intrigued now, "how so?"
"Let's just say that I have certain skills that could be useful in a situation like yours, all you have to do is invite me in."
"I beg your pardon," I asked, "invite you in?"
"Invite me into your life," she said brightly, "like you would a friend. Win-win, so to speak."
Was this woman nuts? Any man would invite this woman into their lives -- it would be a dream come true. In fact, it was too good to be true.
"And what's the catch," I asked, suspicious now.
"No catch," she said sweetly, "other than you have an hour to make up your mind and your decision is permanent."
What did she mean by permanent?
Reading my face she continued, "Binding, in perpetuity, until our Kingdom come."
The strange woman chose an odd set of words to make her point, but I understood her meaning perfectly. Whatever I was agreeing to had no going back -- a contract of sorts - and whilst I had my suspicions, especially as I only had an hour to decide, I couldn't help but feel that an eternity with this woman wouldn't be half bad.
"Give me an hour," I said.
The woman flashed that dazzling smile again and said, "I'll meet you here."
I set off again and then turned to call back 'one hour' but the woman had already vanished into the fog. My mind raced trying to figure out where the trap lay -- after all -- beautiful women weren't in the habit of approaching me, ever, let alone, making an offer like this. Why on earth shouldn't I accept the deal -- it was a gift horse? As I meandered through the lanes I realised that I couldn't get the image of her face out of my mind -- it was as if it had etched itself into my subconscious- and now those beautiful eyes and full lips beckoned back -- 'one hour.' I realised that a woman like her had a rare beauty -- one that could enrapture or enslave, whichever was to her liking.
"Snap out of this," I mumbled to myself, "get real, what's someone like her doing in a place like this?"
"She was looking for me," I replied snappily, "she knew my name."
"Why would she be interested in someone like you?" I responded, asking the obvious question.
"Because sometimes strange things happen, once in a lifetime things," was my response. The answer seemed weak but my doubts were easily assuaged by those eyes that enraptured me with her gaze.
"Am I really going to turn down this offer?" I asked myself.
Who was I kidding, I was hers from the beginning. Some part of me knew this -- it was a chemical attraction that I was powerless to deny - and whilst the rational part of my brain reasoned against this, the more cunning animal mind knew what it wanted. Already it had tempted me with imagined liaisons, scenarios, and moments together.
I arrived at the allotted place an hour later and waited. My mind was made up despite a faint sense of unease that I easily ignored. I fidgeted, conscious that it might look odd for a man to loiter in such an isolated spot, half-shrouded in the mist. Ten minutes quickly turned into twenty, excitement slowly fading way to disappointment, and after half an hour I realised that the woman had played me for a fool. Angry and frustrated I trudged home wondering why someone would play such a cruel joke. Perhaps she'd been sent by Miss Johnson to taunt me? Had Miss Johnson wanted to send a message -- be careful, I know where you live?
The following morning I woke up with a crushing headache the likes of which I had never had before, bar perhaps in my drink addled university days. I lumbered downstairs and took two Tylenol with my black coffee. I got into my beat-up Honda Civic and began the 40-minute commute to work. Thankfully the traffic was light and I arrived 10 minutes early which allowed me to grab another coffee and retire into the darkened reading room.
After an hour or so my headache dissipated and I felt cheerier than I had good reason to be. I had almost finished the cataloguing of the new stock when the door quietly swung open. I knew who it was as there was no knock -- only Miss Johnson barged in like that --hoping to discover some misdemeanour no doubt.
"Good, I'm glad that you're here," she said. "I need you in my office, now."
She wore a stern face and I knew that she had some ghastly delight in store for me. My heart lurched and on seeing it, she smiled lasciviously.
Sullenly I followed her into her office. Colin shot me a glance that plainly begged the question -- 'what's happened now?'
