Abby Ch. 02 - Meeting Mandy

Feedback and constructive criticism are very much appreciated and encouraged.

This story contains graphic scenes, language, and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words, and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape, or violence against women. Any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Chapter 02 - Meeting Mandy

The cold, unfeeling metal handrail steadied me from the constant mesmerizing sway of the subway as it pushed through the darkness toward my destination.

"Sorry," I said quickly to the stranger beside me I had bumped into as I regained my balance from the most recent lurch. The woman did not respond as she continued staring at her phone, apparently oblivious to anything else. The other passengers, obviously accustomed to the sudden invasions of personal space, seemed little affected by the sudden rocking motions of the subway.

I had always hated the city, never able to get used to the cold, unfeeling way people acted here. Either you didn't even exist to them as they marched on like drones to their next destination, or you were a hindrance getting between them and their goal--a peasant worthy of only a disgusted glance as they brushed by you. I wasn't sure which was worse.

It had been two days since Dan and I had dinner together at Marzano's. While it had been mostly business as usual on the surface, I knew that underneath, Dan had his silent reservations about my dinner date this evening with Mandy. Mandy was a beautiful red-haired buxom girl who had always been a bit of a wild child, attracting more than her fair share of attention from both boys and girls, soaking it up any chance she could.

We had been best friends in high school when sex had become a real thing, and while I also had plenty of attention thrown my way, primarily because of my accent, my body had filled out later than Mandy's, and I couldn't compete with her red hair and curves. We started drifting apart when we graduated, with me going to college and her pursuing a modeling career. Still, we had always stayed in contact over the years, trying to get together at least once every few months to catch up with each other's lives and reminisce.

Although we had kept in touch through social media, the last time I had seen Mandy was three years ago at her mother's funeral, dying unexpectedly after a short battle with cancer. She had also lost her father a few years prior, but she hadn't been close to him like she was with her mother, as they had divorced when she was young. I could remember her looking so stunningly beautiful at the funeral, but you could see the longing and sadness in her eyes through her composed demeanor.

I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her as we parted ways that night. Maybe she just needed someone to be there for her, but as much as I had tried, I felt she was pushing me away and needing her space. It had always made me feel like I had let her down somehow.

After her mom died, her wildness had amplified, judging from her vague social media posts. I hadn't heard from her for a few months until I reached out earlier this week. I had shared some of her posts with Dan from time to time which is likely why he had been a bit out of sorts about the visit. From his perspective, he was thinking, "Two gorgeous women out on the town with alcohol and Mandy's flirtatious personality. What could go wrong?"

Exiting the subway at my destination, I looked up the directions to the restaurant on my phone four blocks south as the unfeeling presence of the city began seeping into me. The tall buildings rose above the busy sidewalks, and yellow taxis zipped past as the air became colder with the setting sun blocked from view by the city buildings, making me shiver. I suddenly had no desire to be here anymore. I wanted to be home where things weren't so cold and unfeeling, where I was safe and warm.

As I walked the short four blocks, I looked in the windows of the various street-level shops along the way, trying to distract myself from the chilly summer evening. One shop sold vintage clothing, and another had tons of used books. An Italian bakery here and a shoe repair shop there. It was the same scene every block, one small business after another. Except for one bar on a corner, everything else looked worn down and old on the outside, and I thought about all the lives that had come and gone living and working in these places.

Arriving at the restaurant's entrance, I went inside, passing the bar and looking inside the dining area for Mandy. Many people were already inside having drinks and laughing, and there was a definite drone of conversation in the air. A young man with a blue tie leaned against the bar, casually talking with another man, both looking at their phones. Across the bar, a young girl was casually playing with her hair talking to what must have been her date, signaling her interest in him.

I turned my gaze back to the door for a second, feeling anxious and overwhelmed in this unfamiliar setting. I noticed the two men had stopped looking at their phones and were now glancing my way, which didn't help. I had worn a casual but sexy dress with heels and had taken extra time with my makeup, but their glances suddenly made me self-conscious. I stopped and closed my eyes to calm myself for a second before looking again to see if I could see Mandy.

When my eyes opened again, I saw the two men at the bar shift their gaze quickly behind me in unison; a split second later, two hands covered my eyes from behind, and I jumped, startled, before I heard a familiar voice.

"Guess who?"

"Ariel!" I said, turning to face her, using her pet name from high school.

She hugged me tightly before pulling back and examining me, shaking her head.

"Really! You look gorgeous," she gushed, her eyes wide. "How long has it been?"

"Thank you. I guess almost three years now. Since the funeral." I replied, slightly embarrassed as I took in her beauty.

She wore a black leather corset showing off her ample cleavage with a matching leather skirt and heels. A black, chained clasp choker with a metallic skull and spike accent was draped around her neck, contrasting her shoulder-length full, rich red curls. It was no wonder the two guys were having trouble not staring.

"It's been too long. I've missed you so much!"

We hugged again and laughed.

"Let's get our table," Mandy said, walking past me to the dining area without waiting for a response.

She led the way to a booth near the front window with a reservation sign, where we ordered drinks before looking at menus. The restaurant was a modern upscale Chinese fusion restaurant, the interior a red and black modern yet sleek decor, with a mix of traditional and contemporary elements. Colorful artwork and murals adorned the walls, along with Chinese lanterns and other decorative items. The seating was a mix of booths and tables, with comfortable chairs and plush cushions.

"So, tell me, what's been going on with you since we last talked," she asked as we got comfortable.

I gave her a quick rundown of the recent real estate market and about postponing the wedding with Dan until next year.

"Tsk." she scolded, "I really don't know what you see in him."

"You just don't like him because his personality is completely different from yours."

I knew she didn't mean anything by her comment; she was just very outspoken and sometimes didn't have much of a filter before speaking her thoughts.

The waitress arrived for our orders, providing a perfect opportunity to change the subject. Looking over the menu, we ordered our food before continuing our conversation.

"What about you? What's new in your life?"

"Not much, really. Same old stuff. I work a lot, spend time with my friends, that sort of thing."

Mandy seemed to be a little vague about her life since we had spoken at the funeral, but I knew that something was different about her. I had seen her social media posts, which had gotten less frequent recently.

"Are you still modeling?"

"Yep, still doing modeling work here and there. I've started doing some photography as well."

"Really? I haven't seen anything on social media, paid work or just a hobby?"

"Some paid work, some hobby. Mostly exclusive stuff for... private clients, so I don't post it on socials."

I was curious about the short pause in her voice, but before I could ask her, our food arrived, and we shifted back to small talk, enjoying our meal together, reminiscing about old times and how much things had changed since we were in high school.

As we were finishing our meals and about to order dessert, Mandy asked me, "Your text talked about needing a distraction. What's that about?" I had hoped it wouldn't come up, but I had assumed it would eventually.

"I don't know, nothing. I guess everything just seems a little dull these days. Work is good, Dan is Dan, and my parents are finally starting to warm up to him. But I don't know. Maybe I should see a doctor."

"What you need is a little bit of fun, a new experience, maybe," Mandy said carefully as if wanting to read my response.

I stared at her for a moment before I realized she was probably right. Things had become so routine and mundane over the past few months. Maybe something new was all I needed.

"Tell you what," she said, taking my silence as confirmation, "Next Friday, the private club I work at is having an open night for invited guests, you know, for kinky people..." she again waited for my reaction.

"A what now?" I asked, not sure I had heard her correctly.

"You know, like BDSM? You haven't been living under that big a rock back home, have you?"

"No, of course not. I just wasn't sure I heard you right." I tried to hide my surprise.

"Bring that lump, Dan, with you. It would probably do him as much good as you!"

"I don't know. I'll have to talk with him...."

"Don't talk; tell him. He'll come. Tell him he might get to see some new boobs if he is lucky." She chuckled as she added that last part.

"I don't know that I would fit in at a party like that. I don't even know what I would wear," I continued to protest.

"Nonsense, sweetie. Everyone is super accepting, and you can wear whatever you want. Hell, you can even wear nothing if you want!" she laughed again at what I assumed was a joke.

After Mandy effectively disarmed my reservations, telling me she had the night off and would be there with me, making sure it wasn't awkward, I finally agreed to bring it up with Dan at least. Satisfied, she shifted the conversation back to home, asking more about how things had changed there.

Talking about things over another glass of wine, Mandy suddenly waved at some unknown person behind me. I looked up as I saw a tall, blonde-haired man walk past me, giving Mandy a quick kiss on both cheeks before taking a seat beside her. He stared at me for a couple of seconds, his deep blue eyes seemingly taking in everything about me. It wasn't a lewd, offensive stare like the two guys at the bar. It was more of curiosity, as if he was trying to read my demeanor using only his eyes. He was certainly attractive, if not quite my type. Still, though, there was something about his presence that was overwhelmingly calming. It was something I had never felt before, like he could always make things safe again, no matter the danger.

Sensing the oncoming uncomfortable silence, he spoke to Mandy without taking his eyes off me, "Aren't you going to introduce your friend, Mandy?"

I blushed, turning to look at Mandy as she introduced us. "Sorry, Victor. This is Abby, one of my best friends from school. Abby, this is Victor. A...," Mandy paused slightly as if choosing her word carefully, "friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you, Abby," he said calmly.

"You too," I smiled back.

"Victor, I invited Abby and her fiancé to the club next Friday."

"Are you sure she would be interested?" he asked, still casually considering my demeanor.

"I am," she answered quietly.

I had noticed a certain deference whenever Mandy spoke to Victor. I turned to meet

Victor's curious stare again, this time with more prepared confidence.

"Yes, you are probably right," he said almost immediately after I had made eye contact with him again. As if the answer he had been seeking had suddenly presented itself.

"Good then," he continued after a brief pause, "Mandy, we need to go if we aren't going to keep our guests waiting. It was nice meeting you, Abby. Maybe we will see you next Friday."

Mandy rose almost immediately. "Don't worry about splitting the bill. It's covered." She said as she gave me a quick hug and kiss. "Do come next week." She called over her shoulder, leaving me alone, pondering what was so urgent they needed to run off in such a hurry.