“One step at a time, baby. Let’s get you out of those soiled clothes. Now, kick off your shoes and socks. Shimmy out of your pants and panties. Leave your shirt on. Okay?”
Colton did as instructed.
“Throw your shoes and jeans into the weeds to help disperse the smell. As far away from here as possible.”
Colton did that as well. Flung his clothes into the dark.
Matt was amazed. Was Colton in shock? PTSD? Or was it the vodka? He’d had two drinks but had then thrown up. Either way, the guy was now stranded and nearly naked—miles from civilization, and none the wiser. He stood there shivering, shielding his worm from prying eyes.
Meanwhile, Bella retrieved the bottle of vodka from Josh, who wasn’t pleased to part with it.
“There isn’t any water out here in bumfuck Egypt,” Bella said to Colton. “We have to improvise. I’m going to pour this on you to help clean you up. Alright?”
Colton nodded.
“Now,” Bella said, after she’d washed away most of the mess, “take off your shirt, baby, and tie it around your waist like a sarong.”
Colton complied.
Bella gave him a warm smile. “Good job. How about we move upwind?”
She led him past Clown, Princess, and the Devil.
Colton clung to her arm fearfully.
Bella stopped at the front of the Audi.
Colton stood, swaying,almost catatonic.
“Clown!” Bella got Jake’s attention. She handed him the empty vodka bottle, told him to retrieve the sunglasses and baseball cap from his Jetta and toss all three items into Colton’s Audi.
“Take Princess and the Devil with you,” she said. “You guys can leave.”
Matt remained in the shadows, flanked by Josh and Evan, watching his plan come to fruition in real time, but unable to savor the moment. He was remembering his thirteen-year-old self, holding a baseball bat, looking down at the face of someone vile enough to have raped him but human enough to be cringing, begging for mercy. He hadn’t been sure of what to do then, and, six years later, he still didn’t know the answer.
Bella motioned for Matt to bring her his bottle of vodka.
Colton cowered at sight of Matt.
“It’s okay, baby,” Bella reassured Colton. “That was a brutish thing, threatening to shove this bottle in your ass.”
Colton nodded.
“You know a thing or two about brutishness yourself, don’t you?” Bella asked him.
Colton shivered, hugged himself tight, like the truth was a cold wind he had to protect himself against.
“Who are you?” he whispered. “I got your name. Bella. But why are you here?”
Bella retrieved a Solo cup from her handbag and poured a generous serving of vodka. “Sit on the hood with me.” She offered Colton the cup.
He hopped up, drank a little, then wiped his mouth. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“And you didn’t drink enough. You do realize that, right? That one way or the other you’ll be drunk tonight? It’s still the same choice Matt offered you earlier: with dignity, or without. I’m just trying to nudge you in the dignity direction.”
Colton glanced nervously at Josh and Evan, then downed the cup.
Bella poured in two more fingers, which Colton drank as well.
