literature

Seven Minutes In Hell

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Will hated parties. Will had always hated parties ever since she was little and her mother had forced her kicking and screaming into a ghastly dress and made her go to a ghastly birthday party of one of the ghastly girls in her class. All her life her mother had tried to get her to go out and socialise with other people and just because Will was in her late twenties was, apparently, not enough of a reason for her to stop now. Will had never been one for socialising and tonight was no different.
Tonight was the office Valentines Day party. It wasn't particularly that any of the people there actually wanted to celebrate Valentines Day it was just that there was still a lot of booze left over from the Christmas party and according to everyone (apart from Will, that is) there was nothing like an excuse to get drunk and do stupid things. Will hadn't been particularly interested in going but an especially trying phone call from her mother (filled with a number of 'you're never going to find a husband if you don't go out and meet people's and 'do you want to be alone forever's) had made her feel as if she needed a stiff drink.
The company's largest function room was packed with people from the office already intoxicated and uninhibited enough to make Will wish she had just stayed at home. Well, she thought to herself making a beeline for a table lined with bottles, cans and shot glasses, I may as well start as I mean to go on. Two shots of tequila – one to take the edge off the conversation with her mother and another to take the edge off actually being here – Will was beginning to relax a little. Granted she still wasn't relaxed enough to be comfortable being there but she decided to at least try and enjoy herself; if nothing else the whiskey was free and half decent.
“Will!” called a familiar voice from over by the window. Will looked over to see her friend Cliff (real name Lauren Clifford, but apparently that was too boring and common and she had wanted something that stood out 'like her personality' and had legally changed it) surrounded by a large group of men who looked like they worked in the marketing department. The men who worked in marketing all had a certain look about them; smart suits, styled hair and an evident god-complex. They were always talking about the horse-power of their latest car or how much their wife or girlfriend had spent on Botox in the last month; they weren't exactly the kind of people Will had anything in common with or could have a conversation with.
Will reluctantly made her way over to the group as Cliff detached herself from one of the men who had been coping a feel of her well rounded backside (despite, Will knew for a fact, being married with a baby on the way) and came to meet her. The man watched Cliff walk away, then turned and said something to one of the other men. The two laughed and childishly high-fived each other, Will could guess what they were talking about.
“Cliff you realise that guy's married, right?” Will asked, she never could tell with Cliff – her morals weren't exactly what one could call sound. Cliff turned to look at the man who was now undressing her with his eyes, a predatory expression on his face.
“What him? Yeah what's your point, we're just talking.”
“But he was just...oh never mind.” Will sighed giving up her reprimand mid-sentence; sometimes it just wasn't worth it. Cliff didn't understand the concept of men having ulterior motives, in that respect she was much more naïve than Will even though she had more of that kind of experience with men.
“Anyway I can't believe you actually came!” Cliff said changing the subject.
“Yes,” Will sighed “I came.”
“I thought you hated parties?” Cliff asked.
“I do.” Will replied. Cliff had never gotten the hang of subtlety (or irony for that matter) so Will had taken to spelling everything out for her. Cliff's lack of subtlety didn't just stop there and, once again, tonight was no exception as her barely concealed breasts nearly spilled out of her skin tight black dress. It was all Will could do to keep eye contact with Cliff's face so she couldn't help but wonder how the men in the corner were managing it. Short answer; they weren't Will noticed as Cliff turned round to face them and four pairs of eyes all shot to her chest.
“Come on, we're just about to have some real fun.” Cliff flashed Will a wicked grin and pulled her in the direction of the men. Will inwardly groaned, if there was one thing she hated more than parties and being surrounded by drunk people it was being surrounded by drunk men. At least drunk women just told you they loved you while you held their hair back as they vomited but drunk men always had to try it on. Drunk men always had to have a grope of something while pretending that it happened by accident (the classic 'my hand slipped' never seemed to go out of style despite the fact that it was never believable).
“What do you mean by 'have some real fun'?” Will asked, sceptically. The last time Cliff had said they should 'have some real fun' she had bought hash-brownies into their staff meeting and their boss, who had eaten most of them, had started conversing with the coffee machine about how large his hands were. Cliff grabbed an empty wine bottle from one of the tables and waved it around playfully.
“We're just about to have a little game of Spin the Bottle.” Cliff shrieked ecstatically.
“Sorry, are we twelve?” Will asked, raising an eyebrow. If she had know that this was what was in store when she had left the house this evening she wouldn't have bothered. She would have put on her pyjamas, opened a bottle of good whisky and watched Fawlty Towers reruns on G.O.L.D.
“But it's fun!” Cliff mock pouted, apparently Will's reaction had not been what she had hoped for.
“Yeah, if you're in your pre-teens.” Will shot back.
“Come on Wilhelmina,” a deep voice from behind her said. “where's your sense of fun?” Will turned round and found herself confronted with Lewis Hayworth; another of the marketing men (with the biggest god-complex of them all) and the office play-boy. He had been caught kissing eleven different secretaries and getting a blow-job from at least five and yet he hadn't been fired – mostly because the office was such a boy's club and the girls in question were 'only temps' and 'leaving soon anyway' so no action had been taken against him. He was an absolute arse, always had to be right and Will had a huge crush on him!
Lewis was gorgeous; well built, tanned with dark hair and a mischievous grin. Every time he flashed that grin in Will's direction she had to look away and hide the blush that immediately appeared. He had a good body as well; once he had come to work dressed in a tight vest and hot-pants that left little to the imagination to raise money for charity. As he sauntered passed her desk he had lifted up the vest to reveal his six-pack and Will almost gave him her entire life's savings there and then.
“It's Will.” she snapped. Just because she thought Lewis was gorgeous didn't mean that she didn't hate him for being an arse and making her feel like a love-struck teenager every time their paths crossed. Lewis looked her up and down and Will wished she had put on something nicer than jeans and a t-shirt with a witty slogan on the front.
“Hmm guy's name, guy's hair cut, guy's clothes...something else you're not telling us?” he smirked. Will glared at him, no matter how attractive he was she still wanted to punch him in the face every time he opened his mouth.
“Get bent, Hayworth!” she shot back. Comeback's had never been her strong point and when Lewis was around intelligent thought wasn't her strong point either.
“Ooh burn, who's the pre-teen now?” he smirked. Will opened her mouth to retort but Cliff cut her off.
“Ok give it a rest you two, you can carry on arguing if you end up in the closet together.” she smirked, Will's eyes widened in horror.
“Closet?” she spluttered.
“Yeah, Rob though it would be more fun if we made it a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven.” Cliff replied. Will narrowed her eyes and looked over at the man who had been groping Cliff earlier, a scheming look on his face. Yeah, Will thought, I'll bet; gives him an opportunity to try it on without the rest of us seeing and telling his wife.
“I really don't want to do this.” Will whispered to Cliff.
“Come on Will, I don't want to be the only girl here.” Cliff pleaded, pouting slightly. Will did notice that the male/female ratio was definitely in favour of the men. “Besides we probably won't even get picked, the odds are it will land on another bloke, they'll have a quick awkward peck on the cheek out here and go into the closet and sneak a cheeky smoke.” Will opened her mouth to retort but Lewis cut her off.
“Don't be so boring Wilhelmina, it'll be a laugh.” he said nudging her shoulder and making her stumble slightly.
“I need a drink.” Will muttered darkly to herself. Lewis, hearing her, smirked and handed her a shot of vodka. “Thanks.” She took the glass and swallowed the contents in one gulp. Lewis raised an eyebrow.
“Didn't expect you to be able to drink like that.” he stated. Will didn't reply she just shot him a dirty look and went to join Cliff, who was getting the rest of the men to sit in a circle. Will felt her age decrease about eight years and she prayed that this would all be over soon.
“Who wants to go first?” Cliff asked playfully waving the bottle again.
“I will.” Lewis grinned, shooting a very pointed look at Will. She turned away rapidly, hoping that she didn't start blushing, that would only add to her humiliation. Lewis took the bottle, set in on the floor and gave it a hard spin.
Will didn't want to look as the bottle spun like an ominous second hand travelling round and round a clock-face at high speed. This whole situation was mortifying; she was at a party she wasn't sure why she had come to, surrounded by people in various stages of intoxication and she was being forced to play Spin The Bottle like an adolescent. There was only one way that this situation could possibly get any worse and, knowing her luck...
Cliff shrieked in delight and a series of whooping and cat-calls sounded from the men. Will closed her eyes in horror trying to block out what was happening. This was not happening, this could not be happening! She felt Cliff tugging at her arm but she just shook her head and refused to move.
“Ready for some fun Wilhelmina?” Lewis asked. She could practically hear the smirk in his voice and her eyes snapped open.
“I am not going in the closet with him!” she hissed.
“Oh go on Will, it will be fun!” Cliff giggled pushing Will in the direction of the supply closet in the corner of the room, where Lewis was already holding the door open for her. “You have seven minutes!” Cliff laughed again as she shoved the two of them in the closet and closed the door behind them before Will could protest.
Will heard the click of the lock and felt the colour drain from her face; this was beyond terrible and verging into the realms of disastrous! She was locked in a closet for nearly ten minutes with the man she had a secret crush on! She was going to make a fool out of herself – there was no maybe about it. She decided that she would just stand there, say nothing, wade it out and prey to every deity she knew of that it would be over quickly. Good plan.
Lewis shifted slightly in the confined space, getting even closer to Will and blood rushed to her face. She was so glad it was dark in here otherwise he would see that her face had lit up light a struck match. She swallowed, trying to pretend she was somewhere else, doing something else, with someone else. Without warning she felt Lewis wrap his arm around her waist and pull her tight to his chest. Will let out a yelp of surprise and Lewis chuckled, the sound reverberating in Will's ear and sending a shiver up her spine.
“What in the hell are you doing?” she asked, trying to maintain some composure which would have worked if her voice hadn't come out in a squeak.
“Just getting into the spirit of things.” he replied and she could feel all the muscles in his chest as he pulled her tighter. Will felt her knees (not to mention her resolve) begin to weaken. Lewis tilted her face upwards and she felt her nose brush against his, she gulped – this was getting worse by the minute.
“W...what do you mean?” she asked, trying to shake off the fog that was forming in her brain at his proximity.
“Well,” he replied, his voice low and husky “this is Seven Minutes in Heaven and the general idea is for the people in the closet to kiss.”
“Yes but you're in here with me.” she stated, clutching at straws that should could get him to let go of her by reminding him who he was actually with. “Wouldn't you rather be in here with Cliff or someone else?” As if to answer her question Lewis closed the distance between the two of them and kissed her. Will's eyes snapped open in surprise but, as she felt Lewis' hand tangle in her hair, they slid shut and she felt herself melt. She couldn't believe this was happening; Lewis Hayworth was kissing her and she was enjoying it!
The realisation of who had her pressed up against the wall in a closet swiftly snapped Will back to reality. She pulled away from him and pushed Lewis back as far as the tiny space would allow.
“What?” he asked, confused.
“I refuse to be another statistic in your long list of conquests.” she said firmly.
“What?” he asked again.
“You know you've got a reputation as the office play-boy.” she stated. “Getting blow-jobs from temps in closets and trying it on with everything in a skirt.”
“I was actually dating a few of those girls, you know.”
“Why don't I believe you?” she stated.
“Ok maybe I'm a bit of a player.”
“A bit?!?” she asked incredulously.
“Hey at least I'm not like Rob, trying to get off with Cliff while Charlotte's at home carrying his kid.” he said and she felt him raise his hands in defence.
“And that makes it ok?”
“It makes me slightly better.”
“You're such a dick!” Will said, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this really what went on inside men's heads?
“And most girls are hot for it because, despite what you may believe, girls want someone who's going to mistreat them and ignore them; it keeps them crawling back for more.” he explained.
“Yeah well not all girls are like that,” she stated. “I'm not like that.”
“Believe what you want Wilhelmina.”
“How many times do I have to tell you it's Will!” she all but yelled.
“You're sexy when you're angry.” he chuckled, that she had not expected.
“What?”
“Look,” he said ignoring her confusion “will you let me prove that I'm more than my reputation.
“Why?” she shot back.
“Because I actually quite like you.” he said, earnestly. Will opened her mouth in surprise but before she could say something but the lock clicked – their time was up. The door opened and the light and noise from the party flooded in. Will squinted as the harsh fluorescent light burnt her eyes.
“So how was it?” Cliff asked as Will stumbled out. Lewis, she noticed, had already returned to the marketing men who seemed to be trying to get him to 'spill the beans'.
“Um...it was...” Will trailed off. She looked over at Lewis who was staring back at her. He gestured for her to look in her pocket, she pulled out a small piece of paper. (How on earth had he slipped that in there without her noticing?) On it was written three words 'Dinner, tomorrow, 7?' She looked back up at him and he grinned, she smiled back.
“Will?” Cliff snapped her out of their silent exchange.
“It was...interesting.” she smiled. Maybe she would take him up on that offer. Maybe tonight hadn't been such of a mistake after all. Maybe she should come to parties that Lewis Hayworth was at more often, he might just surprise her.
Just a little short story I wrote for a writing competition I entered last year. Unfortunately I didn't win anything but I thought I'd still like to share it with the world :D
© 2013 - 2024 sleepy-emo28
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DancesWithSeatbelts's avatar
Very interesting characters - you got me to care about what was going to happen in the closet!