Alice ( Part 4)

Paul Redmond sat on his usual stool at the bar of his local. It was still early in the evening and the pub was empty apart from him and a middle aged couple who were obviously having an affair.

He had spent the last ten minutes observing their behaviour. They sat in a quiet corner of the pub, were holding hands and giggling. Yep, obviously not married to one another, yet both were wearing wedding rings.

The door opened and she walked in. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Long dark hair, dark eyes, yet unusually pale skin, a hint of make-up but not much. He thought she was stunning, just his type.

She casually made her way to the bar and stood beside him. Gerry, the barman, stopped doing his crossword and smiled at her.

“What can I get you love?”

“Vodka, large, no ice.”

“Coming up. Smirnoff or Absolut?”

“Cheapest.”

Gerry pushed up on the optic twice then handed her the drink.

“Four pounds eighty please.”

She fumbled in the pocket of her leather jacket desperately trying to find the money.

Paul pushed a five pound note across the bar towards Gerry.

“Let me get that, always a pleasure to buy a young lady a drink.”

Gerry smiled and took the money. Alice turned and looked at the generous stranger.

“Thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

He patted the stool next to him.

“Come and sit down love, take the weight off.”

Alice sat down beside him, and downed her drink in one.

“Blimey, you’ve got a bit of a thirst on. Another?”

Alice nodded.

“Gerry, two more large vodkas over here please.”

Gerry took Alice’s glass and refilled it; he poured the same amount into another glass. Paul gave him a ten pound note.

“Keep the change or put it in the poor box, whatever’s best for you Gerry.”

Alice took the drink and once again poured the entire contents into her mouth and swallowed. Paul offered her the other drink.

“Here, take mine as well, I’m not a big vodka drinker.”

He handed her his glass expecting her to drink it down fast, but this time she just sipped it. She smiled at him and as she did so put her hand on his knee.

“Thank you for being so kind, I’m new to the area and a bit lonely, so it’s nice to meet someone so friendly.”

Paul licked his lips and stroked his chin. This was going far better than he could ever have imagined.

“I’m a friendly guy, I hate to see a damsel in distress, had a bad day have you sweetheart.”

“Something like that, just need to lie down and relax somewhere.”

Paul finished his pint hoping he wasn’t miss - reading the signals. He decided to go for broke.

“Look, I’ve got a flat just round the corner from here, you’re more than welcome to come back with me and have a lie down.”

“You got vodka?”

“Enough to get us both wasted.”

Alice squeezed his knee and gently kissed his cheek.

“Let’s go.”

They left the pub and walked the short distance to Pauls flat. He had a two bedroom apartment on the top floor of an old Victorian terraced house. The flat was well furnished with expensive furniture, rugs, carpets and paintings.

“Make yourself comfortable and I’ll get us both a drink.”

Alice started to take her clothes off; she was naked from the waist up when Paul came back in the room with two glasses of vodka.

“Bloody hell you don’t waste anytime do you, don’t you want to talk or something first, we’ve got plenty of time, there’s no rush.”

She took the drink and gulped it down. She stared at him.

“Get undressed; I have another craving that I need you to help me with.”

Paul undressed and within seconds was standing in front of her naked.Alice turned out the lights and then removed the rest of her clothes.

“Didn’t take you for being a shy one, but hey, whatever turns you on babe.”

She led him to the sofa and pushed him down. She climbed on top of him and guided him into her. He moaned with pleasure.

“You are something else, I have never…”

He stopped talking in mid-sentence, a sharp pain in the top of his thigh made him gasp. He could feel a tightness that began in his groin and worked its way up his body until his chest felt as though it would explode. He could smell ammonia; the stench was so strong that he thought he would choke. His vision started to blur, his throat started to contract. He tried to speak but there was no sound. The room began to spin and he had a feeling he was flying. His arms started to shake, blood started to dribble from his ears, nose and eyes. Then his body gave up its fight for life and let go.

Alice got dressed and left the flat.