Ally

"So, what's on our agenda?" I asked as we got ready to leave his unit. I slipped on my shoes while he gathered his keys from the counter.

"I'll let you know once we're in the car. I don't want you backing out on me now." A mischievous smile planted his face.

"I wasn't even worried then, but now I am. I should definitely back away from this." I joked as we entered the elevator and he hit the P button.

"Don't even think about it," he said, interlocking his hand with mine. "I've got you in case you try to run away," he reasoned.

An instant heat spread throughout my body. That familiar tingling sensation began to creep on my scalp. My pores expanded and the moisture began to surface on my skin. It made me nervous. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it. I liked it. Very much. But I wasn't used to it. This public affection. I felt guilty.

I knew I shouldn't have. I wasn't doing anything wrong. But if others saw me, saw us, they would think otherwise. They didn't know the whole story. Nobody does.

"Is this making you nervous?" He inquired, a sincere look filled his eyes.

"I'm not used to it. Or maybe it's the guilt." I confessed.

I hated how I trusted him with the truth. At the same time, I liked this version of me. Never have I had the nerve to even spill out my unfiltered thoughts to others. At least not like this, not this easily. Not this soon.

He placed his index finger under my chin. As he lifted it up, my eyes that were once fixed onto the floor of the elevator were now captivated by him.

"Fuck them."

My pupils dilate from the shock and realness of his words. But a relief escaped my chest. He was right. Fuck them. I shouldn't feel guilty. I've dealt with guilt long enough. I didn't have to explain myself. I didn't owe anyone anything. Not anymore.

I nodded and mustered a relieved smile. His hold on me remained strong, as if he was still trying to protect me from my own thoughts. The elevator opened up to a concrete room full of vehicles. A beep escaped the black Audi. He released my hand as he walked ahead of me. I cocked my head to the side as he went to the passenger side and opened the door for me. So chivalrous.

"Thank you." I smiled and hopped in the car. He shut the door and walked around to the drivers' side. The engine roared to life as he pressed the On button.

"So..."  I began my inquisitorial remark. But he cut me off.

"I promised it's nothing crazy," he reassured.

"You did say dinner," I stated and he smiled to confirm. "So, I shouldn't expect dinner to be anything crazy, right?" His smile turned into a grin. Something else was up. "Or should I?"

A chuckle escaped his lips.

"Harvey!" I protested.

"What?" he laughed and shook his head at my desperation. "Relax. I promise you'll like it. You'll enjoy it so much you won't stop thanking me."

"I love food. So, yes, I will most likely enjoy dinner. But you're scaring me. Am I even dressed appropriately for this top secret plan of yours?" I scanned my outfit. I prayed to God it was nothing fancy.  I was wearing a blazer and closed-toe sandals to top off my jeans and silk top. But, I would rather wear a nice dress for a fancy dinner.

"You look beautiful, as always," he reassured, pressing his hand on my thigh. The thin fabric of my jeans was a pathetic barrier between our skin. My core ached as the muscle on my thigh flexed, craving the heat of his touch. A shiver radiated from down south all the way up to my brain. Thanked fucking God I didn't wear a dress then.

He turned left into Lakeshore Drive. We were heading downtown. That was where all the fancy restaurants were. Fuck. I knew it.

"If you could flick a switch and open your third eye
You'd see that we should never be afraid to die."

I gasp. "I love this song!" I turned to him, bobbing my head to Muse.

He turned his head and smiled at this discovery. "You like rock music?"

"I don't have a preference. Some days I would listen to rock. Some days, I'll be listening to Bach." I confessed.

"They will not force us. They will stop degrading us.
They will not control us. We will be victorious, so come on."

I pressed the button and rolled down the window. The crisp air freshened my heated face. I mouthed the lyrics along with Matt Bellamy's incredulous voice. I stretched my arm out of the car. It swayed along with the waves of the wind and music blasting from his car stereo.

I beamed with joy. My chest was so light. I forgot how it felt to be free.

Ten minutes later, we turned into an alley and entered a garage. Nothing about this building was fancy. I was wrong. I turned to look at him with curiosity. He knew exactly what was on the tip of my tongue before I could even voice it.

"You'll see," he said as he parked the car and turned the engine off. He hopped out of the car and ran to my side, opening the door for me before I even had the chance to grab a hold of the handle.

I narrowed my eyes on him. "Thank you," I appreciated the gesture. "You don't have to always open the door for me. Isn't it tedious?"

"For you? Never. So, let me." He held onto the handle, waited for me to exit his car before shutting it behind us. "Nothing that I do for you is tedious," he reassured and held my hand. He led me towards the exit door of the garage.

My heart fluttered. The bubbling butterflies were killing me. I bit my lower lips to stop the stupid beam on my face.

We stepped out of the elevator into a lobby with a red concrete wall and a broken sign that read "Smash It" hanging on it.

What the fuck. What is this?

I tilted my head in his direction and waited for his explanation.

Before he could explain himself, the man standing behind the desk stood up and welcomed us. Harvey checked us in and he explained the concept of Smash It.

It was a fucking rage room.

My eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement the moment he said it. It was a room to de-stress, have fun, and break or SMASH things. He looked down on my feet and allowed me to go in as long as I had closed-toed shoes.

I looked at Harvey and he already took off his jacket. My God. He flexed his brawny arms as he rolled his sleeves up. Those distended veins laid bare on his forearm for me to ogle onto. I didn't know what it was with forearms and veins, but it was so fucking hot.

"You ready?" He interrupted my fantasy as he caught me staring at him.

I cleared my throat and nodded like an ecstatic little kid ready to go into a bouncing house.

We let the guy finish stating the rules and policy. We signed the consent form. He led us through a darkened hallway with glow in the dark words and art on both sides of the wall. The design projected "The Purge" vibe. We stopped in a corner to don an overall protective suit and we chose our masks and weapons. I was so excited. I immediately got my hands on a lit up neon mask with X's on both eyes and wired lights wicked smile.

Harvey chuckled at my silliness. He followed my movement and picked up the Michael Myers' mask. We both picked up a baseball bat before we entered our own rage room. My mouth fell to the ground at the chaos we walked in. It was a bunch of random stuff on the floor. Some still held its form like an old television or broken mirrors still attached to its frame. But some were completely annihilated.

We had thirty minutes to destroy whatever we could in that room. Without a warning, I swung my bat against the semi broken mirror as soon as the worker left.

I screamed at the impact as the shattering noise echoed around the room. I stood still, confused on how to feel about it.

"Wow. Nice swing!" Harvey cheered.

The glint of amusement in his eyes was evident even behind Michael Myers mask. His forearms flexed as he tightened his grip on the bat. His veins distended on his arm. I drooled at the sight. Then, with a smooth yet powerful swing, the bat shattered the rest of the broken mirror.

I reflexively jumped back from the chaos. But, I found myself closing in on him as I obeyed the magnetizing force that he had over my body.  I studied his physique as he turned his back on me. He tipped his ears to his shoulders as he stretched his neck. He reached his arms over his head exposing the muscle and skin of his back underneath his shirt along with his black Calvin Klein boxer. Thank fucking God he had his back on me because I couldn't have saved myself from the embarrassment of being caught red-handed as I drooled over his body.

He turned around with a light bulb in his hand. "You ready?" he asked.

Positioned a few feet away from him, I swayed the bat over my shoulder. "Throw it," I instructed him.

He pitched it to me and I swung with all my might. The wooden bat smashed the light bulb mid air and the shattered glasses scattered all over the floor. The adrenaline rushed through my bloodstream and the heat of excitement consumed me.

"Woo!" I celebrated my destruction. A triumphant smile covered my face. That felt so good.

"I see you got some swings in you," he winked.

I returned the favor and picked up a light bulb to be victimized by his strength. I pitched it to him and without exerting much effort, he obliterated it. It made my swing look pathetic.

Before our time was up, a dramatic finale unfolded. I swung the bat and missed, causing my body to pathetically turn into an unbalanced stance. Before I could paint the floor with my face, he caught my arm and pulled me onto his chest. A loud beating echoed in my ear while the side of my face rested on his chest. I couldn't differentiate whether the thumping resonated from his heart or mine. Or both. Then, making matters worse, a burst of laughter escaped me as a defense mechanism over my humiliating stunt.

"I got you," he reassured.

I painfully pulled my face away from his solid body and straightened myself up. When our thirty minutes were up, I was breathing heavily from the physical activity. But my chest had never felt so light before. Releasing all the rage and unwanted pressure I had been bottling up had been rewarding.

I felt relieved.

"My God, Harvey. That was so much fun! Thank you so much," I repeatedly verbalized my appreciation for the experience I never anticipated.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now, aren't you glad I didn't spoil the fun earlier when you kept nagging me to spill the beans?"

"Hey, I'm a curious george. But honestly, I've never felt this much relief before. So, thank you!" I squeezed his solid bicep.

"It's not over yet," he reminded me as he led us back to his car.

I wanted so badly to ask him what was next, but I knew better now. I kept my mouth shut and curiosity locked away. I followed his lead because I had a feeling it was going to be a good night.