The Red Dress : The red dress Chapter three by alexisleech |
In chapter two we saw the humiliation suffered by Lisa when she ran away after her drunken mother beats her, and she was nearly raped as a result. She had turned to her brother for help, but he was more interested in keeping ‘in’ with his mother, so she never even showed him the evidence of her abuse. This chapter starts a year after that night when Lisa is on holiday with her wealthy parents and her brother in The Isle of Man. Lisa has just finished school, and is hoping to get a place at a university in England, so that she doesn't have to put up with her mother's abuse.A year later. Nick watched Lisa getting out of the pool. She was wearing a g-string bikini which showed off her tanned body to perfection, and he marvelled at the physical change in her which had taken place in the last three years. The pictures he had taken of her when she was fourteen, the first time he had seen her at the hotel, showed an awkward, albeit pretty teenager with a boyish figure. She must have shot up three or four inches since then, and her body had matured. Just as he had imagined she would, Lisa had turned into a beautiful woman. What had started as an amusing fascination with an attractive teenager had almost turned into an obsession. He had been staying at the same hotel on the Isle of Man three years before when he spotted her, and his interest had grow every year since then.The family always came to the hotel for the first two weeks in July, so it had been easy to follow Lisa's progress. She was now his main motivation and his reason to achieve everything he set out to do. He had made a fortune and he had built a magnificent home, which was the envy of everyone who saw it. All he needed now was a wife to make his life complete, and he was sure Lisa was perfect for that role. Lisa dried herself off, unaware that she was being watched. She had only been at the hotel for three days, and she was bored to the point of distraction. Every year it was the same. She would come on holiday with her parents and her brother Scott to the same hotel in the Isle of Man, and she had always loved it...until now. When they had first come, she had been three years old, her brother eight, and the hotel was a perfect annual retreat where her father and brother would play golf every day. While they were on the course, Lisa and her mother would walk into Castletown to do some shopping, or sit by the pool if it was fine. Fourteen years on, it was every teenager's nightmare and, unless you played golf... had little to offer in the way of entertainment. The only thing that made it bearable for Lisa was the thought of going to stay with her friend Vikki in Chelmsford for a week after the family holiday was over. At least there, she would be with people of her own age. They had met when Lisa had gone on a cruise with her mother at Easter while Fiona was recuperating from an operation, and they had hit it off right away. At least when she was there she would be able to let her hair down, and it would get her away from her mother for a week. The next few days would drag by until then… ....................... Nick took particular care getting dressed that night. Usually he would just wear slacks and a sweater if he was going to the hotel for a drink after playing golf, but tonight was different. If he was going to impress Lisa, he was going to have to wear something with a younger designer label than usual, and the black Armani suit fitted the bill perfectly. The outfit would also be spot on for the club opening he was going to later that evening and, if his idea went to plan, Lisa would be going with him. He looked down at the picture of her he had taken the year before on the beach by the hotel. Her long dark hair was blowing in the wind, and she seemed to be in a world of her own as she stood looking out across the sea. She hadn't noticed him take the camera with the long distance lens out of his golf bag and take her picture that day, just as she hadn't noticed him take any of the pictures he had taken of her over the years. She was totally unaware of how long he had watched her, or why... By the time Lisa got down to the bar, it was packed with the Saturday afternoon golfers who had strayed from the clubhouse before going home. She had chosen a short black sleeveless dress with a cowl neck, which showed off her figure and legs to perfection...and had all the men staring at her with dropped jaws when she walked in. Nick could feel his heart pounding as she walked towards them. He had been sitting talking to Scott for half an hour while he watched the door, waiting for her to arrive. Now that she had, he felt his mouth go dry with anticipation. At last he was going to speak to her. Lisa saw her brother sitting beside an attractive, older guy, who obviously wasn't a golfer because he was dressed immaculately. She couldn’t help feeling that she had seen him somewhere before. Even when she reached their table, and Scott introduced her to Nick, she couldn’t place him, and she stared at his face trying to work it out when Scott left them alone together. There was a moment's silence before Nick spoke. “I believe you come here every year with your family?” Lisa studied his face as she answered him. She was still trying to place him. “Yes…but hopefully this is the last time...” she replied. She noticed the look of disappointment on Nick's face and realised that if he was a local, she’d probably offended him with her comment. She furiously racked her brain to try and think of something else to say in order to explain away her remark. “It would be great if I played golf, but there's not much for me to do here. I love the Island... it's just a bit boring here at the hotel.” It worked, Nick's confused expression disappeared, and a smile took its place. He was so relieved, because if she had hated the Island, then he would have wasted the last three years of his life making plans. He looked back at her, grateful for her explanation. “I don't blame you, if you're stuck here and don't drive, but the Island's great - it's just that all the real action is in Douglas, especially at night." Lisa smiled back at Nick, glad that he hadn't taken offence. Feeling that she was beginning to warm to him, Nick continued telling Lisa all the great things about the Island, especially the things he thought would appeal to a seventeen year old, hoping all the while that he wasn't moving in too fast. He had waited this long, and he didn't want to blow it by appearing overly keen now. “If you like, I can take you out for a drive around the Island sometime and show you the places holiday makers don't usually see. There's a lot more to the Island than the Fairy Bridge and cats with no tails!' he joked. Lisa laughed and looked at Nick with renewed interest. He was different from the rest of the guys in the bar, and more switched on. Apart from being really good looking, Lisa couldn’t help noticing what he was wearing, and she guessed that he wasn't the usual age, or type to retire to the Isle of Man. Without realising it, she played straight into his hands. “That would be great. I don't know how I could get through the next week if I'm stuck here all the time. Are you sure you’ve got enough time to show me around?” she asked with an appreciative smile. Nick started to feel more confident. If Lisa had dismissed the idea of him taking her out, he would have been devastated. He assured her that he had all the time in the world because he'd worked from home since he'd come to the Island, and he could do as he pleased with his time. “So where have you come from?” Lisa asked, genuinely wanting to know more about him. Nick thought carefully before he answered. He didn't like talking about his past, especially with the press interest he now had in his company. He had worked damned hard to achieve what he had, and he didn’t want anyone to know about his humble Northern upbringing. “London for five years before I came here, Lichfield before that, but I'm sure you're not interested in my boring past..." He replied, before quickly changing the subject back to her. “How about you - whereabouts do you live in Scotland?” Lisa thought for a moment before answering. “Well, up until last month, I was at boarding school in the Borders eight months of the year, and apart from my parents' holiday home in Argyll, the rest of my holidays from school were spent in the family house in Glasgow. So I'm not quite sure where I call home - take your pick.” Nick took a sip of his drink and looked into her hazel eyes, holding her gaze for a moment as he drank in the effect they had on him. “Well they say that home is where your heart is - don't they?” he suggested. Lisa looked down at her hands, a sad expression on her face. She tried not to sound too serious, but she answered with a frankness that came from the heart. “In that case, I must be homeless. I don't feel attached to anywhere in particular...” Nick was delighted with her answer. She was more or less telling him she had no one special in her life and, more importantly, she was free. Everything was working out perfectly… When Scott came back with Lisa's drink, he turned to Nick and asked him if he was still going to the nightclub opening later that evening. Nick smiled. He had deliberately mentioned it to Scott earlier, assuming that Lisa and her brother would probably want to go. He tried to sound as though it was no big deal when he answered, whilst watching Lisa's face for a reaction. “I suppose I'd better. I own a share in the place, so it wouldn't look too good if I didn't turn up for the opening… would it?” Nick saw Lisa's expression turn from mild interest to that of excitement. She had taken the bait. Seeing that he had her attention, he played his trump card. “Do you guys fancy coming along? You’ve got plenty of time to have dinner; I'm not going until nine o'clock.” Lisa had died and gone to heaven. The thought of getting away from the hotel and escaping from the stuffy surroundings was the answer to her prayers. The only problem was...she would have to get her mother’s permission, and that might not be so easy. Since the night she had tried to run away, her mother seemed to take great delight in stopping her from doing the sort of things most seventeen year olds take for granted. She might not have attacked Lisa as often since then, but she had controlled every minute of her time when she was home from school like a jailer does a prisoner. The only freedom she’d experienced in the last twelve months was when she had gone on a cruise with her mother at Easter, and that was only because of her friend Vikki Clark’s mother. Every time Fiona had tried to stop Lisa from enjoying herself, Moira Clark had intervened and pointed out that the girls should take advantage of all the extensive facilities of the ship, which they had done...big time! Lisa and Vikki had danced every night at the nightclub, and Fiona couldn't come up with one valid excuse to stop her daughter enjoying herself. Even going on the shore excursions when they were in port became fun, as Lisa and Vikki would walk around the various tourist spots together, leaving their mothers trailing behind. But it was different now that there was only her father to keep her mother company if Lisa went out. She doubted her mother would let her go unless Scott asked her. Their mother never seemed to refuse him anything. Lisa turned to her brother and pleaded with him to ask if she could go with them. Nick started to panic. It hadn't occurred to him that Lisa's parents might stop her from going with them. If he ended up with her brother for the rest of the night, while Lisa stayed at the hotel with her parents, all his planning would have been for nothing, and he wouldn't be able to impress her in the way he knew he could by taking her to the club. Scott assured Lisa that he would do his best, and when their parents came into the bar for a pre-dinner drink, he waved them over to where they were sitting. Scott knew exactly how to handle his mother, so as soon as they sat down, he introduced them to Nick before asking his father the question. If he could get him to agree first, then his mother would have to give in, or come up with a very good reason not to. “Dad - is it okay if Lisa comes with Nick and me to the opening of a new club in Douglas tonight?' he asked, after his father had taken the first sip of his gin and tonic. Lisa held her breath and looked at her father, hoping against hope he would agree. “I suppose so.” he replied noncommittally, before turning to his wife. “Is that all right with you, Fiona? It must be a bit boring for Lisa stuck here with us all night. I can't see any reason why she shouldn't go, can you?” Fiona had no choice but to capitulate. She would have looked stupid if she hadn't. But she still tried to impose conditions which put her back in control. “I don't mind if Lisa goes, but she'll have to be back by eleven.” She replied starchily. Scott turned to his mother and gave her a disapproving look---it always worked. “No way, Mum! These things don't even get going until after midnight. You'll be lucky if we get back before daylight!” Fiona looked back at her son and tried to think of a valid reason to stop Lisa going with him. Fortunately she didn’t have time to come up with one. “Okay, but you better keep an eye on Lisa. I'm still not happy about her being out so late.” she replied with a tone of disapproval. Lisa felt embarrassed being talked about as though she was a child, but she didn't want to rock the boat. Scott had done well getting their mother to agree. It was arranged that they would meet back at the bar after dinner, and they left Nick to go through to the dining room. Dinner seemed to take twice as long as usual, and Lisa wasn't even hungry. Unlike her father and brother, she hadn't spent the day on the golf course working up an appetite. She just wanted to get out before her mother changed her mind, which she had a tendency to do...especially after she’d had a drink. As it happened, Lisa needn't have worried. During dinner, Scott told his parents everything he had found out about Nick from the barman. Apparently, he was one of the youngest millionaires on the Island, and he had come to live there two years before in order to take advantage of the tax benefits of living on the Island. He was unmarried and regarded as the most eligible bachelor in the Isle of Man, which impressed Lisa's mother so much, she suggested they shouldn't keep Nick waiting any longer. Lisa could barely contain her delight. Nick's face lit up when he saw them walk back into the bar. He had nursed his drink for over an hour making polite conversation with a couple of guys he played golf with, and every minute had seemed like five until they came back. Lisa asked him if what she was wearing was okay, and he assured her it was. She looked absolutely gorgeous, which was confirmed by the envious looks Nick received from the rest of the men in the bar as they left. He just wanted to get her away from the hotel and get her on her own as soon as possible. He was determined to spend the rest of the evening sweeping Lisa Collins off her feet - come hell or high water...
|
| ©
Copyright 2025.
alexisleech
All rights reserved. alexisleech has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. |