[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
To Wilma, she said, Consider me unenrolled. She d had
enough of Wilma and her theories. Of Linus s push-pull treat-
ment. She d been moving Inward long enough. She had to get
outward.
Using her shoulder like a plow, Peg pushed her way
through the crowd. Oliver struggled to keep up. They made it
to the parking lot, and Oliver said, I m right over here,
pointing at a blue Volvo with New York plates.
Peg walked toward the car. Through her anger, Peg realized
that Wilma, the injured party, might be playing saboteur. She
could be attempting to destroy Linus and Peg s chances pre-
emptively. Even if that was true, the psychodrama was too
much for Peg. She had come to Vermont for simplicity, not to
get mixed up in a man s complex.
The Girlfriend Curse 257
A cigarette might help calm her down. She and Oliver were
ten paces from his Volvo. Five paces. Suddenly, arms grabbed
Peg from behind. A strip of duct tape sealed her mouth shut.
A black sack over her head. Her neck forced down, a push
from behind toppled her into the backseat. A car door
slammed, someone sat on her to keep her still. Wheels in mo-
tion. The sound of crunching gravel.
Chapter 30
x
|
Peg fought. She struggled. Oliver lay on top of her in the
backseat. He was stronger than he looked. And nice-smelling,
too.
He said, Faster.
A woman s voice from up front. Are you buckled in?
Just go! said Oliver.
It s the law to wear a seat belt, said the woman. I don t
want to get pulled over.
If we get pulled over, it ll be for kidnapping, not for seat
belt scoffing!
You don t have to yell, said the woman softly. Politeness
speaks louder than volume. But the driver did pick up speed.
They went straight. Then a right. Peg tried to remember the
turns, how long they traveled before changing direction, but
she lost her sense of time.
After what seemed like an hour, the car came to a stop. The
front door slammed. The back door opened. The two kidnap-
pers pulled Peg out of the Volvo, and rushed her through a
door and into a room.
The lights went on. Peg was lowered into a chair and her
arms and legs were tied to it. Once she was secured with rope,
the sack was removed.
Oliver stood over her, looking worried and sympathetic.
She glanced around the room. Standard traditional Ameri-
c
260 Valerie Frankel
cana motel décor. They could be anywhere in New England.
Two queen-sized beds, a couple dressers. Clean bedclothes,
plush carpeting, floral wallpaper. The room s furniture was
old, but well cared for. Peg smelled pine air freshener. The
green chintz curtains were closed.
Oliver checked her mouth tape. She knew now that she d
never met him before, that he d pretended to know her to
gain her confidence. She was an idiot to go outside with him.
Had she learned nothing in all her years in New York City? It
was page one from the city handbook: DO NOT TRUST
STRANGERS. She thought of Linus, his forget the training
from childhood and talk to strangers rap. She smiled under
her tape tried to imagining Linus s reaction to the news
that she d been kidnapped. He ll be desperate with worry, she
thought. He d realize how much he needed her, and loved
her. Maybe she could stay kidnapped for a couple of days.
Scare the shit out of him. The bullshit anyway.
The woman s voice from behind Peg. How s she doing?
She looks happy, said Oliver. I think she s smiling.
It s the brainwashing, the woman said knowingly. She
circled around Peg and stood next to Oliver.
Stmm Tmmm? mumbled Peg from under the mouth tape.
She recognizes me, said the woman.
How could Peg not? This woman had made an indelible im-
pression the first time they d met in Nina s office a few
months ago. Flaming red hair, pink cheeks, bow lips. Bright
orange halter top and a magenta miniskirt, kitten-heeled
mules.
It was Stacy Temple, president for insearchof.com, the
woman Nina had hired to track down Peg s ex-boyfriends.
The woman who d first called her a square.
Stacy asked, Should we take the tape off?
Oliver said, What if she screams?
Stacy tapped a pink nail on her red lips. That would be bad.
MSMM, said Peg. Mbbmsmsms.
The Girlfriend Curse 261
I ve got cold beer, said Oliver to Peg. You can have some
beer if you don t scream.
Beer would be lovely. Peg nodded. Stacy leaned forward
and tore off the tape.
Ouch! said Peg.
Just think of it as a free mustache wax, said Stacy.
Oliver produced a brown bottle and held it to her lips. Peg
drank. He detached the bottle and Peg said, Nina is behind this.
Correct, said Stacy. Before we get into that, let me in-
troduce Oliver. He s my husband and business partner.
The hacker.
Intelligence technician, corrected Oliver.
To Stacy, Peg said, He s so cute.
And younger, said Stacy with a wink.
Well done, said Peg.
Stacy sat down on the edge of the bed, and crossed her
long legs, periwinkle toenails catching the lamplight. We
were hired by Nina and your brother, Jack. They re afraid
you ve joined a cult and have been brainwashed by a man
named Linus Bester, a charismatic messianic leader who lures
the vulnerable and weak with promises of fulfillment and
happiness.
She does look happy, pointed out Oliver.
Then it s true, whispered Stacy gravely.
Did Peg see herself as someone who d join a cult? Strongly,
with the strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger, disagree.
I am so not a joiner, said Peg.
You were brainwashed into it, said Stacy.
Did she see herself as someone who d be brainwashed?
I couldn t be brainwashed, she said. My mind is way too
dirty. Nina knows this.
Stacy said, You ve been reprogrammed.
You ve got it all wrong. Inward Bound isn t a cult, said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
To Wilma, she said, Consider me unenrolled. She d had
enough of Wilma and her theories. Of Linus s push-pull treat-
ment. She d been moving Inward long enough. She had to get
outward.
Using her shoulder like a plow, Peg pushed her way
through the crowd. Oliver struggled to keep up. They made it
to the parking lot, and Oliver said, I m right over here,
pointing at a blue Volvo with New York plates.
Peg walked toward the car. Through her anger, Peg realized
that Wilma, the injured party, might be playing saboteur. She
could be attempting to destroy Linus and Peg s chances pre-
emptively. Even if that was true, the psychodrama was too
much for Peg. She had come to Vermont for simplicity, not to
get mixed up in a man s complex.
The Girlfriend Curse 257
A cigarette might help calm her down. She and Oliver were
ten paces from his Volvo. Five paces. Suddenly, arms grabbed
Peg from behind. A strip of duct tape sealed her mouth shut.
A black sack over her head. Her neck forced down, a push
from behind toppled her into the backseat. A car door
slammed, someone sat on her to keep her still. Wheels in mo-
tion. The sound of crunching gravel.
Chapter 30
x
|
Peg fought. She struggled. Oliver lay on top of her in the
backseat. He was stronger than he looked. And nice-smelling,
too.
He said, Faster.
A woman s voice from up front. Are you buckled in?
Just go! said Oliver.
It s the law to wear a seat belt, said the woman. I don t
want to get pulled over.
If we get pulled over, it ll be for kidnapping, not for seat
belt scoffing!
You don t have to yell, said the woman softly. Politeness
speaks louder than volume. But the driver did pick up speed.
They went straight. Then a right. Peg tried to remember the
turns, how long they traveled before changing direction, but
she lost her sense of time.
After what seemed like an hour, the car came to a stop. The
front door slammed. The back door opened. The two kidnap-
pers pulled Peg out of the Volvo, and rushed her through a
door and into a room.
The lights went on. Peg was lowered into a chair and her
arms and legs were tied to it. Once she was secured with rope,
the sack was removed.
Oliver stood over her, looking worried and sympathetic.
She glanced around the room. Standard traditional Ameri-
c
260 Valerie Frankel
cana motel décor. They could be anywhere in New England.
Two queen-sized beds, a couple dressers. Clean bedclothes,
plush carpeting, floral wallpaper. The room s furniture was
old, but well cared for. Peg smelled pine air freshener. The
green chintz curtains were closed.
Oliver checked her mouth tape. She knew now that she d
never met him before, that he d pretended to know her to
gain her confidence. She was an idiot to go outside with him.
Had she learned nothing in all her years in New York City? It
was page one from the city handbook: DO NOT TRUST
STRANGERS. She thought of Linus, his forget the training
from childhood and talk to strangers rap. She smiled under
her tape tried to imagining Linus s reaction to the news
that she d been kidnapped. He ll be desperate with worry, she
thought. He d realize how much he needed her, and loved
her. Maybe she could stay kidnapped for a couple of days.
Scare the shit out of him. The bullshit anyway.
The woman s voice from behind Peg. How s she doing?
She looks happy, said Oliver. I think she s smiling.
It s the brainwashing, the woman said knowingly. She
circled around Peg and stood next to Oliver.
Stmm Tmmm? mumbled Peg from under the mouth tape.
She recognizes me, said the woman.
How could Peg not? This woman had made an indelible im-
pression the first time they d met in Nina s office a few
months ago. Flaming red hair, pink cheeks, bow lips. Bright
orange halter top and a magenta miniskirt, kitten-heeled
mules.
It was Stacy Temple, president for insearchof.com, the
woman Nina had hired to track down Peg s ex-boyfriends.
The woman who d first called her a square.
Stacy asked, Should we take the tape off?
Oliver said, What if she screams?
Stacy tapped a pink nail on her red lips. That would be bad.
MSMM, said Peg. Mbbmsmsms.
The Girlfriend Curse 261
I ve got cold beer, said Oliver to Peg. You can have some
beer if you don t scream.
Beer would be lovely. Peg nodded. Stacy leaned forward
and tore off the tape.
Ouch! said Peg.
Just think of it as a free mustache wax, said Stacy.
Oliver produced a brown bottle and held it to her lips. Peg
drank. He detached the bottle and Peg said, Nina is behind this.
Correct, said Stacy. Before we get into that, let me in-
troduce Oliver. He s my husband and business partner.
The hacker.
Intelligence technician, corrected Oliver.
To Stacy, Peg said, He s so cute.
And younger, said Stacy with a wink.
Well done, said Peg.
Stacy sat down on the edge of the bed, and crossed her
long legs, periwinkle toenails catching the lamplight. We
were hired by Nina and your brother, Jack. They re afraid
you ve joined a cult and have been brainwashed by a man
named Linus Bester, a charismatic messianic leader who lures
the vulnerable and weak with promises of fulfillment and
happiness.
She does look happy, pointed out Oliver.
Then it s true, whispered Stacy gravely.
Did Peg see herself as someone who d join a cult? Strongly,
with the strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger, disagree.
I am so not a joiner, said Peg.
You were brainwashed into it, said Stacy.
Did she see herself as someone who d be brainwashed?
I couldn t be brainwashed, she said. My mind is way too
dirty. Nina knows this.
Stacy said, You ve been reprogrammed.
You ve got it all wrong. Inward Bound isn t a cult, said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]