Prompt# 297- Self-conscious – Where Thoughts Dwell - Tekia - Original

[tekia.livejournal.com]

Title: Where Thoughts Dwell
Fandom: Original
Prompt: self-conscious
Warnings: mentions of date rape drug
Note: I really don’t know how this works.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Billie wakes up with no memories of how she ended up in the lap of luxury.

Billie woke with her head pounding and her mouth dry. She licked her cracked lips and groaned. She really wished she wasn’t awake, but there was sunlight flooding the room, and a cool breeze drifting down from a slowly moving fan over the bed. Her eyes popped open as she remembered that her hotel room didn’t have a fan, but she quickly squeezed them shut again as her headache returned full force.
She turned onto her side and winced at the taste in her mouth and the stiffness of her body from sleeping the whole night in one position. When the pounding in her head retreated just enough for her to open her eyes without flaring once more, she blinked her eyes open and stared at the room around her. It was nice, really nice. Magazine décor nice.
The walls were white and the dresser and night stand were such elegantly carved wood that Billie had only seen in magazines. She slowly sat up, the heavy blanket falling from her shoulder. Where was she?
The last she remembered, she was at the restaurant with her blind date. Josh. She frowned and rubbed her fingers over her brow where her headache was still throbbing away. They had been in a very classy restaurant; she ordered something simple, but after that, she couldn’t remember a thing.
Taking a deep breath, she slid her feet from under the blankets and frowned down at her bare feet. Her shoes and socks were tucked away near the door, with her coat and purse, otherwise she was fully dressed. She ran her tongue over her teeth and tried to place the odd taste in her mouth.
She had to try twice before she could stand, her limbs strangely weak.
She found that the room had an attached bathroom. Too nervous to shower, she just wanted things to make sense again, she made use of the toilet and the sink, ignoring how her hair was messy without a brush to tame it, and how her eyes were bloodshot. Even her skin was pale. She looked as if she hadn’t gotten any sleep. Biting her lip, she put on her shoes and braved the hall.
And even the hall was women’s magazine worthy. While not stupidly long, it stretched toward a well-lit stair well, and she hoped the exit. She just touched down on the ground floor when a voice made her jump in her skin.
“Oh, you are awake! I was just about to come check in on you.”
Billie spun on her heel to face the woman and blinked in stunned surprise. She’s never heard her voice before, but she had seen her photos all over the place. “Oh,” Billie said cleverly.
Helen Starter smiled and came closer. She reached out and touched a finger to one of Billie’s unruly curls. “You look a wreck,” she said, smile still softly turning her lips up.
Well, if that didn’t make her feel self-conscious then nothing could. Billie couldn’t hold her eyes and looked down at the hard wood floor under her feet. “Um.”
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Without giving her a chance to protest, Helen grabbed her arm and pulled her back up the stairs and into another room. She pressed Billie to sit on the huge bed as she disappeared into another attached bathroom.
Billie’s heart was pounding in her ears. She could feel the flush covering her cheeks and the tremors that were making her hands shake. She clenched her hands in her lap as she waited. Helen came back with a handful of beauty products and laid them on the bed beside Billie.
Billie watched silently as the woman arranged the items. Helen caught her eye and smile softly. “What do you remember from last night?”
Blinking, Billie tried to focus on her words through the headache. “Not much.” She looked around the room. “How did I come to be here?”
Helen sat beside her. Billie shifted as the bed dipped. “Your date gave you something.”
That odd feeling in her stomach twisted as she realized what Helen meant. She took a deep breath and gripped her knees tightly. “He was a blind date. My friend said that we would get along.” She shook her head. “How…?”
She jumped when Helen put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing gently. “You’re smart. You weren’t drinking, and so you noticed the drug.”
“I don’t drink,” Helen said. “I never have.”
“As soon as you realized what had happened, you got away from him and came to the bar to ask for help. My husband and I were there when you passed out.”
Billie bit her lip again. Helen’s husband? She forced her eyes back to Helen’s face with her immaculate makeup and golden brown hair and big blue eyes. “Thank you.”
Helen smiled. “I’m only sorry that the guy disappeared before the police arrived. They’ll want a statement from you as soon as you can.”
Billie nodded. “Of course.”
Helen reached for a brush and gently began brushing her hair. “Are you feeling alright?”
“I suppose, all things considered. I’m still a bit out of it, though.”
“I would imagine so. You’ve had a rough night.” They sat in silence as Helen brushed her hair, and then applied makeup to cover the bruises under her eyes. When Helen was done, she sat back and smiled. “There, much better.”
“Thank you.”
Billie stood when Helen returned the brush and makeup to her bathroom and covered her stomach when it growled loudly. Her purse had been dropped at the foot of the bed and she reached inside it for her phone.
“You should probably drink lots of water today,” Helen was saying from the other room. “I imagine that whatever it was he gave you didn’t do your body any good.” She came back into the room and directed Billie back into the hall. Billie followed her from the upstairs hall and through the mansion to the kitchen. As beautiful as the house was, Billie was too stressed to pay it much mind.
She had come to Hollywood on a whim. Here, she was going to spend the next week and a half forgetting her life as a shop girl, spending time with her friends. Michael and Jess had moved out here a few years ago and kept an open offer for her to come visit any time. She had thought that she could spend two weeks out here, in the sun and fair weather, see some sights, and then return home relaxed and maybe with a tan.
Jess had always insisted that Billie needed a partner in life, and had insisted that she let her set Billie up with one of Michael’s friends. Too tired to say no, Billie had agreed.
She ignored that maybe she really was lonely and had hoped that in Josh she would find what Jess and Mike had.
“Sit at the table, dear. I’ll get you some water.”
“Can I use your phone to call a taxi?” She held up her phone. “Mine’s dead.”
“Nonsense,” a new voice said from behind her. “I’ll give you a ride wherever you need to go. But first, we need to eat. I’m hungry, and I bet so are you.”
Billie turned on her seat, her eyes wide. Richard Starter, movie superstar and musician walked into the kitchen, wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Quickly, Billie lowered her eyes.
The chair opposite her scrapped against the floor as he lowered himself to the table. “How are you feeling?”
Billie glanced up. “I’m fine, thank you.” She licked her lips and clenched her hands in her lap. “Thank you for helping me. I-Thank you so much.” Emotion welled up in her chest as she realized just how close she had come to being a victim. Tears welled up and she bit her lip to keep them from overflowing. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
Richard smiled. “You already did. Anything to help, really.” He accepted the glass of water Helen held out to him, and Helen accepted the one held out to her. She drank deeply, only just realizing how thirsty she was. She finished off the water and then carefully set the glass down. Her tears had retreated and the trembling in her limbs had slowed.
“Um,” she said, and then stopped. Richard smiled.
“Lunch?”
“Sounds good,” Helen said. “Let me call Greg.” She stepped away, cell phone to her ear. Billie watched her go, and then turned her eyes back to Richard. She felt that flush that always seemed to stain her cheeks return.
“Thank you,” she whispered again. He smiled at her, the wide smile that he always wore when he was happy, the one that made women nationwide fall in love with him. Reflexively, she smiled. She always did when she saw a picture of that smile.
His smile only grew. “What’s your name?”
Billie gave a start. Though this all, they didn’t even know who she was. That flush grew hotter. “Billie. My name’s Billie Carter.”
He held out his hand over the width of the table. “Well, Billie Carter, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She didn’t want to shake his hand. Hers were sweaty and shaky, and she reached over and shook his hand. “No, it’s really mine. I can’t thank you enough.”
That smile. She tore her eyes from his face and stared at the table. Helen returned stood behind her husband, one hand on his shoulder.
“Greg will be here in a minute, and then we’ll be off.”
Billie stood. “I really should go.”
“Come to lunch with us. Then we’ll take you to wherever you want to go. Our treat.”
Billie frowned and bit her lip. “Why?” That was rude, she though, but the word just slipped out of her lips. She flushed even more, if it were possible, but stood her ground. “I’m a stranger and you know nothing about me.”
They were both silent as they gazed at her. She gripped the back of her chair until her knuckles turned white, eyes lowered, as she waited. She wasn’t naïve; she knew how people were. Surely they doubted her presence. If she were in their position, she knew she would.
“You were in trouble last night,” Helen started.
Billie shook her head. “I could have been faking it.”
Richard snorted. “You can’t fake passing out like that. I had to carry you to the car, then from the car to the house.”
Billie’s eyes went wide and she gaped up at them. “I’m so sorry.”
Helen came around the table and put one arm around her shoulders. “You were terrified last night when you showed up at the bar. And then you passed out before you even looked up from the bar. I doubt you even saw us.” She really couldn’t remember a thing aside from ordering her meal and taking a few bites. She couldn’t even remember what they talked about. “You’re still in shock, I think,” Helen went on, rubbing her hand over Billie’s shoulder. Billie nodded. No doubt she was going to be a mess when things really started to settle in. “Let’s get some food in you, then you can go back home and shower and relax.”
“She still needs to talk to the police.”
Billie winced and groaned at the reminder. She rubbed her brow and felt her shoulders slump under Helen’s arm. She just wanted to take some aspirin and fall asleep and not wake up for a very long time.
She moved on wooden feet as Helen propelled her through the house and out the door.