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UNEDITED DELETED SCENE FROM LEAP OF FAITH In one of the original incarnations of this story, I had Jane and Lex staying in a cheesy hotel. Later, I changed things around so they ended up camping instead, but I really liked this scene and hated to lose it. So, like my favorite DVDs, I decided to include a “Deleted Scenes” section on my website. Hope you enjoy it! Ari
The hot water dribbled out of the showerhead with just enough pressure to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. It did nothing to ease the knots in her shoulders and neck. Jane tried not to think about what fungus might inhabit the cracked porcelain under her feet. She’d fork over half her trust fund for a pair of flip-flops and an hour with a talented masseuse. Heck, if she was wishing she might as well go all the way and wish she was on a deserted island somewhere, basking in the sun while a sexy pool boy named Pedro brought her fruity drinks. Fruity drinks with little umbrellas in them and lots of rum. Lots and lots of rum. Jane let the water trickle over her face as she pictured her own personal retreat. She’d just gotten to the part where Pedro offered to give her a back rub when a crash came from the other room. Fear made her knees weak and her pulse rate shot through the roof. Had they found her? Her hands shook as she turned off the water and reached for a towel. She couldn’t hear anything over the blood rushing in her ears. She’d attached the security chain, and she didn’t think the maids were so determined to clean the room that they broke in to do their jobs. What should she do? She was naked and alone. If they broke through the front door, the flimsy lock on the bathroom wouldn’t stop them. Jane bit her lip. She didn’t have a phone so she couldn’t dial 911. There wasn’t a window in the bathroom so she couldn’t escape that way, either. Think, damn it. What would her self-defense instructor do? Jane searched frantically for anything to use as a weapon. The only thing that had even a slight point on it was her toothbrush. It would have to do. With the towel clutched to her chest, she grabbed the toothbrush and stuck it between her fingers like she’d been taught. Anything with a point could be a weapon if you poked it in someone’s eye. The door flew open with a bang and Jane screamed. “Well, what do we have here?” An enormous man dressed all in black crossed his arms over his chest and smiled evilly at her. He was easily a head taller than her and at least twice her weight. The sleeves on his T-shirt cut into muscles that looked obscenely large. An air of menace oozed from him, chilling her to the core. “W-who are you? What do you want?” Jane shivered, and it wasn’t from the cold water dripping down her bare back. “Don’t you worry about me. Who are you?” “I’m. . .” Jane searched her brain frantically to come up with a name. She spied a paper cup on the sink. “Dixie. I was just leaving. I don’t want no trouble.” “I don’t want any trouble either, Dixie.” His hesitation clearly said he didn’t believe her. “All I wanted was a shower before I left. If you’ve got a problem with the guy that rented the room, that’s his business. I don’t want no part of it.” She clutched the toothbrush tighter, hiding her fist in the folds of the towel. If she could get close enough to him, maybe she could stab him in the eye. Her legs turned to water at the thought of getting near him. He could crush her with one fist. “You a working girl?” “Just trying to make a living. I don’t need to get messed up in anything. How about I get dressed and pretend I never saw you?” Jane plastered a smile on her face and took a step closer to him. He reeked of stale cigarette smoke and onions. “I’m not sure if I can do that. I may need a little encouragement.” His piggy eyes took on a gleam that had bile rising in her throat. She dropped her gaze and saw a bulge tenting the crotch of his pants. Panic ripped through her. She’d wanted him to think she was a hooker, but she didn’t want to actually have to prove it. Think! How could she get out of this? She’d have to stall and hope for a miracle. “Why don’t we go where it’s more comfortable?” “After you.” He held out his arm indicating she should go first. Jane could feel his stare on her naked back, but didn’t pull the towel the rest of the way around her. An experienced prostitute wouldn’t mind showing off a little skin. His nauseating smell almost overwhelmed her as she passed him. How was she going to manage to attack him if just being near him made her want to vomit? “Nice tattoo.” “Thanks. I’m thinking of getting a bigger one as soon as I can afford it.” Right. The tiny rose on her left butt cheek had been her one rebellion and she’d regretted it almost immediately. “Why don’t you lay down and take a load off?” Jane smiled seductively while she scanned the room for her purse. She’d left it under her side of the bed last night so she could get to her cell phone easily if her mother called. He must not have spotted it stuck between the bed and the nightstand. If he’d found her ID then this charade was pointless. The strap of her purse poked out about two inches from his huge foot. If she wanted to grab it she’d have to get right up next to him without losing the contents of her stomach. “What’s your name, sugar?” Jane let the towel slip slightly to give him a hint of cleavage. Goosebumps ran over her arms. “You don’t need to know my name. You just need to take care of Monster, here.” He opened his fly and pulled out his fully erect penis. Revulsion almost made her hurl. There was no way she could touch that. Her eyes shot to the broken door. Should she make a run for it? She was naked and barefoot; she’d never get away from him. But, oh Lord, she’d try like hell. “Hello, Monster.” Jane moved between his spread legs and prayed for strength. When his attention dropped from her face to his penis she jabbed the toothbrush into his eye. “Bitch!” He screamed in agony and clutched his bleeding orb. “I’ll kill you!” His ham-sized fist swung at her, but Jane jumped out of the way. She scrambled from him as he flailed his arms blindly. Dodging another wild swipe, she grabbed her purse and ran out the door. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” he roared after her. Terror put extra energy into her limbs and she fairly flew down the sidewalk, clutching the towel to her chest. Her sore feet screamed in agony as the rough cement cut into them, but she didn’t slow. Doors opened and heads popped out, investigating the commotion. Her breath came out in a rush as she ran into a cleaning cart. A small woman shouted in rapid-fire Spanish as rolls of toilet paper scattered. More people came, surrounding Jane and the irate cleaning lady. “Help me. He’s going to kill me.” Jane drew air into her oxygen-starved lungs as she tried to hide her nakedness from the crowd. She searched frantically for the man, but couldn’t see him around the people. Squealing tires screeched around the corner as a black car tore out of the parking lot. Jane caught a glimpse of the large man behind the wheel and almost collapsed in relief. Babbling voices washed over her as everyone spoke at once. “Hey lady, do you want to call the cops?” The question came from a man in a motel uniform. At the mention of police, several people glanced nervously around and backed away. “No. No cops. If I could just get another room, that would be great.” Relief flooded the motel employee’s face. “Sure. No problem.” Jane didn’t know how she’d explain this to Lex. So much for laying low. * * * * * “What the fuck happened?” Jane glanced away from the TV as Lex barged into the room. She’d been through too much today to be startled by his crude language. “I tell you to stay put, but do you? No. I come back and the manager tells me I’ve been moved to a new room and not to worry about the charge. What’d you do? Complain about a cockroach? That’s not a way to keep from being noticed.” He threw a pile of blue bags onto the bed and ran his hand over his face. “Do you want to hear what happened, or do you want to keep spouting off?” She forced her temper down, but it wasn’t easy. She’d been through hell today and he had the nerve to talk to her like she’d acted like a spoiled child? “This better be good.” “Well it’s not. It’s horrible.” Jane shot to her feet and winced as the numerous cuts protested the movement. “I was in the shower when this great big hulking guy broke into our room. It was all I could do to get away, no thanks to you.” “What? Who broke into the room? What did he look like? Did he get a good look at you?” Lex shot the questions at her like bullets, giving her no time to answer. “He looked like a mountain on legs with tiny piggy eyes and an enormous penis.”
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