Page 42 of The Facilitator, Part 2

She sat and I poured her a glass of juice from the jug on the table.

“I think Mackenzie should stay on here for a little while longer. I honestly believe he should spend some time with his dad. Do you agree?”

“Tricky one, though, he doesn’t want to leave you,” she said.

“We’re adults in a committed relationship. I’m sure we can persuade him a week apart won’t kill us. You are staying here with your mum, and I think I’d like to use the fact you are two women all alone with a loony brother on the loose to convince him,” I said, giving her a wink.

“Or you could just tell him the truth, but I do like the loony brother part. A combination of the two?” she said, eyes all innocent but with a smirk that should adorn the devil.

“A combination of the two,” I said, raising my glass to her. “Can you play the damsel in distress?”

“Oh my Lord! Sit back and watch, girlfriend.”

She switched between a South Carolina accent and something I’d expect from New York, but boy could that girl turn on the charm if needed. I laughed as she rehearsed her role.

It took some convincing, but we didn’t really need the two women in distress part in the end.

Sandra came for a surprise visit. She sat with Mackenzie and told him his father had lied to him.

He had been given just a few months to live a few months ago, and although he seemed strong and able when they’d met up and at Gabriella’s party, it had taken it out of him.

“I think you should make some positive memories with him while you can,” I said.

“I can do that with you by my side,” Mackenzie said.

“I need to get back to work. You need to spend time, alone, with your dad. You also need to make sure Vivienne and Gabriella are safe. I don’t trust Daniel not to break that court order to stay away.

And no one has heard from Addison, either.

This isn’t over yet.” A truer word had never been spoken.

Later that afternoon, Mackenzie and I were back at his house.

He was on his laptop and I read; we both sat on the veranda.

We were due to meet with his dad and Sandra for dinner that evening.

Mack had grumbled he’d need a tie. Mackenzie had assured him he could wear board shorts and flip-flops if he really wanted to.

It had been entertaining to listen to them bicker.

From sitting in silence, we, all of a sudden, were surrounded by pings and beeps. I reached over for my phone as Mackenzie opened an email. I paused as I heard him gasp and then swear.

“Baby, can I have your phone?” he asked, in a tone that had me immediately look at it.

I’d received a picture message. I opened it, something I wouldn’t normally do for fear of viruses or dick pics from Mackenzie when I was in company.

I wished to God I hadn’t. I was so shocked by what I saw, I dropped the phone to the wooden decking.

It landed face down and, for once, I hoped it was cracked, shattered. I didn’t want to re-see what I had.

I covered my mouth and turned to Mackenzie.

“Oh, baby. I will find out who fucking did this, I promise you,” he said. His phone started to ring; his laptop pinged some more. My mobile rang.

“Yes, she’s seen it. It’s been sent to everyone. I don’t know how far just yet,” he said, to his caller.

“Ah, okay. I’ll tell her.” He disconnected his call.

“Everyone?” I asked. He nodded. “How many is everyone?” I asked, not really wanting the answer.

Déjà vu flooded over me. Although the video that had been shared had been of Scott the first time, the humiliation level was the same. No, to share a photograph of me, naked, being fucked from behind by Mackenzie was off the scale. It didn’t compare.

I picked up my phone and was dismayed to see the screen perfectly intact.

I reached for Mackenzie’s laptop; he turned it for me.

Someone had taken a photograph from outside the house through the window beside the front door.

They’d zoomed in. Naked and bent over the arm of the couch was me.

Mackenzie had his hand in my hair, my head was pulled back, my tits on full display.

I had my eyes closed and my mouth open. Mackenzie had his head lowered.

I knew it was him, obviously, but his face wasn’t on display and he was slightly in the shadows.

Or he’d been cleverly shaded out in Photoshop.

It was the perfect PornHub shot. Tears tracked down my cheeks as my phone, his, the fucking laptop alerted us to many notifications and calls.

I couldn’t speak for minutes. I opened my mouth, but I was mute with anguish and shock.

Eventually I found my voice. “How far has this been sent?” I asked.

“To me, you, Gabriella and Alex, Vivienne, Trymast intranet, Jerry…”

“Trymast?” Fresh tears erupted. All those who worked there would have had access to it.

“It was deleted as soon as it was detected. Security is onto it. The good thing, Lauren, there isn’t anyone in the office right now.”

I wasn’t sure it was a comfort or not. It only took one person to forward it; just one, and then everyone had it.

My mobile rang again. I recognised the ringtone and picked it up.

“Wowzers, babe, fucking wowzers,” Jerry said, then laughed.

“I have absolutely no idea why the fuck you are laughing at my, yet again, utter humiliation,” I said, then I cut off the call. He immediately called back and I ignored it.

“He laughed at you?” Mackenzie asked, incredulous.

All I could do was nod. I closed the laptop lid. I didn’t need to see the photograph anymore; it was imprinted on my mind. I stood and walked down the steps to the beach. I just stood and let the sound wash over me, let the scent of hot sand and salty ocean comfort me.

I continued to walk. The warm water lapped around my ankles, my knees, and then my thighs. My dress clung to my skin and I held my arms outstretched. I fell and I didn’t want catching. I fell straight under the water and I held my breath. I held myself down until arms reached in and grabbed me.

Whether I wanted to be caught or not wasn’t my decision. Mackenzie pulled me from the water.

He wrapped his arms around me and he kissed my lips. I leaned into him but didn’t speak. His embrace tightened.

“I’m coming home with you,” he said.

“You need to spend time with your dad,” I replied.

“I need to spend time with you. You had to face this alone once before; I won’t allow you to do that again. No argument, Lauren.”

I was extremely grateful for his forcefulness and immensely guilty for taking him away from his dying dad. I was so fucking torn.

“We stay here for the remainder of our week, then let’s decide whether to extend, shall we?” I said.

“Are you afraid of returning to work?” he said.

I shrugged my shoulders and then stepped back to look at him.

“You’ll walk in that office with your head held so fucking high, Lauren, and dare anyone comment.”

Of course I was afraid of returning to work.

I was also terrified of facing anyone who might have seen the image.

I wasn’t going to be given the chance to hide, though.

As I glanced back to the house, I saw Gabriella, Alex, and Vivienne on the veranda.

Vivienne waved and called out to me. I wanted to hide my face and I inwardly cringed.

I felt sick with anxiety and pure embarrassment.

“Lauren, will you come here, please?” she called again.

“I don’t have to obey anyone’s commands, do I?” I said to Mackenzie, with a slight bitchy tone.

He cupped my face. “She isn’t responsible for this. That is the support network you’ve never had, okay?”

Suitably chastised, I sighed and nodded. I wiped my eyes on his T-shirt and he smiled at me. Hand in hand, we walked back to the house. Vivienne held out a towel and wrapped me in it.

“I have lunch. I thought we could picnic. I haven’t done that for years. Gabriella, we need wine, and steer clear of the couch, please,” she said.

My jaw dropped open. Everybody stood stock-still until she gave me a wink and her lips twitched as she struggled to hold back the smile.

Gabriella covered her mouth; that was until I laughed.

I laughed until I had to sit on the ground for fear of pissing myself.

I cried while I laughed, as well. Gabriella fell to her knees and held me.

She laughed and cried, complaining that she might also piss herself.

We both had mascara streaking down our cheeks.

“Girls, get up off the ground. You’re making a spectacle of yourselves. And fix your makeup.”

Gabriella wiped my tear-sodden cheeks before her own. I’d never loved a friend the way I loved her then. Not even Jerry.

“It’s an amazing photograph. I’m so jealous,” she said. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

“It’s not okay, Gabriella. I don’t want it to be okay. I’m laughing because I just don’t know what else to do. Everyone at work could have seen it.”

Alex helped Gabriella to her feet, and Mackenzie held out his hand to me.

“Lauren, trust me, they’ve seen worse,” Alex said. I honestly did not want to know.

“As I said, a picnic on the veranda,” Vivienne said, as she bustled, laying a tablecloth and dishes of cold meats, salads, and seafood on the wooden table.

Mackenzie uncorked a bottle of wine and as he poured, we heard a voice call out.

“Are you here?”

“Out back, Dad,” Mackenzie said.

Mack and Sandra walked around the veranda; he patted Mackenzie on the back and grabbed me for a hug. He didn’t say anything, but I also noticed how much frailer he looked from just a few days ago.

“Room for two more?” he said, looking at Vivienne.

“My mother wouldn’t know how to cater for less than twenty, there’s always room for more, Mack,” Gabriella said. As we sat, Mackenzie handed out wine.

“The troops have gathered,” Mack said, raising his glass to me. “Those bitches are going down!”

Sandra looked at him with a quizzical look on her face. “You watch too much TV,” she said.