The Reluctant Wag by Mary Costello

quickly pinned her arm behind her back. She felt his strength directed against her. She dug her elbow into his ribs, but was no match for a man who towered over her and who seemed to be twice her breadth. His lips were searching for her mouth now as she struggled to fight him off. She felt his hot tongue between her teeth. She was just beginning to panic when she heard a deep, commanding voice.
    ‘Oi! Mate, back off!’ And Cal McCoy grabbed Murdoch by the collar and tossed him easily to one side.
    Murdoch stumbled and fell against the wall. The commotion drew the attention of a security man who quickly moved to help Murdoch up, at the same time signalling for a colleague to assist him. Together they bundled Murdoch through a side door and Cal turned to look down at Merise.
    ‘You okay?’ He had one hand on her shoulder. It seemed to burn through the flimsy silk of her dress. Still rattled, she merely nodded. He dropped his hand.
    ‘You want to get out of here?’ His manner was businesslike, even brusque. She’d probably interrupted his evening. No doubt he’d be at the centre of the in-crowd.
    ‘Yes please. I . . . I just want to go home,’ she added in a voice that sounded small and pathetic, even to her.
    Something in his face seemed to soften momentarily, but then he took a firm grip of her elbow. ‘Let’s go, then.’
    ‘Oh no, I don’t want to spoil your evening. I can get a taxi.’
    He merely snorted at that and muttered, ‘You’ve got to be kidding; this kind of thing is purgatory.’
    She looked at him in surprise, but he was already heading for the exit. He easily steered a path through the crowd and they soon emerged into the lobby. Merise felt a wave of relief sweep over her, before she was blinded by a camera flash. A young photographer had stepped up as they came through the door of the Oak Room and snapped them together. Cal scowled but kept walking. The next minute they were outside and Cal had signalled valet parking.
    ‘Really, I can get a taxi if —’ Merise started to say.
    ‘No,’ Cal cut her off. ‘I’m taking you home.’
    At that moment the valet arrived in the black Ferrari and Cal quickly opened the door for her. She got in, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with tiredness. As they eased through the city she sat silently, aware that he was looking at her from time to time.
    ‘You okay?’ he asked at last.
    ‘Yes, really, I am. Just tired and . . . and disgusted with Jason Murdoch.’
    ‘He’s a fool, and worse – he gets nasty when he’s drunk. Do yourself a favour and stay well away from boys like him.’
    ‘As if I don’t!’ she snapped back.
    ‘Hey! I’m sure you do. I just mean you can’t be too careful. Why were you there anyway? I thought the celebrity nightlife thing wasn’t your scene.’
    That stung. Did he imagine she was some sort of publicity hound?
    ‘I am actually allowed to go out at night – to have a life, you know,’ she retorted. ‘Just as you seem to have a very full nightlife for someone who’s supposed to be an athlete.’
    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
    ‘Well, let me see; Lisette Masters at the Grand Prix Ball, somebody called Andrea at Nocturne , twin sisters at the Melbourne Cup launch party last year – the list goes on.’ As soon as she said it she could have bitten her tongue. Now he’d know that she’d googled him.
    He was silent for a second. ‘I see you’ve been monitoring my media pretty closely. I’m flattered,’ he added with a maddening smile.
    ‘Don’t be. My interest is purely professional, in view of our ongoing working relationship,’ she responded with an angry flush. ‘Otherwise, I’m not in the least interested.’
    ‘Good, because I don’t like anyone intruding on my privacy.’
    ‘I . . . I wasn’t intruding —’ she spluttered indignantly.
    ‘Where do you live exactly?’ he cut in.
    She told him and they were silent for the rest of the drive. When he pulled up outside her apartment