Speak confidently

They liked the "fire." Maybe it was time for a different approach.

Penny stopped fighting so hard and stared at the men who were standing back. She tried to seem mildly annoyed, which felt like the most un-sexy emotion, but they weren't looking directly at her.

"Give me a beer." Seb shifted his weight cautiously, but Penny didn't have the strength to resume her struggles. After a moment, he moved more decisively and took a beer from another man.

Oh shit.

Seb suddenly pinched Penny's nose, releasing her mouth and forcing a beer bottle between her lips in a single motion. She tried to suck air and breathed beer instead.

Penny had never tasted beer, and she wasn't really tasting it now. Seb let go of her and she scrambled to roll over, propping herself up on her hands and knees while coughing violently. She almost threw up, and her train of thought was completely derailed as she desperately tried to regain the ability to breathe.

The first thing she noticed was a couple of men nearby. They were laughing.

Right. Unsexy. Don't be a victim.

She fell back into a kneeling position and she knew she must be a mess. She had to be covered in beer, spit, sweat, grass, and dirt. Maybe even some blood, after all that. Her clothes felt torn in several places.

Penny put her arms straight out and addressed the two **** men. "Great, you know how to make a lady feel special." She could barely talk, but she managed to put a bit of fake confidence into her words anyway. "I thought I was exhausted tonight, but I feel so pretty now."

Seb grabbed her loose, dark hair and pulled upwards. She tried not to show pain as she stood up. It helped that other parts of her body felt worse.

"Think you're smart, kid?" Seb spoke in her ear, louder than a whisper. It took all of her strength not to flinch away. "Those two like their babes a bit nerdy. Just gonna turn them on, too."

Penny couldn't think of a good response. Her mind raced to find possibilities. The situation felt hopeless, and she kept coming back to the idea that maybe someone would save her.

Breathe. Breathe. You'll get a chance to get out of this.

It wasn't a very comforting thought. She wasn't so sure that she would.

Seb's hands reached up under Penny's arms and grabbed her chest. She was barely able to stay calm. "Let's see what we've got," he said more gently into her ear, "And you won't get so banged up if you don't give me so much trouble."