I sat on the cold, wet pavement, wallowing in my own self-pity.
Only after a while did it occur to me that even though it was still raining heavily, I was not getting any wetter than I already was. I looked up and saw a large, yellow umbrella hovering above me, and holding the umbrella was the man from back inside the building; the man I had just run away from. I felt a huge wave of shame and embarrassment washing over me as I looked up to meet his gaze. But he didn't seem to share the same emotions because as soon as our eyes locked again, he smiled, revealing his ridiculously white teeth.
"Miss... are you always this dramatic?", he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Always, always." I muttered, whilst desperately trying to pull my body off the wet pavement. Needless to say, I failed miserably, causing him to extend his hand so he could help me off the ground.
I took it.
"You know...there's no shame in asking for help from time to time", he said, still flashing me with his faultlessly aligned white teeth, amusement written all over his perfectly sculpted face.
"I know", I replied flatly. "I guess I just like being dramatic."
He ran a hand through his damp hair. "Listen. The gentleman in me will not allow me to leave this place unless I ensure your safety. So would you like a lift to go somewhere or should I keep you company whilst you wait for someone to come pick you up?"
"No", I replied firmly.
"No?"
"You don't even know me. Why are you so concerned with my safety?"
His eyes scanned our surroundings before he turned back towards me with a rather concerned look on his face. "Like I said...it's the gentleman in me."
My pride was begging for me to turn down his request and then turn him away. My body on the other hand, was begging for immediate warmth, safety and comfort. In the end, my body's needs won, because If I am being completely honest with myself, I didn't particularly care how it all happened. I just wanted to be safely indoors, and forget that the whole night had ever happened. So, after a while of quiet contemplation, I finally let out a defeated sigh then turned to look at him. "Fine...you can give me a lift...but no funny business. I have pepper spray, and I am not afraid to use it."
"No funny business", he repeated, putting one hand on his chest in promise. He must have noticed me shuddering because just then, he took off his jacket, and wrapped it around my shoulders.
Shortly after, he pulled out his cell phone to make a phone call, and within minutes, a pitch-black limo pulled up right in front of us.
My jaw dropped in awe and surprise. I had never been in a limo before, and I definitely had never known anyone who owned one either.
He walked up to the limo and opened the passenger door for me. I'm guessing he must have seen the hesitation in my body language because when he turned back around, he said: "Hey...don't worry. I promise I don't have any hidden agendas. All I want to do is get you home safely."
It occurred to me then that what he had just said was exactly the type of thing an axe murderer or a dangerous criminal would say, but I still went inside anyway. I felt strangely secure around him, and something about his energy told me I could trust him. Besides, I figured the worst-case scenario would be him killing me and sacrificing my soul to the gods. That didn't seem so bad. If a soul sacrifice to the gods was what this man needed to continue blessing the world with his fine-ness, then I was down for it.
I got inside the limo, and as soon as he did too, the limo started moving. For a while, there was a heavy silence in the car, but I think I would have preferred that silence over what he asked me next.
"So, where should I ask my driver to drop you off?", he said, turning his body towards me.
I froze.
"Uhm, Miss?", he called to me, a look of concern registering on his face.
It wasn't that I didn't have anywhere else to go. The problem was that I had nowhere else I wanted to be that night. I decided to change the subject to buy some more time before he asked me the question again.
"So do you always have a limo and a driver waiting to take you places or do you also just like being dramatic?", I finally asked after a while of sitting in complete silence. I was pretty sure he knew I was changing the subject, yet he didn't confront me about it. Instead, he chuckled softly, and as he did, I noticed his eyes getting smaller. "No. I think I just felt like being scandalous tonight."
"Ahh...touché." I replied with what I hoped was an 'I-totally-understand-what-you-are-trying-to-communicate-to-me-' tone, but in actual fact, I had no idea what any of what he had just said actually meant. I figured it was a 'rich-people-who-casually-ride-around-in-limos' type of thing.
"So do you always come to events without planning how you're going to go back home or where you just feeling a tad more dramatic than usual today?", he countered.
Touche.
"Actually, I just got dumped, so yeah.", I replied while biting my lip in case any stray tears decided to float down my cheeks again.
The mood visibly darkened.
"Oh?"
"Yep"
"Well, I'm sorry"
"Yep", I replied again, mostly because I didn't know what to say.
"So where's your ex-boyfriend?"
"Oh...uhm...He probably left."
"Without checking to see how you're going to get back home?"
"Yep", I replied. "I have this thing where I only attract assholes."
He shifted awkwardly in his seat, and for a while, a complete and total silence filled the air. But even then, I could still feel his gaze curiously lingering over me.
"Do you write?", he finally asked after a while.
"Just a little", I replied honestly. "But I think I'm more of a reader than I am a writer...why?"
"I can tell. You move with the poise and grace of a troubled writer."
"What's a troubled writer?"
"A writer that doesn't actually write. A writer that has been given a story that they absolutely refuse to write or share with the rest of the world. It's a shame really, because If you have the gift, you should use it. The world deserves to hear your story."
"So, what? Are you like the writer whisperer or something?"
He smiled. "You could say that."
We drove in silence until he turned his head back to me again.
"You still haven't told me where we are driving to", he said ever so softly, almost as if he was afraid of startling me. I must have looked like absolute shit. Men were hardly ever nice to me unless they needed something from me. I was convinced this man wanted something from me, and given my vulnerable state, we both knew how easy it would be for him to get it.
"Miss?", he replied again, this time a look of mock concern, (no doubt) registering on his face.
I swallowed and bit back on my tongue before I answered. He was playing a game, and for some reason I had no issues with playing along.
"Actually...I don't have anywhere to go tonight", I whispered softly underneath my breath. Gosh, what I would do to erase that whole night from my memory. I was a literal cringe fest.
His brows furrowed in concern. "What do you mean? Isn't there a friend I can take you to? A roommate? Someone?"
One thing was for sure, this mysterious guy was determined to play the role of the good guy. Maybe it was something he got off on. I must have been in a worse state than I realized because for some reason, I actually wanted to play along.
I rested my hand on his thigh and looked up at him. "Sir", I whispered pleadingly, batting my eyelashes for effect. "I have nowhere else to go tonight"
I had nowhere to go, and thought I needed something or someone to take my mind off the pain, and he was obviously looking for an easy girl. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why he was making me beg for it.
His dark gaze met mine and for a minute there was silence. For a moment I was convinced he could see right through my soul, but then he shook his head, seemingly to shake himself out of a trance, flashed me one of his lopsided smiles and then said. "Well, you do now."
Then he proceeded to knock on the limo glass, seemingly signaling his driver to take us back to his place.