Marshall pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive, the sound of music and chatter fading as they got further away from the club. The woman was sitting in the passenger seat, her body relaxed and comfortable beside him. Suddenly, she tensed, her eyes widening as she spotted something ahead.
__Marshall: "Oh crap, is that a police car?" she exclaimed, her voice panicked. "Change direction, quick!"
__Marshall: "What?" he said, confused by her sudden outburst.
He looked ahead, and, sure enough, he spotted a police car a few hundred meters ahead, its lights flashing silently in the night. The woman was starting to get panicky, her body tensing and her eyes darting from the car to him and back again.
__The woman: "Go, go!" she repeated, her voice growing more urgent. "Turn left, now!"
He changed direction quickly, not needing to ask for an explanation. He could sense the woman's rising panic, and he didn't want to get pulled over by the police either.
__Marshall: "What the hell is going on?" he asked, his voice tense as he navigated the car through the winding roads. The woman was silent for a moment, her eyes fixed ahead, her body still tense and rigid.
__The woman: "It's complicated," she replied, her voice low and hesitant. She seemed to be struggling with something, her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap. He glanced over at her, trying to read her expression, but her face was guarded and her eyes were fixed on the road ahead.
__Marshall: "Are you some criminal or what?"
He stopped the car, waiting for her to elaborate. He couldn't let himself have any contact with a person having trouble with the law.
She looked at him, her eyes pleading as she spoke.
__The woman: "No, I'm not a criminal," she said, her voice soft and trembling. "I just...I have reasons for not wanting to be pulled over by the police, okay?"
__Marshall: "What sort of reasons? You do understand that I can't have someone who avoid police in my car, right? You have to tell me or I swear I'll drive right to them"
He could see that she was scared, but he wanted to understand what the hell was going. Of course he was lying. He isn't stupid to go to police when he's who he is.
__The woman: "Please, don't," she blurted out, her voice filled with panic. "I'll tell you, just don't go to the police, please."
She took a deep breath, her body slumping against the seat. She was clearly reluctant to share her secret, but she seemed to realize she had no choice. After a moment, she spoke softly, her voice a nervous whisper.
__The woman: "It's...it's a difficult situation. I have...I have reasons for not wanting to get involved with the police"
__Marshall: "I'm all ears"
She let out a shaky breath, her eyes filling with tears. She looked at him, her expression pained and guilty, her eyes darting around nervously, as if worried someone might overhear them talking. Then she spoke again, her voice low and urgent.
__The woman: "I...I'm not supposed to be here. I'm here illegally. If the police find out, they'll send me back to Cuba, and I don't have any money or papers or...anything..." she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.
He was taken aback by her words, not expecting her to be an illegal immigrant.
__Marshall: "Poor soul... I'm really sorry. Don't worry okay. They won't find out. You'll sleep at mine tonight"
She looked at him, her eyes wide and tear-filled. She hadn't expected for him to be so understanding, so compassionate. Her body relaxed slightly, some of the tension leaving her frame.
__The woman: "Thank you." she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "You're...you're the first person to show me any kindness since I left Cuba. I swear I'm not a bad person, I just...I had no choice, you know?
__Marshall: "It's okay, I get it," he said, his voice gentle and reassuring. "You're not bad, just unlucky."
He reached out and patted her hand, trying to give her some comfort. She looked at him, her eyes searching his face, trying to read his intentions. But he just smiled, his eyes warm and sincere.
__Marshall: "Come on," he said, starting the car again. "Let's go to my place. You've had a hard day, you deserve a good night's rest."
She nodded, a slight smile appearing on her face. She seemed relieved, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. He could see the exhaustion and tension leaving her body, her muscles relaxing and her gaze growing softer.
They drove in silence for a while, the soft hum of the engine and the occasional sound of traffic the only sound in the car. He stole a glance at her every now and then, his eyes roaming over her face, taking in her tired but beautiful features.
__The woman: "Can I ask you something?" she said suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant.
__Marshall: "Uh, sure," he replied, his voice casual. He kept his eyes on the road, but he was curious about what she was going to ask.
__The woman: "Why are you being so kind to me?" she asked, her tone one of genuine surprise. "You don't even know me, and I just told you I'm an illegal immigrant. You should be calling the police on me, not inviting me to your house."
__Marshall: "Well I didn't know you were illegal immigrant and I still offered to bring you to my house to have a good time time right."
__The woman : "Yeah, but...but..." she couldn't seem to find the right words.
She was touched by his kindness and compassion, but she couldn't understand why he was being so nice to her. She didn't understand how someone could show such kindness to a complete stranger, someone who had nothing, and had broken the law to boot.
__Marshall: "There's no but. I don't know what make you leave your country and it's probably not nice things, so I won't be the reason why you'll get send back there."
She was quiet for a moment, absorbing his words. She realized that he was right - he didn't know her story, but he still chose to help her instead of judging or condemning. It was a rare kindness, especially in a world that was often cold and uncaring.
__The woman: "You're too nice," she said, her voice a whisper. "I...I can't believe you'd do this for me. I don't know how I can thank you."
__Marshall: "First thing's first," he said, his voice playful but gentle. "I don't even know your name. Could you tell me that much at least?
She chuckled, her voice soft and a little sheepish as she replied, "You're right. I'm Catalina Garcia."
Marshall: "You can call me Marshall....but people call me Slim Shady..." he said telling his nickname he gained from his not so glorious actions.
__The woman: "Marshall," she repeated, her voice almost reverent. "But Slim Shady?"
She looked at him quizzically, clearly confused by the nickname. He saw the question in her eyes, and he chuckled, amused by her reaction to his alias.
__Marshall: "Yeah, I go by Slim Shady a lot," he said, a wry smile on his face. "It's a long story, but the short version is I can sometimes get a little...shady. Let's leave it at that."
__The woman: "Okay," she said, a hint of a smirk appearing on her lips. "I won't pry, but I won't forget to ask about it someday, either."
He chuckled and started driving to his house.