Romance Part One
So.. I've been cleaning my room, packing for my move to Kitchener and I found a notebook with my writing in it! So, I haven't really editited it much yet, but I thought I'd share the first entry. These will not be in chronological order as I just wrote scenes as they came to me, so sorry if that ends up throwing you off. Anyway, here's the first entry. I hope you like it!
This city really does look dreary in the rain. I pressed my lips firmly together and hurried along the sodden street, huddling further under the shelter of my umbrella.
I looked around at the dark buildings, shining in the light of the streetlamps. They looked abandoned and forlorn but I knew they were regularly used. I passed various apartment buildings and other establishments. The rain picked up just then. Why did I pick tonight to go for a walk? Right, this was no leisurely stroll. It was about one or two in the morning and I just couldn't sleep. This happened a lot lately, my mind just kept taking me back to relive the many mistakes I had made recently, and it wouldn't stop mulling them over.
So here I was, on what seemed to be the most miserable night of my life, walking. In the rain. Don't get me wrong, I usually LOVE the rain, but when it seems to be nature's commentary on my life... well, it didn't need to rub my misery in my face.
Little did I expect that on these empty streets a sharp turn of a corner would have me colliding hard with... probably the most handsome human being I had ever seen. He hardly made a sound as we collided, except for the distinct sound of air leaving lungs quickly. I stepped back in shock and started to apologize but words abandoned me as I took in the sight of him.
He was almost half a head taller than me, with pale skin, sopping wet dark hair, which he pushed out of his sharp sapphire eyes. He smirked at me even as he sighed in irritation.
“Are you okay,” his deep voice asked.
Every nerve on my body seemed to tingle as I clutched the umbrella tighter, stood straighter, and stuttered a reply.
“Y-yes, I mean, I'm sorry, I should pay more attention where I'm going, but I really didn't expect anyone to be out here so late and-”
“Well you are, so why wouldn't anyone else be,” he asked matter-of-factly as he took a drag from a cigarette I hadn't noticed before.
I froze, realising he was right, then relaxed with a sigh, “right, sorry.”
He chuckled and his eyes danced as he regarded me, “you're cute,” he said as if he was telling me the sky was blue.
It was then that I realised I was blushing, had been the whole time, because my cheeks got even hotter. My mind went blank for a moment, then I realised he was soaked: his dark dress shirt that was open a bit at the top and bottom, revealing a bit of pale skin; his khaki green cargo pants; even his shoes. Everything was soaked.
“Don't you have an umbrella,” I asked.
“Nope,” he replied simply, taking another drag, the smirk still firmly in place on his face.
I held my umbrella out to him. Now I was getting wet.
That wiped the smirk off his face and he seemed taken aback as he shoved it back so it covered me. “No, no, I'm fine, you'll get soaked.”
“But you're drenched to the bone,” I protested.
“Exactly,” he said, a hint of the smirk returning, “no point in both of us being wet.”
“Oh.” He had a point, “What are you doing out here anyway,” he asked, “it's late for a girl to wander on her own.”
That got my back up, “I can handle myself.” He raised an eyebrow at this, “besides, I couldn't sleep, too much on my mind, so I decided to clear my head with a walk.”
“... in the rain,” more of his smirk returned.
He had a point, and I knew that. It bugged me. “What about you? What are you doing standing on a street corner smoking a cigarette in the rain?”
His smirk faltered a bit, “needed some air?”
I didn't believe him, so I just stared.
He shifted his weight in seeming discomfort. “Trust me, cutie, you don't want to know.”
“My name's not cutie, and don't tell me what I don't want,” I hated that.
He raised an eyebrow again. “Well, until I get a name, cutie it is.” He smirked at my feeble growl, “and are you sure you want to know?”
I studied him a moment, realised he was shivering ever so slightly, and his smirk was an attempt to disguise the misery in his eyes. “Yes.”
He frowned and studied me for a moment. It felt like forever before he spoke again, tossing his still-lit cigarette aside.
His smirk was dialed up to its full, alluring potential, his eyes half predatory, half promiscuous. He took a step closer to me and I took a step back instinctively. He placed his hand on the wall I had backed myself against, and leaned in so our faces were only inches apart. I could feel his breath on my skin as he asked, “looking for a good time, cutie?”
It took my sluggish brain a moment to process before it clicked. “No way.” I spoke so softly I doubt he heard me, but the look on my face must have been enough.
His grin broadened triumphantly but footsteps made him turn his predatory eyes on the intruder, his grin twisting darkly.
“She doesn't look interested, but I am.” The middle aged man folded his hands over his round belly and eyed my new friend as if he were a steak waiting to be devoured.
I hadn't noticed it but I realised now his toned muscles had tensed, and he seemed to respond to this man like an animal responded to a predator. Your typical hunter-becoming-hunted scenario. Then I saw the hint of fear in his eyes, there and gone in a flash, and spoke impulsively, staring at the now-prey and ignoring the intruder.
“How much?”
At first I thought I had only thought the words because the now-prey didn't respond, but as I flicked a glance to the intruder, the shock on his face told me I had. I wasn't about to be ignored by the one I was trying to save.
“How much,” I repeated, louder.
He sighed, and reluctantly returned his gaze to mine. There were too many emotions in his beautiful eyes to decipher. To my surprise, he smirked. “You can't afford me.”
I glared at him, hoping I did a decent job looking annoyed as my heart pounded from the intensity of his gaze. Damn his pheromones! “Hey, you approached me, mister, don't go changing gears on me. I'm only asking this one more time. How much?”
He stared at me for a moment, the intruder ignored, and studied me. Just as the intruder was about to interrupt he abruptly said, “two hundred.”
My eyes widened, “that was a lot for someone in school and on a part-time wage like I was. I had just gotten paid today though.
He smirked, but his eyes held a tormented look as he leaned back, put his hands in his pockets, and said, “I told you you couldn't afford me, cutie.”
That look decided me. “Who says?”
He chuckled and started to turn away. I snatched his wrist and pulled him back. His look of surprise made me sad and pleased at the same time, because I saw hope mixed in there too.
I took out my wallet and counted $100 right under his nose. He flicked a shocked look my way before taking the cash, pocketing it, and tossing an arm around my shoulders.
He turned to the intruder, the smirk firmly in place on his lips once more, “there you have it.”
The intruder's face was beet red at this point and he looked dangerously angry, so I turned us around and marched us down the street as fast as I could without looking like we were running away.
“So where's the rest, cutie?”
I looked up at my handsome companion, and frowned. His smirk seemed even less genuine than before. “I need to hit a bank machine, but I wanted to go over a few rules first.” He raised an eyebrow at me, but I didn't feel like explaining right then. We walked in silence to the bank machine where I took out another hundred, then frowned.
“What is it?”
“Do you know anywhere to eat around here that's open at this hour?”
He looked a bit surprised, then frowned in thought. He shook his head, “even in the downtown area that's hard to find.”
I sighed, tried to ignore my growling stomach, and nodded, “didn't think so.”
He looked sidelong at me, seemed to notice my disappointment, draped his arm around my shoulders again, bringing fresh colour to my cheeks, and started guiding me down the street.
“Where are we going,” I asked.
“To eat. You're hungry, right?” He seemed to replay what he just said in his head, and smirked as if he found something amusing.
“What?”
“Well, you see, this isn't the kind of hunger I'm used to sating.”
I blushed more. As if I needed to be reminded of his profession.
He chuckled, “but I can. I'm a decent cook, if I do say so myself.”
“So we're going to...?”
“My place,” he seemed worried and a bit unsure as he looked at me, “you don't mind, do you?”
“No, no,” though that did remind me we hadn't gone over my rules yet.
As if reading my mind he said, “so, what are these rules you mentioned?”
I realised he also hadn't asked for the other hundred again yet. “Part of them you've already guessed, I'm sure. You'll get the last hundred if you behave.”
He raised an eyebrow at me, “you are odd. Usually I get paid to misbehave.” He winked and chuckled as I blushed.
“I mean it,” I tried to sound threatening, “if you do anything... promiscuous with me tonight you don't get the last hundred.”
He chuckled, “you can't say 'sexual' can you?” I blushed more but he frowned, “why?”
That I hadn't expected. “Why what?”
“I may be wrong but it seems like you're trying to give me a paid vacation. I want to know what your motivation is. What's in this for you?”
“I get to spend time with an attractive male for the night without having to worry about the...” I looked right at him as I said the next word, “sexual aspect of that... and I get to see you smile.”
“You've seen me smile,” he said.
“Really smile, I mean. You know, the kind that actually reaches your beautiful eyes.”
He looked surprised, then frowned. “We're almost there.”
I noticed the change of subject, but allowed it. “So, do you agree? To the rules, I mean”
He looked straight at me, searching my face for who knows what, then nodded with a faint smile. “Sounds like this should be a fun game. I'm in.”