I hate feeling helpless when control slips through my fingers, leaving me with nothingâno solutions, no plays left to run.
"Fuck!" I curse, hitting the side of my car. I open the hood, only to be overwhelmed by dark smoke, as if this situation couldn't get worse while the rapid pellets of rain drench my clothes. I close it slightly, leaving it cracked open to air out.
Walking back to the driver's side, I curl my fingers around the handle and tugging hard but the door doesn't budge. I repeat the action for what feels like the millionth time.
"You piece of shit!" I slap the car door in frustration, soaking my hands even more. I quickly pull out my phone, thankful it was in my shorts, and dial AAA.
I listen to the ring before I hear a voice. "Thank you for calling AAA; this is Amanda. How can I assist you today?"
"Hi, Amanda. My car just broke down, im locked out, and I'm stuck on the side of the road. Can you send someone to help me out?" I lean against the car, shifting my weight hearing the squish of my now soaked sneakers.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Let me get some details from you so we can dispatch assistance. Can I have your name and membership number, please?" I give her my information, including this sorry road I'm stuck on, while I wait in silence for her response.
"Okay. It sounds like we might need to send a tow truck. Let me check the availability of our technicians in your area." I wait with an exhale, growing more irritable with each drop of rain that falls on me. "I've located a technician for you, but it looks like it's going to be about two and a half hours before they can reach you."
"Two and a half hours," I state flatly, i've already been stuck on this road for thirty minutes.
"Yes, unfortunately, it's a high-volume night, so the fastest we can get someone to you is in two and some hours. Would you still like me to put in the request?" She speaks, and I stay silent. I contemplate, long and hard, while the rain falls harder and im sure there's not even a spec of dryness on me.
I'm now drenched, cold, and the last thing I want to do is wait in this rain on the side of this dark road for two whole hours waiting for a tow truck. I try to think out all my options and I hate where my mind drifts, I hate the fact that I know where I am and I hate even more to admit that I know who's nearby.
"Hello?-"
"Actually, no thanks," I sigh, hanging up the phone and against everything inside me telling me to abort the coolness in the air and the chill to my body tells me otherwise. I scroll until I reach his contact and press my thumb down before I can back out.
Like I said helpless and I especially hate where it's left me this time: waking up in Stephan Westerman's apartment, or better yet, his guest bedroom, dressed in his clothes that smell like him. And no matter how comfy and goodâno, really, really goodâhe smells, this marks a new low for me.
I try to shake the embarrassment from last night, and suppress the thought of how I looked like a desperate wet dog and reluctantly get up from the comfy mattress which puts me stiff twin bed to shame, flattening out the dark green T, I quietly make my way to the bedroom door not wanting to wake Stephan incase he's sleeping, but to my surprise there he is seated at the kitchen counter his muscular back to me dressed in grey sweats and a white wife beater sipping on a coffee scrolling on his phone.
I step out of the bedroom and I can't help but feel weird, I mean- this is weird. It's not like were actually dating or even close friends for that matter.
"Morning." His deep voice pulls me out of my thoughts, his face now turned to me.
"Morning." I faintly smile back, before he turns away, resuming what he was doing before.
"Your clothes are washed and in the dryer, and your car's good and working in the parking lot," he hums, as if it's nothing. But it isn't, at least not to me.
I make my way to the kitchen, standing across from him with the countertop between us. "What do I owe you?" He puts his phone in his pocket, his eyes meeting mine.
"Nothing."
"I don't do handouts, Stephan." I watch him as he gets up, walking around the counter and placing his mug in the sink with a quick rinse. He turns around, leaning on the one in front of me.
He studies my face, his eyes slowly meeting mine as a smug smile creeps onto his lips, dimples deepening. "Then what do you want to give me?"
"How much was it to fix the car?" I counter his flirty tone with a dry one.
"I was owed a favor." He pauses. "Like I said, you don't owe me anything." He pushes himself off the counter, walking past me.
I reluctantly turn around going around the island leaning on the side. "What do you want?"
Those four words lead him to face me, his smile flickering as he turns back, stepping closer. I stay put watching him... his smile falters slightly while his eye lids drop barely noticeably, he wets his bottom lip while his hands find their way on either side of the counter trapping me in the middle slightly hovering over me. His eyes meet mine and I feel the weight change in my knees on the gist of giving out.
"Let's just call it even." His voice remains calm, and he brings his face back to mine, his eyes lingering on mine.
"That's what you want?" I ask, my gaze drawn to his lipsâones I hadn't fully noticed before, but now seem unusually captivating.
He takes a step back, his hands shoved in his sweats, his face void of expression. "Yeah. That's what I want."
+++
I step out of the school locker room shower a towel wrapped around my body while Jordan sits on a close by bench in her own towel tucked tight around her and then another twisted and resting up in her hair.
"So you excited for tonight?" Jordan beams placing her phone down her eyes widening.
"Not really." I state, starting to reach into my bag for my undergarments and sweat shorts.
"Come on, Bruts and Bellas isn't that bad plus your date is Stephan, he's practically the face of the event."
I hear the singular buzz of my phone on the bench and I pull my grey hoodie over my head before reaching down grabbing it to see a notification from the man in question himself.
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Pick you up at seven?
That's fine.
Dont go cold on me Delezar;)
Im not, this is how I text.
So there is something she cant do...
Ha. Ha.
I'll be at Jordan's I'll send the address.
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I place my phone in my hoodie pocket momentarily before I hear another buzz leading me to pull it back out.
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Wear red tonight
Why?
Because I asked you to
You literally didn't.
You said and I quote, "Wear red tonight."
So you won't?
I didn't say that.
I just asked why.
Because it's what I want.
Plus I recall how good you looked at
cherries:0
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"What has you all smiley over there?" Jordan shoots me an accusatory look and in response I shove my phone into my hoodie pocket rolling my eyes suppressing my smile.
"Let's head out." I grab my things and ignore the knowing look she's giving me, heading towards the parking lot to her car while she follows a foot behind.
"So you and The Stephan Western doing good?" She asks opening the drivers side while I settle in the passengers side.
"We're fine." I answer back sincerely and she nudges me.
"You guys?..." She shoots her eyebrows up twice and I cringe hiding my face with my hands.
"Stop." I laugh and she shrugs the smile not escaping her lips while she starts the car and pulls out.
"Well, when you do I want details." She speaks her head forward on the road.
Right.
Shortly after im seated on Jordans carpeted bedroom floor between her legs while she sits on her bed working her hair magic, or what it currently feels like her ripping my hair out of my scull.
"Stop moving, your wrecking the middle part."
"Pull it back any tighter and your going to extend my forehead."
"It's called a slick back for a reason." She retorts slapping another palm of gel in my hair. I feel her tie it up and let the freshly waved ends fall down my back.
I sit up on her bed allowing her to "create her vision" as she calls it while she spends a good ten or so minutes on my makeup.
She steps back pausing. "Im so good." She places her hand over her chest and I roll my eyes with a laugh.
"Shut up." I nudge her away and head towards her closet.
"Have anything red?" I ask flipping through her dresses towards the end.
"Why red?" She asks.
"He told me to wear it." I mumble.
"That still doesn't answer as to why you'd listen." I turn around to see her head tilted.
I sigh, "He fixed my car so I asked what he wanted..."
She cuts me off. "And it was to wear red?" She starts. "You know the amount of guys that would've just said head?" She states seriously and I grab the closest thing in her closet which happens to be a foam soccer ball throwing it at her though she successfully dodges it. "Well then, we can't disappoint." She gets up from where she's seated before making her way in her closet grabbing a plastic sealed dress on a hanger towards the back.
"This one." She hands it to me before pushing me towards the washroom.
+++
I stare at my reflection my head slightly tilted letting my pony tail hang to the right. The dress is perfection, it tightly hugs my body until flaring slightly just above my ankle showing of the gold heels. The thin off the shoulder neckline accentuates my collarbone and the gold butterfly pendant I never take off.
"Sof he's here!" I hear Jordan holler out towards the door and I grab my clutch before hearing their distant voices from the front door. I walk out of the bedroom to see Stephan now standing inside wearing a black tailored suite that somehow makes him look taller, with a white button down worn inside and his thin gold chain hanging just below his collar.
My eyes look lower to his sleek black shoes, then back up to his right pocket where I notice the visibly matching red hanker chief, I then look at him, his face to see his eyes slowly trailing up my body his gaze now locking with mine.
A smile finds its way to his mouth, his dimples making his face look more attractive than ever. "Didn't realize it was possible Delezar."
I walk over my eyes rolling. "What?"
He speaks lowly, "To look even more beautiful than I remember."
This is going to be one. long. night.
A/N sorry for the slow update, was out of province, super busyyyyy. But thanks for the comments and being engaged. Much loveð«¶ð«¶