my face. I opened my bag for the umbrella I always carried, only to realize I had left it at home.
The rain intensified into a downpour, but I had no other choice than to continue because the restaurant had already closed and everyone had gone home. I stripped off my jacket and held it over my head, but that didn't help, and I was wet to the bone in a matter of seconds. Searching for shelter of any kind, I sprinted to a dry spot in front of a building that had wider eaves, and decided to take cover there and wait until the heavy rain subsided. I didn't know how much time had passed, but the rain kept on pouring like it would never come to an end. I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat. I might be stuck there for the rest of the night.
A luxurious black sports car sped by, and then suddenly braked heavily before reversing until it parked next to the curb, a few feet away from where I stood. The passenger side door opened, and a deep male voice said something I couldn't comprehend. I squinted through the rain, then my breath hitched. The beautiful stranger sat in the driver's seat. I couldn't believe he reappeared in such a short amount of time when I was certain I would never see him again.
“Get in!” he invited.
We stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, but I remained at a distance. That same restlessness from the restaurant boiled up inside me, but my mind warned this man was nothing but a stranger. Accepting a ride from him was out of the question.
“No thanks,” I said politely, and then forced myself to keep walking.
He swore softly, and slowly drove behind me.
“Don't be stubborn. Get in the car. You’re going to catch pneumonia out here,'' he called after me in the cold, pouring rain. “For heaven's sake. Can you stop acting so rude and acknowledge my presence for one single moment?”
The commanding voice stopped me dead in my tracks, and I turned around to face him again.
“Good,” he murmured in a tone of praise. “Now, why don't you want to enter the car?”
“You...” I started, but was interrupted by the tickle in my nose that erupted into a loud sneeze. After catching my breath, I finally replied, “You're a stranger.”
He smirked like my explanation amused him. “Don't worry, tesoro. I’m not in the habit of kidnapping little girls. I only want to give you a ride home.”
I shook my head, aware he could see I was shivering from the cold. “I can walk.”
“I'm not letting you walk,” he bit out in slight annoyance, and suddenly took out his cell phone and typed in something before handing it to me. I just stared in confusion.
“Go ahead, take it,” he instructed softly.
I took hold of the phone, and saw 911 typed in on the screen. I shot him a puzzled look.
“Now you’re one step away from calling the cops,” he pointed out. “That should be enough to convince you to sit in the car and stop doubting my intentions.”
I swallowed and tried to find a reason to refuse, but could not. He was right. I still had a long way to go, and I could get really sick. If that happened, I wouldn't be able to go to work and earn money. And we needed money. The fact he offered me a ride home and even took the trouble to reassure me I'd be safe should have made me grateful, not suspicious. But it was just the way I was wired. In my mind, people were never kind for the sake of being kind. There were always ulterior reasons somewhere in the background. Still, I couldn't deny that something inexplicable drew me to this man; something that defied all logic and reason. So, I relented and slowly crossed to the car, lowering myself into the smooth leather seat.
The moment I closed the door, the stranger leaned closer to open the compartment in front of me, and my pulse throbbed rapidly in my throat. I squeezed the phone between my palms. He wouldn't have given it to me if he wanted to do something bad. He gave me a strange look as he handed me a box of tissues, and I gazed at him in confusion.
“I'm afraid I don't have anything else, but at least you can use this to wipe your face,” he explained in a light