The following morning I awoke feeling refreshed and, as I sat in the kitchen area, I heard the sounds of a very hungover Christie moving about. As I sipped my coffee, her door flung open and she emerged. As she sat down on one of the stools, she gestured to the coffee.

“Need. Coffee.”

“Hard night?” I poured her a cup and handed it to her.

“Why do I feel like hell? I drank the same as you!” Christie groaned as she sipped her coffee.

“It’s because…” Holly had emerged from her room. “You were drinking at that sleazy bar first. You mixed your beverages.” 

“Oh, right… Yeah, that’ll do it…” Christie started to massage her temples.

“So…” I spoke up as Holly got her own cup of coffee. “Do you think that place will be our new haunt?”

Christie looked at me with surprise, and Holly raised both eyebrows. “Was it something I said?”

“No. But, you never seemed to be that interested in going out before.” Christie’s blue eyes narrowed. “What changed?”

“What? Nothing’s changed!” I waved a hand to dismiss her claims. “I thought that I should start letting loose.”

“Well, we can’t argue with that.” Christie smiled at me, then turned to Holly. “You’re the whiz, when does that place open again?”

“You do realise…” Holly got her phone out. “You can easily check.”

“Why should I when we got you?”

Holly shook her head as she began to type away on the screen and, moments later, she gave the answer. “Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And… Special occasions.”

“I guess that means that if New Year’s Eve lands during the week, then it’s open maybe?” Christie asked.

“Hmmm….. Yes.”

“Nice! I take it that you want to go again tonight?” Christie directed that to me. 

“That’ll be nice.”

Honestly, I can’t really announce WHY I want to go back there. I mean the place is gorgeous but, if I could stare at something even more gorgeous? I win.

“You two can go.” Holly announced. “I’m seeing my grandparents this weekend, so I will be leaving shortly.”

“Oh, shit.” Christie swore. “Forgot that was this weekend!”

Out of the three of us? Holly was really close to her grandparents, I guess being raised by a single dad who still lived with his parents does that. Although it’s not like I would’ve known the difference. 

“Given this one…” Holly eyed me up. “Dancing last night, I think you’re the better match. I just prefer to drink and watch.”

I blushed at her comment.

“Well…” She continued. “I’m going to pack and I’ll see you girls later.” Holly then rose from her seat, and returned to her room.

“I guess you will be alright for tonight, given your… Erm… Current circumstances?” I asked Christie, who was still massaging her temples.

“Me? Oh, I will be as right as rain by the afternoon. It’s just the mornings that are a bitch.”

The door to Holly’s room opened again, and she threw a pharmacy bag on the table, in front of me.

“It occurred to me that I have your medication.”

Taking the bag I peered inside.

“Oh! I forgot I asked you to get them.”

Holly just gave me a smile before returning to her room, and Christie was eyeing the bag up.

“Medication? You never said that you were sick.”

“Sick? Oh no, nothing of the sort!” As I went into the bag, I pulled out the box and held it so that Christie could read it. “Just these.”

“The pill?” Christie looked at me, and tilted her head. “When did you get a man?”

I made a face at her and took the box back. “It’s just to regulate my period, it’s been a pain in my butt.”

“Honey? Join every woman in the world on that. But erm…” Christie gave me a cheeky grin. “Don’t forget there are other side effects of those.” Christie threw in a wink and a smirk as she said that.

“I swear…”

Christie laughed before she spoke. “I’m probably going to nap again, Holl’s is leaving us, so what are you going to occupy yourself with?”

Now that was a good question. I would work, but I switched my shifts with someone so I did have the day off.

“I might shop, as I need pumps for work.”

“Get something lacey to go along with those pills!”

With that comment, I crumpled up the pharmacy bag and threw it at my friend. All she did was roar back in laughter and retreated to her room. 

With a plan in motion, I got ready to leave the house. Holly left before me and she bidded goodbye to us. I also bidded my own ‘see you later' to Christie who, as true as she said, was going back to bed. So, no more than thirty minutes later, I was sitting on the tram that went into town. The ride was no more than ten minutes and, when it stopped, I hopped off. “So, pumps. That would be at a shoe store, which would be…” I looked around me. “Ah, that way!” 

As I was walking, something or someone caught the corner of my eye, and I immediately turned. But I didn’t stop and turn, I just kept going and, before I knew it, I slammed into a lamppost.

“Shit…” I groaned as I rubbed my head.

“Such a potty mouth…”

The voice. That voice was way too familiar. As I turned towards the source of the voice, I saw that there, standing behind me, was…

Him.

I was a bit taken aback by his appearance, that I had to second guess if it was actually him. Gone was the suit, I had noticed, and I also noticed that he was just in a casual black jacket, with an equally dark shirt. The man really did like wearing black, huh? But, wait a moment… I blinked. Wait… Wait… Why is he even here?

“This is the third time we’ve met. Are you stalking me, sir?”

The man smiled at me. Lord! I’m pretty sure people would go to war for that smile. 

“I guess this is just a small city.”

I mean it WAS, but come on!

“I guess…”

“But no, I’m just, once again, promoting.” He plucked out a few familiar cards from his jacket pocket.

“You sure are a diligent employer.”

Again, with the smile. This time, I could feel butterflies in my stomach starting to do somersaults.

“What got you walking into a lamppost, by the way?” He asked me.

“I… Erm…” Honestly I didn’t want to admit that I thought I saw HIM out of the corner of my eye, which caused this blunder. But I guess that answers my question, I did see him. “You.” Wait a soddening moment, why did my mouth just say that? I DID not give her permission.

“As much as I love a woman with free will, perhaps refrain from walking into lamp posts maybe?”

Did he ignore what I said? Or did he not realise that I said that he was the cause? Either way, I couldn’t help but blush.

“I’ll keep that in mind, sir.”

My handsome stranger tilts his head. “How intriguing…”

Again, with the ‘how intriguing’ comment. I do remember that he said it a few times last night, and he said it again. So, it is time to ask.

“What’s intriguing?”

“Just you.”

I blinked at him several times. “I bet you say that to all the ladies.”

“Funnily enough, I do not.”

Ok, that made me blush, and now it occurred to me that I don’t even know his name.

“So, I guess we aren’t really strangers anymore, since we seem to keep meeting. But I don’t even know your name.”

“You never asked for it.”

Oh Christ, I haven’t. I guess that makes a lot of sense, most people don’t just go up to people and say their name. 

“Ok. I’m Cordelia.”

“Ah, Cordelia…” The way my name was said just now sent strange shivers down my spine, strange but good. “A name that once belonged to a legendary Queen, I see that it stays true.”

I blinked, was he… Wait, was that a flirt? I was just about to speak again before he spoke.

“I must leave, but if you are a fan of Nox? Well I’ll probably be seeing you there.” He smiled at me and casually walked off, and that was the moment I realised that I didn’t even get to ask his name.

No matter how much I secretly looked in town, I never did see him again. With my shopping bags in tow, I returned home. I noticed that Christie was up and about, and was nose deep in one of her ‘unique’ novels. ‘Unique’ in the sense that most of them are smut. It was hard to acknowledge; but I kind of liked a few, the kidnapping by a handsome stranger was a guilty pleasure of mine.

Time I used before we left tonight consisted of me rereading that book.

Dolled out in our ‘going out’ ensemble, we returned to Nox. I couldn’t help myself adding a few bits to enhance certain areas, I don’t know why I did it, but I did. I purposely found a booth that was in direct sight of the third floor but, when I looked up, I saw that it was empty. For the first few hours of the night, no one used that part and, when I scanned the crowds of people, I realised that I couldn’t see him. It made me wonder WHY I was actively searching for him, as I know nothing about him apart from the fact that I would honestly rage wars for that smile. 

The night lulled on and, as I peaked a look on the third floor, I noticed that it was still empty. My only company was Christie, but we didn’t drink as much as we did last night. But, the unique thing that Christie found out was that they do food here, she found it when she was coming back from the toilets and went the wrong way. She just found herself stumbling to a restaurant that was at the back. Naturally, she dragged me to it, and it wasn’t the sort of food I would’ve found, it was all affordable stuff that was popular with the masses. Whoever owns this place must be one hell of a people person, or just does their research.

The night ended and I didn’t see him. 

I returned to my room, feeling rather defeated. I just told Christie it was because I was still bloated from all the food we ate, which wasn’t a lie, but it was a good cover up.