I couldn’t help but flinch when a jacket fell onto my shoulders rather gently, smelling of fine, woody perfume and feeling so soft inside and out, warming me immediately. Following it, a big body heaved down onto the curb, legs spread, knee tickling mine, shoe landing right beside mine. 

His shoe was glossy and perfect, and mine were dirty sneakers with holes at the toes. In his fine suit, he’d sat down right beside me on the dirty, dusty ground. A beautiful vest, broad shoulders hidden within, a tight collar and a tie wrapped around, decorated by a shimmering, golden tie pin. His arms filled the sleeves of his dressing shirt completely, and sitting so directly beside him, I ... felt small.

My fingers stuttered towards the jacket around me, holding onto it in overbearing shyness, and Thomas said nothing, at first, staring ahead through the night, and only then, as I lifted my face ever so slightly, did he sigh.

“What happened to your face?” 

I whimpered, and immediately dropped my head back onto my angled knees in an effort to hide myself, but Thomas had long seen my bruised cheek, my cut lip, and even the bruise around my neck, where Vince had held me too tightly. All of which still hadn’t healed fully just yet. 

When I didn’t answer, it seemed to annoy Thomas even more. His deep voice turned grimmer, as if scolding me: “I’m not asking twice.” 

He's scary.

I didn’t lift my head, and before I knew it, goosebumps filled me head to toe, and the hairs at my nape stood up when his fingers touched me right there, slithering towards my face from behind me, his arm laid around my shoulders. 

In a gentle nudge, he forced me to turn my head towards him, and right away, our eyes met, and his fingers tucked right under my chin, twisting my face from side to side as he allowed himself a good look at my bruises. His dark expression never changed, but in the end, his fingers turned all the softer, trailing my jawline, as if hoping it would ease my pain. All the time, I stared up into his eyes, and my heart beat so loud, I could barely hear anything at all. He was so, so close … 

“That ex-boyfriend of yours is more of a bastard than I thought, isn’t he?” 

“…” With a quivering chin, I didn’t dare speak, because I knew only embarrassing sobs would come out. To be confronted about it so openly, it wasn’t something I was used to. 

The way he held my face was entirely different from the way Vincent had grabbed me just a few days ago. Even though Thomas seemed to be above me in so many ways, his grip was as soft as the clouds. 

“Are you pressing charges?” 

My heart stuttered, and I shook my head in slow motion. 

“I have a friend who’s a great attorney. Even if you don’t have proof, he can probably squeeze him dry.” 

Is that how rich people solve their problems? Suing everyone to their ruin? It felt a bit overkill for what had happened. 

“T-That’s not necessary,” I stuttered, voice cracking to all kinds of pitches. “It was just … a fight.” 

“Cases of domestic violence always begin like that, you see? Until it’s too late.”

“I-I-It’s nothing like that—!” Tears blurred my vision, and I whimpered once more, ready to burst into another deep sob any second now. 

Thomas pulled me closer towards himself, and his eyes stared deep into my soul, his fingers caressing my cheeks, and I exhaled in nervous jitters out of my half-opened mouth, unsure of how to react to how touchy-feely he suddenly had become. I found myself staring at his lips, only for him to let go of me a second after, our eye contact broken immediately as he gazed ahead, instead.

“Alright, then,” he sighed. On his suit jacket I wore, he reached for its pocket, pulling out a shimmering handkerchief which was sure to be for decoration, only, sure to cost more money than I even had on my bank account, but he held it out to me, silently telling me to dry my tears. When I didn’t react right away, he took the liberty to dab it against my skin himself, lightly ridding me of my tears.

My bloodshot gaze stared up at him as he did so, tense all over, and the next loose word slipped out of me. “Why … ?” A stranger, caring for me like this? Taking me seriously, and sitting beside to give me comfort?

“How am I supposed to enjoy a drink when you’re out here bawling your eyes out?”

“I-I’m sorry—“ 

“Don’t be. Just be done crying for a guy like that, how about it?” 

“I-It’s not really for him, but, um, I mean—it is, but—“ I stuttered, and I was a complete mess. Thomas lowered his arm and the handkerchief with it, and simply listened. “I did cry … when he hurt me, but now … I got fired, because of him.” 

“Here, at the bar? You could sue your former employer for potential damages. Getting assaulted at the work place, and fired for it ...” Thomas clicked his tongue, as if he was angry.

“N-No … my other job.”

“Ah, your other job. I see.” 

“He came to my job at the convenience store. His girlfriend broke up with him, and we fought …”

“And he hit you.” Thomas concluded in a deep sigh, and I ended up chewing on my lower lip, unsure of what else there was to say. It was exactly what had happened, and it made me cry once more. “You’ve got horrible taste in men.” 

My cry was a desperate chuckle. “S-Sir—“ 

“Sir? Weren’t we on first name basis? Cheer up, darling.”

Darling? My heart thumped all the harder, and everything inside me spun on and on, turning crazy and wild. What a way to call someone; what an endearing word I’d never, ever heard about me before. And it thrust me into a well of confusion I couldn’t crawl out of.

“Are you … trying to get in my pants?” I asked outright, with a sniffle to follow, and Thomas was so taken aback by my bluntness, he could only laugh as he turned to face me, adjusting the jacket atop my shoulders before it slipped off, and then letting his fingers play with my hair at the back of my head. 

“Not … necessarily.” 

I stared, and once more, our eyes met, his dark irises pulling me right in. Like magnets, they forced me to glare, endlessly, and I had no idea what to think of his response. 

“If you’re asking whether I’m attracted to you … yes.”

So … honest. So straight-forward. Wasn’t he embarrassed, admitting it so openly?

“If you’re wondering if I’m flirting with you, that’s also a yes.” 

Badump, badump, badump. 

Ever so slightly, Thomas’ shoulders slumped, and the way he explained himself, so confident and not scared of rejection whatsoever, impressed me. “I never heard from you, so I figured you weren’t interested. When we talked last time, I thought there was chemistry there, but it must have been my imagination.” 

“…”

“If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize.” 

With blush heating my face, and drying my tears all the same, I could only whisper. “Y-You didn’t … I wasn’t … uncomfortable.” 

“I’m glad, then,” Thomas smiled ever so softly, and it only made me blush all the harder, and the heat was getting to my brain, and so was the scent of his perfume enveloping me with his jacket. I turned dizzy with all these overwhelming sensations. 

“I … still have your number. I was just … surprised.”

Thomas chuckled. “That’s alright. I knew it was a reach.” 

I let my head droop against his shoulder, hiding my expression from him. “Because you’re older than me? Or because I’m hung up on my ex?” 

“Both, I suppose,” Thomas mumbled, and before I knew it, his gentle fingers had already found their way beneath my chin once more, nudging me closer towards him. Almost, almost, did our noses touch as he took a deep peek into my eyes. 

“What kind of guy would make someone this gorgeous so upset?” he wondered, and steam shot out of my ears as soon as he did. This was seriously, seriously, absolutely … too much! “You should give him a taste of his own medicine.” 

My breath stuttered against his. His head cocked to the side, making space for mine to inch closer and closer, and he caressed my jawline, and he held me so sweetly.

From our breaths to our gazes, everything darted towards one thing. My hand clung to his upper arm, and I stood frozen when he approached me so clearly, but simply waited for me to take that last step; waiting for my approval so politely, and yet, with such straight-forward confidence, it absolutely overwhelmed me. 

I couldn’t think. Sitting in the darkness before the bar, even Thomas seemed to have forgotten his initial objective of having a good drink, and instead, his eyes, and mine right after, fell shut. He held my chin so gently, and we felt each other’s breaths on our skins, and our lips were so, so, so close …

A loud honk ripped through the night, shaking me awake. Pushing him away, his jacket slithered off my shoulders, fell onto the pavement, and I was quick to pick it up. After patting the dust off of it in overbearing panic, I flung his jacket at him, and he caught it with a slight chuckle, and a smile on his lips.

Rising up to his feet all the same, he towered before me, as if satisfied with whatever had happened, even though nothing had happened!

“I-I-I’m not into … old guys!!!” 

Thomas scoffed. “Goodness, you hurt my feelings. Do I look that old? I’m still in my thirties.” 

I felt bad for my comment immediately after, because I’d be lying if I said he didn’t look amazing, because he totally did, and he was totally attractive, but … seriously … kissing some stranger?

What’s going on with me these days?! 

“I already finished my shift for the day, so I’ll be l-l-leaving first! Have a good night, Thomas!” 

“Hold on, darling,” Thomas said without any hesitation in his voice, as if that almost-kiss had convinced him to keep pursuing me. 

Darling?! Again?! How was I supposed to ignore him when he called me something like that? 

Out of the inside of his jacket, he pulled out a single business card, and I stared, turning pale in the face. “Now, don’t look so scared. If you really hated me giving you my number, you can throw it away. This is for you to find a new job,” he said, lifting the business card, only to tuck it into the front pocket of my jeans right after.

“Eh…?” I didn’t dare look at the card. 

“We’ve got daughter companies in cosmetics and in fashion. They’re always looking for new faces. If you call my secretary, tell her I recommended you.” 

“Huh … ? L-L-Like, modeling? S-Sir, that’s not something shady, is it?! You’re not inviting me into your home to do naked modeling or something, are you?” 

“What do you hold me for?” Thomas buzzed, seeming almost offended by my words, but chuckling, nonetheless, at how ridiculous my idea was. I blushed immediately after, realizing how stupid I sounded. 

“Why … are you helping me?” 

“I wonder,” Thomas sighed. “I must be going crazy in my old age.” Crazy … over me? Crazy, because of me? 

"T-That's not what I meant...!" When Thomas chuckled, I realized he teased me. 

I burned up completely, and my heart raced faster than never before, and I began to realize that I never thought of Vincent when this guy was around, as I was too busy surviving all the compliments he showered me with. 

But even then, I was completely dumbfounded at this encounter; an almost-kiss, and such honesty I wasn’t used to, and he wasn’t even embarrassed after being rejected … 

He must be very confident, I wondered. Thomas must have had tons of experience, meaning a little rejection meant nothing to him. And then, there was Vince, who was too terrified of the world knowing he’d ever even been friends with me.

That contrast between the two confused the hell out of me, and possibly, it was exactly what intrigued me about Thomas.