02

Fascinated with that man, I didn't realize that I must have been looking at him longer than I should have, my cheeks felt like hell they were so hot. I only managed to return from my impure thoughts trip that made me very ashamed, when the man snapped his fingers in front of me.

"Some problem?" he asked suppressing a cheeky smile. I got angry.

"Yes. Look what you did to me!" I replied pointing to my body all dirty and wet. He studied me up and down for a second. For a brief moment I thought I saw a malicious look on his face. But I ignored it, it was certainly in my head.

"Oh, so you were the foul-mouthed lady?" he asked with an amused look.

"I didn't mean to swear." I said feeling really bad for having cursed his mother. "But I was very angry, look what you did. There was a huge street for you to drive your car through, but you preferred to drive over a mud puddle in front of me, it's hard to understand that it was unintentional." I spoke without breathing, so fast that even I was surprised when I stopped and had to breathe to catch my breath.

"And what do you intend, young lady?" He asked me staring at me.

"I wish you would at least stop and apologize, because that's what polite people do!" I spoke in a half tone.

"I'm not a polite person, dear." He said and I stupidly shuddered slightly hearing him call me darling.

"Argh!" I gnashed my teeth angrily and turned my back and continued on my way home. It would be pointless to talk to a person who, as far as I could tell, was an idiot.

"Where are you going?" He asked me following me with the car at low speed.

"To my house!" Respond automatically. "Also, it's none of your business." I was genuinely irritated with how little he had treated me earlier.

"Let me redeem it with you. I'll take you home." He said.

"Of course not. Thank you very much. Besides, I don't want to get your nice car dirty." I shrugged and answered without stopping walking.

"Come on, lady. Get in that car, I'm not the patient type." He kept insisting.

"Maybe you didn't hear right. I'll be on my way!" I quickened my steps trying to get away from him. Certainly in vain, as he had his car and could easily catch up with me.

"Why?" he asked me quietly.

"Why, my grandmother taught me never to accept rides from strangers. In fact, to never even talk to strangers." I spoke remembering my grandmother's teachings for my own safety. But there was something about that man that called to me, I was strangely liking that he was following me and insisting on giving me a ride.

"I'm sure your grandmother would rather have someone take you home safely than a maniac on the loose take her beautiful little granddaughter and make her the next victim." At that very moment I froze. It was true, the maniac on the loose that was playing in the papers. I swallowed hard as an unusual fear started to course through me. I looked at him and he was staring at me with the car already stopped.

"It's true…" I whispered softly so he wouldn't hear me.

"So let's go?" He got out of the car and extended his hand to me.

Looking at him closely, and standing up, I noticed that he was quite tall compared to me, my head would hit his chest. He was wearing smart clothes, a gray suit with a chalk white vest. Him standing with one hand in his pants pocket and the other outstretched towards me, it was the most beautiful sight I'd seen in a while. Very dark hair and eyes as blue as the sky. He might as well have been a male model, his beauty was out of the ordinary for me. I didn't understand why I felt so attracted to that strange man who had smeared me all over with mud. But I felt, I wanted to be close to him, I knew I barely knew him, but it was totally new territory for me, I had never felt anything like it.

"Okay. But just because I'd rather be taken away by a stranger who got me dirty than attacked by a maniac doesn't mean you're a nice person." I shrugged and walked towards the car door ignoring his hand. I was sure that if I held that hand, I wouldn't want to let go.

"And I'm not." He said with a side smile and an amused look. How handsome he was. Heavens!

"It's not polite. It's not nice. You're a monster!" I joked, trying to look serious, but I couldn't resist and let out a smile. When looking at his face he seemed lit up looking at me, I was deluded into thinking that, I knew. But I couldn't help noticing it.

"Yes. That I am." He replied trying to keep a joking tone with a smile on his face, but deep down I felt a slight tone of truth in his words. But it didn't matter, I was too enchanted to think about things.

"Wait, your car is going to get all dirty." I looked down at my completely dirty body. Even though he was to blame, I didn't want to get his car dirty.

I've always been like that, even when they did me wrong, I couldn't pay back with the same coin. A clear conscience for me has always been the most important thing.

"I'm surprised you don't want to get my car dirty even after I got you dirty." He paused, studying me up and down and continued, "On purpose."

"Ah, so it was on purpose! I knew it! Why? What did you get out of it?" I asked upset and furious.

"The pleasure of you coming to me to satisfy me. And I have the pleasure of taking you home again." He responded as if it was the most normal thing in the world to get people dirty just to get them home afterward.

"Your!" I screamed looking for the right word. I wasn't used to swearing, so it was difficult for me. "You... you idiot!" When I looked he was standing right in front of me, very close to me.

"I don't mind being called names, honey." he said in a soft tone. "Here." He took the top part of his suit off and draped it over my shoulders. At that moment I inhaled his peculiar smell, but very, very pleasant. Without realizing it I had closed my eyes and immediately felt my cheeks burn. I hated the fact that I was blushing so easily in front of him. "That way you won't have to worry about getting my car dirty."

"Thanks." I replied by dying my lower lip, I had the habit of doing that when I was nervous.

"Let's go now." Ordered. He opened the car door for me and I got in. He came around and got in, too, sitting down and starting the engine.

Inside the car, we were silent for a few minutes. I didn't dare to turn around to look at him, I was like a statue without moving, the cold I felt before, had passed with the embrace of his warm and scented suit over my body.

"It's fine with me if you breathe, or if you want to squint, I don't know, maybe relax over there on that bench." I burned with embarrassment knowing that he noticed my nervousness to be in that car with him. I instantly relaxed a little, laying my head back on the seat. "What is your address?"

"Dallas. 12 Outlander Street." I replied.

"Right near here." He said without taking his eyes off the road. Then he handed me a handkerchief, I guessed it was for drying my face. I took it from his hand and dried my face.

"Are you from here?" I asked curious because he knew my address was nearby.

"I am. I was away for a while, but I grew up here, in the next town." He explained to me.

"Cool." I just spoke.

"What's your name, lady?" he asked quietly.

"Eloise Espinoza. And you?" He looked a little surprised to hear my name, or my last name. I had this slight impression at the time.

"Eloíse..." he whispered as if he was analyzing and admiring my name. "Julian. Call me Julian." Then he replied in a halftone as he changed the gear of the car and turned a corner.

I kept biting my cheek inside my mouth, I had that bad habit when I felt nervous. And what the fuck, why did that infernal handsome man have to make me so. So... Speechless.