A lie turned him to her husband

Katherina felt her cheeks flush. She didn't know what to say she felt he was probably fooling around.

Katherina was speechless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing but a stupid smile was spreading on her face.

"A kiss?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Harrison nodded. "On the lips?" she asked again, her voice shaky. Harrison held up his hands, a sheepish expression on his face.

This whole situation was so strange, and yet, she found herself wanting to agree to Harrison's terms. She bit her lip, thinking it over. What could it hurt?

Katherina had to admit, Harrison was quite the charmer. He had a way of making her feel at ease, even in the most awkward of situations. She found herself smiling at him, despite her nerves.

"I'm actually engaged," Katherina blurted out, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She hadn't meant to say it so abruptly, but it had just slipped out.

"As it happens, I'm engaged as well," Harrison said, a smile playing on his lips.

They both found themselves smiling again.

"Would you like me to drive you home?" Harrison asked, his voice polite and respectful.

Katherina's laughter faded as she realized what Harrison was asking. "Drive me home?" she asked, her voice a little uncertain. "I mean, I'm flattered, but..."

"I promise it's not a come-on. I know you're engaged, and I would never disrespect that. I just thought it might be nice to talk more, in a less awkward setting. Katherina was impressed by his honesty and candor. It was rare to meet someone who was so upfront and sincere. She felt herself wavering, but she still wasn't sure what to do.

Katherina took a deep breath and made her decision. "Okay," she said, giving him a small smile. "You can drive me home."

Harrison's face lit up with a grin. "Great!" he said, his voice cheerful. "Let's get out of here." Katherina followed him to his car, her mind racing with thoughts. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but something about Harrison made her feel safe and comfortable. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend some time with him.

For the next two months, Katherina and Harrison didn't speak or see each other. They had exchanged phone numbers that night, but neither one had reached out to the other. Katherina wondered if Harrison had forgotten about her, or if he had just moved on. She found herself thinking about him more often than she would have liked, wondering what he was doing and how he was doing. But she never reached out to him, unsure of what to say.

One evening, Katherina was on her way home from the grocery store, carrying her bags of groceries in both arms. As Katherina walked, she saw a man in a red polo shirt, who she assumed was a bar attendant, trying to reason with a very inebriated customer. The customer was shouting and throwing his arms around, while the bar attendant tried to keep his distance.

Katherina's jaw dropped as she realized Harrison wasn't the bar attendant after all, he was the drunk customer. He had been drinking and acting belligerent, and the bar attendant was just trying to get him to leave.

The bar attendant realized he wasn't going to be able to reason with Harrison, so he decided to make a run for it. He darted behind the bar, out of Harrison's reach, and called for security. A few moments later, two burly security guards appeared, and they quickly subdued Harrison.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Katherina had jumped into the fray. She ran up to Harrison and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the bar attendant. "Stop!" she yelled, her voice shaking. Harrison turned and looked at her, his eyes unfocused and his face red with anger. For a moment, Katherina thought he was going to hit her, but then he blinked and seemed to recognize her. He stopped struggling and looked down at the ground, his shoulders slumped.

As Harrison stood there, still being held by the security guards, he couldn't take his eyes off Katherina. In his drunken state, he felt an intense connection to her, like she was the only person who could understand him. He knew it was just the alcohol talking, but he couldn't help it. He felt drawn to her, and he didn't know why. She was just a stranger, after all. But in that moment, she was the only thing that mattered.

Katherina looked up at Harrison, trying to get him to focus on her. She placed her small hands on either side of his face and spoke to him softly,

"It's okay, Harrison. You're going to be okay." Her touch seemed to have a calming effect on him. He blinked again, and his eyes seemed to clear a little.

"Katherina?" he asked, his voice low and raspy. She nodded, a reassuring smile on her face. "I'm right here," she said. Then, to her surprise, he leaned forward and rested his head on her shoulder. Katherina felt her heart skip a beat. She didn't know what to do.

Katherina knew she couldn't leave Harrison alone, not in his current state. She called a taxi.

The security guards were hesitant to let Harrison go without getting some more information about him.

"How are you related to him?" one of them asked Katherina. She hesitated, unsure of what to say. Katherina's words came out before she could even think about what she was saying.

"He's my husband," she said, her heart beating fast. She knew it was a lie, but it was the first thing that came to her mind.

The guards seemed satisfied with her answer and nodded. "Alright then," one of them said. "We will leave him in your care." They turned and left, leaving Katherina alone with Harrison in the back of the taxi. With regrets pilling up in her head, she thought of how stupid she was to have blurted out such nonsense just to help Harrison out. She later concluded he wouldn't have left her out in the night if she was the one in that state.

With a heavy mind and scattered thoughts, she looked over at Harrison who was already fast asleep and sighed.