The Man Who Avoids Women
828 Words
Chapter Six
The Man Who Avoids Women
The ballroom was already crowded when Lidya and Hanna arrived.
Warm light spilled from enormous chandeliers, reflecting off the polished floor and the glasses people carried through the room. Music played softly in the background while conversations filled the space.
Hanna immediately smiled.
"See? You would have missed all this."
Lidya looked around.
"I'm not sure that's a bad thing."
Hanna laughed.
"You'll get used to it."
They moved deeper into the room.
Lidya was reaching for a glass of water when Hanna suddenly stopped.
"There."
Lidya followed her gaze.
Henon Gebrehiwot stood near the far end of the ballroom.
She recognized him immediately.
He was taller than she expected, dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit. Several people surrounded him, but what caught Lidya's attention wasn't the number of people around him.
It was the women.
Three women stood close to him.
One was laughing loudly at something he had said.
Another touched his arm while speaking.
A third stood directly in front of him, clearly trying to hold his attention.
Henon remained polite.
But distant.
He smiled when necessary.
Nodded when someone spoke.
Yet his eyes kept moving toward the room as if he were searching for an escape.
"He's popular," Lidya said.
"Very."
"Then why does he look like he wants to run away?"
Hanna laughed.
"Because he probably does."
A woman touched Henon's shoulder again.
He gently stepped away.
Another woman immediately approached him.
Hanna leaned toward Lidya.
"See what I mean?"
Lidya watched him.
"He doesn't seem interested."
"That's the strange part."
"Maybe he's married."
"He isn't."
"Maybe he's gay."
Hanna almost choked.
"Lidya!"
"What?"
"Don't say that."
"I'm just making an observation."
Hanna shook her head.
"Come on."
She pulled Lidya toward the crowd.
But before they reached Henon, someone bumped into Lidya from behind.
Her glass tipped.
She stepped backward.
And collided directly with someone.
Cold water splashed across the front of a man's suit.
Lidya froze.
She slowly looked up.
Henon.
For a moment, neither spoke.
His eyes dropped to his wet jacket.
Then back to her.
"I'm sorry," Lidya said quickly.
Henon raised an eyebrow.
"Are you?"
She stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"You look more annoyed than sorry."
"I just spilled water on you."
"Exactly."
"I said I'm sorry."
He looked at her for another second.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
"Good."
Lidya didn't know whether to laugh or be offended.
"You are strange."
"So I've been told."
Hanna appeared beside them, horrified.
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry."
Henon laughed.
"It's fine."
He took a napkin from a passing server and wiped his jacket.
Lidya stood awkwardly beside him.
"I really am sorry."
"I know."
He looked at her.
"And you're Lidya."
She frowned.
"How do you know my name?"
Henon paused.
For the first time, his expression changed.
"Your friend told me."
Lidya looked at Hanna.
Hanna nodded.
"Yes. I introduced you."
"Right."
But something about his hesitation bothered Lidya.
She couldn't explain why.
Henon seemed to notice.
"Are you always this suspicious?"
"Only when people know things about me that I don't remember telling them."
His eyes held hers.
There was a strange silence between them.
Then someone called his name.
Henon looked away.
"Enjoy the evening, Lidya."
He walked away.
Lidya watched him disappear into the crowd.
Hanna leaned closer.
"You just spilled water on the richest man in the room."
"He'll survive."
"And he was flirting with you."
"He was not."
"He absolutely was."
Lidya shook her head.
But she looked toward him again.
Henon was surrounded by women once more.
Yet he wasn't talking to any of them.
He was looking across the room.
At her.
The moment their eyes met, he looked away.
Lidya felt something she couldn't explain.
Not attraction.
Not yet.
Something else.
Curiosity.
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Later that night, Lidya stepped outside.
She needed air.
The street was quiet, the pavement still wet from the rain.
She looked across the road.
A black sedan was parked beneath a streetlight.
She stared at it.
Something about the car felt familiar.
Before she could think about why, her phone vibrated.
She looked down.
A message from Hanna:
Where are you?
Lidya smiled and replied.
When she looked up again, the sedan was gone.
She frowned.
Then she heard a voice behind her.
"Leaving already?"
She turned.
Henon.
He stood several feet away, his hands in his coat pockets.
"I needed some air."
"So did I."
They stood silently for a moment.
Then Henon looked at her.
"You know, you never answered my question."
"What question?"
"Are you always suspicious?"
Lidya smiled.
"Maybe."
He smiled back.
"Good."
"Why?"
"Because people who trust everyone usually get hurt."
His expression became serious.
For some reason, the words stayed with her.
Neither of them knew it yet, but their first meeting had already changed something.
But because both of them walked away wondering the same thing:
Who is this person?
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