FORBIDDEN FRUIT

• three •

Adaline

Tall Tower calls a cab.

I look up at him, his phone pressed to his ear. His hand is so hot and his voice is so hot and everything about him is so hot. But maybe it's the alcohol talking.

He takes my hand and walks me out of the crowded club.

The doors close when we step outside. The silence is loud.

Suddenly, Tall Tower doesn't look much like a tower outside. We're surrounded by towers with bright lights and big billboards and small little restaurants and slow silent people.

We stand on the sidewalk, waiting for the cab.

It's freezing cold. The harsh wind almost knocks me back to sobriety. Tall Tower is quick to take off his green sweater and pull it down my head. I'm too drunk to say NO to the offer. Plus, he looks even hotter without the sweater, just left with the white t-shirt matched with ragged jeans. His chest is broad. His biceps are big. His arms are a temple of tattoos. And that green sweater was hiding all of that.

“Your name?” I ask.

“Ladies first.” He smirks.

“I asked first.” I roll my eyes.

“No.” He says to my surprise. “You don't need to know my name.”

That stings and I swallow hard.

“Well, I won't tell you mine either.”

“Good.” He smiles. “I don't need to know yours either.”

The cab stops infront of us. He walks to the cab and holds the door for me, waiting for me to get in. He's in for a big surprise.

“Àssholes are not my type!”

“Good for you.”

“Nice guys are my type!” I snap. “And you are not a nice guy!”

He sighs.

“I'm freezing in the cold because I gave you my sweater.” He says to my surprise. “I said yes to your deal. I called a cab because you're drunk. I'm holding the door for you. I'm not an expert on the nice guy book but I'm sure those points fit in a page somewhere.”

I burst into a laugh.

“And I'm making you laugh.” He adds. “Heard àssholes make girls cry.”

Our eyes lock in an intense gaze. He's quick to look away.

“Okay.” He sighs. “Get in the car. I know that's not a nice thing to say. And it's not something nice guys say. But we're not being very nice to the driver by wasting his time. So get in the damn car!”

The driver is an old man, probably in his early sixties. His face looks tired. His body looks tired. His smile even looks tired. He's probably more tired of us wasting his time.

I roll my eyes and get in the car.

He's so bossy and I hate bossy men and my husband is not bossy and I love my husband and I especially love that he's not bossy.

But strangely, I find this stranger's bossiness hot.

•••

The engine starts.

We pass through the tall towers and bright city lights.

The driver doesn't even look a little bit annoyed after we wasted his time. Infact, he looks amused.

“Still in the honeymoon stage?”

The driver asks and I burst into a laugh. For us to be in a honeymoon stage, we would have to be in a marriage or a relationship or whatever. I don't even know the guy's name. God! I'm a pathetic woman. I'm going to sleep with a guy whose name I don't even know while my very nice husband is going to be sleeping alone in bed, thinking about me.

“Yes.” Tall Tower says to my surprise. “Married for six years and still growing stronger.”

He grabs my hand and squeezes it and I can't help but laugh again.

“And you make her laugh.” The driver adds. “Another good sign of a strong marriage.”

The driver is clearly a hopeless romantic. Same as I was when I met my husband. But something in me died when I married him. And that something came back to life when I saw Tall Tower's gorgeous green eyes. And I know that's a fùcked up thing to say about your husband. But it's true.

“Are you married?” Tall Tower asks.

“Twenty years.” He frowns. “It was fun when we were young. Got boring when we grew older. We just stay together because we're probably afraid of dying alone.”

“You will die alone.”

Tall Tower says to my shock. We all turn to look at him in disbelief. I was right about him. He's not a nice guy. He's a cruel àsshole.

“I know that sounds harsh.” He says. “But it's true. You will die alone. She will die alone. I will die alone. We will all die alone. So, why spend your whole life with someone you can't stand just because you're so afraid of something that's going to happen anyway?”

There's a long stretch of silence in the car. The driver's eyes light up but he stays silent the entire ride.

A few minutes later, the car stops infront of a huge hotel.

Tall Tower steps out first. He takes my hand and holds the door. He's an àsshole that acts like a gentleman from time to time.

Tall Tower hands notes of cash to the driver. From the look on the old man's face, he just received a giant tip.

“Son.” He smiles. “Thank you. Not just for the generous tip but for bringing my heart back to life.”

The old man speeds away.

“What did he even mean by that?” Tall Tower asks.

“You brought him to life.” I smile. “That's what it means.”

•••

Tall Tower opens the door.

I step into the hotel room, still feeling tipsy from all the tequila I took.

I wonder if I'm going to regret this in the morning. I'm definitely going to regret this in the morning. But I don't let that thought stop me. My feelings in the morning don't matter. What matters is how I feel right now. In this moment. I feel excited. Thrilled. And that's all that matters. I haven't felt like this for years. And I want to grasp this feeling and swim in it before morning comes and washes it away.

I turn to look at Tall Tower.

I throw myself at him. Ready to kiss him. Ready to touch him. Ready to give him every inch of my body. Ready to receive every inch of his body.

He takes a step back. I stop. I take another step toward him. He takes another step back. My heart stops.

Then he says the little small word that makes my heart stop.

“No.”

••••