Entice the Moon to Fall

Ella's Pursuer

The strong headlights of the black car illuminated the dark alley where Ella found herself trapped. She had not gone to that part of the city before and in her haste to get away from her pursuers, made the wrong decision to enter the narrow alley, only to find herself cornered. She raised her hand over her face to lessen the glare of the headlights as she stood helplessly at the end of the alley.

In a moment, she heard the door of the black car open and a man got out. Ella could not see well because of the powerful beams of the car, but she could discern from the man’s movements that he adjusted his coat before slamming the door shut. He then walked in front of the car as he approached her.

Ella got hold of her pepper spray and readied to defend herself. As the man walked closer, she tried to see his face but the light coming from behind him meant that his face was darkened.

“Stay away from me!” shouted Ella. “What do you want?”

The man stopped walking before talking to Ella. “Are you alright, Dr. Garcia? It’s me, Red. I was on the way to your apartment when I saw you running down the street. I thought I could give you a ride.”

At first, Ella did not know how to react and she froze where she was. After a moment, she felt overwhelming relief come over her and she dropped her hand to her side as she was able to recognize Red standing in front of the black car.

“I hope I didn’t frighten you, Dr. Garcia. I thought of calling out to you from the car, but you were quite fast,” said Red.

Ella let Red come closer until he was one foot away from her. She felt quite relieved to see a familiar face, no matter if it was someone whom she just met that morning. She wanted to jump forward and hug him, but her self-restraint prevailed and she stayed rooted at the same spot.

“I had no idea that it was you, Red,” replied Ella.

Red stared into Ella’s eyes and noticed her strain as she struggled to keep herself calm and composed, standing alone in front of him. Ella found herself once again lost in Red’s amazing hazel eyes and did not notice how she was shivering and shifting her weight uneasily between her two feet as she clutched her bag tightly against her body.

Red turned slightly to look back at his car. She then shifted his gaze to Ella and said, “Why don’t we go to the car where it’s warm?”

Ella looked at Red’s profile as he looked at the car. His irises seemed to shimmer like gold while his face appeared to glow from the headlights. She nodded at Red and allowed herself to be led back to the car. The driver saw them approach and immediately opened the car door for them. Red supported Ella as she entered the car. The driver shut the door and quickly returned to the front seat. He locked the doors and sat there motionless, waiting for instructions from Red.

Ella looked at the spacious interior of the car and felt warm and comfortable sitting on the soft seat. She felt the strain easing away and allowed herself to relax. She stretched her legs in the ample space in front of her and leaned her back against the soft cushion. Then, she removed her bag from her lap and placed it on the space between her and Red. She rested her head and felt the tense muscles in her neck slowly loosen.

“Shall we go to the restaurant now, Dr. Garcia? We have a table reserved for us at Elisa’s,” said Red, his voice reverberating in the enclosed space.

Ella lifted her head and turned to Red. “Elisa’s? They say you need to book at least six months in advance to get a table there,” she said.

“Let’s just say I know the owner really well and they always keep a table available for me whenever I need it,” replied Red.

Ella was impressed with what she heard, but she knew that with Red’s wealth, he was bound to have plenty of connections. She had not had the chance to eat at Elisa’s, but she heard plenty of rave reviews about it. With three Michelin stars, the food was bound to be exceptional. And so would most probably be the price.

Ella forced a smile and nodded weakly at Red. Without Red saying anything, the driver backed up the car and was soon cruising along the almost deserted streets. Ella heard a soft whir and the privacy screen went up, hiding her and Red from the driver’s view.

The night moved past the car window and Ella looked out at streetlamps and trees as if seeing them for the first time. After experiencing the adrenaline rush into her system in the past hour, she felt exhausted and cherished the few minutes of serenity.

Elisa’s was located at the heart of the city and was the frequent haunt of wealthy businessmen as well as politicians and celebrities. Having been awarded their three Michelin stars meant that they were always fully-booked although the restaurant’s management was able to keep an orderly and tranquil ambience, making sure that their guests were able to keep their privacy and have an enjoyable and romantic dinner.

With the streetlamps shining over the car at regular intervals and the smooth cruising of the car over the road, it did not take long before Ella dozed off. When she opened her eyes, she saw more cars and people on the road. With a jolt, she realized where she was and sat up straight. She turned to her side and found Red staring at him with an amused smile on his face.

“I’m sorry, I did not realize…” apologized Ella.

Red chuckled softly. “I saw how tired you were and decided to let you sleep,” he said.