Freed by Fate

3

    After a long day of work in the fields with her mother, Poppy was exhausted. As nighttime drew near, and her mother announced her return to her room, she could barely hold back her anticipation. Her mother didn't suspect a thing, and the exhilaration of sneaking out was starting to pump adrenaline throughout Poppy's entire body, waking her up. She had no idea what people wore to go out for drinks, so she settled on basic jeans and a blouse. She surmised that anything would be better than the old, dirt-stained clothes from earlier. 

    She didn't own much makeup; her mother always told her she didn't need it. The little amount she had, she decided to put on for tonight, however. Not one hundred percent certain of her appearance being appropriate for a night at the bar, but deciding that she didn't care, she began the slow creeps of an escapee. 

    Down the hall, out the door, she repeated to herself over and over. Taking her time through the tiny farmhouse, she found herself at the front door. This is the hardest part, she thought. 

    Ever so slowly, she turned the doorknob. Hearing the lock unhinge with a CLICK, she held her breath, listening for her mother. Counting to ten after not hearing any movement, she cracked the door wide enough for her to squeeze through. Once outside, she fought the urge to scream in delight. Though her heart was still pounding within her chest, she felt free. 

    Wasting no time, she jogged in the direction of the town. Everything looked different in the dark, so she made sure that she took the correct turns towards her destination. When she hit the town square, she realized nightlife was like stepping into a whole new world. She saw women in beautiful dresses and sparkly jewelry, hanging onto the arms of men dazzling in dark suits and leather shoes. One look at all the heels and hairspray and smoky eyes, and Poppy noted that she was overwhelmingly underdressed. She felt as though she stuck out like a sore thumb. Self-consciously, she started to walk with her head down, and eyes lowered, until she reached the outside of the bar. She took a deep breath and braced herself, not knowing what she was about to walk into. It's now or never, she thought to herself, If I can make it this far, it would be cowardice to turn back. She gripped the handle of the door and walked into the bar; the room was filled with a smoky haze and dimly lit, save for the dance floor's strobe lights pulsing to the tune of the music. Bodies moved to the beat in the center, people in pure ecstasy from their drinks and the atmosphere. 

    Poppy squinted her eyes and scanned the room. After spotting Evie at a lone table towards the right, she made a beeline for her. Evie looked terrifyingly gorgeous; dark hair shining in the light and her eyes covered with smoky powder. Poppy tried not to gawk at her outfit; a corset top that left little to the imagination and the smallest skirt she had ever seen. Is this what women are supposed to wear at night? she thought, jealous of Evie's confidence in her own body.

    "Hey Poppy," Evie said enthusiastically. If Evie thought Poppy was underdressed, she made no comment about it, much to her relief.  

    "Evie, hi. I hope you weren't waiting too long," Poppy breathed out, taking a seat across from her on the tall stool. 

    "Not at all darling. I am so glad that you came. It was starting to get boring here."

    "Boring? But Evie, this is so..." Poppy was at a loss for words, so she gestured about the room with her hands. "Magical," she finally finished.

    Evie tipped her head back and laughed melodiously, "Oh, Poppy, you're so innocent; you're like a breath of fresh air. I come to this bar all the time, it's the same old thing day in and day out." Poppy blushed at her words, suddenly feeling shy and inexperienced. Evie must have picked up on the newness of this, for she asked next, "Have you ever had a drink before?"

    Poppy shook her head no and one of Evie's eyebrows rose up, "Ok...do you like mint?" 

    "I suppose I do. We grow mint plants on the farm and they're enjoyable to chew on during the day," Poppy told her.

    Evie just smiled a devilish grin and got up to walk towards the bar. She returned a couple minutes later with two drinks in her hand. "Mojitos," she said, and placed one in front of Poppy, "my go-to."

    Poppy gently mixed the drink around with the straw, and upon seeing Evie's gaze on her, she took a small sip. It was unlike anything she had ever tasted before. It was cool on the tongue, and tasted fresh, albeit with a slight bitter aftertaste. She smiled up at Evie, and nodded her approval, which elated a clap of happiness from her companion. 

    Three drinks in, and the two were talking as if they've known each other for years. Poppy felt as light as a feather, and this night felt right, as if she was meant to be here. She felt accepted by Evie and trusted her. So this is what it's like to have a friend, she thought to herself. She didn't know if it was the booze or the exhilaration of the night, but she felt as if she was finally living. 

    Towards the end of their fourth drink, Evie left her to go to the restroom, and Poppy used her absence to focus on the whirlwind of commotion around her. She could hardly keep her eyes locked on one place for too long; the amount of bodies and conversations in the room were a bit overwhelming in her current state. 

    And then her eyes focused on a lone table in the back corner. It was as if the world around her paused, and her breathing caught in her throat. A man sat alone in the booth, his arms resting on the table in front of him, his posture remaining relaxed. His hair was the color of soot, and fell to his shoulders, half of it pulled back from his face. This helped accentuate his cheekbones, and he had stubble along his sharp jaw. She thought she might faint as she stared at his lips, which looked to be sculpted by a god, and were slightly parted open.

    Her eyes made their way up to his nose, which was the perfect shape and fit for his face, and finally she looked at his eyes. They were peculiar; the brightest light blue that she had ever seen, and they contrasted well with his dark attire. He seemed to have been already staring at her, and she was grateful for the room being dark, for she blushed profusely when their eyes met. As she kept eye contact with him, his brows furrowed and he leaned back into his seat, as if daring her to come entertain him. 

    She didn't know how long they kept their gaze, but it was broken the second Evie came back. Poppy felt the breath rush back into her lungs, and when she felt as if she could breathe normally again, she glanced around Evie for the man, but he was nowhere to be seen. She felt a pang of disappointment in her heart. I don't even know him, she thought confusedly, Remember Mother's warnings about strange men. But Poppy felt as though there was nothing strange about him; he was oddly comforting to gaze upon, although a bit terrifying. That's just the alcohol talking, she tried to scold herself. 

    Poppy finished her drink, and without missing a beat, Evie pulled her to the dance floor. Stepping up, Poppy felt quite a rush throughout her body. She felt invincible and adrenaline pulsed through her as she cleared her mind of the man with the smoldering gaze. She was hyper aware of everyone all around her, and it was as though they all moved as one being. She let her worries go during that time on the dance floor; worries about her mother, about the days to come, about her future, did not matter in that instance.

    Hands raised above her head, she swayed her body to the music, eyes closed. Suddenly she felt someone's hands gently grab her sides, and rest there. Soft, silky hair brushed against her neck, and she opened her eyes and peered up over her shoulder. Her eyes met his again, this time inches apart instead of a room. Ice blue with flecks of gold, and her heart was doing somersaults in her chest. She stopped moving and a little gasp escaped from her mouth.

    "Please," his deep voice was barely a whisper, "Don't stop on my account." 

    She bit her lip and looked for Evie, but her new companion was in her own world, oblivious. His body was touching hers, and the intensity of his heat was unbearable. He was a lot taller than her for sure, by at least four inches. Poppy could feel the gentle caress of his hands on her waist; she could feel the power in his arms that he was holding back. She had to remind herself to breathe correctly. She's never even spoken to a man before in these circumstances, let alone been touched by one. What am I supposed to do? she thought.

    Still dancing, she managed to breathlessly ask for his name. "Hayden," he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

    She shivered as his lips lightly brushed against her ear lobe. Hayden removed one hand from her waist and stroked some stray hairs out of her face. His gentle touch didn't make sense with his threatening appearance, but it elicited several impure thoughts into Poppy's mind. 

    "May I have your name?" he asked her.

    "Poppy," She breathed, closing her eyes and she heard him repeat her name. She enjoyed the way her name sounded on his tongue, and wished to hear him speak it again. I can't keep thinking this way, she tried to reason with herself, Mother would actually put me in a cage if she knew the impurities dancing through my mind right now. She heard him chuckle to himself, as if he knew what she was thinking. 

    Her pulse was racing from the overabundance of alcohol mixed with the feeling of his body behind hers and she couldn't focus clearly with his hands on her waist. They swayed with the beat like two longtime lovers, bodies moving together as one. She didn't know how long they danced like that; it felt like a lifetime. All Poppy knew was that she never wanted this night to end; and she never wanted to feel anyone's hands on her body as bad as she wanted Hayden's. Dancing with Hayden made Poppy certain; she had never felt more free in her life.