Falling Red

3

♤ You cannot fall in love too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late ♤

*unedited*

♦V E R O N I C A♦

I feel so disoriented. My vision feels blurry as I try to focus on the surroundings but the bright light falling over my head made me unable to see anything. I stretch my limbs, cover my eyes to prevent the sharp light and slowly adjust my vision.

The unfamiliar pure white ceiling fall into my eyes and my eyes jerked open. I sit up in my place and look around the place but this room was not something I have seen before.

Where am I?

My instinct to protect myself instantly put me on guards. The distorted flashes of the last day play in my mind. Sh*t!

Did those ugly-donkey-faces really kidn*pped me, in order to use me against my father?

I groan. I hate my father. Why did you married him at the first place, Mom?

The face livid of my father flashes in front of my eyes. A sense of panic fills in my heart. I had done so many things only to not let him know my location. If he gets to know, he will pull me back to that hell hole. Moreover, Mia will be affected in all this.

Though, Mia and I do not get along sometimes but it is a fact that without her, I would have not able to leave that place. Even though Mia is doing this because she had promised my mother, but she could have easily left after Mom’s death but she didn’t. That’s why I cannot get my heart to pull her in this mess.

However, before I do some more calculation about my future action and fluster myself, the door opens.

I raise my eyes up from the bed to the person coming towards me in a leisure pace. I notice his features keenly. He is tall with broad shoulders. He has slightly curled brown hair, the colour of his eyes are between a shade of green and blue, sharp and perfect jaws, slender neck, and long legs. There is a tattoo on his right outer shoulder but his T-shirt blocks the pattern. He runs his tongue over his almost red lips and looks at me. “You are finally awake?” His voice is soft, low and slivery. Overall, he is a perfect man who can make a woman cry on his bed.

I admit that he is the best man that I have seen till now. But I am still unsure of his identity. “You are?”

“You remember anything about yesterday? Some people were trying to kidnap you but luckily I heard your voice so I came for help.”

“Oh, yeah,” I sigh. I remember now. Before I fainted, someone had arrived. He is the mysterious saviour who saved me. This means I am safe for now. I look up at his face, “What about those men?”

“They ran away.”

“Ran away?” Is that so? They got a big chance to get me then why would they leave me and run away?

“What you will do now? Do you want to report to the police?”

I wave my hand in dismissal. “I will handle it. You do not bother.”

“Your clothes—”

“My Clothes?” I suddenly look down at my body, only to find myself in an oversized shirt—probably belonged this man standing in front of me. Holy cow! Where are my senses? I am dressed only in an unknown person’s shirt and having a hearty chat with him without any notice. Without looking up, I look at him. “Did you . . . did you change my clothes?”

“Yes,” the monotonous reply ignites something itching inside my heart.

Yes? A fu*king yes and he is behaving like it is no big deal. Does he see me nude? Or does he have a habit of changing other’s clothes?

“You passed out last night so I brought you to my penthouse.”

“That mean you were with me the whole night.” I suddenly look at him. “Where did you sleep last night?”

He stares at me as if I had lost my brain or better he must be thinking that I really do not have any brain at all. Jesus, kill me. Just kill me please. This is more embracing than walking into Mia when she was having s*x. He points his index finger to the space next to me and said in a plain voice, “There.”

I lick my lips and a sense of shame makes my cheeks burn hot. I bury my face in my palms and mumble again, “Then . . . did we sleep together?”

“This is my bed. Of course, I can sleep wherever I want.” Oh, yeah right. It is his bed, his house and I am an outsider. However, his next words made me speechless. “Don’t worry, I do not have any interest in low vocal cheeks.”

I almost choke myself. Low vocal? Really? I look as hot as fu*k, alright? I want to scream every word but I force myself to swallow. I am at a disadvantage at the moment. But can he be some more shameless? I do not compare to the fashion models on television but I still look good. He must be a gay. That is why even after seeing me like that he did not feel anything.

I hurry off the bed and look around the room for some piece of cloth that could make me presentable before leaving this room. “My clothes?”

“They were all wet, so John sent them for dry cleaning. I will ask him to bring something for you on the way.” He picks up his phone and turns to leave the room.

I run after him, completely clueless about my own clothes. “Who is John?”

“He is my security in-charge.”

“Security in-charge.” Wait! This is going more and more worse that she had thought. Think about it, your boss just ask you to bring a woman’s clothes, who spent a night in his bed. What does it makes me? Ah! She is still pure. “You asked a security in-charge to pick up some clothes for me? It is really not needed. Just tell him to bring my old clothes back, I will manage in it.”

Before he can reply, the doorbell rings. “I will see.” He projects his mobile on the sofa and looks at me again. “All your things are on the table. Check, if there is anything left. However, I think John should have picked them all.”

Fine. Just let it go. Accepting a little help from this man is better than getting kidn*pped and send back to that he'll hole.

~*~*~*~

When the new clothes arrive, I hurriedly freshen up and shuffled into them. To my surprise, it really fit me. I stand in front of the mirror, brush my hair and let it fall over my shoulders. “I have to say, John has a good taste. Say him a thank you from my side,” I say to the mysterious saviour as I rush to the table in the living room to collect my hand bag and files. I had already given this person a name, Mr. Saviour.

Earlier, she was a bit skeptical that John would think her as a one night stand hook but when she knew, he was also present with Mr. Saviour yesterday, she feel relived.

“Say it yourself.” Mr. Saviour flipped the page magazine in his hands and continues, “He will leave you wherever you want to go.”

“Look, I am really grateful that you saved me yesterday but now I need to leave alone.” I lean forward to pick my things. I still do not know the status of those men from yesterday.

“Fine, but at least tell me your name?” He put the magazine beside him on the sofa and stands up. He walks towards the main door, opens it for me and leans against the edge. “It seems funny that I save a girl even though I do not know her name.”

I narrow my eyes at his words. My name? Without straightening myself, I angle my head towards him and then my eyes fell on the abstract painting hung on the wall beside him. “Red.” Don’t blame me but I have to be cautious about my identity, and after last day’s incident I have to take some more precautions.

“Red.” The corner of his lips stretches outwards in a shallow smirk. “Red—full of life. I like it.”

I roll my eyes and turn my gaze back to my things on the table. I collect all my files. What files, they are all spoiled in the rain and I had not read any of them. My shoulders slump in depression. Why me!

“You are not curious about me?”

I am. But if I asked about you, wouldn't you do the same in return?

I pass by him and steps out the hotel room. “Sometimes it is better not to be so curious. The more you get involve with someone, the more it gives him the chance to rule over you. Don’t you think?”

When I stroll towards the elevator, he falls silent as if thinking something deep. But I cannot blame him, sometimes I can be too outspoken. It is normal that people do not like me. A memory buried deep in my surfaced and a sarcastic smile played in my mind. Those who dared to come near me, always wanted something from me in return.

"You are new in Seattle?"

My body stiffens. I stop ahead him and turn my head to have a clear picture of him. "How do you know?"

“You don't know who I am yet."

I frown my brows. "What do you mean?"

"You will understand later." He blocks my question. "You work in Paramount Hotel?” The sudden blow of hot air near my cheek wakes me up from my memories. I look at this unknown man who has his lips almost touching to my cheek.

He is so close to me that I can see my image in his eyes. They are so dark and deep—as if hidden the whole world behind them. I stare at his eyes then at his lips—moist and nourished. What it feels like to kiss them?

Stay away, my subconscious reminds me.

I jerk a step back to let the air pass between us. His fruity smell made me feel dizzy as if I have lost a part of my soul in him. This though frightens me. What am I thinking? We just met first time, how can I think so deep about him. This man surely has something in him that pulls me towards him.

“What happened?”

I was thinking about the taste of your lips. Should I say this? I shake my head in response. I do not know what to reply to him. To pull myself out of this embracing situation and divert his attention from my body I walk a step ahead of him.

However, it is my wishful thinking that I can avoid him. Soon, he catches up with me and again starts walking side by side. “Hey, you didn’t answer the question. Do you work in Paramount Hotel?”

At the mention of Paramount Hotel, I feel more and more depressed. Hope so. “I just got the job yesterday but I do not know if I still have any.” Manager Green will surely throw me out if he knows that all the files that he had given to me are destroyed even before I had a chance to open them. Whose ugly face I saw last morning?

I enter the elevator and turn to face his handsome face—probably for the last time.

“You have.”

“What?”

“Maybe you will have a great day today, Red.” He shrugs his shoulder and the doors of the elevator closed, ending the conversation. However, it leaves me puzzled.

I shake my head. What’s a big deal? He just wished me for the day. It is not like we are going to meet again.

It is better to let this encounter be a beautiful dream. Involving him in my life will only destroy him. I will be his doom.