[slave2100]

Stranger

Everything doesn’t go like we always plan. Life is unpredictable, uncontrollable. There are twists and turns, surprises and shocks in almost every phase. After losing my parents so early, I thought life would be easy on me. I thought I would be fine once I get a good job, but today, as I see my colleagues doing wonders, I feel sad, I feel jealous. The salary isn’t an issue but everyone wants to be someone different, someone with a different face, an identity.

I have been hunting for some good story for so long. I am surfing the internet, interviewing people, even reading a lot but all I have in my resume is a story of a homeless dog and a betrayed Asian bride for dowry. Three years have passed since I joined this esteemed media company which publishes in 7 languages, has multiple branches across the country, but my career and life are stuck in the same place where I was three years ago.

‘Look, how he’s checking you out again’ Emily tells, laughs, hiding her mouth as she speaks, while I sneak on my left, trying to see the man stealing glances of me.

We’re in a bar with two finished bottles of 750 ml beer each. Mark, Emily’s current boyfriend, is also here with us. It has been an hour since we came here and now, after two rounds, I feel the heat rising on my body.

Emily laughs at my face while I feel embarrassed about a man looking at me, although his looks are not improper.

There’s a thin white guy in a grey suit, a little older than me. He also has a mustache which looks a kind of sexy. He’s alone with a glass of whiskey in a hand, and a cigarette between fingers. While we’re busy in our world, he has been glancing at me secretly from the last half an hour, checking me out without letting me know, but Emily has an eye of a detective.

‘I am telling you, he is on to you, isn’t he?’ Emily says and asks Mark who nods with a mouthful of beer.

While they laugh at the situation, I turn my chair to hide my front of the stranger’s sight.

‘Come on, Hazel, let the man peek, what’s wrong in that?’ comments Mark as what I did was wrong.

I chuckle.

‘And besides, look at him. He’s sexy. Look at his mustache, look at his body’ comments Mark, smiling waving hand towards him.

In reply, the stranger does the same, waves hands towards us. Emily replies to him with a smile while I hide my face in embarrassment.

‘And look at his ass’ Emily comments, while Mark is jealous.

‘Yeah, and now he is coming towards us now’ tells Marks and I hide my face again.

‘What? Why did you?’ I was saying but got interrupted as I feel someone is behind my back.

He is here and I can no more hide myself.

‘Well apologies for my behavior but I can’t take my eyes off you’ he says like some professional, even before I could question him about anything.

‘What?’ I ask, chuckle, look towards Emily who’s also laughing at his cheesy lines.

He has a deep sexy voice and smells sexy. Well, I am also not pissed but kind of surprised by his way of approach. It’s so straight forward.

‘Why do you have to look at me?’ I ask.

‘Because you’re hot’ he says, ‘what?’ I ask again, chuckle, ‘yes, you are hot, and I mean there are other hot girls here, your friend included, but you are more’ he says while I lower my face in shame.

I haven’t met any stranger like this in my entire life. He is so confident and determined. What is he, a playboy?

‘Aren’t you too old for cheesy lines like this? What’s your age?’ I ask.

‘Why? Are you some detective, some reporter?’ he takes a lucky guess and in reply, Emily puffs air out of her mouth.

Even she is surprised at his lucky guess. I can’t believe he guessed my profession so accurately.

‘No way. Are you a cop?’ stranger asks, a little surprised in him, while I nod in reply.

‘Are you sure? You don’t look like one’ he comments, looking at me up to down.

‘Why not?’ I ask back.

Now I am a little offended.

‘You’re too sexy for that’ he says and Emily and Mark laugh together.

‘What? Isn’t she a cop?’ stranger asks Emily who shakes head in reply.

‘She’s a reporter’ she tells and his eyebrows get up.

‘And is she available?’ he asks Emily who nods in reply.

‘No I am not’ I disagree, glare towards her.

‘Yes she is. She is lying’ Emily says, laughs.

‘No I am not’ I say again, while the stranger looks at Mark for answers.

‘I am her’s, not her’s’ he replies, kissing Emily in head, telling that he’s dating her and not me, while the stranger smiles at my availability.

‘Oh thank God! I thought I had to fight with you to get her’ strangers says, making everyone laugh.

‘No mate, she is completely yours’ Mark says.

It’s like I am invisible. They are talking about me like I am not here.

‘So, beautiful, I find you attractive. I think you’re sexy. Do you feel the same for me?’ he asks me straight.

While I stay speechless, ‘Yes she does. She thinks you have a nice ass’ Emily replies on my behalf while I have no words left to say.

‘Thanks, beautiful. I work so hard for this’ he says, touches his own back, and then without asking for consent, he pulls a chair from another table to sit beside me.

I feel so uncomfortable but I am also happy at the same time. Well, it’s complicated. While we look at each other, Emily shifts her chair away from me, like making some space for the stranger to fit in between.

‘Thank you’ he says, sitting beside me, looking directly at my face, while I glare at Emily for inviting him to join.

‘Hi! I am Sam and you are?’ he asks, waits for my reply, while I have a half-smile.

‘She’s Hazel’ Emily says on my behalf after I remain silent.

‘Hazel, what a pretty name’ he says, compliments unnecessarily.

‘Pretty? Really? What’s so pretty about my name?’ I ask back.

He chuckles, thinks for a while.

‘It’s like Hey Gel. Gels are supposed to make you look better, sexy’ he babbles but it’s enough to make us laugh.

Even I laugh at his nonsense.

‘See, I’m already making you laugh’ he says, complimenting himself.

‘So Hazel, can I buy you a drink?’ he asks.

I chuckle, ignore. I don’t think I would be okay in drinking with a complete stranger. Besides, I am already down 2 bottles. Something more can make me lose control.

‘Actually I have had a long day, and it’s already late’ I say while see Emily getting upset about my ignorance.

Well, I don’t care. I am not that type of girl who goes to a random guy’s apartment at the first meeting itself. I am not that slutty.

‘Late, even today? Where do you work? Disneyland?’ he asks as today is Saturday, and tomorrow is supposed to be my holiday.

‘Yeah, The Daily Bugle is kind of similar’ I reply, chuckle and take my purse to leave.

Emily and Mark also stand to leave while Sam looks sad, a little, but sad.

‘Can I atleast drive you home, you look so drunk?’ he asks.

‘No, thank you for the offer but I think I can manage’ I say.

‘You sure?’ he asks again, kind of pleads but I shake head with a cute smile.

‘No, thank you, maybe next time’ I say and without anymore conversation, leave the bar while he keeps glancing at me till I get outside.

It’s so beautiful out here. It’s raining beautifully. I love it.

‘Wao! Look at the skies’ I exclaim, starching one of my hands outside, feeling the drops on my palms.

‘You could’ve atleast given him a chance. He was so sexy, so desperate’ Emily says.

She looks a kind of pissed at my egoistic attitude but as I told, I don’t care. I am not the kind of girl who goes to a random guy’s apartment in the first meeting itself.

‘I definitely would’ve, if I was interested. He wasn’t my type’ I disagree.
‘Sexy, cool, funny isn’t your type?’ she questions.

I don’t answer but giggle instead. She has a point and now that’s its over, there is no point discussing it. Well, Mark comes to us with his car and waiting for Emily to hop in. She’ll be spending the night with him in his apartment.

‘The climate is so horrible today, look at the roads’ she comments looking at the road outside the bar.

It looks like a mini-lake and even though I like this climate, I don’t like wetting half of my legs in crossing those watery roads. Without much delay, Emily carefully walks across the flowing stream and quickly gets inside Mark’s car.

‘Should we drop you somewhere, Hazel?’ shouts Mark, as its raining heavily, while I shake head at his formal request.

‘I’ll manage, Mark, thanks. I’ll get a taxi’ I shouted back, wave hand as a goodbye.

‘Ok then, see you on Monday’ Emily bids goodbye, waves hands, and Mark accelerates the car away from the bar, leaving me alone in bad weather.

Full book here - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HR1QKG8