“Wh-what are you doing here?” I finally manage to say as my cries start to die down. I’ve got a runny nose and I’m pretty sure I’ve ruined his crisp, expensive suit. God, why did I do that? He must think I’m such a kid. I wipe my eyes and my nose with the sleeve of my hoodie.
“After I talked to you, I went back to settle my tab. I’d had enough of this place for one night. My car’s just around the corner, and when I heard your scream, I recognized your voice. What are you doing back here? Don’t you know how dangerous it is around here?”
I can tell he’s concerned and worried, and that more than anything makes me happy. I’d done something stupid, no doubt about that, but Andrew had rescued me. He seemed to realize how harsh he was, because he gave me a rueful smile.
“At least I was here. Now, can you walk?”
“Yeah, I think so,” I say. He reaches around me and helps me up. I’m shaken up, and my shoulder hurts like crazy, but I think I’m okay. Still, I don’t let go when Andrew continues to help me.
“Where are you parked?”
“I- I don’t have a car.” I realize with dismay that I’m going to have to wait another hour for the bus. “I was trying to catch the bus.”
“I’m driving you home.” Andrew declares. There’s no room for argument and I’m thrilled for more time with him that I wouldn’t even if I could. “Come on, it’s just over here.”
Andrew’s car is a sleek black Bentley that looks out of place besides the ten year old Honda’s and pickups that are driven by the usual clientele. He gently lets go of me to unlock the car, then opens the door to help me in. I wince as pain flares from my shoulder trying to get the seatbelt.
“Here, let me,” he says, leaning over to buckle me in. I’m enveloped in the scent of him again, and this time I do my best to try to commit it to memory. Who knows how long it’ll be until the next time I see him?
Once I’m secure, he closes the door for me and circles to the other side of the car. I can’t help but admire the way his muscular body fills out the suit, imposing in the sharply tailored lines. Andrew is always impeccably well dressed and controlled. Except for that moment when he was defending me from that creep, I remember. There was something raw and protective about his anger that ignited something deep inside of me. I can feel the warmth spreading, wrapping around my body and between my legs. I know how I feel is probably written all over my face, so I busy myself with the bag as soon as he reaches his side of the car.
“Ready?” he says.
“Yup.”
Andrew pulls out of the spot and soon we’re on the road. The car drives like a dream, muffling all the outside noise. He’s got some kind of piano music in the background, and the buttery leather is soft against my thighs. He must have done really well with the IPO, I think as I run a finger down the fawn colored upholstery. I hope I’m not dirtying it too much. I’d never be able to pay to clean this. After a few minutes, he starts making small talk about the weather, the game. It’s like he knows that I need some time to gather my thoughts, to recover from what happened.
“Thanks for helping me back there,” I say once I’ve calmed down. “That was close.”
“It was. Are you going to be okay?”
“I think so. I might have to enroll in some self defense classes,” I say, only half kidding.
“So why are you working there anyways?” He says it casually, like he doesn’t care, but I know that he does. I’m his best friend’s daughter, so naturally he’s looked out for me most of my life. I glance over but his eyes are on the road. Should I tell him? He already promised he wouldn’t tell my dad so I risk it.
“I lost my scholarship. It was... stupid. I got cocky after the first year, and I thought it’d be easy to keep my grades up. And there was this sorority that I’d joined. I didn’t even realize until it was too late. I just... I just wanted to have the college experience for once.”
It’s embarassing to say all this out loud. My parents had been so proud of me when they learned that I had gotten a scholarship to the exclusive liberal arts college I was studying at. They couldn’t stop talking about it. My dad only had a high school education. After coming back from the war he took over managing one of grandpa’s hardware stores. My mom worked as a nursing assistant. It was a good life, but I knew they wanted more for me. I just hoped that I hadn’t messed it up too badly.
“And did you?” he asks.
I think of the drunken nights out with my friends, coming back to the dorms at 3 in the morning and ordering pizza. I think about the awful hangovers the next morning. I think about my first encounter with a guy, who came after five minutes and collapsed on top of me, falling asleep immediately. I wasn’t saving myself for ‘The One’, but as first times go, that one stunk. I still make a u-turn when I think I see the guy on campus.