Daniel

I pushed my way through the thicket of people at the bar and stumbled over a hidden step.  Cursing it silently or so I thought, I held onto a pillar for support as I felt a wave of sickness pool in my stomach.  Someone brushed past me, bringing me back to reality.  I followed them with my eyes as they expertly weaved around the tables and past a corner booth with one person sat there.  The room had bare sandstone walls with lanterns hung along the beams.  The tables were wooden and heavy with matching chairs clustered around them.  I stared at the gentleman who was sat alone; he had a black cloak on with the hood up.  It cast a shadow over half of his face and he smoked rollups when he wasn’t sipping from his cider.  He suddenly noticed me staring and motioned for me to join him.  I thought about it for a second before heading over; my bare feet slapping against the flagstone floor.  My shoes were behind the bar because I didn’t want to carry them and I certainly couldn’t walk in them.  I kept reminding myself that if he was ugly I will just say I need the toilet and make a run for it.  I pulled my short black dress down and straightened my blue bag that was slung over one shoulder.  He wasn’t looking so I quickly fluffed up my hair and smeared some lip balm on; we always had to prepare in case he was good looking.  I slid into the booth on the opposite side of the table from him and reached into my bag for my tobacco.

“Drink?”

“Um, yes please...”

“Disaronno and apple, thank you.”  He murmured to the waiter that had suddenly appeared by his side.

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”  He smiled from under his hood.  I still hadn’t managed to get a proper look at his face.  I concentrated on rolling my f*g and searching for my lighter.

“Here!”  He lit my cigarette and as he moved his hand away I caught a whiff of his scent.  It was earthy with a hint of cologne.

“Thank you and thank you for the drink...”

“My name is Daniel and no problem but who said I was paying for it?”  I saw the gleam of his perfect white teeth and a low growl of a laugh.  I blushed and played with the straw in my glass. 

“So Scarlett, how has your evening been?”

“How do you know my name?”  I gasped in confusion.

“I just know.”  His blue eyes flashed and he moved his hood back slightly.  Even if he wasn’t hot he was making me feel things I shouldn’t.

“Would you care to join me outside?”  He whispered, sending shivers down my spine.  I nodded before downing my drink and standing up to follow him.

“After you.”  He smiled, placing a hand on my hip to guide me.  He led me out of the back door and into the alleyway and so we didn’t have to fight through the drunken idiots.  He pushed me back against the wall and leant in, blowing hot breath on my neck.  His stubble grazed my chin as he kissed my mouth before trailing kisses down my collar bone.  His cool hands slid down my shoulders, pushing the straps of my dress down and exposing more of my collarbone.  He continued to plant kisses as his hands moved to the front of my dress and he slowly slid his hands down on each side, exposing my breasts.  His cloak covered us from prying eyes as his trailed his kisses down to my n****e while his hand worked the other.  Things began to stir downstairs and just as they were about to explode he stopped and pulled my dress back up and kissed my mouth.  He pushed a tiny ring onto my little finger and left.  He still had his hood up as he walked away.

I stood there for a while and rolled a cigarette.  The Disaronno had gone to my head and so had Daniel.  I began walking towards the road at the end of the alley; slowly puffing on my f*g.  I wandered the rest of the way home in a daze, fumbling with the ring on my finger.  My front door came into view.  It was navy blue with a large silver nine above the letter box.  I didn’t like gold and so I had insisted that the landlord replace both the letterbox and the number in silver.  The small terracotta path that led up to the blue door was well kept and there wasn’t a weed in sight.  I spent every Sunday meticulously investigating the front and back garden for weeds.  The bay window stood proudly without net curtains; only heavy cream curtains that had cost my last boyfriend a fortune before he cheated on me and left with his new sixteen year old lover.  I remember next door to the right, Mrs Barnes, had walked slowly past with her little yappy dog and tutted loudly at my new curtains.  I found my silver key and pushed the heavy door open.  This time I had remembered to leave the hall light on before I left and so it had a welcoming glow to it.  Id even managed to buy some snacks for when I came in drunk and one of those cheap mini pizzas for the microwave.  I poured myself another large glass of Disaronno and apple and watched the little pizza go round and round.  After what seemed like the length of time you could grow a beard in; the microwave pinged and I opened the door, only to poke it and find out the middle was cold.  I sighed loudly before slamming the door and pressing the button again.  At this rate I could grow a full on Gandalf beard, I thought as I took another glug of my drink.  I pulled a plate out of one of the beech wood cabinets and set the matching table.  My plates were black and my cutlery was silver and everything was spotless.