CHAPTER 2

You don't look so good." The voice said, handing Adriana her phone. She grabbed it harshly and shoved it back into her purse.

"I'm fine." She replied hastily. She took a glance at him, his outfit to be precise. He looked so uptight and so corporate. She took one more glance at him. Well, his outfit. He was so much taller than her and she was too lazy or too drunk to look up at him. She felt that same weird energy she had felt earlier coming from him, hitting her so hard. She quickly walked away staggering, heading for the entrance to the bar. She headed towards where Celine had parked her car earlier, or where she remembered Celine parking the car because it was no longer there.

" What the fuck?" She swore loudly, sucking her teeth harshly. How was she going to get home? She didn't have any money. She assumed Celine would drive her back home the way she picked her up. She thought about calling Celine, so she reached for her phone. Her battery had died.

" Great," She said, then sighed. She took off her heels and started walking. She was so pissed. How could Celine leave without her?

"Probably left with some drug dealer." Adriana said out loud while the night breeze kept getting on her nerves and blowing her hair into her face. She swatted her hair out of her face angrily, as she walked slowly and carefully down the pavement of the bar and into the street.

She sighed, rubbing both her arms with her palms, trying to generate some warmth. God she was so drunk. Why did she drink so much? What if she gets mugged? Or worse, raped? So many horrible thoughts swarmed through Adriana's head. The street was still burbling, everywhere was so bright with city lights, but still, something bad could happen to her. She sighed again. She had sighed so many times in one night.

Adriana was so deep in thought, that she didn't notice a car honking loudly behind her. A white Rolls Royce slowed down loudly beside Adriana, causing her to face the car with a scowl on her face. Who was so stupid enough to drive a Rolls Royce so late at night, especially at this part of the street? The back seat of one of the tinted windows winds down slowly. Adriana was face to face with a hefty-looking man, with a chiseled jawline. He had bright blue eyes and jet-black hair. His burgundy suit, shining. You could easily tell it was fresh from the best laundromat in town. He was handsome and by the looks of it, loaded too. She could swear she had seen him somewhere, and then it clicked.

"You're the guy who tried to steal my phone at the bar." She said dryly, pointing a finger firmly at him. Although Adriana thought someone as loaded as he is wouldn't want anything to do with her washed-up iPhone 6, she made the accusation anyway.

"It's very dangerous here, at this time of the night. Why are you walking? Don't you have a ride? Can't you order a taxi?" He asked, seeming concerned.

" Last time I checked. You're not my boyfriend." Adriana replied firmly, as she began walking again. The car moved forward slowly to match her pace. Adriana sighed loudly.

" What do you want? "

" I just want to help, that's all. I don't think you should be walking all by yourself. It's past 2 am."

" What, you wanna be my night in shining armor? Do you think I can't walk at night by myself because I'm a girl? " Adriana said, her tone dripping with mockery.

"Ow ow ow!" Adriana had just felt her under feet graze a very tiny pebble, causing a jolt of sharp pain. She placed her heels on the floor, slipped her feet in, and continued walking. The car rolled forward slowly, still matching her pace.

" Common you hurt your feet already, don't be so stubborn." The stranger said, seeming intent.

" How do I know you're not going to kidnap me or sell me off or something?" Adriana asked.

" You don't." He replied smoothly. Adriana scoffed in response.

"Shit!" She cursed angrily, one of her heels had just snapped. What a great time for the world to be against me. Now she couldn't walk.

"Fucking cheap shit."

" Will you get in now?" The stranger asked again. Adriana sighed then took off her heels. She strutted over to the other side of the door. She pulled the car door open and entered. She sighed softly in contentment. The seats were so soft, she thought as she squeezed them.

" Yes, they are." The stranger replied, gazing at her.

" What?"

" The seats are very soft. "

" Uh, I'm very sure I was thinking that not saying it." Adriana pointed out, gazing back at him. He smirked as they held each other's gaze before Adriana looked away.

"What name do you go by?" He asked, still gazing at her. Adriana giggled amusingly.

"Did I say something funny?"

" Yes, as a matter of fact, you did. Who says ' What name do you go by '?" She said, quoting him.

" I do." He replied, taking his gaze off her. Adriana chuckled again.

" I go by Adriana. What name do you go by? She said using his choice of words to irk him.

" Niklaus. "

" Niklaus? That's very original. " She replied.

" Well, I'm certainly not told I have a weird name so frequently. Most people are too busy gawking at me to pay attention to my name. " He said proudly. Adriana scoffed loudly. She had decided then and there how arrogant he was. Very.

" So smug. I never said your name was weird, I said it was original. Big difference. " Adriana said, trying to avoid looking at him as she folded her arms together. “ It's kind of a compliment if you really think about it.”

" You're being polite by saying ‘original’. Where do you get off? " Adriana got so thrown off by the question he asked. After blinking rapidly like a million times, she finally found the words.

" What?"

" Your house, where do you get off?"

Oh.

"Um, just a little bit further." She replied. Picking up her shoes and purse. They arrived at the front of her sister's home.

" Even though you're so unnecessarily arrogant and smug, thank you for the ride," Adriana said, before turning to look at him. A smug look slowly swept across his face as she turned, she began to think it was his natural look at that point.

"Not even a kiss for my troubles?" He asked, jokingly. Adriana rolled her eyes in response. She reached for the car door, opened it then got out. She was barefoot so she walked briskly to the front porch. She tried opening the door, but it was locked. Her sister always locks the front door for security, once it’s past 11pm. She must have assumed she was in.

She knocked and then waited. No response. She knocked again, louder this time. No response. She knocked repeatedly. Still no response. She hissed sharply. Her phone battery had died. There was no way to get through to her sister. Shit. She turned towards the car, to see that it was still parked there. She sighed and then walked over to Niklaus’s side of the car.

" You look like you're living well."

" I live in the basement of my married sister's house, Niklaus. Oh, I'm sure I'm doing well." Her voice was laced with sarcasm and a little bit of mockery. At herself of course. Because this was a pathetic situation.

"You're locked out aren't you?" He asked matter of factly. She nodded in response.

" You can stay over at my house if you’re wiling." Niklaus offered. Adriana stared at him as if he had just asked her to sit butt-naked on the bare cold floor.

" No way." She replied firmly. This time it was Niklaus' turn to scoff.

"I brought you home didn't I?" He said. She gazed at him for a few seconds and without thinking twice, walked quickly towards the opposite car door and got in. The car zoomed off.