A Night With The Stranger

The freezing, arid air pierced Mary's delicate skin as she looked down the deserted street.

She was the only person on the dreaded, lonely street. The howling of the wind opened her eyes.

She arrived at her boyfriend's doorstep in the dead of night, her face flushed with confusion. She needed someone to talk to and share her anguish.

“I only hope he is home.” Mary, draw a deep breath.

“You are capable of doing this.” She gathered her courage and knocked softly on Daniel's metal door.

Unfortunately, no one answered. She got nervous and dialled his number.

“Thank God he is home. Perhaps he is asleep.” She sighed as his phone rang from inside.

She knocked again, this time harder, until he appeared at the door, shirtless and sweating profusely. “Hey. Why are you here?

I did not expect to see you.

You should have called.”

“Why are you surprised to see me at your house? Is this my first visit with you?

Look at your face; you are not even happy to see me. No hugs or kisses?” Mary asked.

“I could be busy with something, and I do not want any distractions,” Daniel frowned.

“Distraction? Are you finding me to be a distraction right now?

Do you miss me, or do I need permission before I come? It is a difficult day.

I will tell you about it when I get here.” She was stunned by his reaction and tried to walk inside but was stopped.

"This is a bad idea. Can we please have a private conversation?” He dragged her to the left corner.

"Hey, you harmed me. What is wrong with you?” She cried and caressed her arm.

“I apologize, but you are unable to attend. This is not the appropriate time. You just have to leave.” He begged her.

"It is so late. Can I spend the night at your house?” She begged.

“I cannot walk that lonely path alone.”

Suddenly, a strange lady emerged from the inside, wearing the shirt Mary had bought for Daniel.

"Who was that, and why is she wearing the shirt I paid for?” Mary questioned.

"Go inside. What the hell are you doing here?” He ignored Mary and ordered the lady back inside.

Mary no longer knows whom to turn to.

Her father forced her into a contract marriage, and now she has discovered her boyfriend cheating on her with another woman.

"Is that the reason you would not let me in? I could not even get you to answer my calls.

You have not texted or called for days.” She wailed.

Daniel retreated and expressed regret for what he had done when she screamed and struck him so forcefully in the chest.

“I had planned to tell you.

You now understand why I have been avoiding you. I realize that my silence is unfair to you; I am unsure of how I feel about you, and I am trying to work it out.

I might require a little time to process everything. When I will be prepared to discuss it is unknown to me. So do not worry, I will call you. You cannot spend the night here,” Daniel kicked her out.

“You can't be serious, Danny.

How do I proceed from here?” Mary protested. It didn't seem like she'd give up soon.

"You have a roof over your head, as far as I can tell.” He reminded her.

Before she could elaborate, he kicked her back to the desolate streets and closed the door. “Please leave immediately.”

"Why is life treating me so harshly? Why am I being treated unfairly? For what offence have I been guilty?

It feels so empty to me now. I can no longer handle the pain.” Her question reverberated in her ear as she asked it rhetorically.

Her father kept phoning while she complained, but she did not answer his calls.

“Now is not the ideal moment to go back home. I find his presence unbearable.

I must get some fresh air.” She declared and went to the nightclub where she works to have a few drinks to help her decompress.

On her way to the bar, her eyes were filled with tears. She tried, but was unable, to hide the desperation on her face.

“Please have a glass of tequila.”

She requested.

The barman refused to comply with her order because he knew she was not a drunk.

“Take extreme care in how you handle your employees. Are you aware that I could get you fired?” Mary scared the bartender.

He anxiously gave in to her request. She started with the first shot and kept going until she had finished a bottle of tequila.

"You are so stinking drunk, ma'am. I will not let you make a fool of yourself. That is enough now.” Mary resisted the bartender's attempt to take her bottle of tequila and asked for more.

She had no idea that a strange man sitting in the VIP lounge had been watching her.

The odd man intervened as the fight became intense.

“What the barman has to say is important.” As everyone made fun of her for the mess she had made, he told Mary that alcohol did not look good on her and towed her outside.

Since they thought he was her boyfriend, they never asked any questions about this man.

"Please, let me leave. It hurts my head! How unpleasant!” Mary pressed her head against his wide chest and begged.

She was unable to maintain her balance on the ground. Her blurred vision was slowly causing her to lose her sight.

Unwillingly, he took Mary to his flat and showed her the guest room.

"You will be alright when you awaken. Please let me know if you need anything.” He put her on the bed and tried to get out, but she resisted and dragged him sensuously to the bed.

“This should not be what we are doing. It is disgusting.

I cannot exploit you,” he said, turning his head away from Mary's advances.

She persisted and was uncompromising. She was not prepared to quit just yet.

“Stop acting like this already. I am aware that you require this more than I do.” Mary taunted him.

He was unable to resist her grip as their lips met with such passion.

As they made love, he unfortunately overreacted and fell for her seduction.

______

With the dawn of another day came fresh hopes and dreams

Mary woke up in a comfortable bed, naked, and rubbed her bleary eyes as the light of the new dawn crept into the room.

“Where am I located? How did I find myself here?” She rubbed her head and dressed as he entered with a cup of coffee.

“Ouch, my head's spinning right now,” she said.

“At last, you are awake. You drank too much the night before. Thus, I took you in.

“You pitiful liar from hell, you. You took advantage of me even though you knew I was intoxicated.

Just how cruel can you get?” She swore at him and drove off before he could say anything.

She got into a taxi there and went home to try to patch things up with her father.

She only dated a stranger for one night, and her boyfriend no longer wanted her around.

Currently, home seems like the ideal location.

“I only hope Father will accept me again.”

Like a nine-year-old, she bit her fingernails and muttered, “I ruined my life more.”

She sobbed like a little girl and wished she had never left home.

She eventually arrived at her house. Her face was washed with anxiety, and her confidence was stolen.

She was full of emptiness and confusion.

As she walked in, unsure of what to do with her life any longer, she noticed her father dozing off on the couch. Her biggest scare in life was that one.

At this critical moment, she would rather not see him. “ I am aware that you are currently furious with me, the reality is…" She pushed forward to explain, but her father interrupted, excited to see her again.

“ I am glad you have returned. I worried a lot about you.

I briefly believed that you must have experienced some sort of negative event." Alejandro embraced his daughter tightly and spared her the reprimand for abandoning him the night before.