Unwanted Attention

By the time evening came, Gabriella felt drained.

And still, the problem hadn’t gone anywhere.

Around her, the office was still active. Still tense. No one could relax.

She gathered her things quietly, trying to keep her head down as she packed, then tightened her grip on her bag and walked out.

The cool air outside hit her the moment she stepped out of the building.

A stark contrast to the suffocating atmosphere in the office.

Gabriella took a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs slowly.

For the first time all day, she felt like she could breathe.

She hailed a taxi and leaned her head against the window as the city rushed past. Loud horns and distant voices filled the background, but none of it reached her.

Her thoughts were louder, and her chest felt heavy.

She just felt…exhausted.

“Ma’am, we’re here,” the taxi driver called, drawing her attention.

“Oh, right.”

She scrambled for some dollar bills in her bag and handed them to him.

“Thank you.”

Then she stepped out of the vehicle and walked into her run-down apartment building. Pushing through the entrance, the door creaked softly, echoing into the quiet space.

“Evening, little lady,” a voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

She forced a small smile.

“Good evening, Mr Austin.”

The old man looked up from where he sat in his wheelchair.

“Long day?” he asked.

Gabriella sighed.

“You have no idea.”

Mr. Austin chuckled softly.

“I can tell. Don’t let it swallow you whole, dear,” he said gently.

Gabriella nodded, then started up the stairs.

“I’ll try. Have a good night, Sir,” she said over her shoulder.

“You too.”

Reaching her apartment, she grabbed her keys from her bag and stepped inside. She slipped off her heels and dropped her bag by the door, letting out a slow breath.

Finally.

Gabriella moved to the kitchen and filled a kettle. The soft sound of water boiling filled the space.

Shortly after, the kettle whistled softly, and she turned it off. She made herself a cup of tea and walked to the counter, where a stack of unopened mail waited.

A small frown etched onto her face.

Setting her cup down, she began sorting through the envelopes.

Bills, final notices, reminders.

Her chest tightened painfully.

She picked one up, scanning the content.

Another student loan notice. And it was due.

Soon.

Her fingers tightened around the paper.

Her shoulders slumped as she leaned against the counter.

“When does it end?” she whispered.

She lay her head on the counter and closed her eyes.

Everything felt like it was closing in.

Getting up abruptly, she dumped the tea into the sink and placed the cup into the dishwasher, then pushed the button.

But nothing happened.

She tried again. Still nothing.

Gabriella let out a small, humourless laugh.

“Wonderful,” she muttered.

Suddenly, her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen.

Khloe.

Gabriella hesitated. She wasn’t in the mood at all. Not tonight.

She picked it up anyway. She knew she would get an earful if she didn’t.

“Hey, girl.”

“Heyyy.. Ready for tonight?” Khloe chimed from the other end of the phone.

Gabriella didn’t respond.

“Gabby no,” Khloe said firmly.

“Actually…”

“No excuses. You promised you would come out with me tonight,” Khloe whined.

“I know, I know. It’s just… Today has been a lot. Can’t I get a raincheck?”

“Absolutely not. That’s all the more reason to come out and take your mind off things.”

“I don’t know Khloe.” Gabriella’s voice dropped lower.

“You’re always cooped up in your apartment. You need to go out and see the city.”

“I’m really not in the mood,” Gabriella complained.

“So you’re just going to blow me off again?” she sounded offended.

Khloe was her best friend. Her only friend, in fact. They had met in foster care back in Arkansas, but got separated when Khloe got adopted and moved to New York.

“That’s not what best friends do, Gabby,” she pouted.

“Ok, fine. I’ll come.” Gabriella gave in.

“Yesss. Be ready by nine and wear something cute,” she giggled.

“Yes, ma’am,” she smiled.

Gabriella couldn’t help getting influenced by Khloe’s bubbly personality. She always made her feel better when things got tough.

She lowered her phone slowly and stared at the mail. Then at her dishwasher.

Sighing deeply, she walked out of the kitchen and started getting ready to go out with Khloe.

Hours later, Gabriella and Khloe stood outside a club that had the word “Highlight” written boldly in front.

“This is where we’re going?” Gabriella asked, surprised.

Club Highlight was the go-to location for celebrity hangouts and was always making headlines as the scene where many scandals occurred.

“Yes!!! And we are going to have so much fun.” Khloe pulled Gabriella with her as they walked towards the entrance.

The club was dimly lit, with music thumping an upbeat bass, making the floor vibrate in a rhythm that was hard to resist.

In the middle of the dance floor, Gabriella and Khloe moved with the sea of bobbing heads.

“I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” Khloe leaned in to say to Gabriella so she could hear her over the music, before strutting away in the direction of the restroom.

Now, without her friend, Gabriella felt a bit awkward on the dance floor, but she continued to move with the pulsating energy radiating through the crowd.

As she danced by herself, she suddenly felt someone come up behind her, matching her movements and draping his arms around her waist. She didn’t turn around to face the stranger, forcing herself to ignore the alarms that were going off in her head.

‘We’re just dancing,’ she thought.

With every minute that went by, the stranger pulled her closer as his hands inched dangerously low. Gabriella soon grew irritated and decided to walk away. She had indulged him enough, and she certainly wasn’t interested in making any headlines for the club.

Freeing herself from the stranger’s hold, she started to walk away when he suddenly pulled her back by the arm and turned her around to face him, landing a slap to her butt.

Gabriella felt her skin crawl, and her blood boiled with anger. She tried to push him away, but he would not let go of her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The man asked her, his breath stinking of alcohol.

“Get your grimy hands off me,” she said as she struggled to release herself from his grip. She clawed at his chest and pushed to no avail, only making him grip her even tighter.

Suddenly, a hand shot out of nowhere and pulled the man back by his collar.

Then a swift punch landed hard against his jaw, sending him stumbling to the floor with a thud, drawing the attention of the formerly oblivious crowd and causing them to stare with wide eyes as people pulled out their phones and the room filled with the sound of flashing cameras.

‘Just great,’ Gabriella thought.

The savior turned around and met her gaze, his face etched with concern as he scanned her for any signs of distress.

“Thank you,” Gabriella said with a breath of relief, her voice barely audible over the music.

“You’re welcome,” he mouthed back.

He had a friendly presence, but still, there was a quiet authority about him that didn’t need to be announced. His eyes were gentle as he looked at her, and for a brief moment, they both stood there smiling at each other, without saying a word.

Khloe finally reappeared and stepped between them, making Gabriella break eye contact with the man to face her.

“You miss me?” Khloe said, laughing, as she started dancing between them, not noticing the man.

“What took you so long?” Gabriella asked, a little upset with her.

“If it wasn’t for that guy…Hey, I didn’t get your name.” Gabriella looked to where the man had been standing previously, only to find that he was gone.

“What guy?” Khloe turned around in the direction Gabriella pointed.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Never mind, I guess.” She said as a disappointed frown crossed her face.

“Ok then. Let’s go get drinks,” Khloe said, pushing her in the direction of the bar.

The rest of the night, Gabriella felt an unfulfilled sense of gratitude towards the stranger who saved her, but she had no way of contacting him. She didn’t even get his name.

Later that night, Gabriella sat in the back of a cab, on her way home.

She scrolled through her phone but suddenly paused. A picture on a particular post caught her attention.

“CEO Dennis Raymond saves damsel in distress.” Gabriella read the words as she stared at a photo of her and her savior from that night. Her features were a bit blurry due to the lighting in the club, but you could tell it was her if you looked closely.

“So the man who helped me was Dennis Raymond.” Gabriella didn’t know how to feel. The post already had thousands of likes and comments from girls saying they wished to be in her shoes.

‘Well, I guess this is better than making headlines for being groped at a club,’ she thought.

The taxi came to a stop, and Gabriella got out and went up the stairs to her apartment, but as she reached the door, she froze.

Her breath caught in her throat.

There was a piece of paper taped to her door. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for it.

An uneasy feeling settled in her chest.

EVICTION NOTICE.

Written in angry red letters.