And Then He Saved Me

And Then He Saved Me

***

The Rescue

It would be so easy. Just a quick step into oblivion. Time it right and the subway would carry her away. It would be quick.

Lauren stared at the track. Would her mind have time to register pain when it hit? She dropped her purse when she heard the rumble of the approaching cars. No more pain, that’s all she wanted. She looked down the gloomy tunnel. She stepped to the edge when the lead car breached the dark opening. Lauren closed her eyes.

“Excuse me,” A gentle hand touched her bare arm. “Miss, you’re too close to the edge. You need to step back.”

His smooth voice required her attention. Lauren opened her eyes and stared at him. Her savior wore greasy overalls and an ironed-on patch that read, “Cyril.” He was a large, burly man with muscular arms, dark Mediterranean skin, and gentle black eyes. When she didn’t move, he pulled her against him to avoid the train as it pulled up.

The air turbulences whipped her long hair around. Lauren stood there in a daze, her mind slowly accepting that she was still alive.

“That was too close,” he commented, letting go of her. He picked up her purse and handed it to her. Lauren automatically took it from him, but stumbled from the weight of it. He immediately grabbed onto her elbow as support. “Are you okay?”

Lauren’s sluggish mind converted his words and she repeated. “Yeah… okay.”

The doors opened and the large man got onto the train, holding out his hand to her. Lauren stared at him unmoving. Just before the doors closed, he jumped back off. “You’re not okay.”

“No.”

He gently took her arm and led Lauren out of the subway, walking her to a small diner across the street. Lauren sat down listlessly. “Cyril” ordered two coffees and a piece of pie.

“What’s your name?” he asked after the waitress walked away.

“Not important.”

“Yes, it is.” With a commanding tone, he asked again, “What is your name?”

“Lauren Bell.”

He nodded and smiled, obviously pleased that she was responding. “Lauren Bell. That’s a beautiful name.”

She stared at the cup and saucer the waitress put in front of her, but she didn’t make a move towards it. Without asking, Cyril put two spoonfuls of sugar in her cup and stirred in a little cream, pushing it towards her. “Nothing warms the soul like a hot cup of joe.”

“Sure,” she said dully.

He reached over and took her small hand in his. The man asked in a quiet tone, “Lauren, were you trying to kill yourself back there?”

She glanced away and stared at a prissy businesswoman hassling their waitress over a dirty spoon. The waitress immediately replaced it with an apology and a smile, but the woman wasn’t satisfied. Lauren shook her head in disgust and looked down at her lap.

“No comment,” she finally answered.

Cyril squeezed her hand and said simply, “You matter.”

She turned back towards him and said matter-of-factly, “Nobody would have cared.”

“I would have.”

Lauren rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the self-absorbed woman in the business suit. She was arguing with the manager over the stupid spoon, humiliating the waitress over something so unimportant.

“Leave me alone, Cyril.”

“I am not the kind of man who sees someone in need and walks away.”

She growled under her breath, “I don’t
need
anyone.”

Cyril was silent. Lauren only heard the clinking of his spoon against the ceramic cup as he stirred his coffee with conviction.

The waitress came to the table, placing the pie in front of Lauren with a wink. “You look like you could use some pie.” Her kindness after being shamed by the businesswoman touched Lauren’s heart in ways she could not have imagined.

“Thanks.” The waitress nodded and gave another wink to Cyril before leaving the table.

Lauren glanced briefly at the man across from her. Cyril looked quite a bit older than she was. He was grimy from a hard day’s work; something she respected. What struck her most was the aura of kindness surrounding him, which softened his imposing stature. Overall, Cyril seemed safe - which was not what she wanted.

She turned her attention back to the pie with a mountain of whip cream on top and her lips twitched. Lauren took the spoon and scooped up a mound of it. She turned the spoon upside down and slid it across her tongue. The sweet creaminess calmed her nerves as only whip cream could. “Mmm…”

Cyril looked amused, but said nothing. He slurped his coffee noisily instead. She couldn’t tell if he was trying to be funny, but she found it endearing and smiled to herself. After all the whip cream was gone, Lauren pushed the pie away. She looked Cyril in the eye and asked, “Why did you do it?”

“Do what? Pull you from the edge?”

“Yeah.”

“You would have been killed.”

“So?”

“You are far too young to end that way.”

Lauren twirled a strand of her long brown hair. “You may think you’re a big hero or something, but the fact is I’m still here. I’m still in pain.” She got up from the booth and started walking towards the door.

Cyril jumped up and followed behind her, yelling at the waitress, “Money’s on the table.”

Once they were outside, she tried to make a quick escape but he grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip.

“Let me go!”

“No.”

“Do you want me to scream bloody murder?”

“You won’t,” he said confidently.

She growled and tried to shake him off. “You did your big rescue. It’s over. Let me go.”

“Where are you headed?”

Lauren said nothing. She was going to end her pain tonight, one way or another.

“I see. Then you’re coming with me.”

She struggled more violently against him. “No, I’m not.”

“I’m not leaving you alone, Lauren.” Cyril started pulling her back towards the subway. She planted her feet and tried to jerk away from him. He continued forward unfazed, her small stature no match against his hefty one. People began staring at them.

Lauren didn’t want the attention so she reluctantly followed Cyril, determined to run the moment he loosened his grip.

Her Confession

They jumped onto the next available subway train. Unfortunately, a menacing group of young thugs occupied the car. Normally Lauren had no problems on the subway, but the men reacted aggressively towards Cyril. “What are you doing with that white chick, terrorist? Get your hands off her, now!” the leader of the gang demanded.

Cyril let go of Lauren, “We’ve got no problems here, buddy.”

The youth advanced towards them. “What is an old pervert like you hanging on a young white girl for anyway?” His subordinates followed behind him threateningly. The rest of the people in the car remained where they were cautiously observing the scene, but choosing not to get involved.

“We’re friends,” Cyril answered, moving between Lauren and the group.

The leader gestured lewdly towards Lauren. “A raghead can’t give you what you need. But I can, baby.”

Lauren glared at him. She hated bigots. “This is my boyfriend and he gives me more than you ever could.” She tiptoed, wrapping her arms around Cyril’s substantial neck and kissing him on the mouth. Despite the dire circumstances, Lauren couldn’t help noticing how soft and warm his lips were.

The gang leader stopped in his tracks. “You’re fucking the terrorist?”

Cyril stared at Lauren in shock and then turned towards the approaching group stating loudly, so the whole car heard, “I’m Greek, you ignoramus.”

The leader looked at Lauren in disgust. “Giving it up to an Arab, huh? You fucking little ho!”

Cyril moved towards him threateningly. “Shut your mouth, before I make you!”

Lauren couldn’t help smiling. She’s never had a man defend her honor before. “It’s okay, Tiger,” she purred, placing her hands on his broad chest and looking up at Cyril innocently. “I can’t hear what those boys are babbling about anyway.”

Luckily, the train pulled up to the next stop. Cyril quickly jumped off and held out his hand for her. Lauren hadn’t planned on sticking with him, but she jumped into his arms without a second thought. She looked back at the gang of ruffians and stuck out her tongue. “Have fun playing with yourselves, boys.” The leader lurched towards her just as the doors closed.

“Do you have a death wish?” Cyril asked and then immediately followed up with, “Yeah, of course you do.”

Lauren felt slightly guilty. No matter how much she wanted to end her own life, she had no right to endanger his in the process. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

Cyril gave a low barrel laugh that shook his whole frame. “It was worth seeing the look on their faces.”

She smirked, “I couldn’t stop myself. I detest bigots.”

“And he didn’t even get the race right.”

Lauren looked up at Cyril and studied him carefully. “How old are you anyway?”

“Thirty-three. What about you?”

“Twenty-one.”

“Whoa, that’s young.”

“How old did you think I was?”

“I don’t know. I hadn’t given it any thought until ‘Arian-nation’ said something about it. But I have to admit, you and I must look strange with me being so much older and obviously unrelated to you.”

Lauren gave a snorting laugh. “Yeah, at first I thought he was trying to save me from you, but then I realized he had more sinister intentions.”

Cyril stopped in his tracks. “I would never hurt you, Lauren. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, your kiss was too sweet to be that of a killer.”

The brawny Grecian’s cheeks reddened like a girl’s. It seemed adorably wrong. “I wasn’t expecting you to kiss me. I would never take advantage of you like that.”

“You don’t hear me complaining, do you? It was…nice.”

Cyril changed the subject. “My apartment isn’t far from here. I was thinking you could call someone to pick you up.”