Intrigued and Enchanted (2 page)

Once I get all my other crap together I head out to see if I can find my phone, my lifeline! I spend a good half hour checking the grounds, but no luck. Of course, why do I think this day will cut me a break! I know where Jess will be at this time of day, so I head to the student union in search of her.

“Oh my God! It’s the first sign of the apocalypse. Lil is out in daylight. Has the library burned to the ground?”

“Very funny Jess. Just what I need, your smart ass remarks, like my day hasn’t sucked enough already.” I sit down next to her and the latest victim of her charms. I honestly don’t know how she keeps finding new guys to crush on. I don’t think I ever see the same guy twice with her.

“Awww bestie, tell me what’s up and I’ll turn that frown upside down, even if I have to get Jeff here to hold you up by your ankles!!!” That gets a hint of a smile on my face. I know she’ll give me no end of grief about my morning mishap, but I need to tell someone, just to get it off my chest and maybe stop thinking about him.

“Okay, okay, here goes nothing”, I tell her the whole story, from my lack of awareness, to my painfully embarrassing outburst of “you’re perfect”, and ending with my running away like a twelve year old after shouting at him for questioning my sexuality. You should see her face trying to stifle the laugh, until I tell her about when he touched me. Her face drops and she gets all serious on me. “Oh my God, Lil.”

“It really is the end of the fucking world! Not only are you out during the day interacting with other humans, but you met a human who makes your panties tingle.” Then she bursts out laughing at her own comments. Why am I friends with this girl?

“What’s this guy’s name then?”

“Did you not hear the story? I did not wait around to find out the name of Mr Tall Dark Adonis.” I then listen to a ten minute lecture about how stupid I am that I didn’t get his name and number, and that I need to think less with my giant brain, and more with ‘little Lil’.

Needless to say, Jess does a pretty shitty job of taking my mind off the beautiful stranger that has taken residence in my head. She teases me and berates me throughout the afternoon, and into our dinner at the local diner. Little did I know, these tormenting images would infiltrate my dreams that night, and every night since: Beautiful, ice blue eyes staring down at me, lush black hair, and lips made for sin, tending to my every dream pleasure.

I wake in the morning tangled in my sheets, feeling a warm tingle all over my body. I can feel the dampness between my thighs and I feel my cheeks flush when I realise I’ve just had a sex dream about a total stranger. I decide to get up and go for a run in Central Park to clear my head, then I’ll go sort out a new phone and head back to the library to catch up on the work I didn’t do yesterday. I pull on my yoga pants and top, grab my sneakers and I’m off.

Central Park really is the most beautiful place to go for a run. You move from the crazy hustle and bustle of Manhattan, straight into an idyllic oasis where you can lose yourself for hours, and just slow your mind down. It’s a little slice of heaven, and it really does the trick for me today. As I wander back to the apartment, drinking in the city as I walk off my run, I feel relaxed and ready to tackle some Shakespeare.

That chilled contented feeling doesn’t last long. As the doors to the elevator open onto our floor, I notice a box sitting outside of our apartment. It has Miss Lily Pritchard written in elegant script on an envelope attached to the box. Before I open the envelope, I sneak a peek in the box. I can’t believe my eyes, it’s my cell phone. I can’t believe someone has gone to the trouble to return it to me.

It’s such a thoughtful and kind thing to do. I was so sure I would never see it again. I scroll through the phone quickly to find that all my information is intact which is awesome. I then turn my attention to the envelope. I’m anxious to find out who my Good Samaritan is. When I open the envelope, there’s a letter inside. As I start to read it, the colour drains from my face:

Dear Miss Pritchard

I hope you haven’t been too lost without your cell phone for the past 24 hours. Again, I would like to apologise for causing this inconvenience when I walked into you yesterday in South Field. One thing I am not sorry for, is getting a chance to meet you.

I found you quite…enchanting. I can’t tell you how many times I have replayed our encounter in my head already. It is not the first time I have been called “perfect”, however, it was by far my favourite.

With regard to my commenting on your “type”, I never intended to cause offense. I was merely taken aback that a woman so angelic would be studying a topic meant to entice sin.

You intrigue me Miss Pritchard, and that doesn’t happen very often. I took the liberty of entering my number into your contacts, and expect to hear from you in the next 24 hours.

Until then Miss Pritchard

Intrigued and Enchanted

Oh. Holy. Mother. Of. Pearl.

4

I could have come up with a hundred scenarios that would come to pass after my brief encounter with Mr Tall Dark Adonis, but this was not one of them. The only real explanation is that he’s a cruel bastard that wants to make fun of me (as if I can’t make an ass of myself without help). And where does he get off making demands, ‘
I expect to hear from you in the next 24 hours
’, who says stuff like that!? Not only is he a demanding ego maniac, he’s been nosing around my phone putting his number in. Just to see if he’s telling the truth, I pick up my phone and scroll through my contacts list.

Sure enough, under Mr Enchanted there’s a cell phone number. He hasn’t given me his real name. Why would I contact a stranger who won’t even give me his real name? He could be a crazy person for all I know, he might be planning to tie me up and torture me…why do I feel turned on at the thought of him tying me up? There is something seriously wrong with me.

I think Jess is right, I really need to get laid already! I can never contact this guy, he’s turned me from an uninterested virgin, into a wanton sex pervert in the space of 24 hours and all he’s done is hold my arms to stop me from falling. I definitely need to get out more.

I shoot off a quick text to Jess telling her I’m back in the land of communication before I shower and head back to Butler to kick some thesis ass.

****

I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, but I actually did a great job finishing my thesis today. It was not as easy as it would have been a week ago. My brain has been wandering off on me every five minutes, going to a place where ice blue eyes were staring down at me, and a sexy as hell voice was telling me the naughty things he was going to teach me about sexuality, that I would never read in a book.

I think it took me about three times as long to get it finished and I had to press my thighs together more than a few times to get rid of the ache that was starting to build inside me thinking about a man I would never see again. When you start getting worked up over A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Measure for Measure, you know you’re getting a bit lonely.

I definitely need to go on a date, and quickly; distract myself from dreaming of a certain dark haired, blue-eyed man. I console myself with the assurance that he is an ass-hat, so a dream is better than reality!

I go about the rest of my day and don’t give another thought to contacting Mr TDA. That’s not to say I don’t think a lot of other things about him, but contacting him…NO.

Wednesday night, Jess suggests going for a few drinks with some friends from Columbia, and for once, I think it’s a good idea. I deserve a bit of time off for good behaviour. I make myself presentable and off we go to a great little bar and club called Retro. I love this place. It does what it says on the label…its retro, and I love dancing the night away, when I get the chance.

Jess and I have been strutting our stuff for at least an hour when we decide on a break for some well-deserved cocktails. Our poison of choice – the French Martini!

While Jess is ordering drinks at the bar, I grab a space for us with our friends. Then I do what we all do when we sit down for a millisecond, I check my cell…That’s when I almost throw up on our friend Melissa. I have several notifications – four missed calls and one new message from Mr Enchanted.

Mr E: Miss Pritchard, You should know something about me. I am not a patient man. I was
hoping to hear from you by now. Stop ignoring me. Call me.

What the hell is wrong with this guy? No ‘how are you’, or ‘do you remember me’? Having already had some liquid courage tonight, I decide to be honest and I text him back.

Me: I was not ignoring you. I’m out with friends and I never intended to contact you. Thank
you for returning my cell. I appreciate it more than you know.

Almost immediately my phone buzzes:

Mr E: Why weren’t you intending to contact me? I apologised for what I said the other day.

Me: I know that, but there is no reason for us to be in contact with each other.

Mr E: I beg to differ sweetheart, I think there is
EVERY
reason for us to be in close contact.

Me: And that is?

Mr E: Don’t be so coy Miss Pritchard. I know you felt it, when I held you in my arms.

Me: Wow, you really are full of yourself aren’t you?

Mr E: I am when I know what I’m talking about. I know what I want, and I always get what I
want.

Me: And what is that?

Mr E:
YOU

I drop my cell on the floor in shock. I’m scrambling on my hands and knees under the table, when I notice someone standing in front of me. I take in the obviously expensive shoes, the tailored pants, and then I look up to see Mr TDA standing right here in front of me, in this bar.

The grin he’s flashing me can only be described as the textbook, Panty Dropping Smile. FUCK. He. Is. Gorgeous. I quickly avert my eyes from the gorgeous, and search the floor to grab my cell quickly. When I feel it under the table, I clutch it and prepare myself to look back up at
him
. He really is…wow! He leans down to my ear, a look of pure sin on his face.

“You look good on your knees at my feet Miss Pritchard.” He holds out his hand to me and helps me to my feet. My body is vibrating at his touch.

“Sadly I have to go just now, but we will see each other again.” He gives me one last scorching look before turning on his heels and heading for the exit.

I can’t decide whether to run after him to see what his game is (crazy stalker), or to text him. I don’t get the chance to do either, because, before I can do anything, Jess is in my face.

“Who the hell was that?”

“That was the guy I was telling you about from the other day.”

“Holy shit Lil. The name Mr Tall Dark Adonis does not do that fine specimen of a man justice. I think I just came a little. How weird that you bumped into him here.” I explain the situation to Jess, and show her the texts that I received right before I was on my knees in front of him. She’s giddy.

“You have to call him back Lil. He is smoking hot, and he totally wants you. Time to give up the goodies my friend. I can say without a doubt that you will never find a man as fine as him. He is perfect for an introduction to the dark side.”

I stare at her in disbelief. Her encouragement incites feelings that I’ve been trying to quash since I laid eyes on him.

“You can’t be serious Jess, he could be a stalker, he could be mentally unstable, how did he even know where I was tonight, and how did he know where to send my phone back to?”

“WHO CARES LIL?!!! I’m not saying marry the guy, I’m saying you deserve to have some fun, and he could definitely provide that.”

“I’m not talking to you about this Jess, I don’t feel like dancing now; I’m just going to head to the apartment. You stay and have fun.” Jess tries to argue with me, but in the end I convince her to stay with our friends. I grab my coat and head for the exit.

If I was using the intelligence that I was born with, I would have waited a while before leaving Retro, but alas, my brain did not engage and I walk outside to hail a cab. As I stand waiting, a black SUV pulls up next to me. I have the good sense to move back from the car, however, I’m frozen to the spot when the back window rolls down and a familiar smooth voice tells me to get in.

My brain is screaming at me to walk away, but my body seems to be reaching for the door handle. Oh. Shit. Step away Lily, just walk away. I open the door and am hit with the most amazing scent. It’s a mixture of clean laundry, very sexy cologne, and something I can’t place. I’m just going to call it his unique man smell. Whatever it is, it’s amazing.

Lucky I’m getting in to sit down, otherwise I might faint on the sidewalk just breathing in this man’s intoxicating smell. There are no words, well there are plenty of words, but apparently I have lost the power of speech and simple thought.

“Nice to see you again Miss Pritchard. I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”

“I wasn’t in the mood for dancing anymore.”

“Would you like a lift back to your apartment?”

“Yes thank you.” I want to ask him so many questions, but I get the distinct impression that anything to come out of my mouth right now will be incredibly bitchy, so I keep quiet.

“Angus, take us to Miss Pritchard’s apartment please.”

“Right away sir.” I know he has my address, he sent my phone to the apartment. But I’m surprised by how nonchalant he is about his invasion of my privacy.

“How did you find out where I live?”

“I have my sources Miss Pritchard. I had to get your phone back to you.”

“Well quit it. It makes you creepy and stalkerish.” With that comment, he throws his head back and laughs, a proper belly laugh. The sound is divine, but I’m annoyed that he’s laughing at me.

“What’s so funny? I’m a young woman in the car with a stranger who knows where I live. Not smart on my part. I don’t even know your name.”