Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
“ A melia?”
A man’s voice. Deep, silky, British.
My heart jumped into my throat. “N-Neil!”
How had I called him instead of Nicole? Were they next to each other in my contacts?
I must be very drunk indeed.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, a slight hitch in his voice.
“I’ve called you by mistake. I’m trying to reach my friend, Nicole. Ugh. Everything’s gone wrong. Nicole’s gone. Someone groped me. That creepy guy’s still out there. Sorry for disturbing you. Were you asleep?”
“Someone… Christ .”
“He’s out there, and I’m all alone. Nicole went somewhere without me.”
I knew I wasn’t making much sense, but it was difficult just to string a coherent sentence together.
“Are you drunk? You sound drunk. Is that music? Where are you?”
“I am drunk. So drunk.”
“Where are you?”
“A bar.”
“Which bar?”
Wow. He was being awfully insistent. “Why do you want to know that?”
“I’m going to pick you up and take you home. Which bar are you at?”
Take me… home?
I couldn’t quite wrap my head around his offer, but he sounded concerned, so I relented. “The Society Bar.”
“I’m going to come and get you, okay? Just hold tight. Don’t leave the bar. Do you understand? Amelia?”
“I understand.”
“And stay away from that man.”
“Okay.”
“Good. Wait for me there.”
He hung up.
Oh my gosh. Of everyone I could have accidentally called, why did it have to be him? Now, my boss was going to pick me up, drunk, from a bar. I’d never be able to live this down.
After fixing myself up in the mirror, I stumbled out of the bathroom. That’s when I ran straight into him .
The creep, loitering outside the bathrooms.
He reeked of cigarettes and alcohol, and he stared at me, unblinking, with bloodshot eyes. “Are you here alone?” he asked.
My skin crawled.
Do not engage.
I ignored him and walked straight to the exit. He followed. I approached the security guard standing by the door—a tall, beefy man dressed all in black. “Excuse me, that man is bothering me.” I pointed to the creep.
The security guard shot him a significant look, and he backed down, pretending to look innocent.
I need to get out of this place.
The music was giving me a headache. I was hot and bothered and needed fresh air. Neil had told me not to leave the bar, but I was just going outside. Besides, if I waited outside, I’d be able to spot him as soon as he arrived.
The street was dark and frigid. Puddles rippled under the moonlight. A group of young people mooched about, smoking and talking between themselves.
Neil better get here soon.
While I waited, I tried calling Nicole again. I wanted to tell her I was going home, so she wouldn’t come looking for me if she realised I was missing. This time, I concentrated extra hard through my brain fog to make sure I called her and not Neil or anyone else. Several rings went by. She didn’t pick up. Figures. I composed a text message instead. After many attempts to write something legible, I pressed send.
I’m going home now. Thanks for everything.
It had a sense of finality to it. She would realise what had happened and feel regretful. Mission accomplished.
“Milly?” came a voice.
I shuddered in reaction before I could make the mental connection of who the voice belonged to. I looked up from my phone and faced the speaker.
Leon.
He wore black skinny jeans and a brown cord jacket over a faded band t-shirt. Another man, dressed in a similar ensemble plus a slouchy beanie on his head, accompanied him, watching on with vague interest.
“What are you doing here? Who are you with?” Leon asked in a tone I couldn’t place as either friendly or accusatory.
I was paralysed, too shocked by the confrontation to know what else to do except tell him the truth. “I was at a hen’s. Just waiting for my ride home.”
“Going home already? It’s still early.”
I shrugged.
“Why don’t you come with me? We can go somewhere.”
“No, thanks.”
“Come on.”
“I’m getting picked up. My ride will be here any minute.”
“Don’t be such a bore. Just come with me.”
“No.”
“Uptight bitch.”
The other man snickered.
This seemed to spur Leon on, and he continued. “You think you’re better than me, don’t you? I know you blocked me. That’s why you haven’t responded to any of my messages.”
I said nothing. I looked over to where the security guard stood in the entrance, but he wasn’t there. Before I could make a move to go back inside, Leon grabbed my arm and yanked me towards him and his friend.
“Leave me alone!” I shrieked.
“Shut your mouth.”
A third voice entered the fray, calm and measured, but laced with an undertone of fury. “Get your hands off her.”
Leon froze, eyes wide. He released his grip. “Whoa. Okay, dude. Chill out. I wasn’t gonna do anything.”
“Neil!” I gasped.
I had never been so relieved to see him. He came to my side and placed a possessive hand on my shoulder.
Leon gaped. “You’re with that guy?”
I nodded. I wasn’t about to clarify the specifics of my relationship with Neil.
Leon’s friend nudged him. “Let’s go.”
Leon gritted his teeth, his nostrils flaring as he examined Neil from head to toe. One more nudge, and he backed off and skulked away with his friend.
I turned to Neil as a whimper of relief escaped my lungs. I could have hugged him. Hugged my damn boss. He dropped his hand from my shoulder. “Let’s get you home,” he said, all the scary intensity drained from his voice and replaced by a softness that made me turn to mush.
Facing him now, I realised this was the first time I had seen him outside of work. He was wearing casual clothing—jeans and a sweater. He looked much younger without the suit. Maybe I had been wrong about his age? He could be in his late thirties, not early forties. His hair was a bit mussed, and his salt-and-pepper stubble made a comeback appearance. It could have been the alcohol blurring my perception, but I thought he looked kinda good. Attractive even.
No. It definitely had to be the alcohol.
What am I thinking?
“My car’s parked further down,” Neil said.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I mumbled.
“Yes, I did. I shudder to think what could have happened if I hadn’t intervened.”
I looked down at the pavement, feeling my cheeks burn. “Thank you. For saving me.”
“Was that the creepy guy?”
“No. It was someone else.”
He winced. “Two predators in one night? Ugh. I’m not na?ve enough to say I’m surprised. I’m just glad I got here in time.”
It began to spit with rain as we walked along the footpath, passing shops and restaurants and bars. Occasionally, our arms bumped. Even through the haze of drunkenness, I felt hyper-aware of him beside me. To anyone who saw us, we probably looked like a couple rather than boss and employee. That was a strange thought.
The headlights of an approaching bus cut through the fine drizzle. In a swift and precise movement, Neil grabbed me and pulled me back from the side of the road. I landed against his chest, hard and warm. I was stunned, frozen in his embrace. What just happened? Why was he holding me? I couldn’t comprehend what was going on.
Then I heard the crash of water and felt it slap against my side. A mini tidal wave descended upon the footpath, spraying everything in its wake as the bus roared through a flooded section of road.
Neil eased his hold on me before fully letting me go. I stepped back from him, head reeling.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I touched the damp patch on my jacket. “I got a little wet, but you saved me from the worst of it. Good thing you noticed that was about to happen.”
“Stay back from the road. It could happen again if you’re not careful.”
I took his advice to heart, even as I struggled to walk in a straight line. My chest pounded, and my legs felt like jelly. Neil had swept me off my feet. I kept replaying the moment in my head, mesmerised. It was like a scene from a movie.
“Here we are,” Neil said.
His car was a white Tesla. He opened the front passenger door for me. I slid into the leather interior. The heater was already on, but despite the warmth of the car, I couldn’t get comfortable. I felt the cold, dirty water seep through my jacket to the lower layer. My teeth chattered. Deciding it would be preferable to take off the jacket rather than marinate in its dampness, I removed it, revealing the delicate white top I wore underneath. Goosebumps spread over my exposed arms.
Neil watched me from the driver’s seat. “You’re freezing.”
“I’m fine,” I lied, my voice jittery.
Neil’s seatbelt clicked as he ejected it. He reached down to the hem of his sweater and pulled it off over his head, flashing a small band of taut skin below his shirt as he did so. Startled by the peek of flesh, I averted my gaze.
“Here.” He held out his sweater.
I stared at it as if he were offering me something sacred and off-limits.
“Take it,” he urged.
I accepted the sweater and pulled it on. The fabric was soft, warm, and lightweight, and it smelled just like him—dark florals and a hint of black pepper. Neil wasn’t a big man by any means, but it was still baggy on my small frame. The sleeves extended to my fingertips. I rolled them up to my wrists. “Thanks,” I said.
Neil stared at me as if he had forgotten everything else in the world. I looked back at him.
“It suits you,” he murmured.
As soon as the words emerged from his mouth, he tore his gaze from me. Redness crept up his neck and tinged the tips of his ears. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to the task at hand: driving me home. He put his seatbelt back on and started the car.
What was that all about? Did he just flirt with me? No. I must be mistaken. There’s no way he’d do something like that. Would he?
I put the thought out of my mind. I was drunk. My thoughts were scrambled and unreliable.
“What’s your address?” Neil asked.
I told him my street name and number. He typed it into the dashboard, then off we went.
“Who was that guy?” Neil asked as he drove. “Did you know him?”
“His name’s Leon. I went on a date with him once. He turned out to be a major arsehole.”
Neil clenched his jaw. “Stay away from men like him.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
“Good.”
“I don’t usually spend my Saturday nights like this. It was my friend Nicole’s hen party. Somehow, we got separated?—”
“I don’t care how you spend your Saturday nights, as long as you turn up and do your work on Monday.”
“And as long as I stay away from men like Leon.”
“Exactly.”
We spent the rest of the drive in silence. Neil pulled over outside my building.
“Thank you so much,” I said.
I moved to grasp the car door handle, but there wasn’t one.
Neil noticed me struggle and leaned across to open the door. Our bodies were close. I could feel the heat emitting from him. My heart raced. I was so focused on his position, how close he was, that I didn’t see how he opened the door, but I felt the cold breeze from outside rush into the car.
“It’s not a handle, it’s a button,” he said, pulling back to his seat.
“I’ll know for next time.”
I cringed as soon as I said it. Why would there be a next time?
I got out of the car, but I landed on my feet funny and stumbled, feeling woozy.
Neil got out and came to my side. He put his hand on my side to steady me. “Are you okay? You’re not going to throw up, are you?”
I shook my head. “Don’t worry. I have a stomach of steel.”
“Let me walk you to your apartment. I want to make sure you get inside.”
“I’m not that incapacitated. I can make it to my apartment.”
Neil didn’t push the matter, but I could tell he was concerned and wanted to help me. I decided it wouldn’t hurt to let him walk me up. He wasn’t going to take advantage of me. If he were that kind of guy, he would have done so already with the ample opportunities he had at work. Also, I trusted him. “Okay. Walk me up.”
By the slackening of his stance, Neil seemed pleased and relieved.
We walked up to the building door. While I fumbled trying to find my access card in my bag, Neil pushed the door open. “It’s unlocked,” he said with a frown. “That’s poor security.”
“Yeah. There’s a problem with the door. If someone doesn’t close it properly, it doesn’t lock.”
“That needs to get fixed.”
“Plenty of residents have complained, but the body corp still hasn’t done anything about it.”
Neil glanced around as if measuring up the other security features of the building entrance. He looked displeased.
“Packages get stolen pretty often, and sometimes, homeless people get into the building at night,” I said.
“Christ,” Neil muttered.
He concluded his survey and accompanied me inside. On the two occasions we encountered male residents on the way up, he stood close by my side, aiming a withering glare in their direction. I felt like he was my personal bodyguard.
“This is my place,” I said when we arrived outside my door.
I tried to insert the key in the lock, but couldn’t get it to go in.
“Allow me,” Neil said. He removed the key from my grasp and took over. But it didn’t work for him either. “This isn’t the right key,” he said, frowning.
That’s when I realised my mistake. This wasn’t my apartment, it was my neighbour’s.
“Oops.” I walked over to the next door. “This is my place.”
Neil sighed. “And you said you could make it to your apartment.”
“I know, I know.”
This time, the key slid in without resistance.
“Good night, Amelia,” Neil said, stepping back and making his lack of nefarious intentions clear.
“Thank you, Neil. For everything. I feel bad for ruining your evening.”
“You didn’t.”
“You’re actually a very sweet man, you know that?”
“Enough,” he grumbled.
I didn’t know what came over me. It was like I was possessed. Before I could stop myself, I closed the gap between us and flung my arms around him.