“Okay, what the fuck?” he asked. “Weren’t you two on a date?”
“Um, yeah, we were. We’ve been dating for six months now,” I said, my words spilling out in a daze.
Had Elliot really ran off without so much as a yell for me to follow or glance back to see if I stayed behind him? Did he leave me here so he would have more time to get away?
“Well, that’s sure as fuck long enough not to leave you alone with the man trying to rob him. I have a gun pointed at you guys, and he ran? If your choices are to get shot or spend a night walking around an art gallery, I would think it would be an easy choice of getting shot at, but still, he should have at least tried to help you.”
I stood there, stunned, as my would-be mugger talked to me like we were friends, likehewas surprised at Elliot’s behavior.
“I’m sorry. Doyoufeel sorry forme?” I asked, finally snapping out of it.
“I mean, more outraged for you, but yeah, he’s a pretty pathetic boyfriend. He should be here with his fucking fists raised.”
I stepped back towards the building, leaning against the cool brick, using the feel of it under my fingers to bring me back to reality. “Wow. Oh, wow. I’m so pathetic, the man who needs to rob me at gunpoint feels sorry for me?”
“Hold on. Let’s get this straight. I was robbing him. I wasn’t coming for you.”
“No? You had a gun pointed at me!”
“Mainly, I had a gun pointed athim. I only turned it to you for a second. For the shock factor. Your boyfriend owes me money, and I had been the one volunteered to come get it.” He shook his head. “Or at least scare him enough to try and get it.”
I glanced back at the place Elliot had been next to me. “Well, you managed to scare him, so you accomplished half.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know who I am, so it failed a little. I honestly wasn’t expecting him to run awaythatfast. I didn’t even get to do my speech. I couldn’t even compare him to running away like a girl. I think one of them would have even stayed longer. Shit, one of them did stay longer.”
I laughed, regretting it immediately. I couldn’t find my would-be robber funny. I stared up at him. The mask covered the bottom half of his face, and his dark hair was wild from the helmet, and his eyes locked onto me. Unfortunately, my next thought after finding him funny went to how hot he looked.
“Alright, come on,” he said, reaching out with his helmet in hand as though I should take it.
“Come on, what?”
“Come on, I’m driving you home. Unlike your boyfriend, I’m not leaving you here on a deserted street, at night, all alone. And I have more stuff to do tonight, so come on, get your ass moving.”
“Really? You plan more than one mugging a night? Surprising. And maybe he knows I am a grown, capable woman,” I said, straightening my shoulders. Maybe Elliot hadonly thought I would know how to handle myself and expect me to run with him.
“Considering you didn’t even flinch when I pulled up with a gun, I don’t doubt it. I thought you were the one who would fight me.”
“So, then, what makes you think I can’t get home myself?”
He stepped closer, and I could see the blue in his eyes now. The black of his clothes mixed with blue made me think of the painting. The deep, black hues with bright icy blue. It was as beautiful of a picture as the one I had been looking at. He laughed, the deep sound catching my attention again.
“Do you know where you are at? Because if you think you are going to walk home alone from here and not be bothered, you are wrong. And I don’t think any Uber is going to be coming down here for you. Either get on my bike or risk coming across someone else.”
“What if they are nicer than you?”
“I’m not currently robbing you, touching you, or planning to do either, so what if they are not?”
The deserted street and creepy path were enough to make my skin crawl, but this man had just pointed a gun at me.
“I think you should know I do know how to defend myself, so if you do try to touch me or rob me, I can fight back.”
“You have me shaking in fear. Now get on the bike,” he said, the bored tone making me chew on my bottom lip. Technically, if I got on, he could take me anywhere.
But if I didn’t, I would be left here.
“I don’t really get into cars with strangers, or get on the back of motorcycles…well, ever.”
“Then congratulations, you’re about to be a rebel for what I can only imagine is the first time in your life.”
