A Little Bit of Hope

Chapter 2- A Strange Man

Ian had moved in quickly. There was half-decent furniture, and only a few boxes lying around. He guided me to a small green couch and gestured for me to sit. "I think we could both do with some coffee," he said with a wink. It wasn't the kind of wink clients gave me, as a promise of things to come. It was playful and friendly, and it put me at ease.

I sat nervously on the couch as he maneuvered around the kitchen. As the coffee neared completion, the delicious smell wafted out to me, and my stomach voiced its complaints about my small breakfast.

Finally Ian came out with two mugs and two sandwiches. My mouth watered but I shook my head. "You don't have to feed me." It wasn't that I wasn't hungry, but I didn't want to owe him anything. Guys with pretty faces were always nice until it was time to be... paid. I especially didn't want to do that kind of thing with my next door neighbor. Just a little too close to home, you know?

Ian just smiled. "What kind of host would I be if I let you go hungry? Besides," he added, setting the food on the coffee table, "I haven't eaten lunch yet and I get ever so lonely." he rolled his eyes dramatically and I giggled. Wow. I haven't come that close to a laugh in years.

He grinned and picked up his sandwich, and I did the same. Between bites we chatted, mostly him asking if I've seen this or that movie, and acting out his favorite parts. Over the next couple hours, he managed to make me laugh twice more. Maybe he wasn't like the other guys I'd known after all. I finally glanced at the clock, and was shocked to find it was nearly six o'clock. I jumped up. "Shit!" I was running out of time to get to work. Autumn nights start early.

Ian jumped up as well. "What is it? What's wrong?"

I gestured towards the clock. "I- I have to go to work," I sputtered. I blushed, realizing too late that I'd given him a chance to ask what my job was.

He reached over and grabbed his keys off the table. "No problem, I can give you a ride...."

I ignored the questioning look on his face and backed towards the door. "No, that's fine, I can walk. I just need to grab some clothes from my apartment," I insisted.

Ian's face clouded over. "At least let me go over with you. Just in case," he offered. I nodded my consent, silenced by the thought of James.

I opened the door to my apartment and was relieved to see no trace of James. My clothes had all been tossed in a pile near the boxes Gary had stacked by the door, and Ian stood outside while I quickly fished out a low-cut silver tank top and a black miniskirt and put them on. My heels were still by the bed where I'd tossed them earlier, and I grabbed those as well. I was fishing a pair of hoop earrings out of my dresser drawer when the blankets shifted on the bed to reveal... James. I froze.

He stared at me for a second, and then a lazy smile spread across his face. "Hey baby," he drawled. "I guess I passed out here, huh?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. He obviously didn't remember what he'd done. Doesn't mean it didn'thappen. I pushed the doubts out of my head and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Yeah. I was just about to go to work," I chirped.

James hugged me around the waist and pulled me down on the bed. I started to protest, but he cut me off. "Why don't you just stay home with me tonight? I can make it worth your while," he coaxed.

"Because Gary doesn't much care about my while. If I don't pay him by the end of the week, I'm screwed," I countered. "I won't have a place to stay, and you won't have a place to get laid." I picked myself up off the bed and stomped out of the room crossly.

Ian started to smile when I came out but stopped when he saw my face. "He was there?"

I nodded angrily and marched down the stairs. Ian hurried to keep up. "Why do you even bother with him?" he asked.