For The Love Of A Stranger

Chapter two- The Stranger

   Ava turns around to see a tall, unbelievably handsome stranger standing behind her. His gaze is piercing, and even though she's a confident, strong woman she can feel herself starting to withdraw.

  "You don't speak? Or has my incredibly charming charisma rendered you speechless?"

  Ava stares at him for a moment and then somehow through her mental block she manages to mumble some form of sentence.

"Excuse me?" That's the only reply she could think of whilst his icy blue eyes beamed at her.

  "I don't want to come across as rude here but you look like you've had the day from hell"

Who does this guy think he is?

  "Listen old blue eyes, I don't know who you think you are bu-"

  The stranger stifles back a laugh as he takes a step closer to Ava, not breaking eye contact the whole time.

  "Henry Kingston, very pleased to meet you. And did you just call me blue eyes?"

"Old blue eyes actually" Ava finally finds her confidence. She doesn't know what it is about this handsome stranger, but for a moment she felt stunned to silence. Nobody had had that effect on her before, and it made her very uncomfortable.

  "So blue eyes, what are you doing in a back alley, all alone on a Saturday evening? It's a little creepy isn't it?"

  "I hate to break it to you blondie, but you're worse than me, alone in a back alley on a Saturday evening drinking what appears to be half inched champagne..."

Ava remains silent for a moment. This beautiful, yet rather annoying stranger is right. This is a new low even for her, she should be inside supporting her big sister on the happiest day of her life, yet here she is sparring with a complete stranger in the back alley of a wedding venue. Her mother would be so incredibly proud of her.

  "How about instead of boozing in the back alley, which you do so elegantly by the way, you let me buy you a drink in the bar across the way?"

Is this guy for real?

  "Me and you drinking in that dive across the way? It's a hard pass from me, but thanks for the offer"

Out of nowhere the back door to the venue kitchen flies open and Ava hears the all too familiar, hard and quite frankly terrifying voice of her mother thundering through the kitchen.

"Who's in charge in this kitchen? You, don't speak. Are you trying to make my special day, I mean my daughter's special day a disaster? Just look at these canapés, and don't get me started on the choice of wine!"

  Ava cringes as she hears her mother bellow at the poor, undeserving, hardworking kitchen staff. She has two choices, stay out here and risk the wrath of her mother when  she eventually finds her, or go across the street to a run down bar, with a complete stranger that could potentially be a serial killer.

At least if he's a serial killer I won't have to face my mother once she realises I've made a break for it.

  "Listen Harry"

  "It's Henry"

  "Whatever, look no funny business okay? I have two choices tonight, and drinking with you is the lesser of two evils, so let's go" Hearing her mother's shouting getting louder by the minute, Ava grabs the handsome strangers hand and pulls him across the road and toward the bar.

 
   Although the bar is dark and extremely loud, it's a damn sight better on the inside than it is on the outside. It looks like on of the bars you would find in a biker TV series. On the walls hang guitars, drumsticks, pictures of Harleys that give the dark room a pop of colour. Along the glass shelf behind the bar sits what can only be described as bottles of every kind of spirit a person could think of. Ava suddenly becomes very conscious of the intimidating, hard men turning to look at her. She feels a hand, Henry's hand on the small of her back, softly guiding her through to the bar. Usually she would be the first to comment, but in this bar right now, it's the only thing that feels remotely warm or safe.

  "Ava"

  Henry turns to look at Ava. He seems confused by the sudden outburst.

  "You told me your name back in the alley but I never told you mine. Its Ava"

  Henry smirks as he sees the stranger in front of him let down her guard a little, obviously intimidated by her surroundings. He can't help but notice that there's something different about this woman. She's beautiful, but not in a conventional way. She doesn't fit in here. Her long blonde locks, the flowers in her hair, the long pastel bridesmaids dress, yet somehow, strangely she looks like she's home.

  "Ava. A pretty name for a pretty gal"

  They both smile at each other. Two strangers, both so different, yet here they are, together.