Innocence Stolen

1.2

"Priya, we're late for church! Hurry up!" Priya's loud Indian mother hollered from downstairs. "Coming!" she shouted back. She wore a floral dress with a deep V-neck appropriate for church. She let her waist-length curls down and applied some lip gloss. She is the epitome of beauty, but her skewed perception found flaws all over. Finally, she sprayed her favorite rose and moringa perfume and her golden chain with a flower pendant, a gift from her grandmother. 

She was going to make a move today. Her shy and insecure self was going to approach a man and make a move. She already had  Plans A and Plan B set in case anything backfired. She thought about every situation and was ready for a counter-move. She looked at her lengthy notes, perfecting any errors, and making sure her plan was solid and defensible. 

"What are the chances of a single man accepting my offer? Look at me. They probably are into girls prettier and slim than me." she said, glancing at her appearance in the mirror. She quickly shut her eyes, ridding her mind of the negativity. She had to be strong, no negative vibes around here.

On the ride to church and during the entirety of service,  anticipation and fear settled in her stomach. What happens if something went wrong? They snitched on her or told her she was too ugly. Would she handle it? She pushed away the negative thoughts and thought about the expensive reward at the end. All the money that could be put into her college savings.

At the end of the service, she approached the first man on her list, Theodore Ferguson. A single man who lived with his mother. In all honesty, this was Priya's first choice. He was unmarried (she wasn't into the homewrecking business) and a kind man. He was really quiet and took care of his mother well. She knew that he wouldn't take advantage of her, he had a kind and calm aura. 

She tapped on his beige coat. Theodore turned around to see that red-hot flame standing in front of him. It was a clash of worlds, universes, galaxies. Time had stopped for him, he couldn't even breathe. The girl who unknowingly brought color into his dull life had tapped him on his shoulder.  Theodore tuned out the sound of loud conversations, the rain's patter, and the babies crying. The only thing he could hear and smell was her. The colorful flame consumed him.

"Hi, I'm Priya," she said, fidgeting with her hands. Her anxiety was over the roof, her palms were drenched in sweat, and she couldn't bring herself to say the next few sentences. Instead, she stared at his face. He wasn't handsome or anything, he was an average white-collar Joe with beautiful ocean-blue eyes. However, it was clear that he was very attractive in his younger days. He dressed as if he was still living in the nineties. At that moment, she felt a surge of confidence. They were the same. Plain, lonely people,  desperate for human connection.

Instead of asking him to be her sugar daddy, she wanted to become his friend. Growing intimate on a friendly level and then taking it next level. It felt wrong to just ask for money. He was too kind and nice to be taken advantage of like that. But at the same time, she needed money and fast. She didn't have time to be his friend, she needed to fuck him and make as much money as she could.  Priya wasn't ready with a plan for this type of situation.

"I'm Theodore, it's nice to meet you, Priya," Theodore said, offering his hand. Her small hands grabbed his larger ones. Their handshake symbolized the start of something new, a deal of doom, a simple handshake signifying the start of their destruction.

Theodore savored the feel of her small hands fitting perfectly against his. She was simply meant to be his.

"I love how you take care of your mother. That I think is true love. A familial bond that doesn't wear through circumstance or time, " she said, the wrong words falling out of her mouth. She wasn't here to be his friend, she needed the money. But, how could she bring herself to say something so demanding when she barely knew him?

"Thank you. My mother is the most important person in my life. She has done so much for me, and I want to go- " he noticed her look. She cared, the way she was listening intently, despite how inferior it was, she listened to every word he said. He continued, " I want to give her a life of ultimate comfort." he said, the last words quieter than the rest.

"That is truly real love," she said, even quieter. An amazing idea came out of nowhere. A change of plans.

"Here is my number. If you ever need help around the house or with your mother, give me a call. I would love to help, we can discuss the rates later." she said, placing her sugar daddy-turned-mother babysitter business card in his hand. It was a simple pink card that had her name and phone number.  Sugar daddies were out of her comfort league anyway, making money by working as a helper is a bit more ethical.

"That's great, it's always great to have more than one pair of hands around the house," he said, unable to contain his excitement. He watched as she walked away, leaving the church to go, god, knows where. He walked to his mother who saw the whole thing.

"She is a beautiful girl, Theodore. A wonderful soul just like you," she told her, walking with him to the car. The umbrella protected them from the harsh pouring of the rain.

"I know, she is one of a kind," Theodore said, the fresh imprint of her hand warm as his mother's chocolate chip cookies.