Saving Mr. Heartwell:An Original Romance Story

Chapter 3

Hanson is dumbfounded at what is transpiring, a stranger is holding onto him and whispering to "not turn around" his mind races as it tries to make sense of what is going on.

"Lady are you high-" Hanson says before being abruptly shushed by the strange young woman.

She whispers, "Keep your voice down, for goodness sake, look I'm not high or trying to hurt you I just need to walk with someone for a bit."

Hanson, still confused at the stranger's words, reluctantly complies. After all she didn't seem like a danger and he had nothing to lose, if she was some pickpocket after his wallet or some psycho that was going to stab him and leave him bleeding on the street it wouldn't matter because he was planning on ending it all anyways, what's the worst this hussy could do?

After a few awkward and tense moments of walking the woman looks back and breathes a sigh of relief, "Finally he's gone." She says.

"What? Who's gone?" Hanson asks

"The weird guy that was following me." The strange woman replies nonchalantly.

"You're kidding me..." says Hanson "...that's why your holdin onto me. Because some random guy was following you?"

"Yeah" she says in the same carefree manner "So, how's it feel?"

"How does what feel?" he asks.

"To be a hero?" she says with a smile.

"What? Lady I'm no hero, I'm just some guy."

"Yeah, but you still saved me." she says as she leans her head on his shoulder.

"Ugh, so what do you want with me now?" he says in an annoyed and harsh tone.

"Well nothing, I guess this where we part ways my hero." she says as she straightens her posture and lets go of his arm. "Nice meeting you, and thank you again."

"Yeah sure, whatever..." Hanson says, his voice cold and emotionless.

With that the strange woman started walking away abruptly leaving as she had abruptly arrived. In front of Hanson standing tall before his eyes was the office building he had worked in for years and the same one he had planned to jump off of that morning.

As Hanson took one step towards the building something felt wrong. There were no second thoughts or change of heart towards what he wanted to do, but there was a strange emptiness he felt in himself, a coldness that seemed to emanate from his once held arm that spread throughout the rest of his body that shook him to his core.

He took one look at the building and then he looked to the left where that woman had parted ways with him. She was half way down the sidewalk and he could still see her. At that moment Hanson made a choice.

Breaking into a brief jog he followed after the young woman and called out to her, "Hey, wait up."

The young woman turns around surprised to see the businessman she had clung onto now pursuing her.

"Yes? Can I help you?" she says to him

"Yeah...I mean, no I mean uhm..." Hanson stumbles over his words.

"..." The woman stares at Hanson in silence giving him time to collect himself.

"Look I just want to, well what I mean to say is..." Hanson tries to figure out something, anything, any excuse to stay by this person's side.

"Would you like to have breakfast with me?" Hanson manages to spit out the words just before she loses interest.

"Uhh...what?" The woman asked puzzled at the offer.

"W-well it's early and I didn't have anything to eat yet and I figured maybe you didn't have anything to eat yet too. So, I thought we could have breakfast together." Hanson says scratching the back of his head baffled at his own words and logic, or lack there of.

The young woman ponders for a moment, giggles, and then smiles.

"Why, sure I don't mind accompanying you for breakfast. It's not every day I get to dine with a hero." She says teasingly.

Hanson straightens up a bit uncomfortably and blushes a little at that word, "hero."

"I suppose we should introduce ourselves, name's Hanson." Hanson says, mumbling a little towards the end.

"Handsome?" asks the young woman leaning in with a mischievous grin.

"N-no, it's Hanson" he says clearly.

"hehe, I like handsome better, well I'm Violetta. Friends call me Vi though." Violetta says gracefully introducing herself.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Violetta, there's a cafe down the street here. Nothing too fancy, although they have great pancakes." Hanson says pointing to the direction of the cafe.

"Oh, Miss." Violetta says copying Hanson. "Such a gentleman, but don't you have to go to work?"

"Well, I can clock in late today. I have some paid time off." Hanson answers.

"Great, well now that's settled let's go. I love a good pancake." says Violetta with a bit of excitement in her voice.

The two make their way down to the cafe.