Ramin Karimloo imagines and one-shots

One-Shot #22 (Ramin Karimloo)

I stood in line at my local Starbucks, waiting to order a much-needed coffee after a long day at work. 

It was also a bit warm outside, so I decided to put in a cup of cold water as well. 

There were twenty people inside, including me, and I felt slightly uncomfortable at how close we all were to each other. 

Even though I was a fully grown adult, my distaste for crowds was just as prevalent as it had been as a child, and it frustrated me to no end that I couldn't interact with anyone around me.

Once I had placed my order, I stepped aside and leaned against a nearby wall, separating myself from the crowd as much as possible. 

I crossed my arms over my chest, which was an instinctive gesture I did when I was nervous or unsure. 

It was the best I could do in the situation, so I stuck to it.

Suddenly, I saw a silhouette out of the corner of my eye, and I slowly moved my gaze over to see who was there. 

What I saw was nothing short of extraordinary.

An incredibly handsome man was standing beside me, looking out at the moving crowd in front of us. 

He was at least six feet tall, and his eyes were the color of melted chocolate, making my heart do loops in my chest. His black hair was combed, but a few strands stood untamed, which made him appear even sexier.

There was something else, though. 

His face seemed awfully familiar to me, but I couldn't place my finger on why that was. 

I went back into the far recesses of my mind to try and pick a person I had seen like him before, but I only came up empty-handed, causing me to sigh loudly in response.

Unfortunately, though, he heard my sound of frustration, and he turned to glance at me. 

My heart instantly stopped beating in my chest, and my mouth gaped open like a fish. 

Nice going, you moron! a voice yelled in my head. Way to keep it in.

"Is there something wrong, miss?" he asked politely, roaming his eyes over my shocked expression.

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and fumbled for words. 

"I-I...no," I stuttered. "I'm fine. I just...I'm relieved to be out of the heat. I'm surprised you're wearing so much black on a day like this."

The stranger smiled good-naturedly and replied with, "To be honest, I thought it was going to be much cooler than this."

I nodded along, trying to remain calm under his charming gaze.

Luckily, the barista called out my name with my order, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped away to grab my drinks. 

I thanked the woman and quickly walked out, trying not to look at the man as I pushed open the door. 

The humid air hit me like a freight train once I was outside, and I immediately took a large sip of my water, wanting to chase away the warm feeling that was not caused by the weather.

I was almost four blocks away when I finished my water, and I hadn't even taken a sip of my coffee. 

The stranger's presence had energized me enough for the day, so I tossed it into the trash as well.

I arrived at my apartment and went to unlock the door, but suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist tightly and yanked me backwards. 

I let out a yelp at the abrupt interruption and glanced behind me to see a grizzly-looking man standing there, his eyes wild in a drunken stupor.