"What a pleasant surprise!" Fairfax said with giddy. “You know,” he says while stepping around Ridley, “This is a lot less trouble of finding you then I thought. I thought there would be at least five incidents.” He said incidents in outmost terrifying way that this second explanation wasn’t needed. “So far the only incident was that young fellow at the desk, who was bit too energetic for my liking.” Fairfax finishes with a smile that made Ridley want to throw up.
Luckily for Ridley, Corin spoke first, “Fairfax, what do you want?” he said it with hesitation.
“Oh my dear boy;” he shakes his head, chuckling to himself. “I only want what is truly mine.” Fairfax finishes, landing his gaze on Ridley.
“Oh hold on! I’m not some possession that can belong to someone.” Looking to Corin she adds, “And that is most definitely not my father.” Fairfax had blond hair that could have easily passed for being bleached, black eyes that could hold the entire universe in them. Her mother would have never fallen for someone like him.
“Child, I am you father, hasn’t Jocelyn talked about me?”
“How do you know my mother’s name?!” Ridley demanded.
“I told you child, I thought your mother would have taught you better. I am your father.” Looking down at Ridley he smiled and gave a wink. Without thinking Ridley threw her leg back and hit her father right between the legs. After she realized what she had done, she froze. Corin grabbed her hand and pushed down toward the stairwell. Being pushed through the door, Ridley took a risky look back and saw that Fairfax was still on the ground. Good, she thought, serves him right. She added to herself with an approval nod.
Five blocks down the street, Ridley stopped Corin. “I’ve got to catch my breath.” With gasping breaths, she suddenly fell down.
“What the heck?” he was worried for her, but when he saw her face he realized she was laughing.
“Did you see that?!” Ridley said between laughing. “I totally knocked that guy out!” still laughing she stood up and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Corin joined in laughing, it sounded odd; Ridley was laughing with some stranger that had just happened to be at the right place at the right time, she just met her dead father and kicked him in his sweet spot, all in the middle of the night on a deserted road.
“Hey! Kids!” down the street was a burly man, about 45, came lumbering down the street.
“Run!” Corin yelled as he gave me a hard tug on my arm.
After about 2 blocks the thickset officer gave up. “Oh my gosh! That was so much fun!” Ridley screeched.
“I have to agree!” Corin was laughing, and Ridley had her hands on her knees again. She was never one for track. “Ok, now we really have to get back.”
“What do you mean? We had our fun, the joke is up. I went along with you for a while and now my mom is probably worried about me.” She started to walk back toward 4th street, when she felt Corin’s hand on her forearm. “What do you want?”
“I told you, we- awe screw it, I’ll get you home.” Corin knew she was too stubborn to go anywhere with him.
“Thank- you, but I think I’m fine. I have lived here for my entire life.” Again she started to walk. She heard footsteps behind her and decided this wasn’t getting anywhere. She settled for him walking her to house, and then she wouldn’t ever talk to him again.
“You know I thought you would be a lot more difficult, proves me wrong, eh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you Hun! Your father was right, you really should listen more.” Corin replied shaking his head.
“Sorry Hun but I’m not your girl, nor was that my father.” Ridley picked up her pace, hopping to lose the odd boy, without success of course. Three of her short strides were one of his, which just made her even more willing to get rid of the nuisance. Hooking his arm through hers he led her down a short cut. “Cut that out!” she shoved him away, reluctant to get near him. “You know, I don’t even know your last name.”
“Freeland. I wasn’t lying about that, Kyle is my second name.”
“Then why didn’t you just give the clerk at the hotel your first instead?”
“I wouldn’t want it to be that easy to find us.” He said with a wink.
Ridley finally realized where she was, it was back at central park, in the exact spot where Corin found her. “Why did you bring me back here? We went in a complete circle.”
“We had to get the drevak sent off of you and I thought it would be sweet for our first date!” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and ran off toward the play structure before she had the chance to slap him for the second time that night. What was with him? He reached the top of the structure before she had even started to move. “Oh Come on, Ridley! You know you like me!”
She reached the top, “Right I do,” she went on her tip toes and leaned in for kiss but slapped him instead, raced down the slide and called, “That will never happen!” she turned around and he was standing right in front of her. . “How? How did you get there?” Ridley was beyond comprehension.
“Oh you know, magic.” He replied with one last kiss on the cheek and threw his arms under her knees and into her arms. After much struggle and protesting, Ridley gave up. Corin carried her to Ridley’s house like that for the whole 14 blocks.
“This is my house. You can put me down now.” Ridley told him stubbornly once again.
“Oh don’t be like that short straw.”
“Goodbye Corin!”
“I’ll be back!” Corin promised and without missing a beat he left. Ridley was past asking questions to know that he didn’t just walk, he disappeared one way or another.
I bet you will be. She told herself walking into her house, meeting a very flustered woman.
