The Fifth Star Of Ophiuchus (COMPLETED)

Chapter 6

It was a gloomy Thursday afternoon and Maine was driving through the highway from her coffee shop to meet an investor for the second branch of her cafe, when her car suddenly broke down ten minutes away from their meeting place.

"What the! Shit! Bakit ngayon pa?!" Maine grunted as she hit the steering wheel. "Male-late na ako oh." She called for a towing service and her regular mechanic, Mang Jerry, to take the car to the shop to get fixed.

They came fifteen minutes later and took the car. By that time, she only had twenty minutes until the scheduled meeting. Since the rendezvous point was just a few blocks away, Maine grabbed her purse and folders of her business proposals and started walking the rest of the way.

That meeting was very important to her, it was her chance to prove to herself and her parents that she would be able to sustain and improve the business that they gave her. The investor was recommended to her by her best friend Coleen. She said she knew a friend from college who knew a rising young hotel tycoon who was willing to invest in small food and beverage businesses as his way of putting his eggs in different baskets to safeguard his interests.

Five minutes in and she felt big drops of water fall on her head and arms, she looked up and saw that it has started raining. She picked up her pace and ran, slouching to shield the folders she tucked under her bag with her body.

Before she knew it, the downpour was torrential and the dark clouds completely cast out the sun. It became impossible to see beyond two feet from where she was.

Maine was soaked through and through but she still rushed to where she was supposed to meet her investor. She has tried to set that meeting for months but the man was just too busy. If she missed her chance to meet with him now, she may not be able to get another one.

Thinking things couldn't get any worse, she continued on her way with two things in mind, keep the proposals dry and figure out how to still win the investor's good graces even though she looked absolutely terrible.

But things were going to take a turn for the worse (or the better) because five feet away as she crossed the road in front of the hotel where she knew the investor must be waiting for her, she was unaware of a tired cab driver who dozed off behind the wheel of his vehicle, running 80 miles per hour headed directly at her.

Maine was almost across when she saw the bright light a foot away from her. She heard the loud horn blow and the screeching sound of the brakes. Then she smelled the scent of burning rubber and froze in shock. She was sure the car would hit her and waited for the impact but it didn't happen. Instead a strong arm slipped around her waist and hurled her to safety.

Maine trembled and sobbed, terrified of what almost happened to her. She heard the man who saved her ask her questions as he turned her to face him and checked for any injuries but she was too disoriented to speak. She just closed her eyes and cried.

Maine heard him say "Let's get out of this rain" and let him lead her inside the hotel lobby.

She didn't know the man but somehow she trusted him completely. The man ordered for some towels from the staff and they rushed off the get them.

Maine felt the man drape a huge towel over her shoulders as he guided her to sit on a chair beside the front desk.

As she recovered from her shock, she heard conversations in passing, addressing the man as Sir and everyone obeying his every command. There was something about his voice that was both gentle and powerful.

When she heard him tell the front desk officer to get a room for her, Maine finally got the strength to look up and speak.

"You don't have to do that." She said quietly. "You've been too kind. You've helped enough."