SHE & HIM
NOT EDITED
The city blossomed like a flower in spring. People hustled from building to building, rushing to finish their tasks. No one noticed the sad girl who moved slowly through the streets, and no one would. She continued her walk painfully slow, but finally made her way into central park. She found herself on a bench in the middle of the quiet garden. She sobbed softly, too caught up in her own problems to notice the man standing in front of her. He placed a warm hand on her shoulder comforting her cries. Her brown irises glanced up to find his green ones. He was around the same age as her, wearing clothes of the upper east side. She hastily got off the bench and started to rush out of the park. The green scenery rushed by as she ran.
She did not get too far though. The same man as before was faster, and ran in front holding a hand up to stop her. Tears still rushing down her face she turned on her feet and put her head into her hands. Not a minute passes and she was embraced in warmth. She didn't dare to look up and see the face of her savior, for she knew it was the rich man. She was ashamed to be crying in public, being held by a man who shouldn't dare look her way let alone hold her. She shoved him back and ran as fast as she could out of the park. She ran, and ran, not stopping to look back. She knew if she did she would run right into his arms. And she couldn't let that happen.
She finally stopped running when she reached her decrepit apartment building. It was a old brown brick building filled with small overcrowded spaces, screaming kids, and rusty water. But nonetheless it was home. She wiped the tears from her eyes and climbed her way to the fourth floor, apartment 4b. She entered the dingy apartmen swiftly locking the door behind her. You couldn't take chances in this park of town.
She set her small purse on the cracked countertop and placed her coat on the leaning couch. She took in her small abode and it only made her cry more. She did not want this life, but she had been dealt it nonetheless. She glanced to the only picture she had of her family. She smiled through the tears, at the happy smiling family. Her family, her mother, her father, her brother, her. It had only been last year when they were all together, healthy and alive. They had promised to come and visit her in New York soon. She remembered flying back into the city and being so happy from her visit with them. She remebered looking forward to them coming to visit, seeing her spacious condo.
She shook the thoughts free from her head, that life was over. She glanced down at her blue satin dress, Dior. It was a sign of her old life, the one where she had a highly successful position at her first choice law firm. The life where she still had a family. All of these thoughts were freed with a hearty knock at her door.
She smoothed out her wrinkled silk dress, and ran a hand through her hair. She had no peep hole so she had to cautiously open the door keeping a firm hold on it. The brown door soon revealed a face she never thought she would see again. It was the man from the park.
"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly.
"I wanted to see that you were okay," He stated, his green eyes looking almost blue in the dull hall lighting.
"But why?" She aksed again.
"Because you were crying."
Her cheeks flushed at his comment. She was terribly embarressed by the fact she cried in public let alone in front of him.
"I'm fine, thank you." She forced out quickly before closing the door. But that brown door never closed, the stranger made his way into her apartment. Not grimacing at it's apperance, or showing any sign of disprovement. He came in and comforted her. She would be forever grateful for his presence. She had no great friends, and no family left. She was utterly alone in this huge city, but no longer. The stranger stayed through her tears, her cries. He took her into his lap as they sat on the couch.
She told him her story. There had been a house fire. Her mother, her father, her brother had perished in flames. After their death she had been let go from the firm, and along with the lob loss she could no longer afford her luxury apartment. She had been struggling to find work, and had moved into this building to save her money. He was silent, lettting her voice her stuggles. He listened to her every word, hugging her tightly as she sobbed.
After making sure she would be okay, he left with the promise of coming the next day. She went to sleep that night with a smile on her face. The first smile she had given since her family's death. For the first time she knew she wouldn't be alone.
The next day she awoke to a knock. She hurried out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. She quickly ran a comb through her hair and brushed her teeth. Opening the door she revealed yet again the handsome stranger. She opened the door wider and he entered again not saying or showing any emotion about it's apperance.
"Hurry and get ready, I'm taking you somewhere," he exclaimed with a grin.
She did not know how to tell him she would not be able to. Or rather she couldn't afford to go anywhere, but to her surprise he seemed to read her mind.
"Do not worry about paying, or fitting in. Just go and get yourself dressed."
The next few months came and went and each day like the one before he would come and take her out. She worried he would be missing work but he would just shake his head, laugh, and say 'nonsense'. He made her happy, and feel alive. She would never admit the fact to anyone but herself but she was in love with him. His smile, his laugh, his everything.
August 8th.
This would be a day she would never forget. It was the morning she opened the brown door to more than a friend.
Like every other morning a knock awoke her, only this time she didn't fix her apperance but instead swung open the brown door and let in her handsome stranger. They said their greetings and she got dressed but when she came out he was no longer on the couch, or in the kitchen. A knock came to her door and she rushed to open it. There he stood a bundle of fresh roses in his hand. She smiled at his gesture and ran to the kitchen to get them into a vase.
He led her out of the kitchen, out of the building. Today is a surprise, he said, don't worry I think you will like it. They hurried into his car and rushed into the city. They drove for awhile but eventually came to park in front of a rather nice building on the east side of town.
The building was tall, elegant, much like where she used to live. He rushed her inside, now as giddy as a schoolboy. She couldn't contain her smile at his attitude. They rode in the elevator up to the twenty first floor where they walked down the hall to the last door on the right.
"I hope you accept this. I know that you will think it's too much, but I want you to be safe. I want to know that you will be okay when I leave in the night," and with that he stuck a key into the lock and revealed a luxurious apartment. Lush carpeting, a gourmet kitchen, a priceless city view. Her mouth dropped at the site before her. She could never accept this. Sure they were friends, but friends do not buy friends million dollar apartments.
"But we are not friends are we?" The smile still on his lips as he met hers. He shoved the door closed as they kissed. She knew at this moment she could not go back, she would just have to give in, and hope she would not die. She was in love.
"I love you." He mumurred into her hair, and she the same. Their embrace lasted minutes but felt like hours.
****************
Four Years Later
She put the key into the lock and opened the door stepping into her, or their, apartment. It was the same as the day he first showed it to her. The day they said I love you. She smiled at the memory. Despite her rough years she was finally getting the happiness she deserved. The park stranger and her were now engaged, she was working as a laywer once again, at his company. Yes his company. She had learned after many months of their meetings that he owned one of the largest media companies in the world, and it just so happened they were in need of some legal counsel.
She set her purse down on the shiny marble counter and slung her jacket on the sturdy leather couch before making her way into the bedroom. Her stranger had just arrived back from a business meeting a far, and was sleeping soundly on the king sized bed before her. She slipped out of her dress and snuck in next to her fiànce. Still asleep he wrapped his arms tightly around her form, and she smiled.
Finally, she had gotten her happily ever after. Finally she was happy again.
