Underrated Love

Friday 4:38 pm

It's almost time to clock out, it's been a rough couple of months, as a modiste working on tons of new wardrobes for a Renaissance fair and the Eve ball. I finished one project when I heard my best friend enter the studio. “Hey, are we still on for drinks tonight at the tavern?” she stated,

“Yes, you guys go first. I'll meet you there right after I finish this corset,” I said without looking up.

“Can you promise not to ditch us again?” Jules had an annoyed tone in her voice.

That's when I looked up at her, “Promise I'll find you guys as soon as I'm done with this,” I stated.

“Ok,” she said with a defeated look, She turned around to leave, and she said, “I'll see you when I see you.”

That's when I knew she was letting me know I'd been ignoring her. I get so deeply invested in the new costumes that I lose track of time. When Jules left, I looked at the table full of fabric scraps and sewing needles. I took a deep breath,

"Okay I'll deal with this tomorrow, or I'm never going to hear the end of it," I said to myself.

I turned off my work light, grabbed my stuff, and headed out the door. I looked at the location Sarah sent; I'll be passing by my apartment on the way there.

I texted Jules “I'm going home to shower; I'll see you guys soon.”

I never got a text back; it didn't take me long to get home, showered, and dressed in a strawberry lace sundress with a leg slit. I took a green cardigan just in case I got cold, and some green heels to match the jacket.

I just looked at myself in the mirror. My brown hair was down in big wave curls, I was looking at myself in the mirror, smiling at my reflection. As I headed down to the parking, passing the lobby, I smiled saying goodbye to the security guy (Joe).

All I could hear was the guard saying, "Get it, girl". On my ride to the place, Jules kept calling me. (I have a little social anxiety, so I tend not to leave my house once I'm in it) On the 3rd ring, I answered,

"Hey, I'm trying to find the parking lot. Can you give me one second?" I said,

"Thank God, hurry. It will be to your left after you pass the statue,” Jules said. While heading into the parking lot, I'm still listening to Jules go on,

“Can you be any slower, we are late."

"I’m here, I’m here," I said as I grabbed my stuff walking to the place, I noticed the restaurant had tall purple doors almost 10 feet maybe 15. Jules and Sarah were waiting near the door, I greeted them with a hug.

“It's about time you show up,” Jules said.

“Girls' night, whoop, whoop,” Sarah said with her hands in the air. We got inside and were greeted by the host

“Table for 4,” Sarah said.

“Table for 4,” I repeated to Jules who looked back at me with a smile saying,

“Yeah, Caroline is coming too.” Caroline is Jules's friend not "Girlfriend." Everyone knows they have a thing for each other, just not them. Walking in I started to feel anxious. When I saw the place packed, almost all of the tables were taken.

I tried silencing my thoughts of just turning around and going home. we were led to our table,

"Are we going to the Eve Ball?" Sarah asked as we walked through the crowd of people. I looked to my side at Sarah.

“I can't wait, I have so many orders for the end of the month I can't wait to see everyone in their dresses,” I replied smiling at her

“Thank God I asked for mine in advance,” she stated with a smirk. As I returned the smirk at her, I bumped into what felt like a wall.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't looking," I said (my thoughts: where did he come from, did I just get whiplash by a person?) as I looked up at his dark green eyes, they almost glowed. It was captivating, he was probably 6'5 easily, with medium-long hair. He had almost a makeshift dark jean jacket with patches from other fabrics. His grey shirt complimented his eyes and his muscles, he had combat boots and black pants.

I looked up at him and couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry," I said as he smiled back. His voice came out rusty and deep, almost a growl type of sound.

"Hi," and in a whisper

“Fuck..."

while looking at me more intensely than the ibuprofen hitting my system after a drunken night out. I just kept looking at him stuttering with a bit of blush creeping up my cheeks. All of a sudden, I felt a hard tug on my arm like when a kid is clenching their mother's arm. I stumbled on my own feet

"Come on we need to go," Sarah said while steadying me. We got to our table, sat down, and ordered drinks, all while my brain was thinking "What just happened, I never stutter." I looked at my friends, who couldn't stop smiling and saying that I looked flushed.

"Girl, is it me, or was he captivated by you?" Sarah stated.

"He was gorgeous," Jules followed.

" You probably just bumped into your future husband," Caroline said.

The hours passed; we drank 2 entire bottles of wine. With the peak of the conversation about the Eve Ball, I think it's safe to say we are so excited to go.

After a while, we began to get ready to leave. The waitress comes up to bring us a new unopened bottle of wine to our table.

"We did not order more," Jules said as she shook her hands side to side. The waitress looked at me and said,

“It’s from the gentleman, a few tables over.” She handed me a note that said,

"Sorry, -A."

While pointing at the table where the mystery man was, I smiled at the waitress, flattered by the gesture. I got closer to the waitress's ear,

"Please, bring them a tower of beer," I whispered confidently she looked back at me with the biggest grin on her face.

"Love the idea, I will get right on that," she said while turning towards the bar. I looked back at the girls,

"I guess we can stay a little longer," I stated while opening the bottle of wine.

Jules couldn’t stop staring at me,

“Aren't you going talk to him or something?” she stated as everyone turned to look at me. I returned a smile saying,

“Just wait and see." I quickly glanced over in his direction to find him staring straight at me. With his gaze intertwining with mine, I quickly looked away and smiled,

"He's just another guy, why do I feel excited?" my brain screamed.

I tried continuing my conversation with the girls, but I found myself looking back in his direction. As my eyes fell upon him, they connected, he looked down like a child who got caught taking a cookie from the cookie jar. Looking down at his drink, he grinned like the Grinch when he stole Christmas. He glared back at me, raising his beer taking a sip of it. I didn't look away, he made my throat dry just watching him drink,

"What is happening?" I said to myself, my mind racing faster. I glanced to the side as the waitress was bringing the beer tower over to his table. Following my sight, his eyes widened as he spit his beer out in shock. The waitress placed the tower on the table, smiling at them and turning around.

He looked back at me and couldn’t help but smile, we kept giving each other glances throughout the rest of the night. After some time, we were ready to leave,

"Let's go to the bathroom before we leave. My bladder can't hold it anymore," Jules said. We got up and started walking, I felt a piercing gaze on my back. I dared not to look, I knew it was him checking me out.

I was behind Jules and Caroline on the way to the bathroom, when all of a sudden, I felt a smack on my behind and heard the words "nice ass.

" When I turned around and delivered the perfect backhand to this old man's face, who was drunk out of his mind. Jules noticed me stopping abruptly,

"Is everything ok Ann?" she asked. (Ann is short for Anastasia)

"The guy at the bar touched my ass so I backhanded his face" I stated. Her face changed from worried to angry.

Jules lifted her eyebrow as she pushed past me towards the old guy as she flagged down the bartender,

"The creep at the bar just smacked her ass," she stated to them.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she screamed at the old man making sure everyone had her attention. The waitress and the bartender rushed to assist the situation. They asked if I was ok, and I explained what happened with annoyance in my voice.

"I'm so sorry for that. I will let the bouncer know," the waitress stated while trying to put herself and the bartender between us and the old man.

"I still need to go to the bathroom," Jules said,

"Come on, let's get away from this creep," she added. As we turned around, the bouncer was approaching. All I heard was the old man shouting,

"You really couldn't handle a compliment you little brat; you had me kicked out for giving you a compliment, bitch!" while walking towards me with an aggressive pace.

I tried walking faster to get away from him, but he started charging at me. All of a sudden, I felt my arm being pulled and as I looked up, there he was standing in front of me. I noticed he towered over me, and the smell of his rusty sandalwood cologne filled my surroundings. His voice came out in a growl,

"You got some fucking nerve thinking you will lay a hand on her" he said, while holding his hands up almost pushing the old man back. He stumbled for a moment but got himself centered relatively fast for his age and for how drunk he was.

"I suggest turning around and allowing the bouncer to escort you out before things get worse... for you," the man I saw before said as he sent death glares toward the old man.

He took one step toward him for an answer, never losing eye contact. The old guy took a step back, locking eyes with me. I could feel his anger, but his focus changed when the man I saw before added,

"Make it quick or believe me when I say I could make this worse for you,” taking another step forward.

"I don't want no trouble dude" the old man stated,

"Come on old man, time for you to leave," the bouncer said while pulling the old man by the arm towards the door. I watched the man be dragged away, the tall man turned around locking eyes with me,

"Are you ok?" he said, I couldn't help but look up at him and see all the pure emotion that his raw eyes projected, his clenched jaw was sharp, I couldn't get the words out I just nodded yes, Jules pulled my arm saying

"we will be right back, let go to the bathroom Ann",

"Go, I'll be here when you are done" he replied while pushing me slowly towards the bathroom.

The girls had me arm in arm, asking me if I was okay, walking into the bathroom, I got in one of the stalls and closed the door locking it behind me

"I need a minute guys," I said while they stayed close to the stall door, I started hyperventilating, I tried to breathe slowly to calm my nerves I hear Jules

"Hey Ann are you ok, do you need water?"

"yeah I think so" I replied

After I got out of the stall and stood in front of the mirror looking at myself, I washed my hands, Jules handed me a bottle of water saying

"Ready to go?", I nodded as we walked out of the bathroom, the waitress came to check up on us, I couldn't help but smile widely

"Thanks for kicking him out, but it's time to head home" I said,

"Don't worry about your bill it's been taken care of" the waiter added,

"We are very grateful guys" Jules stated as we started walking out, I looked around for the mystery man to thank him, but he was no were in sight, as we were out of the building, I saw him to my left in of my eye, we started walking towards them.

"Thank you for protecting Ann from that creep," Caroline said to him, he smiled stating

"She will always be protected when I'm around, BTW my name is Aran," he said extending his arm towards me

I replied extending my arm to shake his hand and closing the gap

"I'm Anastasia but my friends call me Ann", after a couple of minutes of talking, I felt the outside cold breeze air, I started shaking slightly so I rubbed my hands together warming them,

"You are freezing," Aran said while taking his jacket off to give it to me,

"I'm not cold it's just windy and I have a jacket" I replied while showing my very thing cardigan

"That's not a jacket that's a shirt and you are shaking, just take it will keep you warm,

" he said while putting it over my shoulders, the jacket smelled like him it was so warm and soft that I could not help but put it on completely, and ss I tuck my hands in the pockets, I felt something in them, not wanting to pay too much attention to it, I took my hands out discreetly.

"We need to go before they close the parking lot," Sarah said

"So, I guess this is it, it was nice to meet you, and thank you again for dealing with the creep," I said

"You are very welcome it was my pleasure; We are parked in the Parking lot too, how about I walk you to your car?" he said smiling at me, it took him a second to realize he was holding my hand, it felt warm and inviting.

"You can," I said smiling widely, I squeezed his hand so slightly but hard enough he would notice, as we walked to the car, I said farewell to the girls and his friends. Getting in my car, I rolled the window down he leaned against the car door

"Can you promise me that I'll see you again," Aran said while kissing my hand as he stared at me waiting for an answer,

"Maybe, you can write down my number and we can take it from there" I mention with a smile, I kiss him softly on the cheek he moved slightly as I was leaning back, he handed me his phone and I dialed myself, as I handed his phone back our hands touched, he looked at me and smiled

"it's getting late, I should go," I said while changing the car to reverse

"I'll see you soon beautiful, please let me know when you are safe," he said while standing straight and moving aside so I could back the car and leave, the drive back to my house felt surreal, I had an amazing time with my friends, I got rescue from a creep by a mysterious night and shiny dark armor,