Chapter 1
"Uh!" Angela exclaimed as her car stopped running. It wasn't until she heard honking behind her when she realized that she her car broke down- at a green light. 'Oh.. Great! Just what I need a million people hating me!' A light taping on her window pulled her out of her frustration. She rolled down her window to find a young Italian man looking back at her. "Excuse me…. Do you need some help?" She tried to answer, but she found her mouth was dry, and she was losing herself in his brown eyes. "Miss?" he asked again. "Oh… Yes, yes… I could use some help. Please." "C'mon I'll help you push."
A sigh of relief washed over her followed by a sigh. Her car was in the shop. "Let me buy you lunch." She asked. She then realized what it sounded like. "I..I…I didn't…. I mean….for your help." She smiled sheepishly. He chuckled , and then replied. "Nah, I couldn't accept lunch from a woman. My reputation would go down the drain." Angela's face fell, and she looked rather hurt. He tried to correct himself. "That's not what I meant….. See, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and you aren't supposed to take advantage of women. Money wise anyway." "No, now I insist, you are going to let me buy you lunch, please?" And she flashed him an innocent little girl smile that he just couldn't refuse. "Al'right. But my friends in Brooklyn better not find out about this." She smiled and they headed on their way.
When they arrived, the man was in awe. "Woah! This is La She Le Bue!" "It's just a café." she responded. "You forget, I was BORN and RAISED in BROOKLYN. The closest thing we had to a café was Marty's Melody Room and that well….. Let's just say….. Wasn't anything like this." She laughed.
With in minutes they were sitting, and eating. Angela with her mushroom soup, and he with his chicken sandwich. "So, I told you where I was from, where are you from?" He asked. Obviously she wasn't from any where near Brooklyn. "Here. BORN and RAISED." She mocked him. "Can I ask you a personal question?" He asked hesitantly. "Depends on what it is." She replied some what sarcastically. "Good enough for me- Are you….. Involved with anyone?" He sheepishly asked. "Are you hitting on me?" "Are you flirting with me?" He quickly replied. She looked down and her cheeks turned a bright red crimson. She had been flirting with him. She was flirting with a complete stranger that she just met, while she was car-less. "I have to go." she said abruptly and she walked out side. But, when she went to turn and be on her way down the street, she was stopped by a hand on her wrist. "Let go of me." She said bitterly. "Listen, just for a second. Please?" She turned around, and he began talking, not once letting go of her wrist. "I didn't mean to make assumptions; I'm sorry if I was too bold… or…..or…. I…… I'm sorry." "I'm not mad at you… You weren't too bold, I just, I…. I….." There she was, once again trapped by his eyes. That's when it happened. She started to lean into him. Then she tripped and fell onto the ground. He chuckled. "Are you okay?" He asked, helping her up. "Yeah." She replied. "You have mud on your skirt." He said. She looked down. "Oh, it's okay." But, he didn't hear her. He was too distracted by what was hidden under the mark on her skirt. He was distracted by her long, slender legs. She looked at him and noticed where his gaze was cast. "Are you checking me out?" She said while smirking. He blushed. "Uh…um……uh….Y- you have a cut, on your leg." he said. She looked down, and sure enough, there was a big bloody gash in her leg. "Oh, no!" She screamed. "Hey, I have an emergency kit in my van, I could fix that up for you like this." He demonstrated by snapping his fingers. "I don't know… are you going to try and murder me?" "No. If I wanted to commit murder, I wouldn't have helped you." 'Good, point." Even though her mind was against it, for some reason, her heart was screaming out YES! YES!
On their walk to the van, he brought up their previous conversation. "So, you never did answer my question." He said. "No, I'm not involved with anyone. Broke up with my boyfriend about……mmm…..6 months ago. How about you?" "I'm not some kind of jerk, or anything, but I don't remember the last break up I had." Then they reached the van. He unlocked the door, and gestured for her to sit down. She obliged. He got out the alcohol, some gauze, and some tape. "Ok, this is going to sting a little, bit will take out any infection, and clean off the blood." She nodded. She winced when the alcohol hit her cut.
After he was done cleaning her up, he gently picked her up, and put her in his passenger seat. "What are you doing?" She asked. "I'm goona take you wherever you want to go." He said simply. "Maybe I don't want to go anywhere." She said. "Don't you wanna get some new clothes?" He asked gesturing to the mud stain that still remained on her skirt. "Ok, fine. " She said.
And he drove to the nearest store. "You're not a jerk." She said out of the blue. "What?" He asked. "Earlier… you said don't think I'm a jerk. I don't. " She replied. "Oh, well, thanks." He said. Then the awkward silence came.