The first time they met was after his shit son drugged him. He was just coming off his psychedelic trip, threw up, and didn't know where the fuck he was or what happened to his clothes.
"Oh hey, are you alright?"
He turned around to find a woman in activewear and a duffel bag slung across her shoulder. She looked as if she were heading to the gym, or something of the like, with her hair up in a messy bun and a water bottle in her hand.
"Where am I?" his mind was still fuzzy.
"Umm, I think this is Dunstable. The bike place is right there," she pointed back over her shoulder. "Oh! Here," she handed him the water bottle.
Suddenly feeling parched, he gladly took it. Opening it, the sound of the breaking seal told him it was brand new. Not that he really cared at that moment. Chugging the water, she explained that she had seen him wandering around mumbling and yelling obscenities at some guy named, Jimmy. She noticed a cop approaching and told him he was with her. He was off the hook so long as she stayed with him and here they were now.
"Thanks," he shook the now empty bottle. "But also, thanks. I don't even know who you are, yet you've prevented me from spending the night in a jail cell. So, thanks."
"Nah," she shrugged. "You don't seem homeless or any of the sort. Just someone having a bad day."
A bad day eh? She could fucking say that again.
"That reminds me, here," she pulled another bottle from her bag and handed it to him. It was also brand new, read Electrolit across the bottle, and was rectangular in shape. "It's called suero. I'm not sure how it translates in English but it's basically electrolytes that help in dehydration and recovery and such," she pointed to the vomit pile. "I'm pretty sure you'll be racking up a headache after whatever trip you were on, that should definitely help."
Fuck me man, he thought. Just his luck. A beautiful woman comes to his aid only for them to be standing next to a pile of his vomit. Taking a sip of the drink, it wasn't bad; plus had a cherry flavor to it.
"I wish I had something to pay you back with, really," he said in earnest. "It's not everyday someone stops to help some drugged, half naked, fat old man. Much less a lady such as yourself."
She smiled and waved her hands dismissively. "Nonono, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you woke up at all. After walking around, you just lied down and stayed like that for a while. I'm relieved you're okay."
A car honking nearby got their attention.
"Oh right! I called a cab for you earlier," she turned to see their driver waving at them. "Didn't want to risk anymore cops. Shall we go?"
Jesus whoever sent this woman, god fucking bless.
Getting in the cab and bidding her a final thank you through the window, the last thing he saw was her smile that expressed genuine relief at his wellbeing. So caught up in the fact that actual good people still existed in the world, he hadn't realized they were so close to his residence and had almost instantly arrived.
"Here man," the driver held out money to Michael.
"What's this?" he slowly took it.
"Your change."
What? Change? Change for what?
Noticing Michael's confused expression, the driver explained. "The hot chick paid 200 for your fare. This is your change."
JESUS. That was enough to take him out of town and back.
"Are we done here or ya got somewhere else to go?"
Michael shook his head as he got out, thanked the driver, and walked up to his mansion to finish up the rest of this shit day.
The second time they met was outside Bean Machine on the corner of Vespucci Boulevard and Peaceful Street. It wasn't so much a meeting as it was walking by and recognizing someone he knew accompanied by someone else he knew.
With all the shit going on in his life, he needed space, he needed air, he needed distractions. Finding himself wandering the streets debating on whether or not to pay his shrink a visit, he swore he heard something or rather someone familiar.
"… know what I'm saying?"
Was… Was that Mota? With that voice and accent, it had to be him. And it came from the direction of Bean Machine.
Approaching, Mota's back was to him and sitting across from him was… was her. It was her! From the other day! They were having a conversation and by all the power in him, he couldn't figure out why he had sat down a few tables over to try to listen in.
"Please Luis, that's all I'm asking you to do…"
Luis? Mota? Perhaps a middle name or something. By the way they were speaking, they seemed close and familiar with each other. He wondered their relationship as he tried to make out what they were saying but a lot of it was in Spanish with the occasional English dropped in.
"…is just be my date. No work on your part. And I'll even give you like, half."
Oh? Sounded like a job.
"… but you gotta get my tejana. I don't go wearing that stuff around here. You know what I'm saying?" Mota replied.
She clasped her hands and nodded cheerfully. "Yes absolutely, I'll get the hat. So, we got a deal?" she extended her hand across the table and they shook on it. Standing up, they bid their goodbyes with a small hug and kiss on the cheek and went their separate ways.
He waited for a minute before getting up himself and walking in the direction she headed. He saw her up ahead hailing a cab. A part of him wanted to run and call out to her to get her attention, to properly thank her for the other day. But a part of him felt at a loss for words.
Caught up in his thoughts, she was gone before he knew it. Small world that he'd seen her twice and still didn't even know her name.
But man did she have a beautiful smile.