Chapter Three
I really hope you all aren't lying in wait with pitchforks and torches. I apologize about the wait. Seriously. Along with a heaping dose of writer's block, I actually enrolled in school to finish my college education after a 10 year hiatus. I am just now finishing my first semester back with an A! So again, I'm sorry for the wait but I'm going to be making an effort to finish now!
"Okay, the best way to figure this out is logically." Adel paced the length of her small living room, trying her best to ignore the large man leaning against the wall by her sliding deck door. The afternoon light was slowing giving in to the evening as dusk approached. He seemed to be studying the cars racing by on the nearby street. After she had returned the favor and cleaned his wounds to the best of her limited ability, gave them both a dose of Tylenol (with a lot of grumbling on Riddick's end), she had reasoned that they could figure out just how he came to her world. "What do we know? Facts." She paused again, glancing at him. "You are Riddick. You're real. But you're fictional. I mean... " She gestured to the DVD stand again at his angry grunt. "UGH. This is crazy. Here. You are fictional here. In this reality. We have a fictional character in my reality. Why? Somehow we were on that horrible desert planet, watching all those people die, all those monsters." Adel shuddered.
Try not to think about it.
Facts.
"You were about to die. I was trying to help you and there was that storm." An idea sparked to life. "The Storm! Riddick, do we were somehow brought here by the storm?"
He looked at her thoughtfully.
"Who can say when death is involved?" He was quiet again, still watching out the window. "Didn't you say you had been watching a… movie" The word sounded foreign on his tongue. "And fell asleep."
"Yeah..." She answered.
"You woke as I was dying during the storm." He moved away from the window, his shined eyes flashing as he stopped before her. She stopped pacing. "Your wounds from my world are still fresh." His hand barely traced the edge of the bandage. Adel was all too aware of his close proximity. She felt tense again, the heat from his body engulfing her as he looked down at her.
And her stomach growled.
Oh, lord. Kill me.
The corner of Riddick's mouth twitched.
"I suppose we should go get some food. And maybe some new clothing for you." She took the time to trail her eyes down his body and torn clothes.
Yes. Clothes. Must inspect clothes.
His mouth had morphed into full on smirk as she met his eyes again. She rolled her eyes and moved to the front hall to grab her purse. She turned to see if he was coming, taking a moment to give in to female appreciation and watch the fluid movements of his body as he walked.
"You don't have to use just your eyes to undress me." His purred remark snapped her out of her revere. Heat spread to her cheeks. Not bothering to deny her perusal, she spun on her heal and opened the front door, ignoring his laughter. She locked the door once he was out and made her way out to the parking lot to her car.
She unlocked it and hopped in before realizing he was still standing outside. She climbed back out to see a look of utter disgust on his face.
"What?"
"How do you expect me to fit in that thing?" He glared at her Mini Cooper with distaste. She laughed as she sat back down in the car. Turning on the engine, she pushed the button to put the top down. As it moved, she rolled down the windows as well.
"Better?" She inquired. He grumbled, bracing an arm on the edge of the car door before hopping over the side and sliding smoothly into the seat. She stared at him. "Or the door next time. Whichever." He watched her put use the gear shift to put the car in reverse before pulling out of the parking space. She pushed it into drive and they exited the parking lot of her apartment complex.
"I've seen pictures of these." He gestured at the interior of the car. "In some of the history vids."
"What? The car?" Adel was momentarily stumped. "Hmm. Well, if I remember correctly, your world is still 'this' world – just in the future. The really distant future." This was starting to get a bit complicated. "So it would make sense that my present would be your history lessons."
"If you say so." They stopped at a red light and Riddick attempted to make some room for his legs.
"There is a bar beneath the seat that will push it back so you have more room." Adel mentioned as she watched him try to adjust his legs. He reached under the seat and fumbled about. With a wicked gleam in his eye, he gave up.
"I'm not finding it. Wanna help me out, sweetheart?"
Do NOT.
Reaching between his legs.
Bad idea.
Like a moth to the glow of a bug light, she was powerless as she leaned forward. Grazing his knee with her hand , she reached down to grasp the bar. Her fingers had just pulled up, effectively sliding him back. She was moving her arm when he trapped it between his knees. She gasped quietly, looking back at him. The gaze he pinned her with was intense. She bit her bottom lip and his eyes tracked the movement. Some voice in her subconscious whispered.
Predator.
The spell was broken as a horn blared from behind them. She quickly sat up, pressing her foot to the gas pedal to drive through the green light. Riddick made a sound of pleasure as he stretched his legs out more now that there was more room.
After mentally chastising herself, a thought occurred.
"So what do you like to eat?" She asked him.
"I usually make do with what I have." He shrugged.
"Hmm. Well, we can have whatever we want at the moment," she said, thankful that she had gotten paid recently. "How about a steak? Burger? Chicken?" He thought for a moment.
"You choose. I can't remember food that wasn't powdered or I didn't kill myself." She chose to ignore the comment as she decided on a local steak house. Not too fancy since they still needed to find him clothes. Since she was close enough to the city, people generally didn't question if someone was oddly dressed.
It took about ten minutes to arrive. As they pulled into the parking lot, the light from a passing pair of headlights caught his eyes.
Well that's pretty noticeable.
She muttered a polite, 'excuse me' as she reached across his leg again, ignoring the almost imperceptible growl from his throat. She opened the glove box and pulled out her favorite pair of aviator sunglasses.
"Here." She handed him the glasses. "I hope they work for you but at least they'll hide your eyes since 'shined eyes' aren't very popular here." He chucked as they hopped out of the car, though not so literally for Riddick once Adel showed him the handle. Thankfully it wasn't too late and the dinner crowd was just beginning to trickle through the doors of the restaurant. The hostess greeted them, eyeing Riddick as he stood behind her.
"Hi, table for two please." she asked. The hostess smiled at them, glancing at Adel and her bandaged forehead before focusing her attention on Riddick.
"Sure. Follow me, please." She walked through the restaurant, swinging her hips in what Adel thought, was an overly-exaggerated swing. She led them to a table in the middle of the restaurant, where they sat before placing menus in front of them. "You know," She started, speaking to Riddick. "You look awfully familiar. Haven't I seen you before?"
"No. I don't think so." He answered.
That voice is a dead freaking give away.
"Oh, okay." She lingered for a moment but when it was apparent she could think of no other reason to stay, she hurried off. Adel looked up, following her departure, and frowned when she found a waitress. Their heads bent together, they spoke quietly, before looking over at their table again.
Yep. This is not good.
There's going to be some sort of paradox or something.
"Um, have you decided what you would like to eat, Riddick?" She asked, attempting to ignore the fact that more than a few of the wait staff were now gesturing in their direction.
He had opened his mouth to answer when they were interrupted.
"Excuse me." A young woman in her teens had approached their table. "I'm sorry to bother you, Vin. But I'm a huge fan. Could I have your autograph?"
And that's where I'll leave you. I hope the longer chapter makes up for how bad an author I've been. 3
