Ch 548 – Do Me a Favor

The final strike had been enough. The men helped each other to their feet and ran away from Alex and the woman.

Alex rushed over to the young woman and asked, "Are you okay? Can you walk?"

She didn't speak for a moment, but simply sobbed. Then she grabbed hold of Alex's hand and stammered, "Thank you… thank you for helping me."

She began to tremble violently, and Alex pulled her close. His heart beat a bit faster at the scent of her perfume.

Momentarily distracted by her scent, Alex shook his head and refocused.

"Okay, don't cry. They're gone now." He picked up her bag and phone, which she had dropped when she had been attacked, and handed them to her.

"You should call the police and your family," he told her.

The woman stared at Alex and then nodded. She picked up her phone and dialed. Once she had made her calls, she looked at Alex and said, "My name is Kayla Morris. Thank you very much for saving me. If you hadn't shown up, I don't even want to know what would have happened. I could have died!"

She waited for a moment, trying to calm her nerves, all the while wondering if the man would introduce himself. He didn't.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me your name," she continued. "Maybe you can tell me another time."

"My name is Alex," he said, smiling kindly. Then his face grew serious. "What were you doing out here alone? It's not safe to be out alone so late."

Kayla nodded. "I know. I came to Baltimore with my friend for a short vacation, and I wanted to go out and grab a drink, but my friend didn't." She sighed. "I should have stayed home, but I was in a bad mood and wanted to get out for a while. It was a stupid thing to do, and I've learned my lesson."

"Oh, I don't know." Alex shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with having a good time. You just need to be more careful. You should learn to protect yourself."

She appreciated his concern and smiled at him awkwardly, looking a little lost.

Alex narrowed his eyes. It seemed like the girl was still upset but trying to hide it.

"Look—" Alex began, but he didn't finish, as the sound of an approaching car reached the mouth of the alley. At the same time, Kayla's phone beeped, and she glanced at the screen.

"My friend has come to pick me up, so I need to go." She stared at Alex for a long moment. "Thank you again. I'd like the chance to see you again. Can I get your number?"

They exchanged numbers, and then Alex walked her out of the alley.

Up ahead, a purple luxury car flashed its lights. A tall woman got out of the car and looked toward them as she shouted, "Kayla, I'm here!"

Kayla waved to her friend and then looked at Alex. "Do you need a ride? I'm sure we could drop you off somewhere."

Alex smiled and then shook his head. "I'm good. My car is just over there."

"Kayla, who is this?" her friend asked, walking over to stand protectively by Kayla. She was dressed fashionably and looked down her nose at Alex, obviously distrustful of him.

"It's okay," Kayla reassured her friend. "This is Alex. Alex, this is my friend Alyssa Hart."

The two stared at each coolly, so Kayla continued. "If it wasn't for him, I'm afraid something would have happened to me tonight. He saved me from a group of thugs who were trying to kidnap me."

Alyssa looked at her friend with concern. She didn't say anything on the phone about almost getting kidnapped, she thought, concerned. What was she thinking going out on her own? She turned her gaze on Alex again, looking him up and down appraisingly.

"This little guy saved you from a group of thugs?" Alyssa asked, obviously unconvinced, as she studied Alex's slight form. She had to concede he was rather good looking.

"Alyssa, don't say that," Kayla scolded. "Play nice. He saved me tonight."

"Kayla, you don't understand," Alyssa said. "The world is a dangerous place."

"That's what I've been trying to tell her," Alex interjected.

Alyssa rounded on him, pointed a finger at him, and said, "I'm warning you—stay away from her."

She didn't like the look of the guy. He may have helped Kayla, but he didn't seem like someone they should know. He was obviously someone from a rougher background than either of them, so Alyssa didn't want her friend getting too involved. It was best to say a polite thank you and then hope to never see the man again. He wouldn't fit in with their social circle, anyway.

"Alyssa, Alex is a good man," Kayla said, scolding her friend. She gave Alex an embarrassed look.

He simply smiled and said, "Goodbye."

Kayla didn't want him to go, so she called out, "Alex, there's no bus stop here, and the subway is far away. Let Alyssa give you a ride home."

"Kayla, no," Alyssa argued. "The car is too… clean. It's a rental, and I don't want him to get it dirty." What she didn't say, but they all knew she implied, was that Alex wasn't good enough to sit in her fancy car.

"He can find his own ride." Alyssa finished.

"Goodbye," Alex said again.

He waved at Kayla and then walked out of the alley toward the parking lot. The two women watched him go. Kayla was about to reprimand her friend for her terrible manners, when they saw Alex approach and get into one of the finest sports cars they had ever seen.

When Alyssa saw his car, her jaw dropped. That car was worth ten times the fancy car she was driving.

Who is this guy? Both women thought in wonder.

**

The next day, on the high-speed train to Philadelphia, Alex was listening to some music and flipping through his mobile phone. Eventually, he closed his eyes and was about to catch some sleep when he heard a familiar voice coming from the rear of the train car.

"I will never forgive you," the voice said, obviously talking to someone on the phone. There was a pause, and then the voice spoke again, somewhat louder, "I can also tell you that you've missed out on the best thing in your life. Sooner or later, you'll regret what you've done."

Another pause, and then she shouted, "You scum! You'll regret this."

Everyone in the car looked at her.

She put the phone away, looked up, and saw she had drawn the attention of the entire car. Her face reddened in embarrassment.

"Kayla?" Alex called.

Her gaze turned to his. For a moment, they stared at each other, and then came over and sat next to him.

"Alex, do me a favor," Kayla said, smiling brightly. Suddenly, she kissed him. At the same time, she pressed her body close to his, held up her phone, and took a photo of the two of them in each other's arms.

"Hey!" Alex protested, frowning. "What was that?"