We Meet Again [Aiden](1/2)

It's been almost two weeks since the day that keeps playing in my head. That man who I delivered to hasn't shown up yet. I should be thankful about it, but I've found myself growing more and more upset over the fact as time went by. I had to stop myself from going over to that house again by myself on my day off from work. He was supposed to just be some random customer and yet here I was, hoping to somehow hear from him. But what a joke that was! First off, the dude didn't even know my name. He also didn't know where I lived, where I went to school, or anything about me other than where I work. My boss didn't mention anyone asking about me though so I assume he hasn't gone there yet.

If he was going to show himself, he would have already.

But why did I care this much? He was just a guy! I shook my head a bit to try and distract myself, annoyed that this was still a conversation I had to repeat to no one in particular. Every night that man had visited my dreams like some omen and yet he was nowhere to be found. I grimaced a bit to myself as I adjusted the messenger bag at my hip and the portfolio under my arm. I don't get why I have to take some stupid art class when that's not even remotely close to my major. It might have sounded silly, but I didn't really care for some high profile job. What I wanted to be was… Well, either a small shop owner or a librarian. I know that those two things have nothing to do with one another, but those were the two paths I've found myself thinking about most. I'd love to own a little bakery that had a café section where people could come in to read. But that dream is a bit harder to achieve without an investment and who would lend money to a young man with no credit and no one to cosign? I couldn't ask my guardian to help me out. And it wasn't like I really had any friends who would want to go into this kind of business with me.

Friends, who even needed them? I've tried making friends when I was younger but those all ended as the world's greatest dumpster fire. For some reason people always turned their back on me, and for stupid shit too. Kids were vicious and it was because of this that I typically just keep to myself. Besides, with work, it isn't like I have time to go out and enjoy the city with people. Speaking of work, I was fucked this week if they didn't give me more hours. With the holidays upon us a few more hands were hired. Unfortunately it seemed the owners expected more business than we're getting so now the rest of us have to have our hours spread thin.

I shifted to sit down at the round, concrete table that was set up outside of the lecture hall I'd been leaving, looking out across the campus and at the students who wandered around in a hurry to get out of the cold. We were all young adults from every walk of life yet how many of them had to deal with issues like I did? And when was that guy going to find me..?

Nope, no, I need to focus on something else or my mind will just keep going back to that asshole. Why would he say he'd come find me only to just never show up? Way to get someone's hopes up. I shook my head and pushed myself to stand up before patting my portfolio idly. I had my sketchbook in here and my pencil set in my backpack. I could get started on the next assignment in the park if I'm quick enough.

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Getting to the park didn't take too long. There was a little municipal park about fifteen minutes from campus. It was small and shabby but it would serve its purpose. There were a few benches along a man-made footpath across some grass which is where I got myself stationed. I pulled the large yellow sketchpad from the long black sleeve I was carrying while being careful to not damage my other ungraded drawings. This professor was weird about turning in assignments and typically wanted multiple at once rather than to grade piece by piece. It was her class though, so, whatever.

I pulled my pencils from my bag and got to work. There was a small bunch of perennials by a bush that I could use as my target for today's drawing. After sizing up my subject I began to get to work by grabbing a softer pencil to start with a loose sketch before beginning to clean up any stray lines. I'll be honest by admitting that I lost track of time. If it wasn't for the setting sun I might have lost some fingers today from the cold as I had lost feeling in some of them a while ago.

What stopped me from finishing my drawing however was the sensation of something warm suddenly falling around my shoulders. I damn-near jumped out of my skin as I quickly looked up at the person who thought they could touch me so carelessly.

"You looked cold." That strange yet familiar voice I'd been hoping to hear uttered as his golden eyes peered down at me. His gaze could probably intimidate people and yet it drew me in like a moth to a flame. I felt my cheeks growing warm and I now looked down to realize he had taken his own coat off and put it around me. The coat was warm, heavy, and smelled like a strange mixture of cologne and cigarettes. It was a bit of a musky smell, but it certainly wasn't bad by any means. Wait, why the hell am I analyzing this dude's smell? Had I become a middle school girl with a crush? I wanted to reject the piece of outerwear but when I looked back up at him I found my voice had disappeared once more. He was perfect. And I don't mean that in a 'haha let me compliment him' kind of way. I really meant it. From his voice to his physique - Even his hair. Everything about him seemed as if there could be no further improvements upon him.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" He asked yet moved to sit beside me before I could put together a response. I cleared my throat and began to close my sketch pad seeing as I wouldn't be be getting anything else done with him so close. Why was I basically short-circuiting? Maybe I really should go see some medical professional about all of this..? No, no, I was just overreacting. I took a small breath in an effort to settle myself down but unconsciously pulled his coat a bit tighter against myself. I guess I was colder than I thought.

"What are you doing here?" I asked weakly as this park wasn't exactly close to the area that I had delivered to last time I saw him. Then again, this man's clothing was even more dapper than last time. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a gray tie and white undershirt. It honestly looked like he'd just stepped out of some high-profile meeting. Now that I got a look at him in the daylight, I could see what looked to be a small, silver stud in either ear. His left hand also had a ring around his thumb though his ring finger still had vacancy.

/Aiden, pull it togeTHER/.

"I did say I would come find you when I had the time. It's just been a busy few weeks. Land acquisition, positions being delegated - I'm sure you understand." He said to which I just nodded absently. Why did some high profile guy decide to actually come looking for me? Maybe he'd been at that house to go over some plans with prospective clients or something that time?

I shook my head a little bit before crossing one arm and resting my chin in the palm of my other hand. "Oh, really?" I asked in an attempt to be nonchalant towards him. I didn't exactly want to admit I was /ecstatic/ to see this man. Something in me yearned to close the gap between us and perhaps to lean against him at least but I knew better than to go around touching random people. I still didn't even know his name.

"Indeed. However it is a bit too cold out for you. If you're all done here why don't we get something to eat? I have a feeling there's something you'd like to discuss with me - Am I right?" He asked with a smug expression upon his face. There was a gleam in his eye as if he already knew everything going on in my head and, naively, I briefly wondered if he could read minds. He must have seen that brief second of panic because he began to laugh again as he looked me over. "I'm not going to bite you. Much. Get your stuff together and we'll get moving." He said before he moved to stand up, tucking those big hands of his into the pockets of his trousers.

What I should have done was reject the offer and go back home - Or to campus at least. If this guy can show up out of nowhere at the park then I probably wouldn't want to lure him back home.