A STRONG STRANGER 2

"Ahhhhh!" The loud screams of someone woke Xavier up from his slumber. His heart skipped a beat. He thought the bar was being robbed. He wiped his face and turned around to look at where the sound was coming from. He saw a girl standing on top of the man who was kissing his girlfriend earlier, but there was no sign of his girlfriend.

The girl stood on top of him, looking fearless. Her beautiful blonde hair was dangling in the air. She was putting on a black suit that clung to her body and enlightened her curves. She was dressed to kill. Xavier couldn’t help but drool over her. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She pressed her heels against the face of the man who was still screaming. Everyone in the bar was minding their own business. They didn’t want to intervene, including the bartender, who looked stunned.

"Dude, who is that girl?" Xavier asked. He wanted to know why she was beating up that man.

"Why is she beating him up? Did he cheat on her?" he asked. The bartender chuckled, mixing drinks for a few customers that were standing beside him.

"They aren’t dating. I think she is beating him up because of you," he replied.

"Because of me? Why?" Xavier asked with his mouth wide open. He had no idea who she was, and she was beating up a man for him. He got up from the chair and cleared his throat, organizing his thoughts. He wanted to muster the courage to talk to her because she looked like a sophisticated lady.

She squatted and lifted the man by his collar, glaring at him with her sexy lips in a pout. "Shame on you. Is that what you do? Do you just come to bars to drink and steal money to pay your bills?" she asked with a disgusted look. The man looked wasted; he had bruises all over his face, and his left eye was light purple. He was trying his best to maintain his balance. 

"I didn’t steal any money. The money belongs to me." The man protested, scrunching his face.

"Shut up! Liar!" She yelled and punched him hard in the face. The man almost passed out. He was seeing stars. He couldn’t look at her anymore. She was the one supporting him from falling to the floor. 

She held him at his waist and shoved her hand into his pocket, looking for something.

"Um, miss, why are you beating up this guy?" Xavier asked, standing behind them with his heart in hand. He was scared that she would also spank him. She stole a glance at him and turned the man around. Shoving her hand into his back pocket and took out Xavier’s wallet. Xavier’s jaw dropped at the spot. It must be a misunderstanding. Maybe the man was using the same wallet as him. He thought and touched his pocket. To his surprise, it was empty. That was his: the wallet, had his ID, and his credit cards. 

The lady flaunted the wallet in his face, letting go of the man who fell helplessly on the floor in the middle of the bar.

"What are you staring at call security." the girl said, staring at the bartender, who pressed the emergency button that was behind the counter.

"It is mine." Xavier replied with a toothy smile, scratching the back of his head nervously. He shouldn’t have slept in the bar.

"Here you go. Next time, don’t fall asleep in public places." She said and tossed the wallet at him. He caught it and opened it. His things were still in place, including his money. This was the first time in his life he felt protected by a girl, and he felt sparks exploding inside of him. He wanted to get to know her. 

He wanted to take her number. She was the only one he saw in the bar. She rolled her eyes at him as she realized he was staring at her. She walked over to the counter and had a seat. Xavier didn’t know when he turned around to look at her. He didn’t know other white people lived in Amber’s city; he thought himself and Mason were the only whites. 

A few security guards came and lifted the man off the floor and took him out of the bar.

"Every time he comes to this bar, the customers always accuse him of stealing something from them, and when we search him we always find nothing. I thought it was a figment of my imagination." The bartender said to the girl handing her a drink.

"I think his girlfriend is also his accomplice. She almost ran away with the wallet. Thank goodness I acted fast." She said, taking a sip of her drink.

Xavier walked over to the counter and rested his hand with his gaze fixed on her. He was smiling like a mad man.

"Quit staring at me, weirdo," she snarled, rolling her eyes.

"I…I wanted to say thanks." Xavier said, he was surprised that the words didn’t come out naturally; he hadn’t been so shy around a girl before; it was the first time and it made him cringe.

********

"I am asking you to answer me. What do you want?!?" Daniel asked, raising his voice. Amber stepped back. It had been a long time since Daniel yelled at her, and it made her feel vulnerable. She hated to admit it, but he was right. She knew what she wanted this time. Xavier was the one forcing himself on her.

"I know what I want. I want to be with Mason," she said.

"Mason? Didn’t you end things with him a long time ago?" he asked.

"I didn’t; you forced me to." She replied.

"I did? You know, I wanted the best for you and he couldn’t leave his city for you." Daniel replied, pissed.

"He asked me to run away with him, but I refused because I didn’t want to let you guys down. I rejected him for my family." She snapped. Daniel frowned. She was getting on his nerves. 

"Just stop talking. I don’t wanna hear it. I can’t believe that after all these years, you still want to be with him. Don’t forget, you are engaged to someone else now." Daniel said.

"Um about that, I want to tell you I no longer want to get married to Xavier. He is a maniac. He is just obsessed. I don’t think he is in love with me," she told him.

"Gosh, I can’t believe you. You didn’t think of the consequences when you decided to get engaged to him. I thought you were a grown woman now." he said. "I guess I was wrong. You are still a kid who doesn’t know what she wants." he added, his words hurt her ego, but she put on a straight face.

"I only got engaged to Xavier because I wanted to get revenge on Mason for getting married to someone else," she said.

"What? So he is married?" He asked, raising his voice. She opened her eyes wide in surprise and bit her lower lip. She shouldn’t have said that. Daniel’s eyes lit up. 

"No, he isn’t." she replied flatly. 

"Don’t lie to me, Lovely. I can see right through you." he declared. "Tell me all you know." He said, clutching her hand. She tried to move away from him. She told him all she knew, and the more he listened, the more his expression changed.

He let out a frustrated sigh and walked over to the door. He opened it and looked back at her.

"Get out of my office. I have nothing to say to you." he said. She looked at him, thunderstruck. She was lost for words. 

"Why are you getting all worked up?" she inquired.

"Go out, and don’t think of telling mom and dad about this, not even Bella. You are going to get married to Xavier. That’s all I can say." He said, showing her the door. 

"Hurry up," he said. She pursed her lips into a line. She didn’t have anything to say to him. She glared at him as she approached him.

"Mason is the one I love, the one my heart belongs to." she said, looking keenly at him. 

"You should have said that earlier before getting yourself stuck in this mess. You are playing with the hearts of two humans here." He said rudely and pushed her out of his office, slamming the door in her face. 

Amber looked down and started walking away, "What am I going to do now? I am back at square one, choosing between Mason and Xavier." She thought and paused, staring into thin air. 

Daniel placed his iPad on the table and called his wife on a video call. He was contemplating whether he should tell her about what was happening. She picked up the call and put her face on the camera, staring at him.

"Where are you? What are you up to?" he asked. 

"I am at your parents' house with Tyler." she replied.

"How is my dad doing?" he inquired. She turned the camera to his mom, who smiled and waved at him. 

"How are you doing, mom?" he asked. 

"I am fine," she said, rubbing her shoulders. "It’s hard taking care of your father, and he is a picky eater," she remarked.