Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Kevin has his body pressed against me. The stench of sour beer is almost overwhelming, and I have to turn my head away as I attempt to wriggle free.

He doesn't just want to kiss. He wants something more than that. And he's not going to leave until he gets it. I should never have let him walk me home.

God, why is he so strong ?

"Let me go!" I hiss at him.

"I told you," he says through his teeth, "to stop being a tease."

His body is pressed against me now, hot and uncomfortable. I open my mouth, ready to let out an ear-shattering scream. There are buildings on this block. Someone is sure to hear it, even though all the windows are closed and the air conditioners are blasting inside. But before any sound passes through my lips, a voice booms from behind me:

"Hey! Hey ! What are you doing over there?"

Kevin eases his grip on my wrist. He backs away from me an inch or two, and I decide to take advantage of the fact that I can now move again. Bracing myself on a metal trash can next to me, I lift my right leg and knee him in the groin as hard as I can.

It's gratifying how quickly Kevin goes down. I've never nailed a guy in the balls before, and wow, that works really well. He crouches down, clutching his family jewels, his face bright red. It's quite a rush—well, until I lose my balance in the process and tumble to the ground, clocking my head on the metal garbage can.

"You bitch!" Kevin gasps. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

As I gingerly get back to my feet, I squint into the shadows at the figure who came to my rescue. It's too dark to see clearly, but it's obviously a man, about average build and height. He's looking down at Kevin, who is still doubled over, but then he glances up at me.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

"This is none of your business!" Kevin spits out at him. "We were on a date, you asshole. We were having a great time."

The mystery man continues to look at me, waiting for my answer, his eyes dark shadows.

"I'm fine." I brush sidewalk dirt off my sleeveless blue dress, which I will probably never wear again for a multitude of reasons, including self-consciousness about my unacceptably flabby arms. I should just throw it out after this. "I mean, now I'm fine."

" You're fine?" Kevin bursts out. "I should sue you for assault!"

Mystery Man lets out an astonished snort. "I saw what you were trying to do. I'd be happy to call the police and let them know all about it."

With those words, he pulls his phone out of his pocket, as if about to call 911. He looks at me again, as if for permission, and I shake my head. That is not how I want this evening to end. I just want to go back home and soak in my bathtub. And block Kevin on Cynch. I can report him to the admins, since they have all his personal information.

For the first time, Kevin looks properly worried. He manages to straighten up with some effort. "Hey," he says. "Hey, look, maybe you got the wrong idea. I wasn't going to—"

"Get out of here," the mystery man cuts him off. " Now . Before your date changes her mind about calling the cops." His voice lowers a few notches, almost to a growl. "And if you ever bother her again, I'm happy to testify to what I saw you do. Do you know what jail is like for a sex offender?"

Kevin's eyes widen. He finally gets the idea.

I watch my date limp down the street, in the opposite direction of my apartment building. It's only when he disappears from sight that I feel my shoulders relax.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mystery Man asks me.

I swivel my head in the direction of his voice. He has stepped into the glow of the streetlight, so I can finally get a good look at him. And…

Wow.

You know that cheesy thing people say—that they look at another person and get hit by a lightning bolt? I always thought that was absolutely ridiculous until it happened to me about three years ago and I met my first lightning-bolt guy. But that didn't work out, and I had given up hope that it would ever happen again. But now, here it is. That damn lightning bolt once again.

Mystery Man is hot, to say the least. He has thick black hair and coal-black eyes, with a level of intensity that sends yet another lightning bolt through me. His strong jaw makes him seem utterly in control and confident. His face has that pleasing textbook symmetry. He's wearing a black T-shirt that shows off his lean build and makes his dark hair and eyes seem even more intense. There's also no glint of a wedding band on his left hand.

But best of all is the way he's staring back at me. If I got hit by a lightning bolt, he did too. I'd bet my life on it.

"I'm okay," I manage. "Just…you know, shaken."

Mystery Man looks into the distance, making sure that Kevin is really gone. "Is he your boyfriend?"

I shake my head. "We just met tonight. Hooked up on Cynch." My face burns slightly. "I don't mean hooked up , obviously. But we had a date for tonight." I add, quite unnecessarily: "It was bad."

"I gathered."

"He doesn't know where I live." I hug my arms to my chest. "I'll report him to the app. They take this kind of thing seriously. I don't think he'll bother me again. But…thanks for helping me."

He flashes a lopsided smile. "Looks like you took him down pretty good yourself. He could barely walk."

I smile at the satisfying memory of how it felt to sink my knee into Kevin's balls. "Thanks."

Mystery Man is staring at me, that half smile playing on his lips. The electricity between the two of us is palpable. Sometimes I'm not sure if a guy is interested in me or not. But from the way Mystery Man is looking at me, I know he's interested. And despite feeling shaken from what just happened, I would happily hand over my phone number right now.

What a great meet-cute. I can already imagine telling the story to our children. This jerk was trying to kiss me, and that, kids, is how I met your father.

Okay, I might be getting a little ahead of myself. But when you know, you know.

"Can you make it home okay from here?" Mystery Man asks me.

I look around. In the last few minutes, the streets have become more crowded. It doesn't feel quite as desolate as it did when Kevin grabbed me. "I'll be fine."

"Great," he says.

And then, to my shock, he starts to turn away. To leave .

"Um, thank you again!" I call out. "I really appreciate what you did. You're, like, my hero."

That gets a full-on smile out of the guy. And if possible, he's even more handsome when he smiles. He's got to be some kind of actor or model or something . I mean, geez . "Of course," he says. "I'm just glad you're okay."

We stare at each other for another beat, and I imagine the next words out of his mouth…

Would it be okay if I called you sometime?

Can I take you out on Saturday night?

Can we make passionate love tonight? Are you down for that?

But he doesn't say any of that. He doesn't even ask me my name. He simply raises one hand and says, "Well, good night then."

And then he walks away.

What. The. Hell?