HOOKED

CHAPTER TWO

The cold night's wind was embracing me with rather a warmth of comfort tonight. It helped me keep my sanity intact ever since my encounter with the host of the party that I was present at, Jeremy Peterson. I took it as my fault for not catching onto the dots of hints when his playful eyes met with mine. I should have realized those eyes could belong to no other person, but what do I expect from fate which rarely ever worked its game in my favor.

It had come to me as a surprise that he had not forgotten me while I was the one who had failed to remember him despite our last encounter with each other holding more of an embarrassment for me than him. But perhaps no one would recognize him right away, if he had blonde hair and was in baggy jeans along with an oversized tshirt the last time you saw him about two years back, and this time he showed up in the finest suit in existence with dark amber hair gelled back to reveal his forehead and have his siren eyes appear even more entrancing. And a tattoo on the side of his neck in cursive that said 'tailor of chaos'.

It was an hour after my father's funeral when I had locked eyes with his burnt caramel ones for the first time. He was present at the cemetery to show respect to his late grandmother, whose grave was laid next to my father's by coincidence. When the rain had begun for the weather to share its sorrow with us, he held his umbrella over me to protect me from getting wet and that is how our first encounter had taken place. Afterwards, he had come to me in the guise of being kind enough to help me feed the guests who had come to share their condolences with my family, in the absence of my mother, who was too heartbroken to face the day and had left the responsibility to me.

And as I mentioned, back then he had blonde hair and wore baggy clothes like he was perhaps hardly twenty-three years old, five years older than me. But today here we were, about two years later, at the most lavish party the city had to encounter this year and the host of this grand event was no one else other than the penniless blonde I met two years back, who now happened to be the richest man in our line of business.

The world can be so vast yet appear so small when fate turns the tables, and it's impossible to keep up all the time. It surely never lets life be peaceful for once. Everytime I feel settled and wonder what's going to happen after the present moment is over, life presses the restart button like the ride is only about to start.

An exasperated sigh left my lips because of feeling slightly drained, followed by a slight shiver out of feeling cold at my exposed arms and waist. I would rarely ever feel cold, but perhaps winter has finally beaten me to it tonight.

It was not long until I was embraced by warmth again from behind, but this time with a heavy cloth which I guessed was a men's coat that was two times larger than my size. Turning out correct to my guess, the body of a man who was half a foot taller than me, stood next to me. He slightly leaned against the railing before turning he turned to look at me.

"You seem to have a habit of disappearing." He chuckled raspily, disappointment slightly but scornfully audible in his tone.

"Just a peculiarity about me." I shrugged in response, sighing out.

"For all your peculiarities, I find you quite endearing." The words left his lips so casually but at a lower volume than before, I was unsure if he meant it or if it was a lightheaded joke. But it would be unfair to not admit that it made my heart flustered for a split moment.

Silence fell upon us shortly as we gazed out at the city before us from the forty-seventh floor we were on, which only looked like shadows and glitter from so high above. I heard the clink of a steel lighter as my head turned in a slow reflex to look at him. He took out a cigarette, offering it to me afterwards, but I shook my head no. He did not question me and simply placed the bud between his plump lips, holding the fire from the lighter close to it as he sucked in and lit the cigarette up, exhaling out the smoke like he was releasing a sigh of exhaustion and relief.

"It has been two years and three months. Time flies." He spoke with the intent of killing the silence and causally beginning a conversation.

"Since?" I responded as I leaned against the railing in the same posture as him, pretendingly failing to catch what exactly he was referring to so that I didn't have to reveal that I'd kept count like him.

"Since you never showed up at the dinner date, I invited you to."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Did I never show up or did you not ever send me the location to begin with?"

"Did I not?" He looked back at me in just as much confusion. I would consider him a jerk for this if it wasn't for the cute way he tilted his head to the side with a genuine look of innocence in his eyes.

"Yes, you did not. Neither have you reached out to me ever since until tonight." I sighed before taking the cigarette from his hand and taking a suck at the bud before exhaling out the smoke in the open air.

"So I was the reason I had been stood up that night and never received a text from you afterwards." He chuckled to himself like he tried to pretend it was funny, but a slight bit of genuine embarrassment was evident on his face, which was something I was enjoying for some reason.

Silence fell upon us again, but this time I felt better at having the upper hand. For some odd cause that was unknown to me, this man always triggered the urge in me to beat him at every game he could ever play.

"Does that mean, had I sent the location, you would truly come have a date with me?" He asked, but his tone seemed rather serious than teaseful, as if he was looking forward to saying something more based on my response.

"Was I not bound to return the favor you offered me at my father's funeral?" I chuckled like a teaseback as I motioned for him to pass on the cigarette.

The next thing I knew was that I was grabbed by the waist, the same cold hands landing on the exposed skin above my hips and leaving a burning sensation that sent chills down my spine. Jeremy leaned forward, his eyes intensely dark. He placed the bud between my lips while holding the cigarette with his fingers, still holding me close to him with my front pressed slightly against his. He motioned for me to suck and because of the way he gazed at me so intensely, I could not help but fall victim to his bourbon eyes and obey.

"Sunday 7 p.m., location will surely be sent this time." He smirked, visibly enjoying how flustered he had caught me.

I nodded lowly, without my own consent. I sucked at the bud of the cigarette at his guidance, breathing out the smoke slowly to hold myself back from choking on it. Even through the smoke, the smirk on his face was visible because of the satisfaction he received.

"Good girl." He caressed the side of my head like a soft pat, as he slowly released me from his embrace, causing me to choke as I released the smoke anyway, my eyes burning as I tried to control myself.

He caressed my back soothingly in a way to help me calm down, before stepping further away. He took one last suck before he dropped the finished cigarette on the concrete floor and smashed it with his feet.

"You can keep the coat, Siena." Jeremy smiled casually as he walked backwards. "I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday then." He turned around fully afterwards, exiting the terrace.