I'd tell you a story

Riya lowered her head a bit from her steering to carry her phone that fell when she was trying to pick it, it had been so long Nelson has called her, so seeing his call had made her all messed, picking up the phone and returning her gaze to her front, she couldn't avoid it anymore her car was moving so fast to the man walking exaggeratingly slow on the road, all she could do was stop abruptly but the car still got to hit the man and he was knocked down, ' oh dear lord ' she mused and quickly unbuckled her seatbelt.

she opened the door and ran outside went around her car and squat to look at the man that has surprisingly not moved an inch even though it's obvious he's not unconscious

"ummmm I'm so sorry sir, let me help" she apologized and offered her hand for him to take but he only turned his gaze towards her and 'brown eyes' hmmmm and he smiled 'breathtaking' she mused

"I don't think I want to get up" he breathed "A picture of you from the ground is sooo ... so beautiful" he continued his eyes shaky as if he was fighting not to go unconscious .

"Sir I think you're wounded that's why you can't stand up, dear lord " Ignoring his words, Rita is scared because it looks he is fine but why isn't he moving.

'Is he paralyzed ?' her eyes widened but she quickly brush off the thought he still had the strength to flirt so he's definitely fine, so she bent down on her heels and tried to raise his shoulders so he can be in a sitting position but he just won't bulge , 'maybe he's drunk, what kind of an unlucky day is this' she feels it's unlucky because she was given an assignment that'll last for more than a month by her useless boss because he doesn't know how to analyze nor strategize and now she has knock down a drunk man

"Okay I'm calling the ambulance you need to be taken to a hospital" she sighed standing up to go and get her phone she is definitely this calm because he looks fine and isn't even in pain

"No no no don't do that I'll go now" he objected so fast she could only watch him dumbfound as he stood up and cleaned his dark green pants.

it was evening so she could still see the colors not black, he has this buzz cut hairstyle that she feels like running her finger on, she quickly shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts

"I'm fine you see but I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee" still flirting he suggested adjusting the shoulder of his buttercream tee shirt

"I don't like coffee" Riya rejected his offer, like he was trying to take her out when he took it as an apology for what she did

"Okay then, so you do not want to pay for what you've done I see" he was setting a trap he knew she'd willing take

'Hmmm... he's definitely someone who borrows a lot and is currently very broke I could help', she mused as though she didn't just knock him over and the least she could do was get him coffee

"Fine, if I get you coffee, that's all we're even then"

"Though it doesn't cover for my life that almost slipped out of me I'll take it" he said and moved to her car smiling and almost bouncing on his left feet at each step

They drove down to a cafe close to Rita's house cause she wouldn't want to drive long again before reaching her place, they both got down from the car looking a million dollar worth ' grinning ', he stuck his right hand for her to take before he retraced it when he realized she wasn't his girlfriend he was so used to doing it to Maria that it hurt so much right now.

Maria was his first love and only girlfriend, he loved her and was waiting for a right moment to propose to her but it seems they is no right moment cause she brought her invitation card of her wedding personally immediately she graduated from the University he has been paying her tuition for 'how cruel'

"hey..... hey Mr. let's go what are you doing" Rita called him out of his sad thought and she noticed he suddenly looked defeated

"Yeah get ready cause I'm gonna buy coffee till you are penny less" he's back to his cheerful self and walked ahead of her turning over his shoulder he noticed she's the one who isn't moving now he walked back and held her right wrist pulling her towards the entrance of the cafe shop, her gaze dropped to his very cold almost dropping with water from iciness palm

"Why is your palm so cold" she couldn't help but ask

"I don't know it's been like that" he shrugged still holding her wrist like she some child who could get lost

"And you haven't thought about going to the hospital ?" she asked confused

"Nope I'm sure it isn't a problem, I feel fine as a matter of fact" he defended.

They got to the counter and he ordered what he wanted with apple juice for her, it was amusing how he was the one doing everything when he was the one that needed appeasing, he totally forgot and was acting do casually, they walked down to a table and they both sat down facing each other, and he finally noticed her light brown iris that looked so alive and intelligent, he smiled

"why are you smiling like that ?" she asked all the while looking around the cafe she has never been here even with how close it was to her house, she found stopping here stressful

"you have intelligent eyes" he complimented as his reply, still smiling

"Just my eyes?, well..... actually I have intelligent brains and skin too" she finally smiled and he was shocked, she looked even better smiling

"I'm Xander, just Xander" he stressed the just so she wouldn't ask for surname which he has a cunny reason for hiding

"okay Xander" she paused and took a sip of her drink , when he kept looking at her with questions In his eyes she giggled

"My name's Riya Nicholson , I have a surname" she pointed out and he smiled even wider "When I saw you earlier I thought you were drunk" Najma confessed

"I was having a hangover, and a lot in my mind, I got drunk in the morning" he didn't hide it and he suddenly look sad again.

"Do you wanna talk about it ?" she asked offering to listen, he raised his head to meet her eyes

"I'd tell you a story" he said quietly his hoarse voice vibrating from his chest and Rita couldn't help but look at his Adams apple

"Okay I'm all ears" she was eager already

"I can't talk here it's not safe, let's go somewhere else" he abruptly stood up as if remembering something but something unexpected happened and Rita's fear instinct kicked in .