Sira tiptoed down the stairs, clutching her oversized hoodie close. Her roommate, Jess, had promised a huge party. Sira’s only hope was to make it out the door before Jess saw her and dragged into the chaos of people invading the house. She had her hand on the door when a low chuckle caught her attention.
With a wince she glanced back, hoping without much hope that maybe one of Jess’ guys was with some clingy party-goer, laughing at something she had said. No such luck. She nearly stumbled as her heart stuttered in response to the sight she was greeted with. Whoever this drop dead handsome man was, he was staring straight at her with a warm smile that looked about ready to burst into one of those full heartbreaking smiles, and she couldn’t move. For a second she even ventured a thought about staying at the party. The more he looked down into her eyes with that melted chocolatey gaze, the more undecided she felt.
“Sneaking off to a party?” He questioned, the laughter barely restrained.
She glanced down self consciously at the half covered sparkly party outfit that Jess had forced her into, which probably looked ridiculous, not usually something she would choose to wear herself. “No, I…” Sira tried to come up with some sort of response but forgot she was needing to finish her sentence as he stepped closer to her, stealing her breath with his closeness. She watched as his eyes made scorching trails all the way down to her bright red stilettos, up her be-glittered skirt, past her drab gray hoodie to her perfectly styled hair and makeup.
“You…” He prompted.
She shook off the haze of charm he had swirling around him and stood straight. “Jess is probably in the kitchen.” Sira didn’t wait for him to try to sweet talk her into joining the party.
If she conveniently wasn’t around until midnight when the party should be dying down, the better.
Shoving the door open Sira escaped down the walkway, hoping that the man turning her insides upside down would make his way back into the party.
She swallowed a shriek when his warm, work-roughened hand softly caught her arm. As she turned to yell at him he dropped his hand away and took a step back. He ran both hands through his short brown hair.
He looked a little sheepish. If it wasn’t so dark Sira was sure she would see him blushing. “I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t walk you to your car.”
It was her turn to chuckle as she found herself relaxing a bit. Maybe it was just being out of the house. “I would accept your gentlemanly offer.” She paused, teasing him. “But I don’t even know you.”
His grin shone with delight. “I can remedy that.” He made a mock courtly bow. “I am Mitch, Jess’ older brother. She can come out and vouch for my character if you need any references.” He took a step back toward the house.
“You’re Mitch!” She hooked her hand in his proffered arm. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’m Sira.”
“Well it’s nice to meet you Sira. Am I being kidnapped?”
She tried to slow her pace down so she wasn’t dragging him away. “I didn’t make you leave the party. You followed me even though you knew I was trying to sneak out.”
His attention was transfixed on her. Sira checked her hair to make sure the breeze hadn’t poofed it from its elegant curls into a fro.
Mitch shook his head and held his arm out. “You are fascinating.”
Surprised to find herself tucked in under his arm as they began to walk again she nudged him with her elbow. “Mmm. Try again.”
Again his eyes did that piercing perusal up and down as if trying to figure her out completely in one long look.
“Try what again?”
“I am thinking that you were going for some sort of compliment. So you can try again because that didn’t work. Or you can tell me why you left the party?”
Out came that boyish charm that Sira was beginning to see was not a conscious attempt at being some sort of serial dater, but was just his natural easygoing nature.
“You haven’t been a roommate of Jess and Terra very long, have you?”
“3 weeks.”
“Jess will have so many parties that she will be dragging me to ‘cause she is always complaining about there not being enough guys for all her girl friends.”
“So you’re telling me you left because you are so popular and in high demand for all the parties?” Sira pulled her arm out of his to fold both her arms snugly around her waist.
He put up his hands defensively. “I was stating facts. I followed you out the door because I caught a gorgeous brunette bedecked in full party gear, high heels included, sneaking out of the party before even joining it. That, and I had to find out what you’re hiding under that hoodie.”
She hugged the hoodie close. “No chance of that.”
He laughed. “You are way too easy to tease.”
Sira picked up her pace and tried to leave him behind. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, he still had a solid hold on her arm and stopped her in her tracks. She tripped as he pulled her back to face him. Stupid Jess heels.
She wanted to go for indignant but ended up a wobbly mess on the grass. Instead of taking advantage of her being on the edge of toppling over to sweep her off her feet, Mitch patiently waited for her to regain her balance, one arm out in front of her in case she needed it. She wasn’t graceful as she took a few steps, and it wasn’t like any epic romance novel where she fell gracefully into the hero’s chest but his valiant support warmed her heart and made her toes tingle.
When she looked up at the strong chiseled planes of his face he looked at her with a odd seriousness. “Sira, I came out after you because of all the people at that party you were the first one I found any interest in talking to.”
Flabbergasted and beyond thrilled Sira smiled and searched for what to say that would not sound completely foolish.
“I wasn’t at the party.”
With a loud bark of a laugh he nodded. “No, you weren’t.”
