Uncoiled (complete)

A Writer's Apartment

Deena didn't know why she agreed to this. She definately did not wake up that morning thinking that the day would end with her sneaking out of a bar and following a stranger to his apartment.

She's never even been to a bar before let alone trusting someone enough - a man- to go home with him.

Jack Simmons he called himself.

He seemed decent, thought Deena. He even suggested that she tell a few people where she would be just in case she thought he was a serial killer.

But Deena didn't have anyone she could think of- aside from all the people that she did not want to locate her. People including her family- they pressured her into the marriage to begin with.

Pressured? Forced is the proper word to use in this particular situation. She didn't tell anyone where she was. But what she did do was pretend to use the bar's phone, no one was really on the other end of the line.

She could've contacted Xerxes Masser, and she did think about it. Mr. Masser didn't know she located his younger brother and spoke to him from time to time. Xerxes left their cultural enclave because it suffocated him. He was a Tattoo artist in Detroit. Married to a woman named Jesse Montalvo. They could probably help her.

But Deena did not want to burden them. Xerxes ran away from this shit, she imagined he wouldn't be too happy if she forced him back into it.

Now, she walked closely behind him afraid the groomsmen were still around. Her bare feet against the hard ground did not help sooth her nerves. She moved closer to Jack- close enough she could smell the mixture of cologne and cigar on his leather jacket. Even more, she can distinguish the height difference between them- Jack was tall and had the shoulders of an athlete. Deena wondered if he was a college student like her.

--

Jack couldn't help but notice the jump in her strides and how she got closer and closer to him, she was practically hiding behind him. But he didn't say anything about it. He was too afraid that if he did she would run in the opposite direction like a frightened kitten.

The bar was two blocks away from his apartment. He was grateful for it being this close. But what he didn't notice until he unlocked his apartment door and opened it for her to enter first was that she didn't have shoes on her feet.

Deena hesitated before entering. For two reasons. One, this was a big deal. A voice in her head tried to warn her again- but she shut it up because she's less safer in the streets than in a single person's apartment. Two, - well she looked down at her dirty feet and blushed.

She didn't want to dirty his apartment.

"Don't worry about it- it's no Mecca of sanitation." He pointed at his apartment and encouraged her to enter.

Slowly- afraid that she might break something with her dress, she walked in. Jack followed and closed the door. The sound of the lock bolting shut made her jump.

Jack ignored it and took off his jacket before he walked past her and entered a room. He came out with two towels.

"If you want to shower."

Jack scratched his head trying to figure out what to do from there. Where will she sleep? What will she wear? What if asking her those questions creeped her out? All those questions crossed his mind before she broke his thoughts-

"Thank you."

Jack just stared at her blankly.

He pointed at the room he was just in. "My room. Don't worry I have an attached bathroom in there so this other one is all yours." He walked in the opposite direction, turned a corner before he realized that she wasn't following.