Complications

Chapter 2

I apprehensively put my hand in his, noting that his handshake was firm but not one of those bone crushing ones. His hand was warm too. I really shouldn’t have been noticing all that. I didn’t bother to move my hand as I was still too much in shock, so I just let him do all the work; he probably thought I was some feeble girl who was too shy to say a word. He didn’t let go of my hand and in a split second I could tell he was going for intimidation- he wanted me to feel weak and small. He wanted me to be putty in his stupidly big, strong, warm hands.

I pulled away from him, standing up and leaning against the post that was in the front of me to put some distance in between the two of us. Maybe then I could actually breathe and try to initiate a coherent conversation. Still on the bench, he stretched out a bit, running his long arms along the back and tilting his head up to stare at me, as though he was waiting for some sort of amazing performance.

“Aurora Lawson,” I stated calmly, not letting my gaze slip away from his as I stared him down. If he wanted to intimidate me he could have a little dose of his own medicine right back at him. Away from him, I was cool and collected, and I was determined that he was not going to get to me again.

“Yeah, you told me on the phone.”                       

“Ahh...yeah,” I mumbled, almost incoherently, suddenly phased. So much for cool, calm and collected, then, that nagging voice in my head announced.

“So, what are your first impressions of me?” he grinned up at me.

I was thrown yet again. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting him to ask.

“You’re...” Once the word was out of my mouth, I realised I couldn’t even finish that sentence. I had no idea how to describe the guy in front of me.

“I’m what? Hot? Handsome? A greek god? Heard all of those before, Aurora.”

“You’re...you’re not what I expected.”

“This,” he gestured dramatically down to his body, “is not what you expected?”

That just about did it. Who did this guy think he was?

“Well, you’re a conceited vain douche bag who’s up his own arse. I don’t know, I’ve known Dylan a while, I thought he’d have better taste in friends somehow.”

He painted a wounded look onto his face but the blatant smirk behind it ruined the effect. “Ouch. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, sweetheart. And I’ve known Dylan a hell of a lot longer than you have. How do you even know him again, princess?”

“Stop with the ‘sweetheart’ and ‘princess’, okay? Dick,” I spat back at him.

“You don’t like terms of endearment Aurora- if we’re playing nasty then what would you prefer I called you?”

“I’d prefer,” I gritted my teeth in annoyance, “you called me by my actual name. You said it was unique; I’m sure even you don’t have that short a memory that you forget it easily.”

My words didn’t have the desired effect and only caused him to smirk up at me. He seemed to find some sort of joke in them that he wasn’t letting me in on and it was unsettling to say the least. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget your name- but I repeat my question, how do you know Dylan?”

“I’m Kym’s friend.”

“Ah yes, Kym’s little friend. Little in every way, I see.”

“I am so not little. I’m nearly the same height as you,” I snapped, then instantly regretted it as I realised I was just playing into his hands. Plus I sounded like I was about five.