If At First

Part 2 - Chapter 1

I waved at Ginger, the mail-carrier, as she prepped to make her rounds, and nodded back at my father's friend Mr. Oliver, who just filled up at the Pump'n Save. I wondered how long this detour of my life would last or if instead this was the destination. The weight of that idea felt unendurable and I pushed it aside, deciding instead to grab a Diet Coke at the gas station shop to distract me.

I turned into the lot and parked next to the little brick building as I dug through my purse for my phone. Hopping up the step checking for a message from my dad, I reached for the handle of the glass door to the mini-mart. At the exact same time, someone exiting thrust the door open much too forcefully.

A rush of air, the sound of a nauseating dull thump, and the crack of my phone against the concrete was all that registered before I realized a split-second too late that the frame of the door had just collided with my face. The force of it sent me stumbling off the step and I grasped wildly for anything solid. A scream began to rise in my throat at the near-instant pain racing through my head. But only a silent, shocked breath escaped my lips before a hand grabbed my wrist. It was firm and warm against my chilled skin, and then another caught my waist. I halted mid-air just before hitting a stack of salt bags.

We froze that way, this stranger and I, bent into a position resembling a contorted, flourishing dip at the end of a dance. My body tensed and my eyes were clenched at the expected impact with the salt bags, but I slowly opened them when the low voice directly above me said, "You alright? You should maybe watch where you're going." His tone was an annoying mix of arrogance and concern with a failing attempt at concealed amusement.

I winced from the pain swarming in my head and then paused to glare at the face of my assailant/ rescuer. "Where I'm going? You-" But before I could get the rest of the words out I was immediately disarmed by a pair of startling blue eyes. With my free hand I brushed aside the tangled blonde veil clouding my view.

Hovering only inches above me was a chiseled face that looked like it belonged to the alter-ego of a costumed crime fighter, beneath perfectly tousled, dark hair. A square jaw and furrowed brow were in direct contrast to the smile sneaking across his mouth. And suddenly for no reason at all, his smug expression arrested and the entertainment he seemed to find in the situation melted away. For a moment it almost looked like he started to speak again, but he closed his mouth before it happened.

There was an odd few seconds where nothing moved, neither of us even breathed. Something in the earth shifted at that moment. Something for which I knew I was unprepared.

Still stunned by what just occurred, I forgot completely what the rest of my response was supposed to be. I collected myself, considering where first to focus. Embarrassment, pain, shock... definitely embarrassment. With a little pain. Nope, a lot of pain. We moved to straighten from our awkward position, though he did most of the work, and the solid arm at my waist loosened its grip but the other still held my wrist.

"No. I mean yes, I'm okay. I'm fine." I reassured him. -What? How was that my answer? It sounded much more ferocious in my head. I averted my eyes to examine if I actually was okay, and try if I could, to regain a little backbone. I looked down at the wrist he continued to hold and my stomach did a flip. He followed my gaze and immediately let it drop. I knew somewhere in my brain that I should be angry. This guy just knocked me over with a door. But I couldn't. And even if I was angry, I obviously wasn't able to form a cohesive sentence to inform him of the fact. He just stood there, looking at me and I wondered if I wasn't reacting normally.

"Should I take you to the hospital?" His voice was apprehensive, if once again a little amused.

"No. Thank you." I brushed myself off, hiding the beginning of a smile, "I'm probably going to live." I looked up at him through my eyelashes hoping to parallel his sarcasm, and caught him staring. Who was this guy? And why could I not vocalize my objection to his behavior?