Given and Denied

Chapter 7.

"Need a lift?". The sole occupant said from inside it.

I couldn't see his face but I knew it to be male and although I was well aware that this was a particularly affluent part of London, I still wasn't about to get inside a strangers car, so I shook my head most fervently and carried on power walking.

"Come on, you're a long way from home here. Let me take you". The voice persisted, as he drove up alongside me again.

My stomach twisted.
How did he know I was a long way from home?
Must be what I was wearing I suppose.
Around here, nobody would be wearing such hideous clothes. Not in public anyway.

"I'm okay, honestly". I answered, as I continued on my way.

"But you seem in a little bit of a hurry and it can't be easy walking in those slippers at such speed". He laughed.

This guy was strangely persistent and I now began to feel just a tiny bit nervous. More so when he suddenly said:

"Come along Gwen. Get in the car".

This time I did stop and looked into the vehicle, nervous about who I might see. If it was a stranger, then was I being stalked?
But I gave out a sudden sigh of relief when I saw that it was in fact Michael, Alan's driver. Usually behind the wheel of a rather expensive Bentley, this time he was driving Alan's very own BMW.
This was the car in which the film star actually drove himself when he took me home to my parents place in Shropshire, which felt like an absolute age ago now!
I smiled at the cheery face with the big, beaming smile now looking right at me.

"Come on you muppet, in you get and I'll take you back home". He said, leaning over to open the passenger door.

I smiled back, very grateful indeed for the offer of the lift.
But it wasn't home that I really needed to get to. Not yet anyway.

"Do you mind". I said, as I leaned in. "Do you mind taking me somewhere else?".

"Where to?". Michael asked cautiously.

"To my friends house". I answered.

I looked at the expression on his face. He might have thought I meant the other side of the country or something.

"It's okay". I laughed, "It's not far. I just need to see her before I go home, that is all".

"Then your carriage awaits". He grinned at me.

I smiled back and got inside, feeling that this was exactly what I really needed. To be honest I had no idea where in fact I was or indeed which direction I needed to be going in. I was in such a confused state about everything that I wasn't really thinking very straight at all.

"Thank you". I sighed with huge unmitigated relief.

"And I think you'll be needing this as well". He continued to smile.

He then reached over behind him and retrieved something from the back seat and handed it to me. I was shocked to see that it was in fact my little handbag, complete with the keys to my flat inside.

"Alan figured you'd be needing that". Michael grinned at me as he then reached over to put on his seat belt.

I looked at the object now on my lap and thought, what an absolute idiot I was!
Such was my hurry to get out of that gorgeous house and away from the situation I had found myself in, I'd completely forgot about picking up my damned handbag!
How on earth was I supposed to get into my flat without any keys!

"It's a good job he's looking out for you". Michael added, as he manoeuvred the beautiful car into the road again.

I looked at him as I clicked my seat belt into place.