Tonight I'm going to get rid of him.
I spent all morning and all of last night locked in my apartment trying to figure out a plan of action against him.
Ross.
Only a week ago I had been doing a quick grocery shop at the local produce store. It's a twenty-four-seven store, so I tend to go later in the evening to avoid large lines and unwanted bustling. So there I was, picking a loaf of bread from the shelf at eleven pm, when a deep manly voice interrupts my inner thoughts.
"Whole wheat is much healthier for you, you know."
I jerked my head over my shoulder to find out whose voice had interrupted me. He was tall, probably around six-four. He had broad shoulders and built muscular arms that I could define even through the dark navy blue sweater he wore. His eyes were hazel - little flecks of yellow randomly placed. His lips, plump and manly, were pulled into a delicious smirk.
"What I eat is none of your business, you know." I had to throw something back at his cocky remark.
He took a step back and looked at me directly in the eyes for a whole minute in silence. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. He gasped. I had started to retreat, remembering what everyone had warned me of. They had told me the tell-tale signs to recognize the moment it happened. They had told me to run if it were to happen to me. Run and never look back.
So naturally, I dropped the bread, left my cart; and ran.
Straight to my homey little apartment, locking all of the doors and windows.
This is where I stayed until now. Tonight I will make my move. I have contemplated every different scenario that could happen.
He's not the one for me.
I mean, he's attractive. Anyone could see that, but there was no heart-stopping moment for me. As long as I have ever known, it's the female that's supposed to find her soulmate, and try to gain the affections of the male. That's the way it's always been. Men weren't built with the tools to acknowledge their soul mate. It's just not supposed to be in their build. Everyone who has ever told me about the 'hunt' has always made it clear that women are the hunters of love. Not men.
It's even a topic in schools. I aced that class, no problem. We are warned starting when we're young that unless we want to become choice-less, weak in the knees - slaves to the men, then we have got to do our best to avoid men. Because it could happen any of us, at any time and point.
...CONTINUATION
Truthfully, we all know that it will without a doubt happen to all of us. That's just the way it works. But we all try our hardest to avoid the inevitable. So that's why I just don't understand what's wrong with me. I've never had that heart – stopping mate recognition happen to me, but I know for sure that Ross had it that night.
The way he looked at me. The way his lips dropped into an 'Oh' and the audible gasp he let escape his mouth... He had recognized me as his soul mate. It was backwards.
Never heard of before.
Everyone would think me crazy, and him dysfunctional.
I know nothing about the man, only his name. Or at least it's the name he wore on his name tag that was attached to his navy blue sweater.
ROSS.
Ross and Evaline.
The thought instantly churns my stomach and has me racing for the bathroom toilet. Nothing actually comes up, thankfully, but I am still left feeling uneasy. I turn my train of thought back to my plan for tonight as I sit at my kitchen table, sipping tea from my favourite mug. I know that if I go out somewhere he will find me. As long as everything happens the same with men as it does with women, then he will find me.
So now I am clearly doomed.
Once your alleged soul mate recognizes you as 'theirs', they can sense certain things about you. They feel pulled towards you, as if they are attached to you by an invisible thread. If you're endangered, nervous, or overwhelmed with joy even... They can feel a portion of your emotions. This is one of the reasons men don't get the initial physical and chemical realization. This is why they are hunted, not the hunters. Although, they don't like the latter any better I would assume. Either way, they have to deal with emotions, and the majorities do not like to do so. But then again, it's not something that any gender is fond of, truthfully.
We are all built to be void of emotions –until- we meet our soul mates, and the only reasons as to why we are able to express and feel emotions then, is to make it easier for us to reproduce.
Procreate.
But it's not fair. I don't want to feel anything for this man, and he shouldn't want to feel for me either.
There's only one way to do this. I have to make him hate me. I have to scare him away, and make him realize that it's not even possible for him to like me. It's not possible for his gender to initiate the hunt. It's just not.
So tonight, I'm going clubbing.
A hunt of my own.
I can almost see the sly smile that plays on my lips.
This man is done for.
The rest of the day flies by for me. I get my laundry done, the dishes done, and even manage some extra time to watch a few movies and do my nails. I painted my toes and fingernails a matching vibrant purple. They will go nicely with the dark purple, silk dress that I am going to wear.
Smiling to myself, I check the time on the living room clock, and am excited to see that it's game time. I walk quickly to my bedroom and get my dress on. I curl my orange, fiery hair and let it loosely fall below my shoulders. A little mascara, and a poof of perfume, and I'm ready.
It's nine in the evening, and my taxi is pulling up to the club of choice, 'Vendre'. It's one of the hottest clubs in town, but everyone knows that you only go to this place if you have found your mate, or are looking for your mate.
Or, you just want a quick piece of ass, and are willing to take the dangerous risk of finding your actual mate in the process. Which is dumb, but not uncommon.
So I'm pretending to 'look' for my mate. The taxi driver waits patiently in a line up of cars to find a spot to pull over. The place looks overly crowded tonight, and taking a deep breath, I just silently pray that this all goes as planned.
My body jolts as the car comes to an abrupt stop.
"Alright ma'am, that's thirteen-fifty please." His raspy voice takes me completely by surprise, and I dig through my clutch and hand him the money.
"Have a good evening, thanks." I say as I make my way out of the cab and onto the sidewalk.
The city sky is dark, but stars still illuminate it. Not an often thing to see. Usually you are lucky to see a few, let alone a handful. I make my way to the back of the line, which doesn't really bother me since it seems to be going quite fast anyways. I catch eye contact with a few strangers as I walk past, and in their eyes I see hunger. The woman have come to hunt tonight. The men have come to have a good time, which can mean several different things at once.
Inside the club the music blares, the people bounce, and the air is full of smoke and sweat. People move all around me, grabbing and pushing. This is not my crowd at all, and I try to push my way through the dance floor, looking for an escape. Over the bustle of moving heads I can see a dimly lit bar, and a stairway. As quickly as I can, I make my way to the bar and collapse on a stool. I seem to be lucky. Everyone is out on the dance floor right now, besides a man and woman that seem to have their mouths glued together in the far corner of the bar. I blush at their proximity and intimacy.
"It's rude to stare." The voice comes from behind the bar, startling me. I snap my head up immediately, and look away ashamed.
"I know, sorry." I meekly reply.
"Well I don't really care, I was just watching you watch. So I assume you aren't mated yet?" This makes me look at him, and as I do, I take in everything that he is - in this moment.
His hair is a sandy-blond, and a little longer than the average male cut. His face is defined and chiseled. His complexion, tanned. His eyes seem to be green, but it's hard to tell in this dim lighting. He wears a silver chain around his neck, where a silver ring hangs from it. His smile is kind, and cute. Without even thinking, I reach out and grab his necklace by the ring, pulling him closer to my face. I examine the ring - the symbols that are carved into the metal. Very unique.
I hear him awkwardly clear his throat, and without letting go of the chain, I slowly look up. Into his eyes, which are - in fact, green. A field of green, which I could see myself running in, hand in hand with... What?
I instantly let go of the chain and back away.
What the hell was that?
"I'm so sorry...uh?" I don't even know his name, and I'm dreaming of his eyes? And what's that about anyways? I don't care for men. I loathe men.
"Ethan." He chuckles, his voice amused. "Ethan Muller. Who might you be?"
I brush away some of the hair around my face, suddenly feeling very self conscience. Which, once again, is not like me... at all. "My name is Evaline Reighn."