Two // I Want to Run Away with You
"How are the stocks?" Sam queried her secretary, Julienne Harp. She was one of the most trusted people in her company for the fact that when Sam's wallet fell on the ground, Julienne returned it to her on the highest floor of the building. Julienne was still a janitress back then but since Sam hadn't have a secretary for years, she chose her because she knew she could trust her.
When Sam investigated Julienne Harp's background for important purposes, she was surprised the girl dropped out of college but she had brilliant grades in her courses. She took up Chemical Engineering in Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sam wondered why such a bright and honest girl Julienne Harp would drop out of college.
"The stocks are still at its peak," Julienne replied over the phone. There were shuffling sounds in the background and Sam concluded Julienne was probably browsing through the folders. Without Julienne, Sam would have a slightly hard time to run the company. She had a lot of rival groups stealing investors but so far, ninety percent of these investors would go to their company.
Sam ran a company when she graduated at twenty in MIT—Massachusetts Institute of Technology—studying the behaviour of chemicals and their effect in the society. At this moment, they were engineering a better drug than Penicillin, which cost cheaper than the wonder drug itself.
A lot of pharmaceuticals had ordered and sold them at a slightly higher price. When Sam turned twenty-five, after all the hard work, she became a billionaire and of course the leading company for Wolfram Industries. Her parents were very proud of her most especially she came from a family who could only afford survival.
"But we have one rival company that is stealing our investors away," Julienne said sadly. "The company is Thulium Drugs."
Sam's grip on the phone hardened.
Nick breaking up with her, cancelling the wedding and now, a rival company was trying to make them bankrupt? Well, Sam hoped that they could make Thulium Drugs run out of investors before her rival company could.
"Alright. Please set up a board meeting on this matter. Though my presence will not be there, let the Vice CEO take place," she said, her other hand on the steering as the red light made the car stop. "And e-mail me as well regarding how the meeting went and what necessary actions shall we execute to pull our rival down."
She grimaced when she remembered Nick driving her and when the red light would stop, he would kiss her cheek. She didn't notice there were tears streaming on her eyes.
"When are you coming back ma'am?" Julienne asked.
"About after three months," was all Sam answered with her thick voice as she rotated the steering wheel, driving herself to an unknown town, her clothes packed in the back seat while the loud stereo was playing.
It was as if fate was making her life a one big joke over love. Their theme song played and she cringed, willing herself to change it. Love Story was playing and she cried. Her eyes were stinging as she let out soft sobs onto her chest. She wondered if Nick regretted what he did. She wondered if he was ever coming back, that breaking up with her was a mistake.
I am fine.
It was a chant repeating in her head but no matter how hard she kept shouting in her mind, her heart would suddenly break and her eyes would suddenly rain in tears.
Sam ended the call with Julienne, her eyes landing at a local pub. It was surprisingly quiet, but it was still ten in the evening. Probably this pub would be full at around midnight by insomniacs or night owls.
She parked her car in the empty parking spot. Seemed like the locals were the only ones who were probably inside. She wanted to forget Nick, to drink until he was out of her system.
But she knew it was impossible.
She loved Nick like he was her world. She loved the way his caramel eyes would light up when she walked towards him, how his arms cinched around her waist and how his lips would kiss the soft spot on her neck, leaving her breathless and dazed. He was so perfect.
How could she get over him?
He was tall, around six feet and two inches towering her five-feet-and-eleven-inch frame. His curly hair was always dishevelled but usually kempt when gelled, his hands large enough to cover her long candle-like fingers. He would always murmur sweet nothings on her ears which made her blush like a schoolgirl. He always made her feel alive.
And all she could feel was the numbness of her heart, the pain throbbing on all parts of her body. She walked out of her convertible, parking her car securely. She recently created a technology for herself that whoever would try to carjack her precious baby would get electrocuted. Her fingerprint was the only basis for her to get inside her car.
The bells rang when she pushed the door, causing the local's heads turn towards her. They were sipping their beer in a jovial mood and seeing her pissed off mood seemed to rub off of them.
She ignored their pitied looks thrown at her—and she needed them the least for now—taking a bar stool as the lady with the tattoos covering her body asked what she wanted to drink.
"A simple tequila will be fine," Sam ordered, rubbing her temples albeit they weren't pounding in agony. All she could feel was the pain swallowing her soul until everything she had was the numbness surging on her skin.
She wished that drinking the tequila could make her forget Nicholas Andrew Schmidt. But that was very impossible to do. Every part of her was marked by him, his memories and everything about him in general.
"Another shot please," she murmured to the lady and she nodded without hesitance, pouring another shot of tequila on her shot glass. Sam drank the contents in one gulp, her throat burning in intensity and she loved the feeling of it—burning, burning until the only ashes that would remain was her soul because Nick would not be a part of her life, not anymore.
A burly man sat beside her, his hand gripping her wrist a little too tightly. She turned her head towards him, sending him a glare.
"Feisty," the burly man cooed, gripping her hand harder which made Sam whimper a little in pain.
"Fuck off," she warned, grabbing the electric shocker that was at her back pocket if he wouldn't budge. But before she could electrocute the big man, someone beat her to it.
"She's my date," the man who stood behind her, his hands shoved inside his pockets, said dangerously, his voice very low it gave Sam shivers on her back.
There was a glaring contest between the two males, the testosterone levels rising at its peak. Sam thought there was going to be a fight, but the burly man actually backed off, much to Sam's relief.
Sam immediately stood up and caught her pace with the mysterious man leaving. There was something about him that made Sam intrigued. He was aloof, dark and very mysterious, and his presence could easily intimidate people. He was wearing a white polo shirt and worn-down jeans, his broad back facing her as her hand landed on his shoulder.
"Wait!" Sam gasped for air, breathing heavily as the man who saved her spun around, his dark eyes almost causing Sam to do a double take. He had straight brown hair that fell just above his forehead, a curved set of jaw which was clenched in a tensed manner and round black eyes that made Sam almost run the other way.
The man raised a brow.
"Can I buy you a drink?" Sam asked boldly since he saved her. It was also a way of repaying the act of his kindness.
The man contemplated, Sam could tell, because his eyes darted from left to right. He looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't point out who he was. Somehow that made her crave to know him more than anyone else in the world.
"Sure," the man finally answered, walking towards the bar and sat on a bar stool, not even trying to wait for Sam to catch up on him.
If he was Nick, he would offer her a chair and let her sit on it, no matter the occasion. She loved Nick's act of chivalry and his gentlemanliness made her fall for him more than she ever thought.
A bitter aftertaste ran on her throat and she forcefully swallowed it, sitting quietly beside the man who saved her from the big burly man.
"Give this man any hard drink," Sam told the bartender. She quietly sipped the fifteenth tequila and yes, she counted, growing slightly tipsy from the drink. Her vision started getting clouded and she stood up, her feet had gone wobbly, her shoulder hitting the man's hard shoulder. She was staggering on her feet.
"Whoa there!" the man with his deep enticing voice exclaimed, his slightly rough hands keeping her feet upright.
"Oops," Sam could only manage to say, her foot struggling to take a step forward. If the man's hands weren't on her waist, she would be falling face first on the ground by now.
Her hand found its way to the man, and she decided to call him Carson, because he looked like a Carson in the first place, grabbing his hand and pulled him away from the pub.
"I want to run away with you!" Sam screamed, officially being the drunk person in the Guinness' Book of World Records.
Carson seemed slightly confused with her actions but he did not let go. He was drunk as well and he could barely manage to keep himself sane. He wanted to stop the girl from doing stupid things. His manhood had started growing hard as she stumbled onto her feet, her butt landing on his balls.
It was the most awkward thing to happen.
"Oops, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you!" Sam meaninglessly apologized but Carson only nodded, her arm around his shoulder.
"Where are we going Carson?" Sam asked innocently. The man chuckled, his thin lips curving up while his black eyes lit up in amusement.
"We will take you home—"
"I don't want to go home!" Sam stomped her feet childishly. She suddenly wasn't staggering on her footing. She was clenching her fists angrily, like a child having a tantrum. "Let's get married Carson!"
"Carson?" Carson questioned but he did not push her further. He liked the way the woman called him that because he sort of felt special.
"Yes, Carson, l-let's get married," Sam slurred, almost falling on the ground but Carson held her upright. He was dizzy as well but the prospect of getting married with her was more appealing.
"Hell yeah, let's get married!" he screamed, grabbing Sam's hand as he led her to the nearest church of the town.
It was already twelve midnight but the duo seemed not to be bothered by the time but rather, they seemed to enjoy the prospect of getting married at such a peaceful hour.