I could breathe but my throat was sore. It felt as if I was wheezing, not breathing. What had happened? Where was I? That was probably the most important thing right now.
Carefully I opened my eyes. White walls, light and a beeping sound. I didn't move, I just looked around from my lying position.
Hospital? Who'd gotten me here?
"Awake, finally," a voice muttered.
I didn't turn my heard, I watched out the corner of my eye.
Charcoal gray suit, who'd worn a suit in black when he offered his awful proposition, watched me. His blue eyes had tried lines around them, and he was looking at me.
Should I break the gaze? Shouldn't I say thank you? Given he was here now, he had to have something to do with me being here.
I tried to recall what more had happened. I had gained consciousness when I'd been able to breathe. The man pulled me off the sidewalk, and I had a hand on my throat. Then I fainted again, I assumed.
A nurse stepped into the room, looked briefly at charcoal gray suit, he was leaning back against the wall, opposite the bed, phone in hand. I assumed he was thirty. And you always talked about how teenagers had their phones on them always.
"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked.
I took a deep breath. "Okay," I said. My voice was hoarse and close to non-existent.
She gently touched my sore spots. Except my throat, and jaw, I wasn't in pain anywhere. A headache was forming, and I could feel my back in ways I usually couldn't. But nothing hurt too bad. A background thing, I assumed.
"You are free to go," she said.
I pushed myself into a sitting position. Gah! This wasn't how I pictured this day turning out. I had my bag, it was slung across my body, diagonally. My hand was searching through its content. Everything was still there?
"I reported him to the police," charcoal gray suit noted.
I looked at him. He had his arms crossed, no mobile anywhere. "Thanks." I said. I whispered. My voice tried, but it wasn't very useful.
He nodded without having it look as if he actually listened. "They have video material and pictures," he stated. "But they'll probably want to talk to you."
I nodded. My head barely moved up and down.
He watched me. "I'll give you a ride." He stated and went to me.
"I can grab a cab," I said.
He raised his eyebrows. "I'll drive," he said simply. It implied no discussion whatsoever.
I got out of the bed. My legs felt wobbly beneath me. I had a hand on the bed until I gained my balance.
His inappropriate question was lurking in the back of my mind. I wasn't out, I wasn't alone. Those were the important things right now.
He had longer legs than me, and reached the elevator before me.
I walked slowly and carefully.
He watched me. It appeared as if he had some well-meant words to utter. They never came. Not I heard, anyways.
The elevator doors opened when I reached the elevator.
He put a hand on my back, not in a place that suggested something it wouldn't be, but also not in an awkward position either.
I let him guide me into the elevator. He wasn't someone I was familiar with, but I'd met him before, and I knew what he did. When I'd gotten the job I'd googled the building, and who owned it. I hadn't any idea what he actually did, only that he had money. He had to have money.
We reached the reception, and he looked at me. His eyes were so blue, but he didn't say anything.
Somehow, somewhere, I liked him better like this.
I left the elevator, and he had his hand on my back. The security guard from the elevator was there. It seemed. It was the same suit.
He opened the door and I looked at charcoal gray suit.
"I can get home on my own," I said.
"Get in," he said. "For my peace of mind."
I wasn't sure if I should trust these people. I mean, they did take me here, how else would they be here now? And I'd seen them before. Slowly I settled in the backseat of the car.
The door was slammed shut and charcoal gray suit settled in the seat next to me. He shut the door himself. I put on my seat belt and pulled it down my shoulder so it wouldn't touch my throat.
Charcoal gray suit put his seat belt on too, and the security guard â was he a driver instead? â pulled into traffic.
"You don't have my address," I remarked.
Charcoal gray suit looked at me. "You work in my building." He stated.
Not that it should mean he knew who I was.
I watched him with raised eyebrows.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and answered it.
"Greene," he almost snapped.
I watched him before looking out the window. The police knew I was here. My judgement was in deep right now. I was beat and I wanted to sleep this nightmare way and check how much that visit to the ER would cost me in the morning. Crappy system!
"Fine!" Charcoal gray suit stated. "Bye."
I didn't look at him.
"The police will be at my flat," he said, looking at me. "Tonight."
I closed my eyes. "I just want to go home." I almost whispered.
He didn't respond.
I looked at him.
He was looking at his phone.
Seriously, hadn't he learned to take time off?!
I looked out the windows. There was light and cars, and I closed my eyes.
"Greene," he responded again.
I looked out the window, my head leaned against the glass. Now what?
The car was almost purring, that was how little noise it made. It had leather seats, and I was really comfortable. In my mind, I liked to be in the left side of the car when I was in the back. At the front of the car it didn't matter.
Charcoal gray suit was on the phone the entire drive. The entire fucking drive! It was a Friday night! I pulled my phone out my bag. It had probably been eight or so when I left Mette and Celia. We had eaten, and had left. Even though we talked in high school we hadn't ever been close friends per se. It was eleven now. My day had felt like it had lasted forever.
The car drove into a garage and came to a halt.
I unbuckled, after charcoal gray suit had done so.
"Come," he stated and got out the car.
I got out to my own side and walked around the car.
He was watching me with blue eyes, they looked as if they were judging me. "You want to go home," he said. "But wait until tomorrow."
"Why?" I asked.
He narrowed his eyes. "You were attacked," he said. "I have a spare bedroom. It would ease my peace of mind," he murmured and put a hand on my back in an attempt at forcing me forward.
I walked slower than him, and even though he sighed several times, I didn't quicken my pace. Normally I walked faster, I knew, but the thought of being out of air wasn't one I wanted to entertain at present.
The elevator had glass walls on three sides. I leaned back against the non-glass wall, and we didn't stop until we reached the top.
I followed him into something that just looked like a big office.
He let me go, pulled out a chair and had me sitting down. "I'll fetch a blanket." He said and left.
What was this?
He came back a moment later and covered me with a blanket.
"Thank." I said.
He sat down next to me, the chair turned to face me. "What happened?" He asked.
"It's the police's problem, not yours." I said.
He ran a hand across his jaw.
I had never been raped, but a guy in my Junior year of high school had tried to kiss me against my will. It had resulted in a bruise, on my cheek, and an unknown guy from school had driven me home. He hadn't been drinking and I never saw more of him.
"Greene?"
I watched charcoal gray suit who looked at the door.
He stood and left the room.
I pulled the blanket tighter around me and considered texting Dad now. Maybe after I'd talked to the police?
Greene returned with a cop who looked like Trisha's boyfriend.
"Miss," he said and sat down opposite the table from me.
I looked at him. He had dark skin, dark eyes, black hair, trimmed close to the scalp, and wore a police uniform.
"I have video material of what happened. What did the man tell you?"
"He wanted my bag," I said.
He wrote a few things down.
Five minutes went by, as a maximum, and he'd left again. I heard him talk briefly with charcoal gray suit before charcoal gray suit came back to me.
He was looking down at me, literally more than figuratively. "Sleep here." He said.
"Why?" I asked.
He took a deep breath. "Because I'm asking you nicely," he said gently. "You were unconscious for a while, I won't see that happen again if you're alone." He said.
I rolled my eyes. "Fine!" I said.
It created a funny smile on his lips, it had him looking younger than the thirty years I'd taken him for earlier.
"Okay," he said. "This is where I have people if they're staying over. The room at the end of the hallway is yours."
I stood, the blanket was wrapped tight around me.
He put a hand on my back and led me out of the office.
"Mr. Greene?!" someone exclaimed.
We stopped and he looked towards the voice. Not another word was uttered.
Charcoal gray suit added slight pressure on my back, and we started walking again.
He opened the door to the room and had me walking it. There was a queen sized bed with a white comforter. A carpet in a light color, and a white door that led to a white bathroom. Everything was fucking white!
"Thanks," I said and peeked up at him.
He raised both eyebrows. "The door is locked from within." He said.
"I suppose you have an extra key," I muttered.
The funny, little, smile was back on his mouth. "Yes," he said. "But I've never used it."
Good to know? I went into the room.
"Sleep tight," he said.
I watched him, and he shut the door.
I didn't even know what his name was.
I didn't take off my clothes. I curled up in a ball underneath the comforter and pulled it to cover me while considering telling Dad what had happened. But I wouldn't explain it now, and he wouldn't be pleased to know that I was staying over at a place with a person I didn't know. Except that he obviously owned the building I worked in. What was his first name even? I had never checked because I wasn't interested.
I didn't register the events of the night. What's done is done, and in my head it felt as if I couldn't breathe, but that was about it. What did that say about me?
I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Despite the indecent question about sex earlier, he had security, he had a driver who'd drive him anywhere, and he'd given me a room with a door to lock.
I wanted to sleep this day away. Then I could learn his first name tomorrow. And why he was so damn insistent about getting me here.
I took slow, deep breaths, and sleep gently tucked at me, lulling me to sleep.