MACY

"Do you always do the opposite of what he says to piss him off?" The stranger queried as we drove through the small roads of Westminster Abbey. It baffled me how drivers here navigated so easily considering they also drove on the wrong side of the road. But, I guess to them it was actually the right side.

"No," I snorted, the image of Axel's fuming face still ever present in my mind, "But I'm definitely going to do it more often. The look on his face was nothing but priceless," defying Axel was more enjoyable than I expected it to be. He didn't put up much of a fight for me to stay which bothered me but somehow I knew the fact of me being out with this stranger bothered him more.

The man arched a single eyebrow at me, "Don't be running off with every strange man you meet. You never know which one might lock you in a dungeon and throw away the key."

I narrowed my eyes in on him, a questioning look forming on my face. An antsy feeling clawed at me and again I found myself asking whether or not I made the safest decision tonight. I knew that nothing bad could possibly happen to me. There was a reason my dad paid for all those karate classes. If I kept my cool and remembered what I was taught then I could get out of any situation.

Keeping that in mind, I decided not to dwell on the words the stranger had spoken. Considering I would be spending the rest of the night with him, I figured it would only be right for me to learn his name, "So, I didn't catch your name."

"Emmitt Bradshaw, pleased to meet your acquaintance," he introduced himself with a curt nod that made my nose scrunch at the weird formality.

"Well, I'm Macy," I drawled, "tell me something, does the whole formal gentleman gag fest you have going on here work for you? I mean, do women really fall for that crap these days?" I asked, skepticism thick in my voice.

"I'll have you know, chivalry is the most sort out quality these days since it's not a quality many men obtain," his thick English accent allowed his words to sound poetic, "and I would think it would work if I were attracted to women in any way possible."

My mouth hung open, practically touching my lap, "You mean you're..."

"Not attracted to women, gay," he completed for me with a look of utmost seriousness on his face, "Yes, I'm gay and no, hardly anyone knows about it. I've noticed you watching me and, like most women, I realised that you probably liked what you saw but I didn't have the heart to stop your swooning by revealing my truth."

God damnit! Why do all the handsome one's have to be either taken or gay?

The look on my face contorted from stunned to confused, "So why tell me now?"

He chuckled humorously, a refreshing sound to the ears, "So you can tell your boyfriend not to get his knickers in a twist. He's probably planning ways to kill me as we speak."

Refraining from the urge to slap the stranger I now knew as Emmitt upside the head, I deadpanned, "He is not my boyfriend!" The next words that I uttered sounded colder than I expected them to sound, "he's dating Claudia. Stupid skunk-bag!"

Emmitt's chuckling turned into a full blown, bubbling fit of laughter, "Sounds like someone's jealous," his sing song voice only irritated me further. I was far from jealous after all.

Wasn't I?"

Thankfully, our conversation was cut short when Emmitt pulled up to the entrance of a fancy restaurant. The valet parked Emmitt's car while someone else led us in. I didn't wine and dine in fancy restaurants much, only when it came to doing a job for Chase did I ever enter one of these extravagant places, but I did know that places like these weren't walk in type of establishments, they required reservations.

On another note, glamorous places like these required a certain dress code that I didn't seem to meet. Emmitt's expensive, navy blue suit paired smartly with a red bow tie and pocket handkerchief fitted in perfectly with the theme. His crisp white shirt didn't have a crinkle and his white shoes were free of any scuff marks. The belt he wore to hug his dress slacks to his waist matched his shoes but was hardly even noticeable as it was hidden under his suit jacket.

I, on the other hand, wore a flour stained, washed out blue jeans with a blood red sweater. A black Milton jacket hid away my figure as it ended just below mid thigh. The black boots I wore had scuff marks from being worn so often and my hair was tied in one great big knot at the top of my head with different sized tendrils sticking out. I looked like a mess and I was sure to get everyone's attention because of it.

"What's wrong?" Emmitt whispered as he placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me into the restaurant.

I bit on my bottom lip hesitantly and then breathed out, "This is way too fancy, don't you think?"

Again, his humorous chuckle was heard. He laughed at almost everything, taking most things that I said as a joke, and for some reason, I didn't mind it. We walked through the restaurant's dining floor and not once did I pick up my head to see if anyone would be caught staring at me. My eyes were trained on the tiled floor and I trusted Emmitt's hand on my back to lead the way.

Pretty soon, we passed the dining floor and headed toward the back of the restaurant. This forced me to pick my head up. I needed to see for myself where he was leading me, just in case he decided to lock me up in some dungeon like he said someone would if I kept my antics up.

We stopped at a glossy, brown door with a gold plating on it. Engraved in the gold plating was Emmitt's full name. He did the honors of opening the door for me and then gestured for me to enter. The room looked to be a neat and well organised office. A cherry wood office table sat in front of me with a beautiful leather chair behind it. On the left adjacent wall was a massive bookcase and on the right were frames of different certificates and what I assumed were family photos. Two black leather couches sat before the desk on a plush, red rug making the feel of the office more homely.

"Make yourself at home, I have to check on the dining floor. If I don't show my face at least once tonight then I might get accused of losing interest in my job thanks to a pretty lady," with that Emmitt shot me a wink matched with a knowing smirk before he could leave.

I made myself comfortable on his leather office chair, deciding it would be fun to spin around in the swivel chair until I couldn't tell left from right. As childish as it was, I did it because I missed the feel of my own office back home. I may have only got my promotion from intern to editor recently but I loved my job. The feel of an office just reminded me of the one I left back home causing nostalgic feelings to flow through me.

"Sorry about that. I ordered for you, I hope you don't mind," Emmitt cheerfully said as he entered the room once again.

Without a second thought, I leaped up from the swivel chair, nearly falling onto the ground, "S-sorry," I mumbled but was cut off by a raised hand waving my apology away.

"I did say make yourself at home. The spinning is fun, isn't it?"

"It's okay."

Emmitt glared at me incredulously, a questioning look forming on the gentle features of his face, "So, we have some time before the food gets here. I ordered you a steak drizzled in mushroom sauce, is that fine?"

I nearly gagged at the word mushroom and unfortunately, Emmitted noticed that and responded with a shake of the head. He instantly walked out of the room and returned seconds later.

He must be related to Flash!

"I've changed your order to steak with a special sauce created by one of the finest chefs here," he informed me before plopping himself down onto a couch.

I moved from behind the table and decided to take a seat on the couch opposite him. Sitting next to him would have just been awkward, even though I knew he had no fascination with women.

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that though. I guess I would have just picked out the mushroom pieces and scrapped off the sauce. I could have even manned up at ate the sauce, it's the texture of the actual mushroom that irks me," I blabbered but instead of laughing at me like I had expected Emmitt to do, he listened to me intently.

"I get it, we all have our likes and dislikes," he smiled warmly. It made me feel this strange sense of trust.

"Do you own this place?"

"Yes, the place has been in the family for generations. It started off as a family restaurant but when my father took over he had other ideas. That's how it became this... Well, you can see how it turned out," he explained with an exasperated sigh.

"You don't like it, do you?"

He shook his head thoughtfully, "I preferred the family concept of it but at the same time, you have to take into account where you can gain more," his once earth-shattering bright smile was now dull and wary, "anyway, what's an American girl like you doing in England?"

Bringing my hands up to my head and rubbing my temples with my index fingers, I groaned, "That's a long story."

The way Emmitt wiggled his eyebrows brought a smile to my face. His company somehow brought me a strange sense of peace. I felt as if I've known him for an entire lifetime and not just a few hours.

"I think we have time so start spilling. You know the best person to confide in is a stranger, they have no one to tattle too."

Taking his point into consideration, I began to relate my story, not caring to hide my employment in an escort agency or how I originally met Axel a couple of months ago. Whilst relating my past experiences, Emmitt's face contorted from sadness to disappointment and even anger. He laughed at a few points, especially when I described how I met Axel again after my cousin's foiled wedding. After that, a knowing smirk settled on his face as he waited for me to complete my story which inevitably turned into a rant.

Once I was done, he woke up from his seat opposite me and made his way to sit next to me. He placed his hand on my knee and gave it a gentle squeeze before finally speaking, "There are a few things I have to say. You seem like a smart girl, yes?"

His question caused me to roll my eyes, "Yes."

"Well, let me start with your boss and his best friend. You described their relationship with as a bromance and you said they share a secret. I mean, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what their secret is! They're totally gay for one another, pretty face."

I blinked a few times and then knelt in closer to Emmitt, "No way!" I whispered in astonishment, "How did I miss that?"

Emmitt released my knee to remove his tie. He then grabbed my legs and placed them on top of his, "Sit back love, I'm about to unravel everything that's baffling you so much," he grinned wickedly making me giggle as I followed his instructions, "To be honest, I have no idea how you didn't realise that. Also, the wanker shouldn't have used that against them to fire you. If someone used that against me I would have probably killed them. Many people are homophobic so sometimes we prefer to keep or gender preferences to ourselves."

"Yes, I guess that makes sense. In Chase's case, I'm sure it would affect his business somehow," I mumbled to myself as I made my head comfortable on the couch's armrest. My eyes traced the subtle patterns that were designed on Emmitt's ceiling.

"I imagine it would. Male clients won't do business with him just because of his orientation and women may say that he runs an escort service because he has no respect for women, again because of his orientation," Emmitt explained, pressing and rubbing my legs in the most therapeutic manner imaginable.

After spending all day on my feet, the massage felt like a perfect way to end the day. When our food arrived, I was tempted to send it back so that my personal masseuse could continue his work. However, the aroma of the food had me salivating and my stomach crying to be fed.

A waiter set up a small, round dining table with two plates of steak, two glasses of red wine, and a rose centerpiece. It was a romantic setting which Emmitt continuously apologised for. His employees insisted on doing this because they were tired of seeing him single.

Emmitt didn't see a problem in him remaining single for a little while longer. He recently turned twenty eight and wasn't looking for a steady relationship. He wanted to enjoy his life before he became too old. Basically, whether he liked women or not, he was still the playboy I thought him to be.

Our conversation continued and throughout our time together my phone would buzz every five minutes with either texts or calls. All from Axel, all saying that I should get home right this instance or else, all ending with or else because he knew his threats didn't faze me.

"He likes you," Emmitt chirped excitedly, "and I'm surprised you don't see it."

Finishing the last bit of vanilla ice cream that Emmitt had ordered for dessert, I quipped, "If he likes me so much as everyone says then why is he going out with Claudia?" My voice held more resentment than I thought it would.

"Why don't you ask him? What harm could that do?"

"A lot!" I threw my hands up in frustration, "I don't want him thinking that I actually care about what he does," hearing myself say it out loud made me realise how utterly stupid I was being. Not giving it a second thought, I downed my entire glass of wine before speaking again, "I don't know why I care so much about what he does with her or what he's currently doing with her."

Emmitt's face wrinkled in disgust, "I wonder if he's motivated by Christian Grey?"

The thought of Axel in the bedroom had my heart thrumming at a million miles per hour. I could feel every nerve in my body buzz and awaken, begging for his touch, begging to be near him. A crimson hue tinted my cheeks as a rush of heat flowed through my body. Suddenly, I found myself flustered and hot, a tight feeling building within my stomach.

Grabbing for the wine bottle, I poured a tall glass of red wine, filling it to the brim before gulping the entire contents down. The sudden rush that took over me didn't fade as images of Axel floated into my mind, except they weren't with Claudia but with me. They fueled the electricity that coursed through my veins.

I've got to think about something else, anything else!

The smooth sound of Emmitt's voice did the charm when he spoke up and said, "I think you should slow down there," he nodded gracefully toward the empty wine glass that I gingerly held between my fingers.

Letting out a long breath, I said, "Actually, I think I could go for something stronger. A bourbon maybe?".

With a roll of his eyes, he woke up from his seat across me and shrugged, " If you wish!"

~~~

A few rounds of bourbon later and I couldn't even form a proper sentence without laughing at the simplest of things. The conversation between Emmitt and I progressed from my burdens to his. How he discovered his preference of guys over girls and his first crush. According to him, he told me things he never told anyone and I guessed that was because I was too drunk to remember most of what he said by tomorrow morning.

Emmitt limited his drinking so that he could drive me home. He also kept reminding me of how drunk I was and that I should slow down or alternatively stop drinking altogether. Of course, staying true to my nature, I never listened to his warnings and now found myself seeing quadruple while singing the theme song of Spongebob Squarepants on top of my lungs. It was a blessing that Emmitt's office had sound proof walls. He installed them because he never wanted the noise from outside the room to disturb him but now he didn't want the outside hearing my wailing.

Eventually, we both grew tired of the persistent phone calls I had been receiving and realised that it was getting late. My parents taught me never to take advantage of someone's hospitality and I felt as if I was doing just that by staying out late and not letting anyone know my whereabouts. Aggie must be out of her mind with worry and if her health deteriorated because of me then Axel would never forgive me.

I wouldn't forgive me!

I never imagined myself stumbling into someone else's house at one in the morning, drunk out of my mind, returning from spending the night with a stranger but here I was about to do just that. The little ounce of morals I still wanted to uphold prevented me from taking Emmitt up on his offer of spending the night at his place. Deep down, I knew I needed to get home because I felt bad for Axel as well. A part of me ached to put him out of his misery, the more drunk part did anyway. The sane part of me wanted to leave him to roast a little longer.

Emmitt found Axel's address on my phone after sifting through multiple messages that were sent in two minute intervals of one another. Being the kindhearted human being that Emmitt aspired to be, he even phoned Axel to let him know that I was fine and would be arriving home soon. He may have left out the part of me being highly intoxicated.

The restaurant was completely empty by the time we decided to leave, leaving Emmitt to lock up and call it a night with only one more errand to run. He had to carry me to his car because walking in a straight line felt like doing a complex math equation. In other words, it was a pain it the rear. On the way to my destination, I had almost dozed off multiple times in the passenger seat. The warm air emanating from the car heater and the softness of his leather seats were inviting enough for a twelve hour nap.

I couldn't remember the last time I had gotten so drunk. Everything in my head felt like mush. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't overthinking anything, solely because I couldn't think at all. When I did think, I found everything to be hilarious. It felt good not to care for a short while, for everything to be one big blur but even in that blur, I knew that once cloud nine floated away, the storm would hit, bringing a thunderous headache with it.

Emmitt's car drove smoothly, so smoothly that I couldn't even keep my eyes open. The liquor in my veins made my eyelids feel heavy, causing them to droop unwillingly. I fought them to stay awake, to be at least half-conscious so that I could walk into Axel's home without drawing attention to my entrance but the alcohol was winning against my will.

I was fading in and out of sleep until Emmitt gently grasped my hand in his, the warmth of his palms burning my cold skin, "Pretty face, we're here," his voice was bellow a whisper, soft and gentle.

He opened his door, allowing the harsh wind of the night to enter the small confinements of the car. Although the icy wind would have woken anyone up from even the deepest of sleep, the well aged bourbon that flooded my body didn't seem to want to give up it's hold on me, keeping me under in a groggy state. I decided to just keep my eyes shut.

It was worse when Emmitt opened the passenger door for me to get out. The rigid cold froze my body, and the alcohol made it difficult to remember how to walk. Just then, warm, sturdy arms snaked under me and scooped me out of the car. A familiar rich, musky scent filled my nostrils, a scent that couldn't be forgotten even in my delirious, washed out state.

His arms felt as if they were made for me as I fitted in them perfectly. Wrapping my arms loosely around his neck, I nestled myself deeper into his chest to breathe in his scent. It was strange but gratifying.

"What did you do to her?" Axel's voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke. The steady beats of his heart lulled me into tranquility.

"She's fine, just be sure to tell her I told you so when she's more awake. She'll understand why. Now, before she gets sick, get her inside. She looks like she's asleep anyway," Emmitt's voice sounded so faint and distant but at the same time, I felt as if he was screaming each word out.

Everything fell silent after that. I could feel minor movements here and there but nothing that could take away the content feeling I felt in his arms. Maybe it was just the liquor but I somehow felt happy that Axel stayed up and I somehow felt thrilled that he carried me in his arms, it wasn't Claudia but me!

"I'm right here, Sunshine. Go to sleep, I think you need it," Axel cooed, his warm breath fanning over my head. The mint in his breath was faint but I could smell it almost as if his lips were just millimeters away from my face.

The feeling of me being laid down on something soft and comfortable made me groan. I would give up the softness and the comfort just to feel the electricity that coursed through me each time we touched. I would give up the world just to have him leave his arms around me, just for the night.

His fingers grazing my cheeks made a moan escape my lips. The tingles of his touch sent a rippling effect of goosebumps to waken. I forced my eyelids open to find a blurry image of Axel leaning over me. The hideous orange graphic shirt still dressed his lean torso making me cringe.

"What's wrong, Sunshine?" Worry leaked in his voice. I wanted to reach up and touch his hand that laid on my cheek but I had no energy.

"Shirt...too bright...looks ugly," I grumbled incoherently, hoping that he would get the gist of what I implied.

He chuckled lightly, almost soundlessly as he  removed his hand from my cheek to remove my hair tie and let my hair down, "Sorry, my mum bought it as a gift and I felt bad not to wear it."

Such a mama's boy!

"Take it off!" I groaned, it felt as if the shirt had a glow in the dark effect, or maybe it did. I wasn't too sure.

The blurry image of Axel began to shake its head, "I don't think that's a good idea. Why don't you get some rest and I'll see you in the morning?" His question sounded more like a demand and I hated that. Even in my drunk state, I hated being ordered.

"No!" I gathered all my energy and forced my arm to move, finally grabbing ahold of his, "Don't let go, don't leave. Stay!" I sounded pathetic, before I could even comprehend the words they were out of my mouth, "Please."

I heard him breathe out in frustration and then the bed dipped. The blurry image that once looked orange in the dark was suddenly invisible. His hot skin made contact with mine as he snaked an arm under me and got into bed, pulling me close so that I could rest my cheek onto his chest.

His heart rate wasn't steady like before. It was erratic as I shut my eyes and listened to its heavy thumping rhythm. My cheeks felt hot and I was thankful for the dark room because it hid my flushed skin tone. Every part of me was on fire, was awake, and was buzzing from his close proximity.

He left a lingering kiss into my hair before he started humming. The tune he hummed sounded so ironic to the situation and then he began to sing in a hushed whisper. His melodious voice beckoned me to surrender to the darkness.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray," he sang as he began to trace small circles on the small of my back with the hand he had snaked under me, "you'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away!"

With those last words, I faded off into pure bliss.

This is the longest chapter so far, if you liked it remember to vote and comment! Aren't they the cutest tho?! So the song on the media is Say you won't let go by James Arthur! The song inspired the second half of this chapter. The other song is You are my sunshine by Bill Withers!