Chapter 3: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

I let him pull me. I was surprised, and honestly grateful. He led me out the back door onto the patio holding me firmly so I would not stumble and fall. Thank God I was only wearing short heels or I would have fallen a dozen times on our way to the patio. The cold October air hit my bare arms and the back of my neck like a slap. Most people had gone back inside because of the chill. A few smokers lingered at the far end, but the corner Tyler steered me toward was empty, quiet except for the muffled bass from inside and the distant city sounds.

He poured more wine into my glass and set the wine bottle on the low wall. I reached for the glass and he shook his head, “I think you have had enough to drink for the time being, you get the water.” He opened the lid and handed the bottle to me before taking a long pull from the wine glass that had until just moments ago been mine while I mumbled thanks.

Who was this man? This was not the Tyler I knew. Where was the uncaring selfish bastard I had grown to dislike so much and not trust?

“Thank you,” I said. “For saving me. They were getting to be ... a lot.”

Tyler leaned against the wall beside me, close enough that I could smell his cologne—something clean and expensive, mixed with the faint scent of the cold night. “Yeah. When I found Mike out cold, I came looking for you. Those guys had definitely noticed you”, he laughed. “Figured I’d extract you before things got stupid.”

I smiled at him earnestly and said, “Well thank you.”

We talked. At first it was easy, relaxed, surface-level. We talked about work, mine and my crazy hours, his at some tech company her did sales for. It paid well enough the afford a nice bachelor’s pad that would be out of range for most people (though I think he had a roommate I could not be sure) and had still enough money still left over for nice clothes, the flashy car he drove and supporting the rotating girlfriends that always seemed glued to his side.