"Listen I have a bit of a problem and I need some help," she said quietly.
The man looked around to confirm that he was the intended receiver of her message.
"Me?"
"Yeah, look, I'm . . . I'm really embarrassed about this but . . I need you to help me out of these." With that she flips her coat off of her handcuffed wrists just long enough for him to look down and see her predicament.
"Whoah, why are you in handcuffs?" He asks as he takes a small step back. He looks around furtively to see if anyone is watching them.
"Please it's not what you think. I'm not in any kind of trouble with the police or anything. It was just a mistake and I'm locked out of my apartment!"
"I don't know lady. This doesn't make much sense. How am I supposed to help anyway I don't have a key."
"No, you don't need one. They have a combination kind of lock."
"Well why don't you just do it?"
"I don't know the combination!"
"Why did you put them on if you didn't know the combination?"
"No, no I didn't put them on. It . . . it's just a mistake and I need you to help me get the combination."
"How can I help? Look this all seems a little too weird"
"No please. I have the combo I just can't read it!"
"Why not?"
"Because I can't see it."
"Well where is it?"
She glances around and then lowers her voice and says, "It's . . . well . . it's written, um . . . on the inside of my thigh."
"What?!" He watches her to see if she's joking but the flushing in her cheeks and the averted glance makes him think she's not.
"It's written on the inside of my thy," she says again.
"I heard you I just don't get it," he says, while for the first time noticing what she's wearing. A short, make that very short, cocktail dress, high heels and a thin silver chain necklace. He notices she doesn't have a purse. She has nice tanned and toned legs and seems to notice his gaze. She lowers her hands a little to let the coat cover the hem of her dress. However, this just reveals to the man the low neckline and ample cleavage of her upper half.
He glances up at her face and she is looking at him with pleading eyes. He feels a little sorry for but is still confused.
"Look why don't I just get your keys for you and you can go into your apartment and maybe you can get the combo yourself?"
"But I don't have my keys!" She exclaims as if he should have known that.
"Then how am I supposed to help?" he asks a little exasperated.
"I just need you to read me the combination."
He is suddenly wary again for some reason and says half laughing, "Are you serious? How did this happen again? Is this a joke?"
"No, really it isn't a joke. My boyfriend and I were in the middle of a date and he, well, he wanted to see me in handcuffs. I told him only if he bought me a really nice dress. I thought he was kidding when he said yes, but then he took me to Saks and bought me this."
She said all of this in a rush of breath with a hint of impatience at having to explain the situation. He realized that she was probably unaware that although he now knew where the dress came from he still had no idea how she got into this particular dilemma. After a moment of them staring at each other she noticed the quizzical look on his face and realized that her explanation was lacking.