Night at the Club with Mystery Man

'You are taking too long! I'm going to wait outside.' Kim called to her friend in the restroom.

"Ok," she heard her friend say as she opened the restroom door to the club. If her friend said anything else, she couldn't hear it over the sound of the music.

The restrooms were on the second floor and the middle of the floor was cut out to see down on the dance floor on the first floor. A railing wrapped around the rectangular cut out and Kim leaned against the railing as she waited. She watched the club-goers as they danced or talked along the edge of the dance floor and called against the bar trying to get service. She sighed in impatience.

She looked up for moment to assess the activity on the second floor and as her eyes scanned the room, she jumped in surprise as her eyes made direct eye contact with a young man who was standing at the railing perpendicular to her.

He leaned coolly with his left side against the railing, his left elbow and arm resting on the railing and his right hand relaxed, holding a clear plastic cup that she couldn't hear, but she knew ice cubes clinked innocently as he swirled the cup.

Unprepared for his stare, Kim quickly looked away. She couldn't help but look his direction again, trying to take a look at his physique and to determine if he was confident or a creeper. She glanced at him with her head slanted inconspicuously down, starting at the floor and slowly making her way up, checking him out from head to...shoulder. She dared to look at his face but again sucked in a bit of air upon realizing he was still looking directly at her.

Kim flashed a quick smile before turning around so that her back was against the railing facing him and she was facing the restroom door.

A moment later, her friend emerged from the bathroom. Her friend walked to her with the intent of continuing past her and Kim following to make their way back to the dance floor.

'Wait," Kim said, nor wanting to turn around.

"Wait for what?" Her friend asked. Her friend was standing with her side to the railing facing Kim and in prime position to be able to see the guy while still being able to talk to her without looking out of place.

"Dont look obvious, but is there a guy standing behind me, looking in this direction?"

Her friend casually glanced over and quickly turned back. "He's not looking in this direction, Kim, he's staring at you."

Kim smiled and blushed and the two shared a school girl giggle.

"I need another drink," her friend said after turning her cup upside down and shaking the last few drops into her mouth.

Kim turned around as they started to head toward the stairs. The handsome stranger was standing directly in the path between them and the bar. Kim purposefully looked him right in the eyes as she walked closer to him. If he locked eyes with her, then she would know he was into her. If he looked away, well, then, it wasn't a sure thing either way, but went her way, so she didn't have to think of what the other part was. His eyes met her with as much purpose as she had, and they followed her as she moved. His body also turned to keep in contact with her and she smiled a mischievous yet playful smile. He returned with warm and charming smile that left Kim aflutter as she descended down to the bar and dance area.

Throughout the rest of the night, Kim constantly glanced through the crowd hoping to make eye contact again with the devilishly handsome man. Every time she approached the bar, she stood a few extra lingering moment longer, hoping it would be the in he was looking for to get close to her, to make his introduction. She saw him every now in then, on the dance floor, looking down from the second floor, standing off in the corner. It seemed he was there with friends, as he was talking to people and dancing with people and certainly not a sulky creepy shadowy guy, but even when he was around other people, he looked up once in a while, almost as if he was looking out for her too. Whenever she caught his eye, which wasn't as often as she wanted, she felt a warm tingling sensation that stayed with her long after.

He never did introduce himself and as the night became early morning, Kim couldn't wait any longer and her friend certainly couldn't either.

"Kim, you either need to go up and talk to him yourself, or we need to call it a night. My feet are killing me and I am soooo hungry." Her friend whined, leaning against the wall and rubbing her heel.

"Ok, ok, I guess we can get going. I don't see him anymore anyway." Kim said begrudgingly. She scanned the club one more time before sighing and collecting her purse. They made their way out of the building and tightened their bodies as the cold air hit them as they embarked outside.

"It got cold," her friend said, hugging herself as they turned down the sidewalk.

"Anything would feel cold after that club," Kim laughed. "The car's a few blocks away, let's walk faster."

They continued on their way down the street. It was about two city blocks of night clubs, the sidewalk crowded with people either lounging around or emptying out from the clubs. They made their way past the busier area and were just about to turn down onto another street when Kim lost her footing.

"What the hell?" Kim said as she reached out to her friend for stability. She looked down to see what the problem was and was disappointed to see the heel of her shoe dangling from a couple stands of fabric. "Perfect. We still have awhile to go and I either have to walk barefoot or hobble."

"Just take off you shoes," her friend said. "I'm about to take mine off- they are killing me. I'm trying to just make it to the car."

They were standing there only a moment longer when a taxi cab pulled up to them. Kim motioned to shoo them away to let them know they weren't interested, but instead, the back window rolled down and who was it but her sexy stranger.

He peered over the window edge down at her pathetically clad foot and shook his head.

"That's unfortunate," he said before flashing a smile of perfect teeth.

Kim didn't know what to say and just stared at him. She sort of laughed, but wasn't sure if he was trying to be funny, so it came out as something sounding more like a cough.

The stranger cocked his head questioningly before opening the taxi door, getting out and holding it open for them.

"I'll give you a lift...wherever you want to go."

"It's actually quicker to walk to our car, too many one way streets-" Kim started to say before her friend slapped her shoulder.

"My feet are killing me! We're only a few blocks away, but I would love to get a lift there."

Her friend shook free from Kim's hand that had been leaning on her, and she climbed eagerly into the cab.

The stranger smiled, please, and waved his hand in front of the door, welcoming her in. Kim sighed before following her friend in. Her hesitation was not a lack of interest, in fact she was immensely interesting in what was going to be playing out in the next few moments. But, she was also anxious to learn his intentions, and a bit concerned about his excellent timing. But regardless, she couldn't help but be soothed by his deep dark hypnotically beautiful green eyes.

The man sat down next to her and closed the door, a grin on his face.

"Franklin and West Tupper," Kim advised the driver as his eyes were peering at them from the rear view mirror. The taxi pushed off and slowly eased into the street.

"I'm sorry about your shoe. You looked really good in them, it's a shame." The man said, looking down her exposed thigh, over her knee, and down the curve of her calf.

"I'm James, by the way," he said, holding out his hand.

"Kim," she reciprocated.

Kim turned to her friend who was quickly looking on from the other side of the seat. Kim knew that a few minutes in a moving vehicle and her friend would be dead to the world for the rest of the night. She just preferred that happening in her own car.

"Can I see your shoe?" He asked, stretching out his hand. "I'm pretty handy."

Kim leaned down to ease the shoe off her foot. She handed it to him and smiled as he spent way too much time looking at the point where it was still attached and spending way too much time on a lost cause, no doubt in the interest of impressing her. While he was busy, she started rubbing her bare foot and running the palm of her hand down the side. James's eyes caught her movement and suddenly he wasn't as interested in the shoe anymore.

"It's really much better for your foot if someone else does that for you," he said, his voice sounding sincere, but his eyes twinkling with hidden thoughts.