Darren Hayes could hear something hit the door of his limo as his driver pulled away from the curb of his recording studio. He quickly told the driver to stop so he could see what happened outside. Darren opened his door to find a young girl with flaming red hair slumped on the ground next to the wheel.
“Oh, shit!” he said under his breath. His arms quickly looped under hers and her quickly dragged her inside. “Go!” he yelled to his driver as the girl lay unconsciously in his lap.
“Home, sir?” the driver asked.
“Yeah, and make it quick. I think she’s hurt badly,” Darren answered as he gently brushed a few strands of her wild hair away from her face. There were dirt stains all over her cheeks and forehead from where she had fallen, but nothing was cut or bleeding. Her eyes began to gently flutter as she started to wake up.
Dazed and confused, Alanna slowly opened her eyes. At first, everything came to her as a blur. She could fell the soft cushions beneath her back and someone’s hand on her forehead. As her vision cleared, she spotted a man she had never seen before. His crystal blue eyes sparkled against the black background as he smiled down at her.
Alanna shot up. “Where am I?” she immediately asked, backing away from him as far as she possibly could, which was pretty far.
“You’re in my limo,” he softly replied, his gentle voice calming her wrecked nerves.
Alanna looked around and realized that it was true; black leather seats, a rack with wine glasses along the far side, and a small TV in the corner. She began to feel a little more at ease in these surroundings. It was ten times better than the shack she had been living in the last few months. She sat back on one of the leather seats and sighed deeply, then everything came rushing back to her.
She shot up again and asked, “Who are you?”
Darren could sense the fear in her voice. She was definitely scared of him, but what was she so afraid of? He tried to find it deep within her eyes, but she looked away before he could get any clear view. He then realized that maybe it was better that she didn’t know his real identity. He’d just make up a name, and she’d never know.
“I’m Chris,” Darren replied.
Alanna immediately felt more at ease now that she knew the man’s name. ‘Chris,’ she rolled it over in her head. ‘Cute.’
“Who are you?” Darren asked.
“Alanna,” she answered.
“Alanna. I’ve never heard that name before. It’s very unique,” he commented.
“Thank you. It was my mother’s idea. She was Spanish and my father was Russian. My brother looks more like her, yet he has the Russian name, and I look more like my dad and I have the Spanish name,” she explained. Alanna looked down at her watch and realized that she needed to call Jim Rodgers, her superior. “I know this might sound a little awkward, but can I borrow your cell phone?”
“Sure,” Darren replied as he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I’m hoping it’s not long distance.”
“Don’t worry, I’m just calling a friend,” Alanna said. She punched in the numbers to her boss’s cell phone and waited patiently for him to answer.
“Hello?” came his answer.
“Don’t say a word and just listen,” Alanna told him in Russian. “The plan fell through, Vladimir found out we were CIA. His men tried to kill Dmitri and me, but I think we both got away. Right now, I’m in a limo with some guy named Chris. I don’t know where Dmitri is. I’ll call you later on tonight once I find a place to stay. If Dmitri calls, tell me. I’m worried. Okay, bye.” She hung up and quickly erased the number from Darren’s phone.
“That was quick,” he replied.
“Yeah, I told you I was just calling a friend.”
“Doesn’t sound like you gave him much time to talk.”
“I got his machine.”
“Oh.”
Alanna and Darren sat in silence as the driver continued on his path to the hospital. She kept staring at him with intense blue eyes wondering what was going through his mind. ‘He’s probably freaked out that I ran into his car,’ she told herself.
Darren was thinking the opposite. ‘What the hell happened out there to make her run into my car?’ he kept asking himself. ‘And why the hell am I so damn attracted to her? She’s far from any girl that I would ever consider dating. Look at her. It seems as if she hasn’t taken a shower in months! And that hair! Oh, my God! Don’t get me started. But jeez! It makes her look absolutely beautiful. What’s she really like in there? What’s she thinking?’
“You’re staring,” Alanna pointed out when she realized that Darren hadn’t taken his gaze off her in the last ten minutes.
He blushed and looked away. “Sorry,” he quietly apologized.
“It’s okay. A guy is supposed to look,” she seductively replied. ‘This sweet, blond haired Aussie is definitely fun to play with,’ she thought to herself. ‘He’s so cute, too, but where have I seen him before? He looks so familiar.’
“We’re here,” the driver announced.
“Where?” Alanna asked.
“My place,” Darren replied. “It was nice meeting you, Alanna. I’ll have Charlie take you to your place. I have to go. I’ll see you around.”
“Wait! I don’t have a place,” she replied.
“What about your friend?” he asked.
“He lives in LA. We’re in San Francisco. I don’t think that Charlie would want to drive me all the way to LA then come back,” Alanna said in almost a whiney tone. She gave Darren her biggest, saddest puppy dog eyes. The last place she wanted to be tonight was the street and that little shack she called her home for the last three months. She wanted a real shower and some real food, not dirty old water and fast food.
Darren pondered over the idea. He stared at Alanna and those sweet, beautiful eyes and realized that maybe he could make some room in his apartment for her. She could take the couch. Finally, he said, “Would you like to stay with me?”