He was just not that lucky. She was just too perfect and presented herself in such a way that he couldn’t resist. Her flowing highlighted hair drifted over her face and those blue eyes peeked out from time to time, beckoning to him, calling to him. As he sat in the bar fiddling nervously with his drink he considered why he was there. Another failed relationship, another night alone, and the small wine bar offered a place he could unwind, but this woman kept looking over, and he could barely contain himself considering she might just be looking at him.
He decided there was no way it could be true, and he looked away, and as he sat looking at the window he heard the seat next to him creak. He turned, and she was there.
“Hi,” she said quietly.
He stammered, not sure what to say, he felt his face flush and was concerned, even more than he had ever been with the few miserable relationships he had been in. He stressed as he thought about all the women who had hurt him, how bad it felt, how horrible it was to experience the pain and the loss. He shuddered as he looked side to side and his thoughts were broken by the words she spoke, “The answer you should give is “hi”” she said in a wonderfully melodic voice.
“umm, hi,” he said.
She smiled at him, her teeth glinting white in the light of the small wine bar, he saw a glint of metal, but she sipped a drink of her wine and it was gone.
“You look lonely,” she said. “I am not being forward, I just know how it is to be lonely. Everyone I am ever with treats me so poorly and I always seem to end up hurt.”
He calmed slightly, “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
She continued, “I mean, why can’t I just find someone special, someone who will protect my heart, like I want to protect theirs.”
“I know,” he said, “People can be so mean, and I never seem to find anyone who wants to be nice, they want to beat my heart and rend it and not treat it right at all.” He did not know this woman but he opened up and wondered why he was doing so.
“It is just so complicated,” she said. “Anyway, I just wanted to say hi because you looked so lonely.”
“Thanks,” he said while noticing her again. She wore a simple outfit that she made look stunning. Her near perfect figure was accentuated by a beautiful face, and stunning eyes that seemed to peer through his soul.
“Hi sweetie,” she said looking into his eyes as he stared.
He turned away noticing her smile, and she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, “Don’t worry,” she said, “You will find someone to protect your heart.” She smiled and laid a $20 on the bar and nodded at the bartender and began to leave. “Bye sweetie,” she said with a smile and walked out the door almost silently.
As he was saying bye he noticed the door closed and was sad to be alone once more.
He drank his wine in peace and about 10 minutes later, paid his bill and headed out to his car.
His Black Mustang waited for him at the back of the lot, and as he walked there he noticed a white SUV cranking its engine. He kept walking to his car and started to get in when he saw the woman get out of the SUV and lift the engine compartment.
He stopped, considered, and walked to the SUV. “Problems,” he asked.
“Dumb car,” she said, “It was never well taken care of and I try so hard, but it is not working right again.”
“Want me to look?” he asked her quietly, not knowing really what to do but willing to try to help this exotic lady.
“Actually, could you help me out and run me home?” she asked. “I will have it towed in the morning.”
“Umm, sure,” he said. “I would be happy to.”
She closed the hood on the SUV, and pulled her keys and a purse out of the car, then walked to him and they walked over to his Mustang. The car was new, and still shined as though it had been taken from the lot yesterday. The black finish of the car seemed to absorb the light while reflecting it making it wonder if it had a soul, or was stealing one. He opened her door and let her in the passenger side, then got in himself.
The throaty roar of the car rumbled as he started it and he asked her, “Where to?”
She gave him and address that he put in the navigation, then he began driving the few minutes it would take to get there. They talked on the way, about everything and nothing, her job, his job, her life, his lack of a life, her family, his lack of a family and so it went. As they pulled into a more affluent neighborhood the homes got larger and larger, and soon the GPS spoke he had arrived. The house was massive, a front half moon drive with a 4 car garage to the side, a huge yard, pool, sitting area, high deck and a stunning view.
He gasped, “This is yours?”
“Yes,” she said, “A gift from my ex husband. He did not want it and it was my dream.”
“Nice dream,” he said.
“Want to come in,” she asked.
“Umm,” he said, “I am not sure I should.”
She smiled, “Sure you can, come on in, I will show you around and you can leave.”
He smiled nervously wondering how this woman could have any interest in him and said, “ok”
She walked in front of him to the door and opened it while he was mesmerized by the sway of her body, the look of her. They walked into the house and he looked at the staircase reaching up to the second floor in front of him. The house was decorated straight out of restoration warehouse or pottery barn and was perfectly clean. Everything looked to be in its place, with books stacked perfectly on tables, begging to be read, and pictures on the wall of long lost locations that only the photographer knew.
She turned to him, walked back and put her arms around his neck, his heart was beating so fast now as she leaned in and kissed him. He almost felt faint from the feeling.
“Don’t worry,” she said, “I will protect your heart.”
He leaned forward and kissed her and felt like the world was melting around him, he was suddenly so excited he could barely contain himself.
She slowly pulled back and he followed her almost comically trying to hold the kiss. “In here,” she said, and lead him down the hall to the right into a huge bedroom. The bed was a California king, and the room was sparsely decorated except for a dresser and a large curio with colored music boxes in it. He recognized the boxes because he had given one to his ex girlfriend years ago with a stuffed animal in it.
“Nice collection,” he said looking at the boxes as she smiled and began kissing him again. She began undressing him and undressing herself, slowly kicking off her clothes as he did as well. There was a door behind her and she leaned on it and it opened into a huge bathroom. She walked into the room, her naked hips swaying as she held his hand and he followed obediently to the massive shower.
He felt as though he was going to explode as she bent in front of him and straightened a bathmat, she picked up a towel and dropped it into an overly large laundry chute to the side then stepped into the shower and turned on the water. Then she reached to the counter and he saw a music box like the others, just an ornate dark blue box, she opened and it began to play the song “Hero”.
The room quickly started to get steamy and he was confused a little, but she beckoned him, “Hi sweetie.” she said with those glinting eyes, and he stepped into the shower. She was as tall as he and they lined up perfectly as she kissed him, he was so excited he felt as though his heart would explode. He stopped for a moment and she looked him in the eye and said, “Don’t worry, I will protect your heart.”
He smiled, unsure, and she took soap from a dispenser and rubbed it on his arms, his chest, he felt her against him, the swirl of emotions was replaced by passion, by lust. She rubbed his chest and the soap was so smooth, so clean. He closed his eyes as she rubbed his chest and he barely felt the knife cut through his sternum. He gasped for a moment but the knife had cut deep and as he struggled meekly in surprise he looked into her eyes, the last words he heard were “I will protect your heart” as he saw his heart wrenched from his chest, the panic within him welled up and was gone, then all went dark.
She stood in the shower, the water running over her body and washing the blood down the drain. She held his heart carefully as she washed it in the water ever so gently The huge shower left a lot of room and the multiple jets of hot water kept washing the blood down the drain until the heart was completely clean. Her body clean as well, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, then took a second towel and dried his heart ever so carefully. “Hero” played on the music box to her side, and she smiled as she looked at the heart and gently placed it in the music box, then closed the lid and felt empty as the music stopped.
Naked, she walked into the bedroom, opened the cabinet, and put the music box on a shelf next to the dozens of others.
Walking back into the bathroom, she went into the shower and lifted his naked body easily, then took his lifeless corpse to the laundry chute. She looked down at his face, and lightly kissed his lips, then pushed his body into the chute.
She knew the chute lead to a massive septic digester deep under the house, and over time he would be no more, gone from the world like a silent wisp.
She dressed, got in his car, and went to the still open bar. Wiping the car down, she left it where it was parked before, went to her car, and, flipping a small switch, turned the key and it started instantly. As she plugged in her phone a graphic popped on the screen, a simple red heart with the words “Protect his heart” came on and she smiled knowing that is exactly what she did, and exactly what she would do.