Her Melting Point

New Trouble

Somehow, the fact that he immediately shook off his hungry, intense expression, and took a step back, away from her, made her feel even more unsettled. She shortly wondered if she was one of those women who still believed that if a man properly wanted them, he wouldn't be able to keep himself under control.

And then she asked herself whether she'd sort of hoped for something when she'd accepted his offer to see the maze - and she recoiled from the thought. His attention had been flattering, of course; but she definitely hadn't been encouraging him! Not intentionally, at least.

"I want to leave," she said in a low voice. "Which way is it?"

She jerked the lock on her clutch - and it flew open, scattering her belongings on the ground, including her mobile that she was planning to use to scan the QR code.

Alexander squatted and started picking up her lip gloss, her tissues, and other embarrassing bits and bobs.

"I don't know," he answered. "You spun me around."

She jerked her hand away from the keys that he'd reached for at the same time.

"Thank you," she muttered and opened the bag wide.

He carefully dropped his loot inside.

"Could you download the map, please?" she asked, purposefully avoiding meeting his eyes.

She assumed that he nodded; and a few seconds later they were making their way towards the exit. Nervous shivers were running through her body. He, of course, seemed utterly unaffected.

She opened her mouth a couple of times, but decided against it. If she started talking, there would be no end to her questions, clarifications, and that insistent labelling, which she knew she was prone to. Gabe used to call it 'ma'am-splaining;' because, according to him, her incessant need to 'clear the air' and to 'separate the wheat from the chaff' made one want to salute and to yelp 'yes, ma'am.' She'd tried to scale down her teacher slash headmistress attitudes and behaviours in her marriage - but as they say, once a pedagogue, always a pedagogue.

She felt suddenly absolutely knackered; and Alexander ended up catching her under her elbow when she once again stumbled on a perfectly even spot.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Tired?" he asked in a considerate tone.

She wouldn't be able to remember the last time anyone sincerely addressed her this way - if ever.

"Almost there," he said. He'd put away his phone after pretty much one glance, but she didn't doubt his memory. "Do you want my jacket?" he asked.

"It's alright."

She did know that offering a person another layer for warmth didn't count as evidence of something inappropriate; but at this stage, she couldn't risk someone witnessing anything suspicious - including, them showing up from the maze, him partially undressed, her wearing his item of clothing!

"Sure? You're trembling," he said.

Jackie decided that from now on she'd blame her parents and Gabe and even Stephen for any sort of aggro she'd experience when dealing with Alexander Fergusson! Why had no one ever warned and prepared her? Where was she supposed to get the skill of handling being doted on?!

She made a few uncertain noises, and his jacket lay on her shoulders. It carried the heat of his body, and almost no scent. She'd noticed from the start that, in his austere monochrome outfits; with his clean even skin; his glossy healthy hair; with the lack of any sort of accessories, except for the black fitness watch on his left wrist - he felt pristine. That got her instantly worried.