Mr. Elitist [ A Novel ]

14

| Nathan |

Today was draining. There were problems with some of my investors, my co-workers were doing everything wrong and I was feeling more tense than usual. Not to mention that someone had attempted to hack into the companies accounts and take money, again. This had happened over two months ago, and I thought the tech department had had it under wraps, but they hadn't. They did now though, I made sure of it.

I let out a long breath, sitting back in my chair and sending yet another email, feeling exhausted and confused about many things. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Isabella and I hadn't ended on a particularly good note the other day, it hadn't been bad, but it hadn't been good.

So I dove even farther into my work to ignore my feelings about her, I didn't necessarily like her like that, but there was something there that I didn't want to feel.

I was doing a late night at the office and now most had gone home, seeing as it was 9:38 at night and it was Friday. I sat up again, my fingers back to drumming away at the key board as I sent an email out to some business people, when Martha buzzed me.

I hit the red blinking button, prepared to chew her out if she asked to go home.

"Yes." I snap.

"I have a-um Miss. Smith on the line?" she says and I made a face why was she calling? When we had gone out and I made it clear I wasn't going to date her, she got up at the end of the meal, saying something about being late from lunch break, thanked me and left. I didn't find it odd but looking back maybe I hurt her. And that's why things didn't end well.

That was a week ago.

"Okay." I say tiredly and I pick up the phone.

"Isabella?" I ask and I hear something which sounds oddly like party music muffled in the background before her voice comes through.

"Um, are you busy?" her smooth voice sounds shaky and slurred, was she drunk?

"I'm working but...did you need something?" I ask slowly, I wondered why she was calling me of all people. "Are you drunk?" I asked when she didn't respond right away.

"Nooo...Okay, maybe a little bit." she says giggling softly.

"Call a taxi and go home." I tell her firmly and she just laughs louder, but then I hear her breath get caught short in her throat. "What?" I ask.

"Um I need you to-can you come pick me up?" she asks shakily, suddenly sounding scared. "I- my friend and I are staying in the city again for the weekend and we went to some club. She got really drunk I guess, and left..." There was an odd pause in which she made a noise again. "Anyway now I'm outside the club, I don't have my car and I'm lost Nathan. I'm actually pretty scared." she said almost too quickly, but I suddenly felt panic. She was lost?

"Do you know which street you're on?" I ask her, I knew New York like the back of my hand.

"I-um... Timothy Boulevard on 16th street." she says slowly. I heard her gasp suddenly.

"What?" I sat forward in my chair, actually worried about her. I was also angry that her friend left her, what kind of friend does that? I knew exactly where she was though so it should be easy to find her.

"I-I just, please come quickly. I would have called a cab like you said but they all look super sketchy, and I don't really know anyone else and I had the office number from Ryan... oh my god... and there are creepy people here too." she says.

"Listen to me, go back inside the club okay?" I say.

"Okay." she whispers.

"I'll be there soon and I'll come find you." I tell her and then I hang up. I grabbed my car keys and jumped up. She was easily only 4'9 or maybe 5'0, she wasn't that tall, and I knew she couldn't really protect herself at a place like that, especially if she's drunk. I threw my files into my brief case, grabbed my phone, wallet and shut down my computer. I shut the office lights off and locked up.