A stranger sat at her table, claiming to be her soulmate.  

At first, this out of the blue guest surprised her. She tilted her head in confusion. It was silent for a few moments. 

 

She thinks he is joking.  


The corners of her mouth started to dance as she laughs. He looks on at her, void of her response, aside from a slight smile. 

 

“I’m not joking”, he responds, like he could tell what she was thinking. 


Annie regained her composure, realising he was being serious. 


She is taken aback by his valiant approach, almost as much as she is by his appearance.  

His eyes were as dreamy as a starry night, laced with long, feather like lashes. High, sculpted cheekbones emphasised his beautiful face. Waves of chocolate coloured hair draped over his face. Skin, smooth and free from any imperfections and lips that were perfect in proportion, plump and inviting. His physique, strong and masculine, finished off the facade of grandeur.  


He had impeccable taste in fashion, dressed in a navy tailored trousers and shirt, complimenting his athletic arms. His tailored jacket rests on the back of the chair. Tattoos poke out from beneath the cuffs of his shirt leave her wanting to see more. She used them as a tool to determine what sort of man she thought he was, tough and masculine. Angling her head, she tried to work out what they were. Her efforts were fruitless.  


She felt drawn to him, a force, almost magnetic. This was out of character for her. Unexpected attraction, as if she were spell bound.  

Now, in every respect, attentive, she simpers at him. “You are pretty sure of yourself”, she says, while trying to avoid looking him in the eye.  


“I will marry you, one day”, he tells her, presumptuous at the very least.  

She knew this sounded ridiculous, but there was something about him. Should she allow this stranger, someone she knew nothing about, a place in her life, let alone in her heart? How did he know what she needed, she thought.  


He was charming. She thinks he knew this too. But what was he doing here, with her? It been a while since someone had paid any interest in her, at all. Perhaps the main reason for that was because she didn’t pay much attention anymore.  


“I will give you until the end of the night to decide”, he said. Making it clear that if she decided no, he would disappear just as he had arrived. There would be no second chance.  


Annie, often impulsive and spontaneous could look at everything from all perspectives. Those close to her knew her as mechanical, knowing she didn't need any prompting in life.  

“OK, put your money where your mouth is”, she told him, offering as much presumption as he had. It seemed like an offer he couldn’t refuse. 


There was a subtle silence, with both seeming to wait for what comes next. She can’t help but keep looking away.  


Leaning towards her, their eyes meet again. His pupils were dilated, making them seem bigger somehow. Like an abyss, she knew this wasn’t going to be the first time she got lost in them. They were fixed on her, like she was all that mattered to him at that moment. The striking blue of his iris, with shards of grey flickering outwards. 


Cupping the top of her arm before stroking it, she finds his lips on hers. He lingers for a moment, and she can feel the heat from his body. The slight woody smell from his aftershave, buttery and milky makes this feel seductive.  

His lips, warm and flushed, kissed her like someone in love, like he had nothing to lose.   


He pulled back, making eye contact again. She gulped and could feel his breath on her, she could hear each breath with ease. Tracing the outline of his face with her eyes, she noticed the bulging veins in his neck. They climb through his skin like stems of ivy.  


She looked down towards the floor in a moment of intensity. Everything around her was silent and still, other than fairy lights twinkling in the background. Glancing back at him, she realises his bravado. He was smirking, leading to her feeling intimidated. He had been assertive, adding to his tenacious and focused drive to fulfil whatever mission he was on.  


Was she jumping into unfamiliar waters? Well, yes, she was, but she didn’t think he was smug. The smirk was more a signal of him getting what he wanted rather than someone without strong values.  


The busyness of the bar was silent, nothingness echoed throughout their tension. It was just them.  


The intensity whenever she looked at him was agonising. She wondered if he felt the same. Never had she been so infatuated with someone. A desire to observe and absorb every tiny little detail. Their bodies, in unison with each other's, mirroring every movement.


She grasps at the reality. It smacked her right in the face. He did feel the same. That much was clear.   


The timing of allurement was instant, exciting and frightening, all at the same time. She found herself not wanting to leave his side, needing to spend every bit of time with him. Dazzled by how he presented, she knew this would be the start of something good.  


She blinked, multiple times. Her eyes, gritty and tired. Confused and disappointed as they widened to the light. She found herself waking up and no longer in the arms of her handsome stranger. She closed them again, desperate to get back to where she was moments before, wanting, praying for it to be real. It didn’t work; she was awake.  


It was all but a dream.