After a hectic day, the three friends split up. Aliah and Jules decided to head to the bank to drop off a deposit, flagging down a cab to take them there.
When they arrived at the bank, they paid the driver and stepped onto the curb.
"You've got everything for the deposit, right?" Aliah asked, adjusting her own shoulder strap.
"Yeah, it's in my..." Jules reached into her tote bag, her hand frantically searching for the smaller leather pouch. Her face drained of color. "Aliah... ALIAH! I can't find my purse. The cab—it's still in the cab!" Her voice cracked as panic set in, standard protocol completely slipping her mind—there was two million in that purse.
Without thinking, Aliah dropped her bag right onto the sidewalk and sprinted after the pulling-away taxi.
"Aliah, wait!" Jules cried out, scooping up Aliah's abandoned bag. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she ran after her, sobbing,
"What am I going to do? I'm so dead, I'm so dead!"
Aliah pressed forward, her speed picking up. Her neat hair bun gave way under the strain, the scarf wrapped around her neck catching the breeze and flying off completely. Strands of her dark hair whipped wildly around her face in the wind, a chaotic, breathless mess.
Cruising in the adjacent lane, a sleek black car slowed down.
The driver—a man with sharp, striking features—watched the girl in his side mirror. There was something captivating about the sheer, chaotic determination in the way she ran, her hair flowing behind her like a wild banner.
A faint, amused smile curved his lips, his fingers tapping thoughtfully against his jawline.
He matched her pace and rolled down the passenger window. "Need a ride to catch up to something, miss?"
Aliah slowed to a halt, gasping for air. She didn't hesitate. "Yes—please!"
She yanked the door open and climbed in, immediately pointing through the windshield. "That cab—right behind the beige sedan! I need to catch it!"
"Got it," the driver said smoothly.
He handled the steering wheel with effortless precision, accelerating past the traffic and pulling sharply in front of the taxi, bringing both vehicles to a sudden stop.
Aliah was out of the passenger seat before the engine even cut. She scrambled over to the taxi driver's window.
"Are you crazy, lady? You trying to get us killed?" the taxi driver yelled, throwing his hands up in irritation.
"I am so, so sorry, sir!" Aliah panted, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
"My friend left her purse on your back seat—we just needed to stop you before you drove off."
The driver glanced into the back, his expression softening as he spotted the leather pouch on the floorboard. "Oh. Well... alright then." He reached back, grabbed it, and handed it through the window. "Here you go."
"Thank you so much!"
Aliah clutched the purse tightly against her chest and turned back toward the black car waiting on the shoulder. She rushed over to the passenger side, her heart still hammering against her ribs.
"Thank you so much for your help, sir—" She stopped mid-sentence as he stepped out of the car.
Up close, the stranger was striking. He towered over her with broad, broad shoulders and a sharp, sculpted jawline, but it was his eyes that caught her off guard—an icy, piercing blue that felt surprisingly warm as he looked down at her. Dark, perfectly groomed hair framed his face, complementing the clean line of his nose and high cheekbones.
"I know," a deep, smooth voice broke her spell. "I'm extremely handsome."
Aliah blinked, her cheeks instantly flushing a deep crimson. "I—well, I mean—I—"
The man let out a low, amused laugh. Stepping closer, he reached out and gently patted her messy hair, his smile turning bright and genuine. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine! Totally fine," Aliah stammered, completely unable to hide the heat radiating from her face.
"You're adorable when you turn red," he said, leaning against the side of his car. His gaze held hers, warm and playful. "Would you mind dating a loner like me?"
"Okay," Aliah blurted out before her brain could even register the question.
He laughed—a light, charming sound—and pulled his phone from his pocket. "You're amazing. Let's exchange numbers."
They swapped phones, typing in their contacts. Once he handed hers back, he reached into his car, pulled out a soft woolen scarf, and carefully draped it around her bare neck to replace the one she'd lost in her chase. He gave her hair one last gentle pat.
"See you later, girlfriend," he smiled, stepping back into his car.
As his engine roared to life and he pulled away, Aliah's phone buzzed violently in her hand. She pressed answer, and Jules' hysterical voice blasted through the speaker.
"ALIAH! Where are you?! I lost you—I can't run anymore!" Jules was crying so hard she could barely breathe.
"I'm coming back right now," Aliah said, turning around to walk back down the avenue, clutching both the purse and the new scarf around her neck. "Stop crying, Jules. And get off the pavement, don't sit on the ground! I'm almost there."
She hung up, a strange, breathless smile staying on her face all the way back.