Safe

Jonathan rolled over in bed, noticing that it was empty except for him. He groaned and reached over to his nightstand to retrieve the phone that had woken him up. Clearing his throat a few times, Jonathan glanced at the screen, and aside from being blinded by the brightness, he realized that he didn’t recognize the number

“Hello?”

“Is this Jonathan?” the voice on the other end said. Jonathan was sure it was a woman and he thought it sounded familiar, but didn’t have any idea as to who it could be and why they were calling him at three o clock in the morning.

“It’s Charlotte,” she said. Jonathan sat up in bed and was instantly more alert upon hearing her name. He feared the worst, letting his thoughts wander to all the things that could have prompted her to call him. “Look, I’m sorry I called in the middle of the night and we really don’t know each other very well but you’re really the only person I know here, and I’m in a fix and
was wondering if you could help me?”

“Oh yeah, sure, anything,” he replied, and he meant it. If he could help a woman who was being abused he would do anything he could for her. “What do you need?”

He heard her take a deep breath before answering him, “I need three hundred dollars.”

“Uh, sure I can help. When do you need it?” Jonathan could hear the confusion in his voice, but he was unable to mask it, wondering what the hell she needed three hundred dollars for.

“I need it within the hour,” she stated, and Jonathan inhaled sharply, knowing that she must have heard it on her end of the call. Jonathan debated with himself where to offer to meet her. He wanted to at least see her when he gave her the money. Maybe he would figure out why she needed it in the first place.

“Okay, well, do you want to meet me at my apartment? I can give you my address,” he offered,
deciding it would be the best place for them to meet at three in the morning.

Charlotte must have thought the same thing, as she said, “Yeah that would be great.”

They hung up soon after Jonathan had given his address and apartment number. He then decided to finally get out of bed and grab the cash that he would give her. He grabbed a bottle of water while he was waiting for her to arrive, and after abut ten minutes he heard a faint knocking at the door and rushed over to open it. Twisting the doorknob and pulling, Jonathan looked at the woman before him and suddenly realized how naturally beautiful she was. Her features weren’t caked in makeup, like some other women he knew, and he enjoyed her fresh face. When he looked at her eyes, however, he was thrown for a loop. They were a beautiful green, but they weren’t nearly as beautiful as they could have been. Where they should have been bright and lively, they were distant, pained, and detached. Jonathan was sure that they looked that way because of what her boyfriend did her, and that made his blood boil.

He stood at the door and greeted her and offered for her to come in.

“Uh, I have to get going soon, but I wanted to say thank you for helping and I will pay you back, I swear,” she said, and Jonathan felt his face and mood falter, but didn’t let it show.

“You don't have to pay me back, it’s okay,” he replied, trying to elongate the conversation any way he could.

“I’ll pay you back,” she stated as she took the cash. Jonathan took her tone as a hint that she didn’t want to argue with him.

“Okay. Uh, if you ever need help again don’t hesitate to call anytime,” he offered, and he meant it.

Jonathan allowed his mind to wander again to what she could possibly need the money for. Though he knew it wasn’t a large sum of money compared to his salary, he also knew that Charlotte would not have asked Jonathan unless it was for something important. Add to that the fact that she had called and asked for it at three in the morning; Jonathan could not help his worried state of mind. His thoughts were squashed when she announced that she would be leaving, and after another expression of gratitude of gratitude her gratitude, she turned she turned on her heel and was gone in an instant, only leaving a very faint trace of her perfume behind.

-

Jonathan replayed the encounter over and over as he tossed and turned in his bed for what seemed like an eternity, unable to will himself to sleep. He could still smell her perfume, and even went so far as to wonder if she had put it on for him, but he quickly pushed the thought from his mind. Instead, he focused his thoughts on trying to figure out why she had needed the money and was making up stories about what could have happened. He also could not shake the dread of telling Lindsey about their encounter and finding out what she would have to say about it. He was sure a fight would ensue, and he was not looking forward to it.

It had been almost two hours since Charlotte had left, and just as long since Jonathan had been able to sleep. He finally decided that he would get up and walk around the city while it was still relatively quiet.

After brewing himself a cup of coffee, he ventured downstairs and out into the chilly morning Chicago air, still unable to shake the smell of her perfume from his mind.