Not Scared Anymore

Chapter 3 - Kevin

Once Kevin Ruiders had finally finished giving his statement, he strolled out of the building and onto the sidewalk, carrying the stupid cactus. He had only been there for lunch with his uncle, and the receptionist gave him a cactus. Who does that?

He knew she was interested in him, but she was so young. His uncle claimed she graduated with a college diploma two years before, which meant she was probably 21 or 22 years old, but she looked so much younger. Kevin thought she looked like a high schooler, and no matter what her ID said, he wasn't going for it. At 27, he wanted someone who actually looked like they could get in a bar without being carded every time.

He should have left the cactus in the elevator. She couldn't be upset with him for that, he was trapped in an elevator for hours and just forgot about it when rescue finally came. At least, that's what he would've told her when she inevitably asked about it next time he went for lunch with his uncle.

The woman had forgotten her purse when they pulled her out, and he had grabbed it for her. It was a big purse, and it had fallen open slightly so he could see inside. There was a clipboard in it, with what looked like a resume on the front. The name said Stephanie Halder, but it didn't necessarily mean it was her. It looked like she was wearing an interview ensemble: short heels, a nice blouse and blazer with a skirt, long dark hair and subtle, natural looking make up around those golden-brown eyes... and a purse full of snacks and deodorant as well.

She was very attractive, but he figured she was about 5'10" without the heels on, and she looked confident. Not one of those girls ashamed of their height, no, she owned it. Maybe she was an athlete. If so, that was just another reason not to dwell on her. He knew he'd never have a chance. His thoughts lingered on her lips, they looked so soft and enticing, even once she'd bitten them to the point of bleeding. He couldn't deny the warmth he felt when he brushed her fingertips passing her the tissue. That was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

He had seen her disappear into the restroom as soon as possible once they got out, and chuckled about that again. He had been right about her, and if he ever saw her again, that might just be a great ice breaker. If, of course, she remembered who he was. He didn't think it was likely. Evidence generally pointed to him not being memorable to women, his uncle's secretary Nancy being one of a few exceptions. He looked down at the cactus he was holding, and groaned inwardly.

He didn't really want to take it home with him, but if he took it to work all the guys would ask about the cactus and he didn't want to answer that either. He knew he could just say it was a gift from his Uncle Dean, but Jared knew his uncle well enough to know that would be super out of character for him, and he didn't want Jared razzing him for something else. Jared also knew about Nancy's infatuation, but unlike Kevin, thought dating her would be a great idea. Jared was of the belief that if she looks so young now, she'll look young when she gets older too, and who wouldn't want that? Jared tended to be pretty shallow.

Kevin stepped onto the train, realizing he had walked all the way to the station on autopilot, and tried to focus more on what he still had to do at work. He really needed to get the code finished before he went home for the weekend, and he lost a few hours of work stuck in the elevator. He was planning to meet some of his old buddies for drinks after work, but it didn't seem likely. He hoped Jared made a sale today and would be willing to have a celebratory drink in the office. He usually stayed late on sale days anyways, so at least Kevin wouldn't be the only one there.

When he finally walked up to the loft his office was in, he noticed Jared's door was open but the blinds were closed. He walked in to find Jared drinking a beer and staring blankly at the wall. Scotch was the chosen drink after a sale; beer was the consolation prize when things didn't work out. Jared turned at his entrance, and automatically reached into the fridge and pulled out a beer, tossing it across the desk to Kevin. From Monday to Thursday that fridge was full of fresh pressed fruit juices and Red Bull. On Fridays it changed to Red Bulls, soda, and beers. Kevin wasn't complaining about the beer, it was wet and alcoholic, exactly what he was looking for.

"What's with the cactus?"

"Oh, Nancy gave it to me." Based on Jared's mood, giving him the facts straight seemed like the best plan.

Jared narrowed his eyes at Kevin. "Nancy eh? Is that why you're so late getting back from lunch?"

"Ha ha. No. You know how I feel about her. Or should I say, don't feel about her." He sat in the chair opposite Jared. "I got stuck in the elevator on the way down. For like, two hours. It was awful."

"Shit. No way. Were you alone? Or in there with some big stinky fat guy?" Jared's face was lighting up with the joking, so Kevin figured this was good.

"No, no stinky fat guy. Just one woman." As expected, this piqued Jared's interest and he sat up straighter in the chair.

"Not Nancy? How old? Was she hot?"

"Definitely not Nancy, I got out of my uncle's office as soon as she gave me the damn cactus. I think this woman was probably in her mid-twenties."

"And... was she hot? Work with me here, Kevin. You better not have missed an opportunity to get with a hot chick after being alone with her for two hours because you chickened out."

"Yes, she was hot. She was gorgeous." He smiled at the memory. "And no, I didn't harass her in the elevator, because I, unlike you, am a decent human being and didn't try to make an uncomfortable situation even worse by putting the moves on someone."

"What was her name?"

"Uh, Stephanie I think."

"You think? You've forgotten the gorgeous woman's name already? Dude..."

"Well, no, we never formally introduced ourselves. And then when we finally got out, everything happened so fast and I didn't see her again."

"Damn. I was hoping for a better story." Jared frowned and brought his beer back to his lips. "Why didn't you just go home after that though?"

"I've got to finish that code before the weekend. I was hoping you would have some better news for me though. I wanted scotch more than a beer." He stood up and made for the door.

"Yeah, well you let that girl go without even getting her number, you don't deserve the scotch!" The door closed behind Kevin before Jared could go on.

He placed the cactus on the desk and sat heavily in his chair. He could tell it was going to be a long night.