Never Again {Bashai and VampireByte}

[Bashai]

A smile lengthened across his face. He knew it already. She was his. The fact that she called proved he held some small power over here. Now, to make that power grow. He absently rubbed his fingers over his chin, stroking his beard.


"Why hello, Sonja. It's lovely to hear from you. How have you been?"


He imagined she had thought only of him. He toyed with the idea that perhaps she had subconsciously sensed his presence in her room last night and dreamed of him. He waited, not with bated breath, but with silent discipline for her answer. He would play this right. He would play this well. He would make her his.

 

[souled]

In truth, the young woman was glad that they were only on the phone and not speaking face-to-face, Richard unable to see how much Sonja was blushing. Or could it be audible through the phone? Either way.


"I've been fine...Thank you...Yourself?" The woman wondered, standing up from the chair and, taking her phone with her, headed to the fridge to fetch herself something to drink, opting for some tomato juice and pouring it into a glass with ice before taking a drink of it, letting out a sigh before heading over to her sofa with her phone and drink before curling up.

 

[Bashai]

"I've been well. Occupied with work but I usually am." He listened to the sounds in the background as she moved around. She wouldn't hear anything beyond his voice. He had remained in his office, briefly getting up to shut the door, to ensure silence. He listened to the ice cubes fall into the glass. Hmm, that might not be a bad idea.


"Do you happen to have any free time soon? I could use some time away from the office and find somewhere to put a drink in my hand."

 

[souled]

For a long while the girl was silent, thinking over Richard's offer. Taking a drink of what Sonja had poured for herself, the girl set the glass aside, setting it next to the current book she was working on reading in her spare time, the woman obviously totally oblivious to the fact that the very man she was speaking with had already been to her small apartment complex, uninvited...


"Oh...This Saturday I should be free..." Sonja told him softly, feeling the blush rise up once again in her cheeks.

 

[Bashai]

"Saturday it is then. As for a place, I have something in mind but first I'd like to know if you like surprises." He hoped she said yes. He actually wasn't certain what he'd do if she said no. Maybe he'd go along with his idea regardless of her answer. For now, let her feel like she still had some sort of control, like she had a say in the decisions. Such feelings might embolden her and give her the false sense of complacency that he could take advantage of.

 

[souled]

The young teacher thought over the offer. "I don't mind them." The girl said after a time, stifling a yawn by taking another drink of the tomato juice that she had poured for herself before bed time. After all, the girl's young students were constantly surprising her at school, some good, some bad, so Sonja was fairly certain that she could handle whatever surprise Richard was thinking of. Little did the young woman know...

 

[Bashai]

"Perfect." She would be able to hear his smile in his tone. "Let's meet at the coffee shop and we'll go from there." His fingers tugged at his tie, loosening it from his neck, so he could open his shirt some. He felt his body heat rising. He noticed his leg had been bouncing and stilled his body. He shouldn't act on excitement alone.

 

[souled]

"Okay. 'Bye." Before the man could say anything else, Sonja hung up on him, setting her phone aside before slowly getting out of bed, finishing the rest of the drink before taking the glass into the kitchen and rinsing it out before setting the dirtied glass into the dishwasher to be cleaned later.

~*~

​

Feeling a bit nervous, Sonja made her way into the coffee shop, knowing that she was a bit early from their set time that afternoon, but then, that was Sonja. Not really feeling like ordering anything, the young elementary school teacher simply found a booth next to a window to sit at, waiting for Richard to appear, wondering what this "surprise" was that the man had in mind for her.

 

[Bashai]

He raised his brows in surprise as the line on the phone clicked to silence then his expression changed to one of conceit. He had made her nervous. Or excited? Or perhaps better still, both? He stepped up to a tall mirror leaning against a wall and readjusted his tie. A few turns and glances and the mirror and he was satisfied his work attire would suit his plans just fine.


"Hold all my calls and cancel the meetings," he ordered to his secretary as he swept past her. She looked up, only a bit surprised, and nodded.


"Off on some adventure are we?" she called to him.


He stopped, turning to her and flashing his most charming smile. "I certainly hope so."


She just shook her head and smiled. "Well, have a good rest of the day, Mr. Sturm."


-------------


No matter how early she thought she was, Richard was there long before she arrived. He made calls and set up the necessary reservations then cooled his heels outside of the shop. He was well hidden and could see inside though the patrons wouldn't notice him. The evening was crawling on closer, night was encroaching on the light, gradually pushing it away. He didn't spend too much time watching her. It was nice to see her when she thought she was alone and unnoticed but no, he wanted to look at her and be with her. He took a breath and made his way.


Sonja would see him easily through the window as he got closer and she would find him watching her. He wanted to see her reaction when she laid eyes on him, when she realized he was showing up. Would he see happiness? Interest? Caution? Uncertainty?

 

[souled]

Not knowing that the woman's date had already arrived long ago before her, Sonja jumped slightly when the young teacher saw Richard approach, and stood up from the table in which Sonja sat, slinging her purse over her shoulder, feeling a bit of a mixture of the emotions actually, for a multitude of reasons.


"Hi." The girl breathed, shyly biting at the tip of her fingernail as the young woman blushed a bit, again wondering what this "surprise" was that Richard had in mind, knowing only that Sonja would find out eventually.

 

[Bashai]

He ran his elegant fingers through his hair and took a seat across from Sonja. "Hello." He adjusted his clothes and turned his eyes upon her. "I've made reservations at a new restaurant. It's called Shadows. Have you heard of it? The one where you eat in the dark?" He tried to give as comforting a smile as he could muster.

 

[souled]

"Heard of it yes...Been there, no..." The elementary school teacher bit at her lower lip shyly. Indeed Sonja had heard of the new place. Apparently it was all the rave at the moment, but then, Sonja had always wondered why someone would want to eat in the dark. Well, it would certainly be something knew for the young woman at the very least if nothing else.

 

[Bashai]

"Ah, that's a shame. Let me change that. I've been a couple of times and I think you'll find it quite an experience." He stood, perhaps a bit too quickly, perhaps giving off too much of his impatience, but he calmly offered out his hand in the hopes she would place her hand and her trust in him. Sure, they could spend time here chatting and getting to know one another but from experience he found people to be more open when they could hide themselves and the dark was the perfect place to create an illusion of safety as well as the fact that it was in a public place. There, in the darkness of their private booth, he plotted to get her to lay herself open bare so he might find a place of weakness to take advantage of her.

 

[souled]

The young elementary school teacher smiled shyly and stood when Richard did, absently tucking a lock of her honey colored hair behind her ear, feeling a bit nervous suddenly, as Sonja knew that this would be her first date with someone in quite some time, her last boyfriend having been in her high school days, whom she no longer had any contact with.


"What time did you reserve us for?" Sonja asked softly, wondering what was going on in the man's head, the poor girl totally clueless as to who this man really was.

 

[Bashai]

(Sorry for slow replies. It's been nice out so I've been trying to enjoy it a bit more.)


"I reserved us for now." He took her hand in his despite that she had not offered it. His touch would be forceful at first but once he held her small hand in his larger he would relax and hold onto her loosely giving her another moment and option to be released from him. He would give her many opportunities tonight to escape him just to see if she would have sense enough to do so. He led them out to his car, and having some sense of gentlemanly honor, opened the door to the passenger side for her. This would be her second moment to resist. Would she get in this stranger's car and trust him to take them to the destination he'd specified. He momentarily debated abandoning his plans and taking her as he wished tonight, but no that would be too easy. Plus he liked teasing himself by prolonging the moment. It made the actual time of reckoning that much more enjoyable and worth it.

 

[souled]

/ That's quite alright. I totally understand.

\
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​

It did surprise the young school teacher a bit when Richard suddenly quite forwardly grabbed at her hand, but then, this was normally for people who were seeing each other, so Sonja didn't resist or pull away, and followed Richard to the car that they would be traveling in, and gave the man a shy smile of thanks when Richard opened the car door for her, and Sonja slid in, setting her purse on her lap after getting situated and buckled in, nervously tucking a lock of her long hair behind her ear.