Nadia twirled the black pod of her armchair until her naked legs were spread to the entire city. Her fingers dug between her thighs, too feverish in her desire to care if anyone could see her. In fact, she hoped someone was watching, and getting off on her athletic body; naked, but for the clip in her platinum bob, and spread on the black leather. Two fingers slid quickly in and out of her. The other hand patted her clitoris, tickled it, rubbed it. Begged it.
"Motherfucker," she burst. But in frustration. Folding her arms and swinging the chair side-to-side, she glared at the uncaring dawn. How she hated Sundays. The day of the dead.
She licked wet fingers and decided to defer her ritual 'city-fuck'. Perhaps a run would scratch her itch.
It was a cool and quiet autumnal morning. As soon as her feet hit the pavement, Nadia was glad to be running, letting her lungs, heart and unresolved sexual tension propel her toward the park. A personal trainer told her, once, that a good long-distance runner: "Runs like a Rolls-Royce, never a Ferrari." But at times like this, alone in the park, she was all sports car.
She powered along, heady with the sensation of firing on all cylinders, of being well made and perfectly tuned.
Nadia didn't see them until it was too late. Three large guys, still high from their Saturday night. Hooded, grizzled and stale.
One ran toward her, eyes all-white with crazed lust, his tongue curled out and waggling. She swerved to avoid him and ran straight into the arms of the other two, wrapping strong limbs around her and dragging her into a bush.
Nadia was not a helpless female. She swung her head back and cracked it on the nose of one man, let out a series of quick screams for help, and rammed her foot into the crotch of the fast approaching crazy-eye.
But one lone woman cannot defeat three chemically fuelled, fully-grown men. They laughed off their pain, and gripped her tighter. The two smothered her again and grappled her to the ground, lying on top of her, while the third clawed at her leggings.
Then he disappeared.
Suddenly yanked backwards, the clawing man flew off Nadia's legs as if tied to a bungee cord. A huge shadow blurred over them, and the other two disappeared as well. Then the shadow loomed over her. A hand appeared.
"Are you ok?"
Deep and earthy. Like a tree talking. Nadia jerked away. He was the largest man she'd ever seen, another jogger. He apologised and pulled his hood off his head, revealing what looked ridiculously like an action hero. All strong chin, broken nose and slanted sparkling eyes. He offered Nadia his hand again and smiled. He had a sad smile, worn for gentleness not for happiness. It comforted her. She took his hand and stood up.
"Assholes!" she shouted at the men, who were still skulking off, slowly. They looked back over their shoulders, not even caring enough to run.
The giant shook his head. "Ignore them, waste of space. Are you ok that's the important thing."
Nadia looked down at herself, shook out her limbs and shrugged.
He shouted at the skulkers, "Next time I see you, you're nicked!"
They started running. This made Nadia laugh and the man rolled his eyes, plugged headphones back into his ears and flipped up his hood. He winked and started running in the opposite direction.
She was by his side in two bounds.
His name was Adam and they spent the next half hour trotting around the park, though it seemed he wasn't big on talking. This suited Nadia fine, she just enjoyed the gentle-giant presence of him. He ran as if it was his natural mode of locomotion, fluid and effortless. A Rolls Royce. They headed out of the park and back toward her block. Talkative or not, she had to find out more about him.
"So, you're a policeman?"
He took out his headphones. "Yes ma'am. Well, I was. Until last year. Retired now."
Ma'am! "So I guess you're older than you look then." He couldn't have been out of his thirties yet, she guessed, a handful of years older than her.
Adam smiled. "Health," he said, pointing to his ear. "Deaf in one ear. And PTSD. Pensioned off." He sighed at her confused face. "Police combat trainer. The guns. And some nasty stuff I had to deal with."
Nadia didn't know what to say. PTSD. That might explain the sadness in his smile. "So... where do you live? What do you do?" She could see her block up ahead, her heart sank. Too soon!
Again the sad smile. He shrugged. "I just run."
Then they were outside her block. If it hadn't been for the concierge outside, greeting her, she may have run on and pretended she didn't live there.
"Ok, this is me. Thanks so much for your help." Nadia stopped and put out her hand, he clasped it quickly, still running, and nodded politely. Like a gallant little bow. That was the clincher.
"Want to come in for breakfast... or something?" she blurted.
Adam stopped, looked at her and then back at the road, as if asking its permission. He shrugged. "Only if it's not too much trouble," he said.
#
He whistled as the lift doors opened straight into Nadia's apartment. She saw it through his eyes, all black marble and white furniture with its backdrop of the city, and felt a little embarrassed. Off the street, Adam seemed more threadbare and rain-washed. His trainers only held together by the laces. He looked... homeless.
She pointed at a corridor while rummaging through her fridge. Not that there was much to rummage. All she had was eggs and champagne.
"There's a shower down there, if you want, help yourself to towels. Umm, omelette ok?"