Dean had spent his time and was truly reformed. He'd made a mistake when he was young, sexually assaulting a woman. In the years since then he'd come to appreciate women as equal humans, a concept foreign to him growing up. He'd also come to regret what he had done to that innocent woman and to have a greater respect for all people. He also was clean in health and very physically fit. He had educated himself while locked up, become a model prisoner, and was paroled early as a reward. He never wanted to return to his old neighborhood, and instead chose a new town in a different state to avoid the temptation and acquaintances of old.
Jenny was a hard working young lady, having studied hard in college while working part-time to cover the expenses. Her job wasn't glamorous or high paying, but it was her job and was enough for her to be self supporting even if it was in a meager, dull lifestyle. Jenny was the shy sort, and never wore much makeup or clothing that was flattering to her body. She exercised regularly but was too modest to be proud of her figure, always wearing clothing to disguise the curves.
Their lives were about to cross paths.
Jenny worked late most afternoons, well into the evening some days. The area of the office was relatively safe but emptied immediately after normal working hours, becoming a ghost town of sorts. It was one of those days where she left the building just as the street lights were coming on when her worst nightmare began. Swiftly and silently an arm was wrapped around her from behind, her mouth muffled. At the same time a hard, sharp object was thrust hurtfully into her ribs and a gruff voice angrily grunted into her ear to do as he told else she would suffer. As Jenny was shoved along towards the shadows of some bushes she never noticed the stench of her assailant, fear instead whirling through her head. She tried to remember what she'd been told to do in such an event, but at the moment she seemed so helpless.
At the bushes the thug spun her around and forced her to the ground. He wore a mask, but it was the large fearsome knife he held to her ribs that held her attention. She could feel herself sinking into a deep, dark chasm as he tore away the front of her blouse, jerked the bra up to expose her pert breasts and was roughly squeezing them. He was saying something, but the words weren't registering. Jenny felt her legs being forced apart, then, nothing. The weight atop her was gone. The rough hand, gone.
Dean had managed to find work cleaning offices, mostly after hours and always in the company of other workers. He didn't have a car yet and depending on where the offices were he usually had to ride a bus to the building they were working in that night, catching a ride home with someone on the crew. This day as he was walking from the bus stop to the building Jenny worked in something caught his attention. He was still the better part of a block away, but the image of a struggle was clear to him. His pace quickened without thought as he watched the girl being forced back into the shadows. Dean knew what was going to happen and he moved without hesitation.
Working along at the edge of the landscaping Dean was able to come close enough to the alteration that he could hear the gruff commands of the scum, and the whimpers of the young girl. When the rapist began to focus on his assault Dean made his move. The punk never knew what hit him. The first blow knocked the punk cleanly off the girl, sending him sprawling out backwards onto his back. The knife was kicked away and within seconds the rapist was unconscious. Dean turned to the young girl and in a very calm and soothing voice he tried his best to soothe her and get her further help.
"Ma'am, if you have a cell phone you should call the police." Noticing she didn't have her purse, Dean looked back towards the parking lot and saw her purse where it had landed at the initial assault. "I'll bring your purse to you while you gather yourself. I am here to help you."
All Jenny could do was cry and try to pull her torn and button less blouse around her violated body. She was terrified, not only of the guy that had assaulted her, but of this new guy too. After all, she was so vulnerable at the moment, scared, shaken and terrified.
Dean sensed her state, set the purse down beside her then tried to assure her. "Ma'am, I will not harm you, and I will not allow this scumbag to harm you now or ever again. Now, please, call the police and I'll sit over here by the scum. Here, please take my jacket." Dean felt so remorseful for what had happened to the girl. His mind was flooded with thoughts and images of the time he'd been the scum doing the assaulting. He wanted to beat this guy to death, but prison had taught him patience and control. As he approached the barely stirring scum lying on the ground he took his belt off, rolled the guy over onto his belly and bound his hands behind his back with the belt. About the time Dean found the knife and picked it up with his handkerchief he could hear sirens nearing. He laid the knife down beside the girl then took a seat on the ground near the rapist, knees bent and hands behind his head. He wanted to run, but he felt obligated to the girl.
Dean had been treated roughly by the police that first arrived at the scene but Jenny became almost hysterical at them, pleading for them not to hurt him. She called him her hero, and then began telling them over and over what he'd done for her. It was then that she realized that she didn't even know his name, nor he hers.
In the months that followed Dean's life and Jenny's life became intertwined. At first it was merely statements for the police, then depositions for the lawyers and detectives, then the trial. It had come out that Dean was an ex con, having done time for the very same crime that he'd intervened upon this time. There were accusations of him being a partner in the crime, but having gotten cold feet at the last minute, of him now using her trust to plot an assault of his own against her. Through all of this Jenny held trust in Dean and in the end the truth prevailed. Her attacker was sentenced and sent off for his own prison time, hers being his third offense.
During this whole period and experience all that Jenny knew about Dean was his name and a part of his past, and where he worked now. Or did work. When his employer found out about Dean's interruption of the assault and the subsequent accusations of his being part of the plot he had fired Dean. Treatment like that wasn't uncommon for men like Dean, and in prison he'd been taught to be patient with and forgiving of those who were short sighted and accusational. He felt that it would be the last he ever saw of Jenny. In prison he had learned to let things go, to move forward positively, but he couldn't let go of his thoughts about Jenny. She had been the sweetest person he'd ever met and he longed to know her better though he knew his background would never allow a person as clean and as good as Jenny to let someone like him into her life. Dean found new work in a local restaurant kitchen, determined to move forward with his life.
Jenny would look for Dean on the days her office building was to be cleaned. Sometimes he'd arrive with a carload of other workers but mostly he walked from the bus stop, the same as he had that day he'd rescued her. She would wait until he was on her floor and would make excuse to go chat with him, ever mindful of him being watched always by the foreman of the crew. She hated their distrust of him and how they worked him harder than any of the other workers. She admired how Dean would work along, never stopping even when she was talking with him, never complaining about his treatment or when they scolded him for no apparent reason. But then she didn't see him anymore and after missing him for a couple of weeks she finally worked up the nerve to ask the foreman of his whereabouts.
"Excuse me, but I've not seen Dean lately. Is he OK?"
"That lowlife don't work for us anymore, lady. But, how can I help you?" His attitude was revolting to Jenny and with his smirk adding insult to the address her eyes lit with anger, her nostrils flared and her temper took control of her words.
"He's a better man than you ever thought of being and you can bet your ass I'll be talking to your boss about what I've seen of you, too." Jenny turned, grabbed her purse from her desk and stormed out, furious with that man. As she broke into the quiet, cool stillness of the parking lot and got into her car her thoughts had already turned to how she could find Dean. She had to reach out to him.....she just had to.
About a week later Jenny and some office cohorts were having lunch at a downtown restaurant not too far from her office. It was crowded and noisy and they were even further annoyed by being seated right next to the doorway that led to the cleaning station of the kitchen. The constant foot traffic past them, the carts of dirty dishes, the loud clatter of dishes being cleaned and washed and the loud voices that often were clearly audible yells of commands and insults to the staff. One poor bloke was really getting it that day, so much that the three of them at the table even remarked about it not being that fool's day. Jenny caught herself watching the traffic into and out of the kitchen doors and could plainly make out the activities of several of the wait staff.
She watched as one guy purposefully stacked plates and glasses so that they would fall with little warning or provocation then beat a hasty retreat. About that time the washer guy reached for a plate and the whole stack crashed to the floor. The washer bent down to start cleaning up the mess as the barrage of verbal assaults began and Jenny's eyes grew wide when she realized it was Dean. He'd once again been the victim of a prank set to bring him misery. Her heart was breaking for him when the manager went up to him, said something, and Dean turned to walk away while untying his apron. She realized he'd just been fired, again. Without hesitation Jenny jumped up and ran through the doorway to catch up with Dean.
