Under his spell 2

chapter 1

Sarah sat alone at the restaurant, idly checking her cell phone with one hand and twirling her long, black hair with the other. She was supposed to meet a colleague for a business lunch, but of course her counterpart was running late. What made matters worse was the fact that Sarah had another meeting to get to right after this, and now this hold-up was going to throw off her meticulously-scheduled day. Unfortunately this happened all too often. She was very young still, only 26, and had only been at the agency for a few months, but she was already growing weary of the rat race. The money was good, but she had almost no freedom anymore between all the late nights at the office and these pointless lunches and meetings. She hadn't even been on a date in months; just didn't have time for a relationship. More and more she wished she would've taken a different path so she could slow down and enjoy life for a change. Her daydreaming was interrupted by a stranger's voice.

"Hello, my dear" said the man standing beside her. She jumped at the sound of his voice, having not seen him there. "My name is Vincent," he said. He sounded European.

Sarah looked up as she began to respond, but stopped when her eyes locked on to his. They were the deepest blue she had ever seen. She was flustered and felt a little hot and bothered.

"Oh, um... I'm great," she said, smiling wide. For some reason she really had it bad for this guy. "I'm Sarah."

He took the seat across the small table from Sarah. His eyes remained locked on hers the entire time. He smiled. She had such lovely green eyes.

"Such a beautiful name," he said as he grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss, "for such a beautiful woman."

Sarah only giggled in response. She thought she might melt after that kiss, even if it was only her hand that had touched his lips. Just then the woman Sarah was supposed to meet approached the table.

"Hi, Sarah. Sorry I'm late," she said as she fidgeted through her purse. She looked at the handsome man seated at the table, who spoke before she had the chance to.

"Actually, my dear, Sarah and I were just leaving," he said, standing up from his seat and lifting Sarah up by her hand.

"What?" the woman said, clearly annoyed. "But Sarah, what about our lunch?"

"Oh, um..." Sarah started. She really did need to meet with this woman, but she didn't want to disappoint the man across from her. She looked at Vincent, back into his beautiful blue eyes. He smiled, and suddenly nothing else mattered. She walked around the table to him, ignoring the woman's shrill disapproval, and together they walked out of the restaurant. She had no idea where he was taking her, and she truly didn't care. She just wanted to be with him.

Vincent walked her through the small, unmarked door of a large brick building and down the long hall into a well-decorated but small room with a bed against the back wall near the bathroom. He had a flair for style that Sarah admired greatly. It didn't take long for Sarah to end up on his bed where she stared lovingly at the man who was mixing her a drink at the little bar he had in the corner of the room. There was something about this guy that made her feel so... different. Every little move he made had her swooning. She had never felt this way about a man, not to mention one she had just met.

"I understand your pain, Sarah," Vincent said from across the room. "You long to live in the moment for a change. To be free of all the cares and burdens of your busy world and have time to celebrate the little things. Maybe even find love?"

"I want that very much," she said, looking at him lovingly. She wondered how he knew that about her, but quickly put aside the thought as he began walking towards her.

"That's good," he said, handing her a drink. It looked like a rum and coke or something, but had a weird smell to it. He guided her hand to her mouth, where she took in a sip of the cool beverage.

"Wow, this is very good. What is it?"

"It will help you realize your dreams, Sarah," he responded cryptically.

She smiled, not knowing what to make of that. She took another long swig; it went down so easy. Vincent placed his hand on her flat stomach and gave her a little pat.

"How tall are you," he asked?

"5'8", I think."

"Nice and tall. And how much do you weigh? You look much too thin."

"Yeah, haven't had much time to eat," she laughed. "I'm like 110 or so." She began to feel light-headed as she took her final sip of the drink.

"You need your rest," Vincent said, as if he sensed her dizziness. He laid her back on the bed and pulled the covers over her. "Tomorrow will be a new beginning for you."

Sarah smiled wide as Vincent kissed her forehead and left the room. She knew in her heart that being with Vincent could change her life for the better. She was in love.