beautifullyxxunstable.

Standing in the cold, the twenty five year old woman was trying to hail down a cab. Annaleigh hated being out this late at night – especially in a large city like this one. She may have been used to being out at these late hours, but that didn’t mean that she had to like it. You never knew what kind of weirdos you’d run into at about 2:30 in the morning. Still, it wasn’t like she’d had a choice in the matter. She’d had to work another late shift at the bar and at the moment the single mother was willing to take whatever shifts were offered to her. They needed the money and she was going to do whatever it took to make sure her son had a better life.

A gasp escaped from the woman’s lips when she felt a body collide with her’s. Living in a large city like this, it was easy to run into people, she was just surprised that this had happened at such a late hour. Then again, it was late and kind of hard to see in some places, despite the very bright street lamps and other lights illuminating the city. Had it been any other time of day, Annaleigh may have yelled at the stranger, but considering how late it was and how tired she was, she would let this slide. “It’s alright.”she mumbled.

Annaleigh turned her attention to the recently stopped cab. She was greatful that he was willing to let her use this cab. However, she didn’t want him to have to go back to where he’d come from at such a late hour. “Why don’t we just share this one?”she suggested. She didn’t mind sharing a cab with the kind stranger. Besides, it wasn’t like she had any where important to be. Her son Tommy was sleeping over at a friend’s house so she didn’t have to worry about picking him up at such a late hour anyway.

Blaine blinked in surprise at the offer.  He’d expected a ‘thank you’, the door slamming and watching the tail lights (and his quickest way home) disappear off into the New York City night while he tried to find an Uber so he didn’t have to stand out here and freeze again.  Getting back into the theater was relatively easy enough and he was already taking a step up onto the sidewalk before turning to give the woman a stunned, awestruck smile.  “Y-Yeah.  That’d would be–,” his eyebrows screwed up and he gave her an ‘are you sure’ look.  “If it isn’t too much trouble?

“It’s freezing.  Sorry.  Yes.  Thank you so much.”  Skipping back down off the curb, he smiled gratefully and opened the door for her motioning inside with an usher-like wave of his hand complete with half-bow at the waist.   “Your carriage, ma’am.”  The cabbie rolled his eyes but Blaine was blissfully unaware of that.  Waiting until she was inside, he climbed in after and closed the door. “You can be the first stop.  I don’t mind.”  Half-gloved fingers tugged his scarf a little higher up on his neck to help speed up chasing off the wintery chill outside.

“I’m Blaine, by the way.”  Probably should have introduced himself first.  But?  In his defense, it was after two in the morning and he’d gone into work at ten the previous morning with only a pitstop home for a couple hours before it got dark outside.  His brain surpassed tired and was running on the last drops of midnight oil he had left.  “Thanks again.  I really didn’t want to go back into work and my bed is practically screaming my name.”  The woman was a saint for going out of her way and being kind.  Yes, that’s right, a saint.