Finding Rhiannon Pt. 02

My head whipped from one side to the other. Had I misjudged where the barrier was? But as I took a step, then another, my arms still extended, I realised I was onto the footpath outside the store. I was outside the store!!!

I let out a whoop of joy and nearly leapt in the air, before remembering that sticking the landing was going to be no easy matter in the heels I was wearing.

I couldn't believe how wonderful it was to be in the fresh air, to be anywhere but in that prison of a shop. Tears came unbidden to my eyes, quickly followed by a concern that my mascara might run... until I remembered I wasn't wearing any. What would that be like, I wondered?

With all these fragmented thoughts, I was paying absolutely no attention to my surrounds... until a couple of men in business suits walked right through me.

"Woah," exclaimed a voice behind me. I turned to find Martin looking at me with a crooked smile, the shop door closed behind him. "You made it! Only..." he gestured at the retreating backs of the two men.

"Yeah," I said, "there's still that. But it's a start!" I grinned at him. And then we were moving towards one another and embracing. I hugged him tight and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," I breathed, "thank you so much. I don't know what I'd have done..."

Noticing out of the corner of my eye that some of the passers-by were giving Martin very strange looks, I broke off the embrace. "No problem," he said, his voice noticeably hoarser than it had been. "Just happy to help."

He looked around, then swung back to me. "Listen, we need to talk -- and you need somewhere to stay, at least until we can find you some more, ah, suitable clothes. Why don't you come back to my place, at least for now. It's close by."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Once again I was fighting to hold back the tears -- only this time I wasn't quite sure why. It might be the predicament I was still in, or sheer relief at his kindness... I just didn't know.

Blinking, I realised he was giving me a slightly funny look. "Listen," he said, "I know you told me your name before, only I'm still not sure I heard it right?"

I was about to say it, but yet again it seemed to catch in my throat. Something made me turn my head and look at the reflection in the window of the lingerie store. It showed a young man talking to a pretty woman dressed in ridiculously sexy underwear, stockings and heels. And just faintly, over the sound of the traffic noise, I heard a pair of lips smacking.

I turned back to Martin and said, with just the faintest tremor in my voice, "Rhiannon. You can call me Rhiannon."

[To be continued]