Moonflower Ch. 01

Author's note: This is the first chapter in a novel-length story. This story is non-con, but it leans more on the coercion/reluctance side of the spectrum. Fair warning, there isn't any sex in the first few chapters of this story. I personally prefer stories that have a decent amount of character development and plot build up before the characters have sex. If that doesn't float your boat, no hard feelings, but this may not be for you.

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"It's 7:15. I really need to hurry." Eleane was already running late. She was supposed to meet Noah at the restaurant 15 minutes earlier. She had a bad habit of running late everywhere she went—it was clearly something she had inherited from her mother. No matter how early she wanted to be to an event, she constantly found herself arriving at least 20 minutes late.

Of all events, why this one?

"Greg hated it when I was late...but shouldn't the person you love accept all of the little flaws and quirks that set you apart from the rest of the world?" Eleane reflected on her previous relationship—she knew that her chronic tardiness had always been a point of contention in their relationship. When they broke up, Greg accused her of not having any respect for others' time. She hadn't been on a date since they broke up—which made tonight even more important.

Sighing, Eleane pulled out her phone to text Noah.

Fingers tapping away, she wrote "Hey, I'm so sorry but I am running a little bit late. I hope you are too, otherwise I've made a really bad first impression."

Frantically trying to prevent any further tardiness, Eleane searched for her shoes. She found the black chunky boots hidden under at least a week's worth of laundry. They were edgy but somehow surprisingly comfortable at the same time. Pulling them on, Eleane was relieved the shade of black matched the black of her dress.

The phone chimed in her hand. Heart thumping she unlocked it and read the message.

"No worries, I'm running a little bit late as well. I'll be there in about 10 minutes, what time do you think you're going to get here?"

Fingers flying across the keyboard, Eleane wrote back. "I'll be there at like 7:31"

The phone instantly vibrated. She liked it when men responded to texts quickly.

"Very specific. I like that in a woman."

Eleane instantly felt a familiar warmth after reading his message. Rushing to her vanity, She grabbed her purse off the back of her chair, fished out her favorite brick-red lipstick and put on the finishing touches of jewelry.

Rushing out the door, Eleane remembered to turn and lock it. The restaurant was about a ten -minute walk from her apartment. A warm August evening, Eleane walked at a comfortable pace, careful not to break a sweat. She loved living downtown—even living by herself she always felt safe in the city. There were always people around, stores were open at all hours, and the streets were well-lit.

Even with the assumed sense of safety, something was off tonight. Clouds began to roll in, and Eleane immediately regretted her decision to walk. Picking up the pace, she debated ducking into the CVS on the corner to buy an umbrella.

"It'll take too long and I'm only a couple of blocks away." Eleane made the decision to continue on. The people outside had retreated into the safety of the canopies and awnings of local restaurants and bars. Almost no one remained on the sidewalk.

A loud crack pounded through the air, followed by a flash of bright light.

"Fucking great." She began to jog to avoid getting soaked. Eleane didn't know if she would make it, but she was determined to make it to her destination dry. As she moved, the patter of shuffling feet echoed behind her.

"It's nothing." Still, Eleane felt on edge. She turned, looking behind her. No one was there.

"It's all in your head." Despite her reassurances, Eleane still felt uneasy. Luckily, the restaurant was just around the corner. Picking up the pace, her heart pounded as she rushed toward the entrance of the restaurant. It had begun to drizzle. Eleane felt a tension leave her shoulders as she walked through the gate separating the restaurant from the sidewalk. Still, something bothered her. She turned, looking across the street.

There was nothing but bushes on the street moving in the wind.

"You must be Noah." Eleane's stomach fluttered. He was even more handsome in person. Thank God for Tinder.

"Eleane, It's nice to finally meet you." Noah stretched his arms out and pulled her in for a friendly hug. She couldn't help but notice how firm and reassuring his chest and arms felt. Even though they just met, Eleane felt as though she had finally found someone she could trust.

"They said the wait was going to be around 20 minutes. Did you want to wait at the bar or in the waiting area?" Eleane's nerves came back to her. This was the part she was bad at. She had never been good at first dates, but a drink would calm her.

"The bar."

Noah dropped his hand toward her lower back and guided her, weaving in between tables, and dodging waiters with delicious-looking plates of food. He pulled a stool out for her and gestured for her to take a seat.

"Thank you." Greg never did things like this for her when they dated.

"No problem," Noah replied, as he lowered himself onto his stool. "So what's your drink of choice?"

"I'm partial to a good Old Fashioned." Eleane loved it when she got the chance to order one on a date. It always impressed the men she had gone out with—they had always liked that she didn't order sweet and stereotypically girl drinks. They were usually impressed with her knowledge of whiskey.

Noah let out a deep, full-bellied laugh when he heard her response. "What are you...a forty-year-old divorced defense attorney?"

"Ouch—" Eleane frowned, surprised at his reaction. This usually worked for her.

"I'm just joking. I like that you don't order vodka cranberries. It's refreshing honestly." Noah's jokes put Eleane at ease. She decided that she liked his sense of humor.

"I'll have you know that my drink order is just a front—I secretly prefer a vodka cranberry. But only if it's diet."

Noah's hand flew up to his chest, landing just above his heart. "Don't break my heart woman." He laughed again. Eleane liked the sound. In that moment, she knew exactly how she wanted their night to end. She wanted to hear that laugh buried somewhere it would be muffled.

"So, tell me about yourself," she asked, genuinely interested in him and his answer.

"Well, I'm from Maine, I moved here for college and just never made my way back. It's too cold and most people hate it—including me. I graduated from Charlotte three years ago and pretty much went straight to work. I work for the Sherriff's office now. I have a dog—he's a rescue."

"Well, Noah from Maine, do you have any pictures of this dog?"

"Of course." Noah pulled out his phone and showed her a grumpy-looking beagle dressed up as a dragon. "That was last Halloween. He hated every second of it and howled until I took it off. Then he tried to rip it to shreds. Can't say I blame him." He chuckled as he described the adventures of the dog.

"He's very cute." Noah's laugh was going to make Eleane crazy.

"What about you?" Noah raised his eyebrows. He seemed genuinely interested in her response.

"Not unlike you, I'm not from here either. I grew up near Philadelphia. I graduated two years ago with a degree in English and no job. I decided that it was time to go out on my own, so I left Philadelphia and ended up here. I'm currently getting my masters' in creative writing."

"So you're a writer? Have I read anything you've written?"

Eleane hated being asked this question. She usually lied and said that she hadn't had anything published. But there was something about Noah that made her feel at ease—like she could tell him the truth.

"Well...have you ever read The Black Sun?"

Noah's eyes widened. "No..." he paused, processing her revelation. "That was you? What? That book was amazing!" Noah's mouth practically fell to the floor, shocked at her confession.

"Well, yeah, I wrote it." Eleane smiled, pleased that he had read her book.

"You wrote that? Holy shit, what are you going to school for then? Wait...you're only, what...23, 24? That book came out a few years ago. You wrote that when you were 19?"

"Technically I wrote the first draft when I was in high school. I submitted an excerpt for a creative writing contest, won, got the attention of a professor who knows Margaret Atwood, and you know the rest."

Noah shook his head. "I can't believe you wrote that. Are you working on anything now?"

"Yes, but it's a secret. I can say that it's not a sequel. It's a completely different genre."

"Can you at least tell me the genre?" His eyes bore into hers, clearly desperate for the information.

Eleane sighed. "Okay, but you can't tell anyone. I don't want to give too much up. But think science fiction meets horror meets suspense." Eleane was pulling this out of her ass. She hadn't even written an outline yet.

"Fuck that's cool" Noah's grin was a mile wide.

"Well, thank you. Truthfully, I've been having a bit of writers' block while working on it. I honestly haven't written a single word in a month. I'm just waiting on inspiration to fall out of the sky and strike." It was only a half-truth, but Eleane felt as though her confession would be safe with Noah.

"From what I've heard, all great writers go through writers' block every once in a while. Hemingway and Twain managed to get through it just fine. I have no doubt that the great Eleane Addison is going to defeat it." Noah flashed her a reassuring wink.

"I'm sure I will." Eleane replied, smiling.

"Um ...excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but your table is ready." Their waiter had approached silently, starling Eleane.

"Has it been 20 minutes already?"

"Thank you," Noah grabbed both of their drinks and followed Eleane and the waiter to their table.

Their dinner had flown by. Noah seemed like he was who Eleane had been waiting on. Noah was smart, handsome, funny, a reader, and he had a good job. She knew exactly how she wanted the night would play out. With any luck, she would get exactly that if she played her cards right.

"Too bad it's storming—The city is so nice in the evenings." Noah held the front door of the restaurant open for her to pass through.

"Yeah, I got really lucky on my way over here," Eleane smirked to herself. She knew exactly what she was doing. "I barely missed getting soaked."

"You walked here?" Noah sounded surprised and worried.

"Yeah, not far though—I only live a about a mile away. I was planning on walking back if it stopped, but I'm just going to have to call an Uber instead." Eleane admitted, confident that her fishing expedition would be fruitful.

"Let me drive you home." Noah's eyes were kind as he expressed concern for her well-being..

"I can't make you go out of your way like that!"

"It's not out of the way, I promise. I insist."

"Well, I guess I could let you drive me back. That's really nice of you to offer." Eleane was pleased with herself. "Now all I have to do is think of an excuse to invite him inside."

Fishing for keys in his pocket, Noah turned to her. "It's nothing. You should wait under the canopy so you don't get wet. I'm going to go get my car from down the block to pick you up out front."

"So chivalrous" Eleane jabbed as Noah fumbled with his keys.

Rain pouring around them, at that moment—something felt right. Noah reached his hand forward, touching her chin. He lifted it so that her green eyes met his. He leaned forward, her eyes fluttered close, and he kissed her.

It wasn't just any kiss. It made everything feel right. It was like every moment in Eleane's life occurred just to lead her here—to this moment in time.

Mhmmm" she groaned into his mouth.

Noah pulled away.

No!

Smiling, his voice deepened. "I'll be right back"

Eleane watched as he ran down the street to retrieve his car. She reached into her purse to pull out her phone to check her texts.

As she unlocked it, Eleane heard the thunder and rain dance across the sky. She had hoped for this moment—where she wouldn't have to be alone anymore. Things were just beginning, yes, but Eleane was optimistic.

Suddenly Eleane heard a sharp clanging noise across the street. On edge, her chest tightened as adrenaline began to flow through her veins. She looked around, uneasy. "I'll be able to see him from the lobby of the restaurant." Eleane decided that it would be safer inside.

Just as she was about to turn around, she saw a dark shadow of a person emerge from the tall bushes on her right side. A hand yanked at her hair and pulled her into the brush. The other clamped her mouth as she saw Noah's headlights pull up to the restaurant.

A muscular arm began to cut off her air. Eleane tried to bite at the hand, using her nails to try to scratch and rip it away. The grip in her hair tightened. Tears dripping down her cheeks, she drifted off as she mourned what could have been.