The Winds of Autumn Ch. 01-02

"Um... okay... but only if you're sure about this... You'll already be here, right? I can just walk back after work and knock on the door."

"Actually, you said you get off at eight... I'll probably be done with work around the same time. It's going to be really cold so... I can pick you up if you'd like."

"Um... you don't have to," Emma started before growing uncomfortable with the idea of making the thirty-minute walk in the freezing cold. Then something else crossed her mind. "Wait... so you go to work early and you don't get off until eight? You work twelve-hour shifts or something?"

"Not exactly..." the man started as he let out of sigh. "I normally end up staying late to check over everyone else's work..."

"Well, at least you're getting overtime."

"It's not overtime. I'm on a salary."

"You volunteered to do that?"

"I was volun-told to do it. They asked me to do it a couple times, and they realized it was really helpful... So, now I do it all the time and... uh... well, I don't want to vent about my life. You probably have it much tougher than I do, anyway."

"I don't mind at all," Emma assured, not wanting to feel like she was such a damsel in distress that no one else's problems mattered. "But if you really insist on picking me up... and allowing me to stay here another night... I will accept your help. May I have your phone number so you can let me know when you're there?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and... I get my next paycheck on Thursday. I can pay you back as soon as I get it."

With his eyebrows raised, Daniel responded, "That's okay. I offered."

"I'll try to find some way to pay you back, okay? But until then... thank you for being so nice to me."

The man and the woman said their goodbyes, and Daniel even allowed Emma to borrow one of his coats for her walk to work. But as he got into his car and made his way to the office, he started to wonder if he was once again going down the same path that always left him unfulfilled.

Am I just allowing another person to take advantage of me? he asked himself. This is probably how I got to this sad state in my life. I kept volunteering to help with things that didn't benefit me, and eventually, these offerings became expectations.

He then sat there and thought about the look in Emma's eyes whenever he tried to help her. There's something different about her though... Maybe she will eventually start taking advantage of me, but at least for now, it seems like she's really grateful...

***

Once Daniel arrived at work, his worries only grew worse as he was greeted by his coworker. "Did the rest of your night go well?" Todd asked as they took their seats. "Oh, and I'm sorry I had to cut the night short."

"My night was... interesting..." Daniel answered, thinking back to all he had been through after meeting Emma.

"It must have been a rough night for you after getting rejected by Jamie."

"Jamie?" Daniel reacted before finally remembering his dinner date. It was such a long night, I almost forgot about what happened with Jamie... That feels like forever ago...

"Are you okay?" Todd asked, squinting his eyes. "You look so out of it, and a bit tired, too. Were you not able to sleep after Jamie broke your heart?"

"I guess I just sort of had a long night... But yeah, I'm good."

"Okay, awesome! Oh, and can you help me with these TP reports? I want to get everything wrapped up as quickly as possible because I'm going out with that girl again tonight!"

Giving his co-worker a lifeless stare, Daniel simply reacted, "Oh, great... You're going out with her again..."

"Everything okay, Buddy?"

"Yep... Everything is just great..."

***

After the awkward end to their dinner date the previous day, Daniel didn't expect to speak with Jamie that day. He figured he had probably scared her off, but to his surprise, she approached him later that morning when he was getting coffee in the break room.

"Daniel? May I have a word with you?" she prefaced, slowly entering the room with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Uh... yeah, sure."

With a smile, the cute woman continued, "I hope you don't think things are weird between us after last night."

"Maybe a little?" Daniel responded, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Please don't feel weird about it! I mean... I was so flattered after you made your confession to me. It was so cute how you built up your courage just to ask me out on a date. Maybe if things were different, you and I could have something. But I still want you to know that even though I don't reciprocate those feelings, I still consider you a very good friend."

Daniel paused before looking down at his coffee and taking another. "That's good. Yeah, good friends."

"So, no hard feelings, right?"

With a fake smile, Daniel answered, "Of course not."

"Hey, you actually smiled!" Jamie reacted with a big grin of her own. "I'm so glad I was able to make you feel better."

"So, am I..." he responded as he started making his way out of the break room. "Well, have a nice day."

Suddenly, Jamie grabbed Daniel by the arm and looked up into his eyes. Then, with a pouty face, she expressed, "It wouldn't be weird for me to ask you to check over my portfolio, would it?"

"Check over your portfolio? Why would that be weird?"

"It's just, I know you must get tired of helping me so much. And it's probably especially difficult for you considering... last night... But even though I feel really good about my portfolio, I just wanted to make sure someone as knowledgeable as you checked over it before I finalize everything."

Daniel looked deep into the hopeful eyes of the woman he had done so many favors for in the past. After a moment of silence, he nodded his head and responded, "Sure. I'll check over your work."

"Great! You're the best!"

Once Jamie left, he then continued back to his cubicle so he could work on his own portfolios once again. However, his mind immediately became consumed with the conversation he had with Jamie and how it differed so greatly from his interactions with the young woman that had just entered his life.

Jamie... and everyone else for that matter... ask me to do them favors so freely, he thought as he remembered the look in his coworker's eyes. If they were just better at their jobs, they wouldn't need me to check over their work. They're just too lazy to learn all this stuff themselves.

His mind suddenly shifted to not only the look in Emma's eyes whenever they interacted, but also the sound of her voice and all of her hesitant mannerisms whenever he did anything nice for her. But that tent girl... she has every right to ask for help, but she has a hard time accepting any favor I do for her... Is she just that afraid of being taken advantage of?

She doesn't seem afraid of me. She was shaking, but that's because she was cold. It's a good thing she's cautious, but I wonder if she's just that nice of a person that she doesn't want to inconvenience me.

Suddenly, a darker thought popped into his mind. Is she really this genuine compared to the others, or will she turn out like Jamie if I keep doing nice things for her without expecting anything in return? Then, after taking a deep breath, he shook his head before talking himself out of those pessimistic thoughts. All I know about her is that she's a cute and sweet girl who's basically homeless... I should be nice to her... even if that means sleeping in my car again... Ugh...

***

Daniel arrived in the parking lot of Burger-Hut about fifteen minutes early, figuring he would just sit and wait until the young woman finished her shift. However, despite how awkward it felt for him to text her, only a minute passed before he looked up and noticed her rushing out the door.

Since Emma had never seen his car before, he hopped out and waved at her. She, in turn, hurried over to his direction with a brown bag in her hand. When she reached him, she handed it over, saying, "Here!"

"What is this?"

"It's a burger and fries," she explained before coming to a sudden stop. "Oh, wait... I didn't even ask you if you like Burger Hut."

"You got this for me?" Daniel asked as he looked through the bag.

"Yeah, I get a meal during my lunch break. I figured I'd save it for you since you let me stay at your place and eat your ramen last night. Did you want a drink? I could run back inside and get you a soda or tea."

"Uh... no, I'm fine," he responded, once again picturing the differences between Emma's eager face and the faces of those who had taken advantage of him so often in the past. "I think Burger Hut is good... I don't need a drink though... but thank you."

Since he was already standing outside the car, Daniel decided to open the passenger door for Emma. As she realized what he was doing, a little blush came over her face and she slowly entered the car.

"You were here a bit early," the young woman pointed out. "Did they not keep you so late today?"

Thinking back on it with a dull face, the man answered, "My coworkers didn't need as much help today. They probably wanted to give me a break after... yesterday..."

"What happened yesterday?"

"Uh... it's not important," Daniel answered, quickly replaying the rejection in his mind. "I figured I'd wait here for you, but you came out as soon as I texted you. Did you get off early?"

"Oh, well, kind of... I usually stay pretty late because I don't mind working instead of going back to the tent... But sometimes they can't pay us overtime, and I end up staying a bit for free... So, whenever I want to leave early, I guess they feel obligated to let me go..."

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

Suddenly, Emma's eyes got big as she looked over at the man who was now driving her back to the apartment. "No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel bad for me. I was just explaining why I got out so early! Please don't feel obligated to be nice to me!"

That... She does things like that... Daniel silently thought as he began to zone out. She doesn't just try to not inconvenience me. She practically fights me not to do her any favors... Is she tricking me?

"Um, Sir...?"

"Yes?!"

"Sorry... Did I startle you?"

"No... I was just thinking about something... It's not important.... But speaking of important, were you able to get the stuff out of your tent?"

"Oh, about that," Emma started as her face dropped just a bit. "My tent has a big hole in it from the branch... and most of my clothes were ruined. I didn't have that much anyway, but I was at least able to salvage my most important item."

"What is it?"

"Uh... I kind of don't want to tell you... if that's okay..."

"Yeah, that's fine," Daniel answered, shrugging his shoulders. "You don't have to share anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Quickly, a cute little smile came back over her face. "Thank you for understanding... And may I ask one more favor?"

"What is it?"

"May I use your washing machine and possibly borrow some of your clothes again? I just don't really have much right now, but next paycheck, I'll get some more."

Daniel kept his eyes forward, but nodded his head. "Everything that was available to you yesterday is available again to you tonight."

Emma also nodded her head before looking forward again. However, as they reached the parking lot of the apartment, the smile on her face slowly disappeared. If only... if only this was real...

***

At first, the night went similarly to the previous one for Emma. Daniel was brief and cordial with her. And he was, of course, generous with all the things he offered once again.

Unlike the previous night, however, Emma didn't immediately pass out from exhaustion. There was a lot on her mind, especially after consecutive days of experiencing nothing but generosity from Daniel.

This just doesn't make sense, she thought to herself, staring up at the ceiling. I mean, could this really be true? Here I am, wearing his clothes and sleeping in his bed once again, yet still, he hasn't expected anything in return.

It's going to happen, eventually. It always does. At first, they're nice, and pretend it's just out of the generosity of their hearts. But once I get there, they start to make it clear that they want something in return... That's when I usually bolt.

Emma then pictured Daniel's face and the blank stare he normally had. But he just doesn't seem like that though.... It's been two days and he hasn't once even insinuated he wanted something... He's even staying at a friend's house to make me feel more comfortable here...

He hasn't started giving me any compliments. He hasn't started getting flirty or touchy with me, either. Could it be... that he's just that nice?

Tossing and turning in bed, the plethora of thoughts continued to run through Emma's mind as she had a difficult time falling asleep. It's only going to get colder, and I still haven't found another plan for shelter. There's no way he'll let me stay any longer without me giving something in return.

Her eyes then got big as a sudden realization came to her. What if he sneaks back in here and takes advantage of me while I'm sleeping?! His nice guy act could have been a lie this whole time just to lure me into letting my guard down!

Ugh! I could just tell him my secret... but it would also guilt him into letting me stay longer... And I don't want someone to feel like they are forced to help me... That's not what Mom and Dad would have wanted...

I just don't know! And I kind of feel silly for even considering Daniel would do something so horrendous when all he's done... has been incredibly generous to me...

Realizing she wouldn't be able to get any rest, Emma got up and sat on the edge of the bed. Placing her hand over her face, she begrudgingly admitted, Maybe if he took advantage of me, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world... I might not have any other options anyway... And maybe he deserves it for at least pretending to care about me.

With so much on her mind, she decided to get some fresh air as she contemplated her life. Stepping out onto the balcony, she took a moment to gaze at the stars as she wondered about her own morality. Could I really live with myself if I exchanged my body for a place to stay?

However, just as Emma was drifting deeper into her own thoughts, something in the parking lot caught her eye. Right below the railing she was leaning over, she noticed a car that looked familiar. Thinking it was possibly the same car that Daniel picked her up in earlier that day, she rushed downstairs to take a closer look.

Much to Emma's shock, when she got to the car, she noticed the engine was running. Growing even more curious, she peeked into the window, and her eyes lit up when she realized Daniel was in the driver's seat, lying back with his eyes closed.

"Daniel!" she called, gently tapping on the window. When he opened his eyes, she waved at him and, with a curious face and asked, "What are you doing in there?"

After opening the door, Daniel hesitantly answered, "I... uh... I was trying to sleep in here..."

"But... why? I thought you were staying at a friend's house..."

"Uh... something came up... so I figured I'd just sleep in here so you could have the apartment to yourself."

Suddenly, Emma's eyes shot wide open as she remembered how tired Daniel looked that entire day. "Did you sleep in the car yesterday too?!"

"Mmmm... no... Well... a little..."

"No! This is not what I wanted!" the young woman reacted as she grabbed his hand with both of hers. "Why didn't you just tell me?! I could have slept in the car, or somewhere else! Oh, my God! I didn't want to inconvenience you at all, and you've been sleeping in your car!"

Allowing Emma to pull him out, Daniel stood before her and shrugged his shoulders. "I just... I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. And after I told you I would stay with a friend, my plan got ruined and I didn't want to go back on my offer."

"But why put yourself through so much... just for my sake?"

"I guess... I really didn't want you to sleep outside in the cold. I was afraid if I came back, you wouldn't have stayed, and I just didn't like the idea of knowing you were out there when I could have helped you."

"That's nice of you..." Emma reacted and she stood there for a second, gazing up the man. However, as they both stared awkwardly into each other's eyes, all she could think was, If this is all just an act, he's really, really, good... I'm starting to think I should just let him take advantage of me whether he's being honest or not...

Not even realizing she was doing it, Emma held Daniel's wrist as she led him back to his apartment. It was exactly what he had done for her the previous day when they met, only this time, she was the one who was insistent on helping him.

Despite their awkwardness around each other, they remained cordial when they got back inside the apartment. They offered each other food, and both rejected. However, Daniel would soon go to his liquor cabinet before asking, "Do you mind if I have a drink?"

With the confused look, Emma turned towards him and asked, "It's your place... Why are you asking me?"

"I didn't know if you were opposed to others drinking around you. I just wanted to be considerate."

"Go ahead. I don't mind. But I appreciate you checking with me first..."

After pouring himself a glass, Daniel offered the bottle to Emma. "Are you old enough to drink? You're more than welcome as long as you're of age."

"I'm twenty-two, thank you very much," the young woman reacted, growing slightly red in the face. "But I think I'm good for now..."

Taking a big sip from the cup, the man responded, "You're twenty-two? Wow, so young. That really brings me back..."

"I'm not that young! I'll be twenty-three next month... How about you?"

"I'm twenty-nine... but I'll be thirty soon."

"Oh..."

"You think I'm old, huh?"

"No, it's not that!" Emma reacted, putting her hands up, innocently. "I figured you were older than me, but I just couldn't put my finger on an exact age... I don't think twenty-nine is old."

"Twenty-nine sounds a lot better than thirty."

"I don't think thirty is that old either... You're just... mature. Even more so than your age would suggest."

Raising one of his eyebrows, Daniel reacted, "That sounds like you're trying to give me a compliment... but it also sounds a little bit like an insult..."

"It's not!" Emma responded, giggling at the man's reaction. "I'm totally immature compared to you. I mean, look how messed up my life is. You must think I'm a total kid, don't you?"

Daniel took a moment to stare into Emma's eyes as he once again had a flashback to the way the others talked to him compared to her. After letting out a sigh, he responded, "I'm not going to judge you because I don't understand your situation. But as far as my interactions with you, I don't think you're immature at all..."

Emma let out a little gasp as her cheeks started to turn red. She was left silent for a moment before finally responding, "Thank you..."

"Did I say something weird?"

"No, it's just... nothing..." Emma responded before finishing the sentence in her head. It's just that you don't even know my situation and you still give me the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you are just a really nice man...

Taking another sip from his glass, Daniel continued, "Well, I don't have much to brag about in my life. I feel like I'm going nowhere fast, and everyone just keeps me around to better their own lives."

The young woman sat there for a moment with her head down. I guess I'm no better, she thought to herself. Maybe this is a tactic to make me feel guilty. Either way, whether he's being honest or not, I wouldn't blame him if he tried to take advantage of me. But... it sure would be nice if this was the real him... And I wouldn't want to be like the others who just use him...