Decoy - a challenge - work in progress

The bridge is ice cold when I put the chain lock around one of the wrought elements. The wind is freezing and little clouds of breath leave my mouth while I secure my bike. My fingers are red and stiff in my gloves, which makes it difficult to handle the key.

"There you are, darling."

Two strong arms clasp me in a warm embrace. They lift me up and spin me around in a happy twirl. A mouth is pressed against my cheek, followed by soft lips on my ear whispering in a low voice.

"Please act with me or I am so fucked."

I shriek. "Put me down!" And drop the key of my bike's lock. It falls straight into the canal.

"Oh noooo!" I cry.

My feet are back on the ground, but a hand slides off my beanie and fingers tangle through my hair, pull me in and I get kissed on my lips. Full. Muffling my cry.

I see two astonishing blue eyes. The mouth leaves mine and forms a huge toothy, cheeky smile. And I am still clasped in a tight bear hug.

"I'm so sorry, but please act as if you know me well. I'm in a big mess if you don't."

I conjure a smile on my face. Take the face of the unknown man between my gloved hands and press my lips on his chin. His bearded chin.

"You had better have a hell of an excuse, creep." I whisper through gritted teeth.

That smile again. Another hug. And an arm around me that leads me into the nearest store. A music store.

He only lets go of me when we are in the back of the small music store.

The store is long and narrow and filled with musical instruments.

"Is she gone, Palm?" He asks.

The shop owner walks to the window. Stares outside.

"Nope. Across the street."

"Shoot."

"Better stay in the back. She's got her camera too."

"What is all this?" I interrupt.

"Here she comes!"

The shop door opens and a woman with a big photo camera steps inside. Piercing eyes searching the store.

The man takes me into his arms again. Lips on my mouth. A kiss. Not just a simple kiss but really making out. Before I know it I feel his tongue in my mouth, playing with mine. He bites my bottom lip, sucks it. He holds my chin up between his thumb and finger and presses my body against his own. My ears start ringing and despite myself I start kissing him back.

I hear a clicking sound. Repeating. I guess it is the woman's camera.

"Miss, please, give these people some privacy." The shop owner pleads. "Get out of my shop. Now."

When I look over the shoulder of the unknown man who is now nipping my neck, which gives me unexpected shivers, I see the shop owner shoving the woman out of the door.

He turns the sign on the door and I suspect it now says 'closed'. The woman bangs on the window and takes some other photos of me and the hot unknown kisser. Because, damn, the man can kiss.

The man lets go of me and I can hardly supress a sigh.

He looks at me inquisitively. "Are you alright?"

"What?"

"Are you alright." He asks again.

"Am I alright? Are you? What the fuck is all this?"

"Palm, do you have something to drink for the lady?" the man yells to the shop owner.

"Yeah, sure. What would you like, sweetheart? A beer, tea?"

"Nothing, thank you." I say. "An explanation would be nice, though."

"Ed, would you like a beer?"

"Yes, please." The man called Ed still looks at me. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"Into what exactly?"

"Well, thank you for playing along." The man says hardly audible suddenly.

"Hum, yes, playing along. I hardly had a choice, did I?"

"I asked!"

I laugh. "Hardly. Sounded more like emotional blackmail."

"Sorry." He whispers.

He strokes his hands through his hair. Tries to pull an unruly curl back from his forehead and puts on a baseball cap. I notice he is not very tall. He is rather tan, has brown hair that curls in his neck and a well groomed, short beard. A frown between his brows.  Blue eyes. I look at his mouth. Beautiful lips cover white, slightly irregular teeth. Charming. A charmingly handsome man.

He looks familiar.

"Here, Ed." Mr. Palm, the shop owner, hands Ed a bottle of beer. Corona.

"You sure you don't want something, miss?" he asks me.

"No, thanks again. I've got to go."

I walk through the shop to the door. It is locked from the inside. The shop owner wants to open the door for me, but then looks through the window.

"Well, I'll be damned." He cries out.

On the other side of the street there seems to be a gathering of people with scooters, cars parked on the pavement. Pointing at the shop. Photographers.

"You can't go now, miss." He says to me.

"Nonsense. They're not here for me, surely."

The man sighs and opens the door. "What ever. Take care."

The moment I leave the shop the photographers start taking pictures of me. Other people run to me. Yelling.

"Who are you?"

"How long have you known Ed?"

"Are you in love?"

"What's your name?"

"Is Ed a good kisser?"

"How did you meet?"

They start pulling my coat trying to turn me. Trying to hold me.

"Go away! What do you want of me?" I yell.

And the next moment I feel the now welcome strong arms around me. A coat partly over my head, some shoving and pushing and I am back in the music store again.

"What happened just now." I cried.

I was shaking but the great kisser, Ed, was holding me tight in a protective way - still with his coat wrapped around me. Mr. Palm had closed the door behind us and the commotion on the street died down a bit. They were still knocking on the window and yelling, though.

"Ed, who's the woman?"

"Ed, tell us about her."

"Ed, kiss her again."

"Come," Ed said, leading me to the back of the shop.

There was a low chair and he seated me in it. Wrapped his coat around me and kept his arms around my legs and his chin on my knees. Looking up at me from under his baseball cap.

I sniffed. "Who are those people and what do they want of me?"

"Paparazzi!" Mr. Palm said while he handed me a warm cup of tea.

"Ed here is a bit of a celebrity." He continued.

"Yeah?" I tried to dry my eyes with my sleeve.

"The photographer that came into the shop had been following him all morning."

"So?"

"Ed wanted to get her of his back."

"Yes?"

"And then we saw you locking your bike."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You seemed the perfect decoy."

"Decoy?"

I jump up. My knee hits Ed in the chin. "What do you mean, decoy? Is this some game? I don't understand."

"Sorry about that." I lie my hand on Ed' shoulder, who is clasping his chin with a painful grin.

"It's alright." He says. "I probably deserve that for dragging you into this."

"Dragging me into what exactly?"

"It's kind of a long story."

"Begin."

"Want another beer, Ed?" Mr. Palm asks.

"Yes, please."

"And you, sweetheart?"

"A beer would be nice."

Ed pulls another chair next to mine and gestures me to sit down again. Mr. Palm returns with the beers.

"Okay, mr. Ed, start talking." I burst out laughing at my own joke. Silly. I know. I am nervous.

I walk through the music store. All kinds of instruments. I never saw so many, stacked high against the wall.  Ed and Palm are plucking a bit on snare instruments. Palm at a banjo and Ed on a ukulele.  I am confused and angry. It is getting dark already. I look outside through the window. There is still some press assembled. They point at me when they see me. Quickly I return to the back of the shop. Sit on my chair. My legs pulled up under me. I sip from my bottle of beer. Ed sings. He has a magical voice.

I listen. Dreamy. But I am still angry.

"So I'm stuck here because you have a secret affair with your best friends wife."

"No," Ed says, "I don't have an affair."

"They think you have an affair."

"Yes."

"Why?"

He sighs tired. "I don't know. We are friends. That's all."

"What does your wife say of all this? Why isn't she the decoy anyway!"

"My wife and I are separated."

"So?"

"She is with somebody else."

"I am with somebody else!" I yell. "Didn't you think of that! But no. I don't matter. I am nobody. Mister Rock Star didn't even think of that! ... A fucking decoy. Just pluck a nobody from the streets."

I don't want to, but I start crying again. Ed stands up and takes me in his arms.

"I'm sorry."