Chapter 5 - Five
The man stopped dead in his tracks, his head swiveling towards the source of the croaking voice. He looked at Suzy with an expression that could only be described as less-than-concerned. In fact, it bordered on cold.
Suzy’s heart hammered in her chest. This good-looking dude was her only hope! "Excuse me!" she re-shouted, her voice gaining a little strength. "I need your help! I’m about to fall!"
The man didn’t move a muscle. He simply stared at her with those intense, hooded eyes, his face unreadable.
Suzy’s initial awe quickly morphed into annoyance. "Seriously? Not even a flinch?" she huffed. "Look, I know I don’t exactly look graceful right now, but a little help here would be much appreciated!"
The man finally spoke, his voice as cold as his demeanor. "Climbing walls and dangling is hardly proper behavior for a lady, wouldn’t you agree?"
Suzy’s jaw clenched. Proper behavior? She was about to become squashed and this guy was worried about etiquette? "Proper behavior?" she sputtered. "Look, mister, I don’t care about proper behavior! I just need someone to catch me before..."
Her voice trailed off as a horrifying realization dawned on her. Her grip on the top of the wall was starting to slip. Panic clawed at her throat. "Okay, new plan!" she shrieked. "Just catch me! Please!"
The man’s lips curled into a smirk, cold and humorless. "Catching a woman scaling a wall in broad daylight? I can’t touch you. That would certainly cause a scandal, wouldn’t it, Lady?"
"Please." She pleaded sweetly.
The man remained silent, his gaze fixed on her with an unnerving intensity. Suzy felt a surge of desperation. Thinking fast, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"I just wanted to see the outside world!" she lied, her voice gaining a desperate edge. "My family keeps me locked up inside all the time! I snuck out to see what it’s like!"