Her eyes continued to widen, a strange feeling flowing through her veins. As the dublin winds brushed about her mahogany tresses, Lorelei couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been examined somehow. [i]Why do I feel like just got naked for the doctor?[/i] she wondered, just as the mystery man walked away. She instinctively pulled her coat up higher, cheeks turning pink.

Her phone beeped at her. She quickly pulled out her phone, and saw about three texts from Patrick, demanding to know what was taking her so long. That fear flooded her system again. There was no point in staying away now.

With a shudder, she put the phone back, and turned to walk back on home.

[center]~~~~~~~~[/center]

"Patrick?"

The slob still hadn't cleaned up. The smell of cheep beer and whiskey permeated around the room, various bits off clothes scattered about the room. In her haste to leave, Lorelei was almost sure some of her jewelry was still here. Carefully, the brunette stepped iniside and called out for the 'master' of the house. She stepped around a broken bottle, just as she heard that familiar cough.

"Where the hell were you?" a voice gurgled. "You running off with some f**** in town?"

Patrick was sitting in his chair, as per usual. He wasn't an unattractive man, or at least he used to be. His body was muscular in build, with a thick beard covering his chin, and scraggly black hair going down his back. He hadn't changed into clean clothes yet, and was sprawled out in boxers and a t-shirt, bear in hand.

"What?! No!" Lorelei quickly said, putting her purse down. "You know I wouldn't do that."

"Bull," he said, eyeing her. "As soon as it was morning, you shot out of here like a bat outta hell; who were you meeting?"

"No one." Lorelei narrowed her eyes, and crossed her arms. "I told you, I just had to go back to my studio."

"Those god-damn paintings!" He suddenly swore, dropping the bottle, and rounding on her. "You lying bitch, there's no way in hell you could have that many orders! Who where you talking to?!"

Lorelei backed up, only to have her wrist painfully snatched up. He yanked her back to him, staring hard into his eyes.

"Who was he?!" he yelled again. When she whimpered in reply, the back of his hand slapped her hard on the left side of her face. "WHO THE HELL WAS HE?!"

"You're hurting me!" she sobbed, trying to yank her wrist back. "Let me go!!"