Mila glanced up hastily at the sound of the other woman’s voice, her expression vulnerable as if she had been startled by her sudden appearance. Her face was flushed with emotion and there was a faint smudge below her left eye where her tears had smeared a bit of her mascara. She blinked up at the girl for a split second, looking like her mind was still reeling over whatever it was that was making her so distraught. Then she quickly lifted a hand, partly to wipe away the hot wet streaks and partly to cover her face with embarrassment.

“Oh…god, I’m sorry…I’m j-just…” she swallowed hard to hold back a sob and made to get up, her high heels making a scrapping noise on the concrete steps. The black pencil skirt she was wearing made it awkward for her to try to stand. “I’m in the way, aren’t I…” She glanced over to meet the other girl’s gaze and hesitated suddenly, as if really noticing her for the first time. Instead of getting up, she sank back down onto the concrete step and lowered her head. 

“It’s nothing, I’m alright,” she said in quieter, calmer tone. She looked over at her again, her large, dark eyes carefully the girl’s features, as if caught off-guard by the unexpected show of concern from a stranger. Internally, she was pleasantly surprised. The other young woman was quite beautiful. There was nothing flashy about her style though, or anything hint that she was really aware of her charming looks. Mila’s gaze flickered down over her figure, and then back up to her blue eyes. 

“I was just…feeling overwhelmed,” she added, feigning shyness. Mila glanced away for full effect, but not before catching a quick glimpse at the young woman’s covered neck. She could imagine the skin beneath the fabric - warm, soft and smooth as the woman’s face. Delicate too, fitting with her slender frame…

[i]Focus.[/i]

Mila smiled gently and shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said with a small laugh that ended up as a half-sob. “I should really try to get home before I start blubbering all over the place – or at least make it to the car.” The small smile vanished again as a fresh wave of emotion clouded her eyes. She lowered her head to let her soft, dark curls fall between them like a curtain. “Honestly, I’m not usually so emotional, especially in front of a stranger, I promise,” she half-joked. She was clutching a black Chanel purse to her chest and now clutched it even tighter as she spoke. The white blouse she wore had been unbuttoned enough to catch just a glimpse of a black lacey bra that held up her ample chest. She looked like she’d just finished work at some high-end office and had let down her hair and unbuttoned a little more of her top to let herself breathe.

“I don’t even live here. I was just looking for…- “ Another sob made her voice swell and she turned toward the woman suddenly, her dark eyes wet and imploring. “You wouldn’t happen to know a Mark Rothers, would you? He lives, well lived, on this floor,” she asked, motioning toward their surroundings. “I know he was here just last week, I spoke to him only last week.” Mila continued to look at her pleadingly for a moment, her hand resting gently on the woman’s knee. Her perfume permeated the small space between them: a sultry, evening scent. Then, as if the whole situation was just dawning on her, she stopped and looked away. She drew back her hand and made to stand up again. 

“Wow, I’m sorry, this must be really weird for you. I mean, finding a grown woman crying on the stairs?” Mila tucked her purse under her shoulder and held out a hand to help the other woman get to her feet. “I guess I’ll just tell you outright. This is so embarrassing - I’m trying to find my boyfriend. We had this huge fight and I think he moved without telling me. I mean, he moved. I couldn’t believe it. It’s so extreme. But it’s just like him. He’s so impulsive, I just, ugh!” Mila shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. She cleared her throat with an air of composing herself and brushed away the last tear that had been trembling from her chin. “I was hoping I’d be able to stay at his place tonight actually,” she reached down to smooth her skirt. She was slightly taller then the other girl and on top of that her heels gave her a few more inches. “That’s partly why I was…why I was so upset. My lease ended on my apartment before I could get around to finding another– wow, I’m doing it again aren’t I?” Mila gave a hollow chuckle under her breath and smiled apologetically. “I just keep spouting all my problems to you don’t I? You must look trustworthy. But I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to some stranger go on about herself.”