The Shortcut

(Closed for RockYourWorld )

Claire Philips
23
5'5''
Dark chocolate brown hair, long and straight and hanging just below her shoulder blades.
Bright green eyes and a pale complexion.
A large chest for her size, 32DD, and curves in all the right places.


Claire knew she had made a mistake as soon as the last of the street lights faded behind the leaves above her. The evening had not gone well.
Firstly she had had car trouble meaning she was late for her boyfriend's important work party. Meaning they'd then had a fight. She'd stormed out, and her car had died. Totally. Leaving her stranded on the outskirts of town next to the heavily wooded parkland.
She had a vague idea of where she was and knew she could probably walk home...but she shouldn't. She should stay in the car until someone drove past or until it got light. But she was still angry at Robert, her boyfriend, and desperate to get home and out of the tight fitting dress she'd worn especially for him, so she'd locked the car and headed into the woodland beside the road, heading towards town.
Wobbling in the heels she rarely wore and finding it hard to walk quickly in the dress that clung to her curves obscenely, Claire made her way slowly through the trees, swearing under her breath about how this was all Robert's fault and when she saw him next she'd...
The sound of a twig snapping somewhere behind her made her freeze, her eyes widening as she surveyed the trees and bushes around her. Suddenly feeling the chill of the night air against her skin as she trembled slightly.
"Is....is someone there...?" She asked tentatively. Definitely certain it was a question she didn't want answered.
After a moment of two of being frozen by fear, Claire started onwards once more, although now trying to move as quickly as possible.

Steven Connor
35
5-11, 210 lbs. Athletic build
Short dark hair
Close cropped goatee and mustache


It was an awkward moment, one that Steven Connor hadn’t anticipated. In fact, he had walked this way through the woods to avoid coming in contact with people.

That was his short term goal for his life. Avoid people, stay to himself. Steven had recently come home from the war zone in Western Iraq. He had completed his tour honorably, but had been left with the searing images of war that were haunting him. He would return to Iraq, he just wasn’t sure when. It might be two weeks, it could be three months. He knew he would go back, and he planned on recharging his batteries by being alone with his thoughts and sorting things out.

That plan went to hell here in these woods when he heard the woman’s voice. She apparently was walking ahead of him and had heard him. His training allowed him to walk quietly, undetected, but he hadn’t anticipated the need for such tactics. She knew, or had a pretty good idea, that he was there. Damn!

Steven stood quietly. If he stayed still, and let her go ahead, she might go on her way and forget she heard anything. He looked ahead and saw her walking away from him. He stayed in his place and let the distance build between himself and the woman.

Claire kept moving forwards, trying to ignore the brambles and undergrowth that was biting at her ankles as she stumbled on. Every now and then looking back over her shoulder, convinced that she had heard something...someone...no matter how much her mind wanted to brush it off as her imagination going into overdrive...
Then she felt her heart lift a little. Through the trees she thought she could see the faint lights of the city. They were still a way off but she could see them...at least she wasn't lost...
Wrapping her arms around her body, the cold starting to seep into her flesh through the thin red dress that barely contained her cleavage and only reached mid-way down her thighs.
She felt less nervous now that she knew the city was drawing nearer, although she kept her pace up, not wanting whatever or whoever it was behind her to catch up...

Steven allowed the woman to make her way out of the woods. Part of him wanted to go to her and ask her just what the HELL she was doing in these woods at night, walking alone. But it was none of his business. He hung back a good distance. He could still see her, but was far enough back that she would not be aware of his presence.

Steven just wanted to get home. Maybe have a beer, listen to some music, fade into a sort of mental abyss. He had gone for a walk to clear his head, and had taken a wrong turn towards the outskirts. He took the shortcut through the woods to get home sooner. If someone chose to try and mug him, he could handle it. He wasn’t so sure about this woman. Was she lost? He wondered if she was at least heading in the right direction. But he chose to stay back, thinking that approaching her and offering assistance would only startle her more.

It was getting pretty dark, and the lights of the city ahead were acting as a beacon for both the mysterious woman and for Steven. This little adventure in the woods seemed to be coming to an end when, as he looked ahead at her, he seemed to sense some movement at her side, behind her.

Breathing a huge sigh of relief Claire broke through the small brush and bushes and onto the stretch of grass that marked the edge of the parkland. Streetlights along the main road glimmering through the trees planted along the park's edge giving her a sense of calm. All she had to do was follow the main road into town and soon she'd be home...she could get out of the heels and the dress...maybe even take a bath...
But her thoughts were broken into once more by a sound from behind her. She had all but forgotten the breaking twig from before, and this sound came from much closer. Almost as if it was behind her. Feeling her body tense she stopped walking and turned her eyes away from the main road and back towards the woods.
Then she screamed, the streetlights glinting off of the knife in the man's hand as he charged at her from the bushes. She ran, stumbling and wobbling the heels as she streaked towards the main road.
"Help! Help me!! Someone...please...!!" She cried out desperately as the man from the shadows followed her, his feet falling faster and faster as he all but caught up with her. Then the unthinkable happened. Her heel snapped, catching in some soft earth and coming away from the shoe, throwing her unceremoniously to the ground. Rolling onto her back she held up her hands, in a vain attempt to protect or defend herself as the man with the knife loomed over her prone body.
"Well, well, well...what have we here..." He grinned darkly, drawing closer.

Steven would later realize that he had never taken his eyes off of her. Even though he had allowed her to get way ahead of him in the woods, mainly so he didn’t scare her, he had subconsciously kept watching her. The danger in the air was something he could sense, and his training would not allow him to ignore it, despite his plans to stay away from people as much as he could.

"Help! Help me!! Someone...please...!!"

Without thinking, only reacting, he set off in a dead sprint. By allowing her to move ahead of him, she had made it about 150 meters ahead, he estimated. As his boots hit the ground, Steven’s breathing and heartrate increased as he closed in on the woman and her attacker. He wasn’t armed, and the attacker was taking a stance as if he had a knife. Steven would have to count on his hand-to-hand combat skills. He thought ahead, and if he approached from just the right angle, the element of surprise was his.

The woman was laying on the ground, looking up at her attacker, totally defenseless at this point. The man seemed to be talking to her, looking at her, making the knife very visible. Steven continued his sprint, closing in on the attacker from behind. This guy was a big man with a knife, holding it over a defenseless woman as she lay on the ground. Soon, Steven would find out if he could handle a real battle.

Just a few feet from behind the attacker, Steven dove, becoming airborne, and tackled the man with the knife.

"Please...d-don't hurt me..." Claire whimpered as the man let his eyes rove over her body, lingering over her slightly parted thighs and the bottom of the dress that had ridden up slightly during her fall, then up higher to fasten onto her more than generous cleavage. She kept her own eyes fixed on the blade, hovering threateningly over her.

She thought for a moment she saw something moving behind him but was much too afraid by the man, his knife and his, as yet unknown, intentions to investigate it further.
Then, just as the man began to bend down towards her, his free hand reaching out towards her body a lot seemed to happen all at once.

There was a muffled groan as something, or someone, seemed to hit the man from behind, knocking him to the ground beside her. The knife, having been jerked loose from his grip sailed through the air and landed less than an inch away from her face, embedding itself in the same soft earth that had captured her shoe's heel. The shock of the chase, the knife and now this close encounter with the blade was all too much and Claire felt a wave of faintness sweep through her. The sounds of a scuffle drifting over her as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Steve didn’t feel much like fighting. And the attacker was accommodating. He didn’t put up much of one. Once the knife went flying, and he was disarmed, the attacker became nothing more than a punching bag. Steve wrestled him to the ground and subdued him quickly. Rather than find out if he had any other weapons, Steve knocked him unconscious with a right and a left to each of his temples. The crud would be out of it long enough for Steve to get this lady to safety.

He made his way over to her. She was out, but didn’t seem to be injured. Hopefully just fainted. The knife stuck in the ground probably had as much to do with that than anthing the attacker did to her. Steve did a cursory check of her body, looking for obvious wounds or signs of trauma. Steve did this in the matter he was trained, as if examining a fellow soldier who had been wounded on the battlefield. Despite that, Steve was a man, and he couldn’t help but notice….the dress….the cleavage….the body….Wow!

Get a hold of yourself, he thought to himself. Make sure this lady isn’t hurt. Stick to the task. He determined that she appeared to be unhurt and went about trying to wake her. He softly touched her face as he looked into it.

“Ma’am? Ma’am? Can you hear me? Are you ok?” As he waited for her to slowly come to, he once again looked at her body and admired it. Maybe cutting himself from human contact during his leave wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Claire could hear a voice speaking to her as the heavy black feeling lifted from her mind...

“Ma’am? Ma’am? Can you hear me? Are you ok?”

Then she became aware of a hand resting on her face as her eyes flickered open, taking in the concerned face looking down at her, then glancing to the side to see her attacker, apparently unconscious.
"He..he was...you...you were..." Her words were quiet and trembling as she tried to assess the situation. "Is...is he out...?" She eventually managed, sitting up slightly and looking nervously at the man laid out a little way from her. "He was going to...to...well, I don't know what but you...thank you...thank you for stopping him..." She finished earnestly, smiling weakly but genuinely as she looked into the stranger's face. The stranger who had just saved her life, as far as she knew.

“Yes, I think he had some unpleasant plans for you” said Steve as he glanced over at the attacker. “I changed his plans.”

Steve looked back at the lady and put both hands behind her back, lifting her up. “Let’s go slow, take it nice and easy, but I want to get out of here before he wakes up. Guys like him act like cornered rats when they come to.” Steve helped her to her feet and noticed the broken heal. Without her having to ask, he put her arm around his shoulder and they began to walk toward the city lights.

“My name’s Steve. I think you might have actually heard me walking back in the woods. You called out, but I decided that it would be better not to come near and scare you.”

As they walked along, Steve noticed again the tight red dress, and the magnificent body it held, as much as it could at least.

“I’m betting that your night didn’t go as planned. You don’t look like someone dressed to go walking in the woods.”

"Yes, I think he had some unpleasant plans for you...I changed his plans.”

Claire felt an unexpected blush colour her cheeks as he reached behind her and helped her to her feet.

“Let’s go slow, take it nice and easy, but I want to get out of here before he wakes up. Guys like him act like cornered rats when they come to.”

"Sounds good to me..." She agreed, the blush increasing a little as he put his arm around her back to help her walk with her heel missing.

“My name’s Steve. I think you might have actually heard me walking back in the woods. You called out, but I decided that it would be better not to come near and scare you.”

"Oh...I wondered where you had come from...and you probably would have scared me, maybe even more than our 'friend' back there...but I doubt it...I...I'm Claire..." She smiled up into his face as they slowly made their way towards the city.

“I’m betting that your night didn’t go as planned. You don’t look like someone dressed to go walking in the woods.”

Claire felt her smile fade as snippets of her argument with Robert flitted through her mind.
"Er...no...not exactly...I was supposed to be going to a party but I...I changed my mind...didn't like the company too much..." She replied after a slightly long pause.

“Oh well, its ok. These things happen. You don’t owe me an explanation or anything. I’m just glad I came along when I did.”

Steve moved along with her, helping her walk. It was a nice night out, not too warm, the late summer breeze just moving enough to be noticed. “So, are you walking because you left someone behind? The someone whose company you didn’t like? Like I said, you don’t owe me an explanation, but next time, you might want to stick to the streets and avoid the shortcuts.”

Steve thought about all the rotten and terrible things he had seen over the past couple of years. During all that time, he would have given anything to be at a fine party with a beautiful woman just like Claire, wearing THAT dress. Some guy she had been with WAS in that position, and had done something to make her so mad, she actually left him.

If Steve ever met that man, he would be sure to tell him what a damn fool he was.

“It’s a nice night out….well, aside from you getting jumped. Kind of hard to forget that, I admit. But putting that aside, its pleasant. Do you live far from here?”

"Oh well, its ok. These things happen. You don’t owe me an explanation or anything. I’m just glad I came along when I did.”

"Well then, that makes two of us..." She added as they continued along the pavement, getting ever closer to the city.

“So, are you walking because you left someone behind? The someone whose company you didn’t like? Like I said, you don’t owe me an explanation, but next time, you might want to stick to the streets and avoid the shortcuts.”

"Yes...and I know, it was stupid of me...my car broke down on the other side of the woods and I knew it would be quicker to cut through them than follow the road all the way around...after all, I'd have had to walk through some equally shady places that way, and they're places with more people in them than the woods..." She laughed, a little nervously. "But you're right...next time, I'll stick to the streets and make sure I choose better company to go with so I'm not alone..."

Claire sighed quietly, wondering what Robert was up to. He hadn't tried to call her on her mobile so he must still be at the party. No doubt flirting with some tall, leggy blonde...like that woman who worked in his department...

“It’s a nice night out….well, aside from you getting jumped. Kind of hard to forget that, I admit. But putting that aside, its pleasant. Do you live far from here?”

Steve's words cut through her thoughts and she smiled up at him, "You're right, aside from attempting muggings it's quite a lovely evening and no, I don't live far away at all actually...I'm in the apartments just before town...we're only 5 minutes or so away...so you can get rid of me soon..." She added with a laugh. "After all I'm sure rescuing a damsel in distress and then escorting her home weren't part of your plans..."

He smiled at her comment, the one where he said he could “get rid of her.” Nothing was further from the truth. He thought she was beautiful, despite her temporary vulnerability. But he was careful not to come on too strong. He was a stranger to her, too, after all, just as much as her attacker was. And besides, using this situation as it was to try and get to know her better might be seen as taking advantage.

“Well, I can admit that rescuing a damsel wasn’t on my agenda. That’s one of those things you just roll with when the opportunity arises. But since it did, I’m happy that the damsel was one as pretty as you.”

They walked along. Steve was somewhat certain of which apartments she was talking about. He lived about 10 minutes further from where she lived. Later, he would offer to drive her to her car and see if they could get it started.

But that was for later. She had had a rough night and most likely wanted to be done with everything. He on the other hand, was feeling the adrenaline running through his body. The fight with the attacker, then, well, the excitement of meeting this beautiful woman. It was amazing how much his outlook had changed in the past ½ hour. He had gone from wanting to being alone for a long period of time, to seeing what would play out with this attractive woman.

“Well, I can admit that rescuing a damsel wasn’t on my agenda. That’s one of those things you just roll with when the opportunity arises. But since it did, I’m happy that the damsel was one as pretty as you.”

Claire blushed before she could stop herself and her smile became shy as she looked away, moving her gaze to the road ahead and seeing her building approaching fast. She glanced down at her watch, it wasn't as late as she'd thought...but then again, she hadn't been at the party for long at all...once she'd arrived...
"You're...you're very kind to say so...but it isn't everyone who'd help a perfect stranger...especially nowadays..."

They stopped walked, they had reached her building. A slightly awkward pause followed.
"Well...this...this is me..." She said quietly. "...Thank you again for seeing me home safely..."

"Well...this...this is me..." She said quietly. "...Thank you again for seeing me home safely..."

Steve looked at her building then smiled at her.

“Well, I haven’t seen you home safely. I’ve only seen you to the street in front of your building. Unless you live out here on the street, I haven’t seen you home yet.”

He looked at her as he talked. He was sure the moment was uncomfortable for her, and she might even have felt obligated to invite him up. He found himself torn between relieving her of the conflict, and saying good night and going on his way, or forcing the issue with her and angling to be invited up.

He made his decision when he caught a glimpse of her dress again. Where ever she was going tonight, she wanted to impress someone REAL bad. Her breasts spilled out of the top, barely contained inside the fabric. If she was at a party, there had to be a whole string of men that took notice of her, not just the guy she had gone there with. That left a whole string of men wondering where she was right now.

Where she was was here, with Steve. And only Steve. He knew life was not to be wasted, chances like this were not to be ignored. He wasn’t sure yet if they would hit if off, but he wasn’t going to find out saying good bye to here in the street.

“I don’t suppose a drink in your place would be too much to ask?”

“Well, I haven’t seen you home safely. I’ve only seen you to the street in front of your building. Unless you live out here on the street, I haven’t seen you home yet.”

"No...no I guess not..." Claire smiled weakly, knowing it would be rude to simply say 'Goodnight' and leave him there on the street, especially after what he had done for her. Plus he had been such a gentleman, complimented her, albeit shyly. Her mind flashing back to Robert and his harsh, unwarranted remarks at her late arrival.

“I don’t suppose a drink in your place would be too much to ask?”

"I...well..." Reason told her that Steve, while her 'knight in shining armour' of sorts, was a stranger. A man she hadn't known until half an hour or so beforehand and still barely knew even now. But he had been exceptionally kind, and what harm could a cup of coffee do with a nice man when her boyfriend was out doing goodness knows what at his party. "...Well, I've only got tea and coffee but...but if you want to, then you're welcome to come up for one..." She eventually replied with a smile. Biting her bottom lip, not sure if she wanted him to accept or graciously refuse.

“That sounds great!” he said, maybe a little too quickly. He held himself back, and this time it was him that blushed as he realized that he had betrayed his eagerness. He reached for the door to the building and pulled it open, allowing her to enter through it.

They climbed the steps to her place. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you live here with the man that you are unhappy with right now?”

She reached into her purse and took out her keys, unlocking the door and letting him in. He allowed her to enter and closed the door behind them. He knew this would be awkward for the both of them, so he tried to keep things light.

“I think the first thing you should do is change your shoes. Those may have seen their last days.” She laughed and said she would, and excused herself, inviting him to sit. He made himself comfortable on the couch, waiting for her to return.

"That sounds great!”

Claire was a little surprised at the readiness with which he responded, opening the door for her to step inside.
"Thank you..." She said quietly, slipping past him and heading up the steps to her door.

“If you don’t mind me asking, do you live here with the man that you are unhappy with right now?”

"Er...no...no I don't..." She replied before thinking maybe she should have lied and said yes, she did, that her boyfriend would be home soon and that he couldn't stay long. But that might come across as suspicious and, so far, Steve had given her little reason to act so. Finding her keys in her handbag, she swiftly unlocked and opened the door, stepping inside and hearing him close the door behind them both.

“I think the first thing you should do is change your shoes. Those may have seen their last days.”

"Good idea..." Claire laughed, directing him into the sitting room. "Do sit down, I won't be long..." She watched him head towards the couch and then slipped into her bedroom, slipping off the ruined shoes and glancing in the mirror. Wanting to remove the dress too, but that might come off as strange...her changing with a stranger in her appartment. So she put the shoes to one side, quickly ran a comb through her long straight hair, shorter now without the heels, and headed into the living room. "So, Steve, tea or coffee...?"

Steve smiled as Claire returned to the living room. Good, he thought. She didn’t take off that dress. He thought back to the moment after he had subdued her attacker and was leaning over her. He had noticed how wonderfully the dress complimented her, but the overwhelming amount of his attention was to her well-being at that point. He now was able to fully appreciate her, and without being too obvious about it, he allowed his eyes to enjoy each fabulous curve of her body.

“I could go for either, so please, which ever you’re having, or which ever is easiest to make.” Like a gracious hostess, she stood there in front of him as she asked what he would like to drink. Steve’s eyes glanced down at her legs. The dress complimented them as well, and without shoes, her legs seemed to be highlighted even more.

Steve suddenly felt like he was staring, so he cleared his throat and stood up.

“Let me help you making it. I don’t want you to feel like you have to wait on me.”

“I could go for either, so please, which ever you’re having, or which ever is easiest to make.”

"I'll make us some tea then..." Claire smiled, noticing a slight delay in his response, his eyes apparently fixed on something well below her eyes. She blushed a little as he appeared to realise he was staring and stood up, towering over her a little.

“Let me help you making it. I don’t want you to feel like you have to wait on me.”

"Oh...you...you don't have to, it's only tea...it's hardly rocket science..." Claire laughed lightly, heading into the kitchen and sensing him following her. She filled the kettle and switched it on, pulling down two mugs from one cupboard and two tea bags from another. "Do you take milk...sugar...?" She asked, turning to find him stood fairly close to her and stepping back a little.

Jack noticed her stepping back, and it did make the atmosphere somewhat more tense than it needed to be. But Steve was in the presence of a beautiful woman, after having been through hell. She herself didn’t owe him anything because of that, but at the same token, she was in a position to bring him some simple pleasures, pleasures that Steve had promised never to take for granted again. All she had to do was stand there, with that fabulous body in the awesome dress, and look just how she looked. If Steve was standing a little close, so what?

“You know, I can’t help but think that this guy who made you mad, made you walk off and leave him alone….does he know what he’s missing? I mean, apparently not. I’ve been to places and endured things where spending five seconds with someone as beautiful as you would be a blessed relief.”

He hoped he wasn’t revealing too much. Steve knew from experience that people weren’t comfortable talking war with soldiers, and that was fine with him. He wasn’t comfortable talking about it either. He would much rather be in a position where he could talk about the weather with someone as nice and charming – and beautiful – as Claire.

She just needed for her to understand that because of what he had been through recently, standing in front of a stove making tea was a little piece of heaven.

“You know, I can’t help but think that this guy who made you mad, made you walk off and leave him alone….does he know what he’s missing? I mean, apparently not. I’ve been to places and endured things where spending five seconds with someone as beautiful as you would be a blessed relief.”

Claire felt herself blushing at his obivous compliment, as well as feeling her curiosity rising about this stranger in her kitchen.
"Well, you're very kind to say so but...can I ask where you've been, Steve? I know next to nothing about you, other than your name, and if you'd rather not say...you don't have to..." She finished quietly, not wanting to press him. If he had been to places the like of which he had described, he was more than likely to want to avoid discussing them.

The kettle's button clicked out, giving Claire something to do while she awaited Steve's response. Pouring the steaming water into the two mugs on the side.

“Well, I’ll just tell you. I’m an active duty soldier, on leave. I just came back from Iraq.”

He leaned back against the wall, letting the traditional uneasiness settle in, then worked to erase it. “The funny thing is I came home and had decided to be alone. I was going to avoid all human contact, if at all possible. That’s why I was walking in the woods, to stay away from people.”

Jack walked over to the counter where Claire was pouring the tea. “Then, you came along. Maybe that was nature’s way of telling me that I can’t keep myself away from people.”

Jack softly put his hand on Claire’s back as she finished pouring the hot water.

“So maybe, in a way, you’re an angel sent down to me.”

“Well, I’ll just tell you. I’m an active duty soldier, on leave. I just came back from Iraq.”

Claire felt an uneasiness fill the air, from them both. The war was a subject that was a sensitive subject for many, most of all for those directly involved she assumed.

“The funny thing is I came home and had decided to be alone. I was going to avoid all human contact, if at all possible. That’s why I was walking in the woods, to stay away from people.”

"I...well, I can't say I'd blame you...if I'd been where you have..." Claire replied earnestly, focusing on not spilling the boiling water.

“Then, you came along. Maybe that was nature’s way of telling me that I can’t keep myself away from people.”

Claire gasped quietly and felt her skin tingle as his hand touched her back, gently and softly but that didn't change the fact that his skin was touching hers. The low back to the dress affording him a view of her shoulder blades to almost halfway down her back.

“So maybe, in a way, you’re an angel sent down to me."

"An angel...? Me...?" She laughed lightly, almost a little nervously. As she moved to put the kettle back in it's place. "I was just a silly girl walking in the woods who was lucky that you were there...if anyone's the angel here, it's got to be you...without your intervention, goodness knows what might have happened to me..." She turned to look across at him, waiting for the tea to brew in the mugs.