Chapter 4 I'll warn you, I live far from here.

Lis has a nightmare in which the same men grab her and drag her by her hair into an alley. As they are about to tear off all her clothes, she wakes up startled. She quickly looks around. Her head hurts. She raises her hand to her forehead and feels a bandage near her left temple. Lis realizes she is in a very luxurious bed, facing a huge glass window. The room is spacious and tastefully decorated. Then, she wonders if she is no longer in the hands of her assailants, but where is she, and who saved her?

She gets out of bed and heads towards the large double barn-style door. As she approaches and opens it slightly, she hears a familiar voice but can't distinguish who it is, no matter how hard she tries to remember. A deep and firm male voice speaks on the phone with someone.

"I know, man, but I couldn't leave her there."

"How am I supposed to know? Women all seem crazy. I've never seen a woman walking alone in a place like that."

Lis hesitates and says, "My blood boiled when I saw the situation; I couldn't just stand there."

Lis understands they are talking about her and decides to peek to see who her hero was, but she can't identify the person as they have their back turned. She turns her attention back to the room and tries to think of how to leave without drawing attention since she's feeling embarrassed. Looking out the window, she realizes she's in the most expensive neighborhood in New York. Who could be the owner of this apartment? After a few minutes admiring the city, she hears a deep voice behind her, making her jump.

She looks startled and discovers that her hero is none other than her boss, Jack, standing in front of her with black sweatpants and a white polo shirt that emphasizes his defined abdomen and muscles in the shirt sleeves. Lis looks him up and down and feels her face instantly blush.

"Calm down, you're safe now. Sorry for bringing you to my apartment; I didn't think it was necessary to take you back to the hospital."

"Thank you!" she says, with her head down.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, go ahead."

"What were you doing on that street alone?"

"I just wanted to get to the bus stop to go back home."

"But no one walks there alone after six in the evening. Many drug addicts hang around."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." she turns to look at the city.

"No need to apologize. I forgot that you're new and wouldn't know. But please be careful; always go out with someone or hitch a ride, that's what people usually do there. I forgot to warn you; I thought you had a car."

"Alright, thanks again. Now I need to go; otherwise, my sister will be very worried."

"Your sister?"

"Yes, I live with my sister, and I'm sure she must be going crazy looking for me. Where's my purse?"

"It's in the living room."

Lis excuses herself and goes to her bag to try to call Luísa, but when she picks up her phone, she realizes it's dead.

"Darn it," she says, frustrated.

Jack, who is observing, decides to intervene.

"What happened?"

Lis looks puzzled at the useless device.

"It's dead," she says, with her head down.

"Do you know the number? Call from mine..." he extends his hand with the phone.

Lis takes the phone because she has no other option, but she already felt she was imposing on her boss's hospitality. Jack had no obligation towards her. Moreover, she barely knew him and knew nothing about him. She calls her sister, who is already very worried, explains everything that happened, and says she will take a taxi to go home.

After hanging up, she sees Jack massaging his temples as if he had a headache. She reaches out, handing him the phone, while gathering her things.

"Thanks again, but I really have to go. I already owe you this," she says, nearing the exit.

"Hold on, why the rush? I'll take you home..." he says, grabbing the car keys from a coffee table.

"No way, I don't want to cause more trouble than I already have..." she replies, exasperated.

"It's no trouble at all, don't worry. I'd love to take you, and I won't accept a 'no' as an answer."

Since there's nothing else to do, Lis accepts the offer.

"I'll warn you, I live far from here."

"Where do you live?"

"In West Village."

"No problem, it's a beautiful night. Let's enjoy the view."

They both go downstairs, and Jack leads Lis to his convertible. He's truly a gentleman, opening the door for her to get in. They get into the car and head towards Lis's house. For most of the journey, silence prevails. Lis is lost in her thoughts, feeling the wind in her hair. Jack glances at her from time to time but keeps his eyes on the road, as it's a moonlit night with scarce light. The road is illuminated only by the headlights. Jack decides to break the ice.

"I thought you were married!"

"Oh no, my sister is the one who's married. I've been living with her since our mother passed away."

"My condolences," Jack says, embarrassed.

"Oh, it's okay. It's been a few years."

A moment of silence sets in and is soon broken by Lis.

"And you, have you never thought about getting married?" Lis asks, bashful.

"Yes, but I haven't found the right woman yet," he says, with a mischievous smile.

"Haven't found her? So, does that mean you've found her now?" she laughs.

Jack also smiles. He really likes Lis, her girlish demeanor captivates him. They chat about various topics until they arrive at Lis's house. Her sister, upon seeing the approaching car, rushes out to meet her. Her expression shows that she has cried a lot, and she hugs Lis tightly.

"Don't put me through this again! I was so worried I thought I'd die."

Lis clears her throat, and Luísa notices Jack's presence, who is now leaning against the side of the car.

"I'm sorry, sir, and thank you so much for helping my little sister. She means the world to me, and I don't know what I would do without her..." she says, already crying.

"It was nothing. I just did my civic duty. I couldn't stand by and do nothing..." Jack says.

"Please come in. We owe you. Have something to eat," Luísa invites.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Jack says, embarrassed.

"I insist. Especially after the drive you've had. It's over half an hour, not a joke. You'll come in and eat with us," Luísa says, her arm around Jack's shoulder, leading him inside.