The Nighttime Samaritan

The streets of downtown bustled with music, laughter, and yelling. The clubs were still alive and my friends and I were in the heat of it. Body to body dancing in the clubs of San Diego for our girls night. When I had had enough, I called my partner to come collect me. My friends, not wanting the debauchery to end, opted to stay but walked me outside at the very least. They hugged me in a swaying “I’ve had one too many drinks sort of way” and I nuzzled against them. Telling them drunken lies of how I could make it home on my own and didn’t need them to wait with me. I didn’t want to be an inconvenience to them.

I myself had one too many and stood on the corner. The streets were one-way and my partner asked me to wait in a convenient spot for him. My hair had puffed out from the sweat that came with lewd dancing and fun and I swayed to the beat of my own thoughts.

“Hey beautiful,” a slurred voice called from behind me. The voice was close. Too close. I turned, if only to survey the situation. A drunken man. Dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, stumbled beside me.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, not entirely able to stand. Blacked out from the looks of it. This could be problematic. There were cars crossing and the bodies around us left little room for me to navigate away.

“Thank you,” I smiled and hugged myself. I glanced around for my partner and the car but he was nowhere to be seen. I regretted having the last drink. It was enough to enjoy the rest of my evening but too much for a confrontation if it came down to it. Best to be polite and walk to a different corner.

“Y-you should come back to my hotel room with me,” he said, close enough that I could feel his breath on me.

“I’m okay, thank you anyway,” I said as I tried to step away. His arm slithered around my waist and pulled me closer. “You should come to my hotel. You’re so pretty,” he said.

My mind raced and I felt less drunk as the beating of my heart quickened.

Step one: Create space.

I placed a hand on his chest and pushed. I could tell he was stronger than me as he brought us closer together.

Stay calm.

When I pulled back, he pulled me close.

Stay calm.

This didn’t bode well so physical confrontation would not be in my favor. The police had already patrolled this way.

I smiled.

“I’m okay, thanks. I’m going home now,” I said, trying to still my voice as he swayed the two of us. As if we were slow-dancing through my rising terror. He smiled at me and I wondered briefly if he could hit as hard as he could hold.

“Home? No no, you should come with me,” he insisted. I placed my hand a bit higher, to prevent what might have been a kiss, a nuzzle or a drunken whisper.

In my peripheral I saw a hand descended onto the man’s arm.

I turned to see a tall man in a black shirt pulling on my unwanted companion’s arm up and off of me.

It was enough for me to slide out from his grasp and I navigated around the two of them, making sure to go behind my savior. There were words between the two of them but I couldn’t hear.

“Thank you so much,” I said, putting my hands into a prayer position as I speed-walked to a less than crowded corner to wait.