Chapter 27: I Don’t Need Anyone’s Charity

Nathan knew immediately what was going on, and he reached out to grab Crystal, but he was yanked back into the car by his seatbelt. And before he knew it, she was free. He shouted after her, “Crystal, get back here!” Nathan quickly undid the seatbelt, and even though he was half-naked, he got out of the car. Crystal was about half a block away from him, and she was waving his shirt in the air so that, instead of a shirt, it looked like a victory flag - not only had she escaped his clutches, but now she was mocking him!

The cold wind blew hard, it hit Nathan’s bare chest, and he flinched away from it. He had never been outside without a shirt before. However, from his education, he knew what would happen if he did not rectify the situation quickly. Furthermore, if one of his peers were to see him, he would be deeply embarrassed.

Nathan watched in dismay as Crystal threw his shirt into a trash bin. She spread her hands innocently, smirked, and just as he was about to rush towards her, she stopped a taxi and quickly got into it. “Crystal!” he shouted. He was so angry that when he punched the Maybach’s window, it shook, and a small crack appeared.

A convertible car passed behind Nathan, and a glamorous, sensual, large-breasted woman whistled at him. She batted her eyelashes and said, “Hey sexy, do you need a ride?”

Nathan turned and glared at her. “fuck off!” he shouted. “I don’t need anyone’s charity!”

The woman was so frightened by the look in Nathan’s eyes and his tone of voice that she stepped on the car’s accelerator and took off like a bat out of hell.

Nathan ran around to the driver’s side of the Maybach, climbed in, started the car, and took off after Crystal’s taxi.

Crystal turned in her seat, and when she saw Nathan following after her, a cold chill ran down her back. She had thought she would be safe in the taxi, but she didn’t feel safe - and she was afraid.

Crystal looked out the window and tried to distract herself by watching the scenery as it passed by her, at the people, the stores, and the intersecting streets. The things she saw through the window were fascinating, but they made her feel tired. Her eyes began to droop, but before she could fall asleep, the driver cursed and pumped on the brakes. The car jerked, and Crystal was thrown forward into the back of the front seat, and the seatbelt she was wearing across her chest bit into her shoulder. “Ouch!” she cried. “What was that all about?”

She looked up and saw Nathan’s silver-gray Maybach parked horizontally in front of the taxi. “The car cut me off,” the driver explained. He pumped the horn twice and frowned. He turned to look at Crystal and said, “And now he’s refusing to move.”

The driver was angry, but he hadn’t lost his temper yet. He calmly opened his window and shouted at the Maybach, “What the hell?!?! Do you have a death wish?!?!? What were you thinking?!?!?! Get out of my way, asshole!!!!”

The door of Maybach opened, and Nathan stepped out of the vehicle like a king emerging from his chariot. His facial features were: impossible to read, but there was an undeniable rage burning behind his eyes, and as he walked slowly over to the taxi, the driver’s curses died in his mouth. Keep your mouth shut! the driver told himself- this man is not safe!

Crystal opened her door and tried to run, but Nathan was faster than she was, and before she’d made it more than a few steps, he’d grabbed a fist full of her hair. He pulled her backward, and she screamed - in pain, indignation, horror, and rage - as he reigned her in.

Nathan pulled Crystal’s head backward and gripped her chin with his free hand. “Damnit,” he growled. “Don’t you know that it is dangerous for a woman to ride in a taxi alone after midnight?”

“What?” Crystal was a little confused. She had thought that he would scold her for teasing him. Is it possible that he was looking out for my safety all along? - she wondered.

Before Crystal could properly process this thought, the taxi driver leaned out of his window and said, “Miss, can you please pay your fare?”

“I’ve got it,” Nathan said as he released Crystal. He took out his wallet from his right trouser pocket, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, and threw it through the window. “That should be more than enough. Now get lost.” The driver thought that Nathan was a madman, and he was more than happy to comply.

Now that Nathan knew that Crystal was safe, he was able to relax. He took out a cigarette and lighter from his back pocket. With a click, a burst of fire lit up the night, and Nathan lit his cigarette. He brought it to his mouth and took a long drag off his fag. The smoke rose from between his fingertips, and he blew it off into the night.

Even though Nathan was topless, he maintained his usual carefree demeanor. He took another drag off his ciggy, made an O with the smoke as he exhaled, and smiled. He turned to Crystal and said, “So, have you had enough fun for one evening, do you think?”

Crystal stared out into the night and didn’t answer for a while. So much had happened in a very short amount of time, and there were many things that she was confused about. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, “I suppose so. But what about Mr. Ford?”

Nathan smiled and said, “Based on your poor performance, I see no reason to change my mind, but if you want to try again, then I might reconsider. Do you care to rejoin me in the car?”

Crystal grumbled in dissatisfaction, but in the end, she saw no choice but to do as he

suggested. After all, if she wanted to help Mr. Ford, Nathan had made it clear that this was the only way.

Crystal climbed into the passenger seat of the car. Nathan walked around the car and jumped into the driver’s seat, and as he started the car, he glanced at Crystal through the rearview mirror.

Crystal looked him in the eyes and said, “Professor Davis, I have naked pictures of you.” She opened her phone and showed him a series of photos of him topless that she’d just taken.