Even though the rain was coming down in sheets a taxi flew by me like a bat out of hell. I slammed on the brakes and nearly hydroplaned up his muffler. The taxi kept speeding on like a maniac even though there was a blonde man in a trench coat with a black umbrella trying to flag him down. Instead of the stopping the maniacal taxi ran over a huge puddle and the blonde man was swallowed up in a tidal wave of filthy water.

I pulled over and rolled down the windows a bit to see if there was anything I could do for the blonde man. He was yelling after the taxi waving his now broken umbrella, not that I could blame him. The poor guy was completely soaked and looked like a big wet sheepdog.

"Hey!" I yelled through the onslaught of pouring rain. "Hey! Are you alright?" The blonde stranger looked up at me. I couldn't help but notice he was wearing eyeliner and mascara which was now running down his cheeks. But a lovely pair of electric blue eyes met mine and I was transfixed.

"Uh...hello," he replied in an equally lovely British accent. His voice was like honey dripping from a spoon. "I seem to be having some bad luck with the taxi's today."

"Yeah, I noticed that," I said, smiling at him. A dazzling smile flashed back at me. "I don't mean to be forward, love, but are you by chance going downtown? I hate to ask but I don't think my luck with the taxis is going to improve, especially in this dreadful weather."

"Uh....sure." Then I thought to myself 'Wait! What am I doing letting a total stranger in my car?' Instead of driving off like any sane woman would do I let him in.

"Thanks, love. Though I must say it is a bit strange having the passenger seat on this side of the car." He flopped his soaking wet self and broken umbrella into the seat. A hand with painted green fingernails that matched the shiny green suit he was wearing under the trench coat met mine.

"I'm Eddie." I shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Sophie."


"Sophie, eh? Lovely name for a lovely girl." I could feel myself blushing even though I had heard similar lines before. This time, however, there was something different about it. It didn't sound like a pick-up line so much as a genuine compliment. Eddie pulled down the sun visor and flipped open the mirror. "Dear God, I look a mess! Do you have any tissues and mascara I could use?"

After choking down a laugh I told him there were tissues in the glove box but no make-up. I thought to myself 'This guy is a trip and a half!' "Oh, bloody hell. Thank you anyway, love." Carefully he started to clean off the black streaks that covered his face. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, some weird irresistible force took over and I asked him, "Why are your nails painted?" 'Oh, Sophie, you stupid idiot!' I thought, 'He's going to jump out of the car and slam the door and leave you alone in the pouring rain feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. Here's the most interesting guy you've ever met and you have to blab.....'

To my great surprise Eddie didn't leave. He looked over with a mischievous glint in his eye and raised an eyebrow at me. "Why....to match my outfit, love."

"But I think blue would look much better on you." As long as I was being an idiot I might as well go all out. Eddie stopped cleaning up and sloshed around so he was facing me. Leaning against the headrest with a combined look of genuine curiosity and gleeful amusement he asked, "Why do you say that?"

I could feel the blush returning, creeping up my neck and spreading over my face. My heart was racing a mile a minute. Eddie just sat there waiting for an answer as the rain pounded the roof like hundreds of frantic footsteps. "Because," I sputtered out, "because...uh it would bring out the blue of your eyes."

After pondering over my response for a moment Eddie said, "Well, that's as good an answer as any I suppose. By the way, are you ever going to move the car?"

"Oh my goodness!" We had been sitting at the curb the whole time. "Where are we going?"

"Just drive, love," he smiled, "and let's see where the road takes us."

The End