• tab It was 3:45 in the afternoon, another hot day in the crowded streets of New York. The 135 bus that ran from 59th Avenue to 38th Street always arrived then, so why was it late now? Rick paced from one end of the block to the other, checking his Rolex watch every so often, his book bag slung over his shoulder. He let out an annoyed sigh and turned on his heel again. On an impulse, he let his gaze slide over to the other side of the street. A silver-blond haired woman caught his eyes, making his breath catch.

    tab She had waist length hair with a white lily stuck behind one ear, and wore a pale halter dress that would have made his grandmother shake her head in shame. She caught his eye and smiled and he gulped nervously. Not that he thought he should worry, but she had a bikini model body. Plus, it wasn’t everyday that someone noticed the son of a father who was head of a well known corporation. Especially someone like her. He glanced around him, wondering if someone else was near and she was looking at them, but there was no one else.

    tab When Rick looked back, the woman winked at him and his heart fluttered. He waved over at her and she waved back. His earlier annoyance was gone now, and he was glad that the bus was running late. He tapped a finger on his watch to let her know that he was waiting for it and she nodded knowingly, pointing at herself and mouthing, “Me too.” He grinned uneasily and started to pace again, still watching her. She looked away and he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and found a young man standing behind him, dressed oddly.

    tab He wore mostly black on the summer day. A coat tail jacket, long pants, fancy looking shoes, brown leather belt, a short top hat, and a white shirt. The most unsettling thing was that he had unnatural yellow eyes. “I wouldn’t look at her any longer.” He said, smiling to reveal sharp white canines. Rick looked at him oddly, to the woman across the street, then back at him. “Why not?” He asked, wondering if he was crazy, or just into guys. Maybe he was overheated. The man shrugged carelessly and replied. “It won’t end well, that’s all I’m saying.”

    tab Rick glanced back at the woman when she looked up again, shrugging and pointing at the guy behind him to say that he didn’t know him. She gave him a questioning look and shook her wonderful head. Rick turned to point the man out but he wasn’t there. Blushing a deep red, he felt embarrassed at his foolishness, blaming it on the sun. The woman giggled, but the sound didn’t carry over the fast moving traffic. She flipped her hair over a shoulder and the white flower wasn’t disturbed in the least. Rick set his book bag on the ground.

    tab The woman across the street pointed to her lily and mouthed, “Do you like it?” Rick nodded almost eagerly, saying back, “It suits you.” She giggled again, and he bit his lip and flushed again. “My name’s Natasha, yours?” She asked him. “Rick.” He replied, happiness beginning to blossom at her curiousness. A small crowd moved in front of her and Rick heard the young man behind him say. “Careful, Rick.” He turned around to the man, realizing that he was there. “How do you know my name?” The man shrugged. “Don’t get your hopes up too high, trust me.”

    tab Rick saw the crowd move away in the corner of his eye and forgot about the young man. The woman, Natasha, was standing now, looking at the standing clock. The traffic was starting to slow to allow people from the other side to cross over to get to the bus stop. Natasha pointed at herself, then at him, saying she was going over there. He nodded and smiled back. The cars closest rolled to a stop and people began to cross, Natasha at the back of the crowd. Rick felt his heart soar, and checked his expensive Rolex watch again.

    tab Most of the people had already reached his side now, and Rick peered over their heads to catch a glimpse of the woman. She was fumbling with something in her purse and was walking a little slower. He saw something bright flash and figured that it was a makeup mirror. Soon enough, everyone was on his side of the street and Natasha glanced up with one hand still in her purse, smiled, and started to walk faster. Rick felt his heart pound at her close look of him and shifted uncomfortably. She was really close now, almost to the sidewalk.

    tab Suddenly, her expression went from happiness, to surprise, anger, then hatred. Rick heard the young man’s voice in his ear then. “Bam! Irony.” The 135 bus that had been late plowed into Natasha as soon as he heard the first word. Screams immediately erupted around him, and red streaks shone brightly on the hot road. Natasha’s purse had fallen by his feet, missed by the now slowing bus’s wheels, as well as the white lily that had been in her hair. A handle poked out from the top of the purse, a small .45 imprinted in the dark brown mahogany.

    tab “What—“Rick blinked in shock and the young man behind him reached over to show him a gold pocket watch with Roman numerals. The minute hand had just passed 3:45 exactly. Turns out the bus had been on time. He clicked his tongue and spoke. “Even more irony, huh?” Rick turned to face him, confusion on his face. “How did you know that would happen?” The man shook his head. “Who are you?” The man shrugged almost carelessly, but his yellow eyes shone with knowledge. Rick picked up the lily, but when he stood up, the young man was gone.