The man at the door

"What are you doing here?!" I nearly screamed at the man standing In front of the door.

"Relax, brunette! Won't you let your guest in first?" He asked with that smirk from the night I met him.

"The name's Derrick. Derrick Hudson." He said and stylishly ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"Look I don't care who you are but you need to leave right now!" I cried, looking through the corridor to see if grandma was close by.

"Yo yo yo, not like that." Derrick said, putting his arm through the door as I was about to close it. Before I could blink properly, he slid through the door and I saw him next in the living room, installed on the sofa.

"Live alone?" He asked, crossing a leg over his knee, "It looks...comfortable."

I stormed into the living room, boiling with anger, "Just what do you think you are doing?!"

"Uhm, What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked in a way that didn't seem like a question. This further aggravated me.

"My dear, is everything okay?" I heard grandma's voice from the passageway.

"I'm fine, grandma!" I yelled back a reply and turned to Derrick, "You need to leave!"

"Oh, why are you telling your friend to leave?" Grandma said, walking into the living room. Her steps were slow as she moved her bent body forward. Her once lush black hair was now almost entirely white and the wrinkles on her face showed that she had aged terribly within the space of 3 months.

"Grandma, you didn't have to come out here." I said, quickly moving over to support her.

"Nonsense." She objected, brushing me off, "I'm perfectly fine."

"Who's the young man?" Grandma asked after taking her seat.

She studied Derrick with interest until a grin appeared on his face, "I'm Derrick." "Your granddaughter's boyfriend."

"What? No!" I exclaimed in protest, "What are you saying? I don't even know you!"

Derrick chuckled, "Come on, you don't have to be shy.
"I'm sure this beautiful lady right here doesn't have a problem with it." He added, throwing grandma a wink.

Grandma laughed, "Why, thank you." She said and I thought I saw her blush, "Oh, I don't mind at all."

"In fact, I should be angry with you, Mélie."

Oh, snap! She mentioned my name. A victorious expression appeared on Derrick's face. Now he knows my name.

"Why grandma?"

"Because you didn't tell me that you had this handsome gentleman in your life."

"Oh please!" "He's definitely not my boyfriend."

"And he is NOT handsome!" I added, spitefully.

"Ouch, Mélie." Derrick said, holding his chest. I couldn't tell if he was faking it or if he was hurting, "You don't have to lie about it. I mean you could never date an ugly guy."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Please leave."

"Not so fast. Have some food first." Grandma said and got up from the couch, "Mélie, come dish him some mac and cheese."

"Actually." Derrick cut in, raising to his feet, "I was wondering if I could take Mélie on a date?"

You've got to be kidding me!

"Why, yes!" Grandma exclaimed.

"No!" I cut in, almost immediately.

"Why?" Grandma asked.

"Yes, why?" Derrick added with a look of cluelessness on his face.

"Because I don't want to go out with you!"

"Okay." He replied casually, "Well in that case, I'm not leaving." And he returned to his seat on the couch, crossing his legs once more as he did.

I grumbled and cussed inwardly. Was this guy for real? He looked dead serious.

I heaved a sigh of defeat, "Fineeeee."

I reluctantly headed to my room and intentionally took forever to pick an outfit. After settling for a pair of denim jeans and a top, I wore a pair of sneakers and grabbed my coat, "Shall we?" I asked, walking into the living room.

Derrick looked at me from head to toe, "Not the typical dinner date outfit, if you ask me."

"Mélie, go wear a nice dress!" Grandma remarked.

"I'm okay with this outfit, grandma." I replied. Turning to Derrick, I asked hesitantly, "Now do you wanna go or not?"

Derrick rose to his feet, with a mischievous smirk on his face, "Let's go then!"

I walked ahead of him, eager to get him out of my house and he followed behind me. A yellow Lamborghini stood in front of the house and I halted at the door as he moved forward, "Coming?" He asked.

The butterfly doors swung open. I pondered in hesitation for a while, "Coming." I replied before finally walking to the car.

And that was the beginning of Derrick's visits to my house. Though I found it annoying at first, I slowly grew fond of him. Even though it was only my encounter with him that resulted in us getting intimate, I continued being more careful and spiked the drinks of any man I took in order to get money. It didn't take long for Derrick to come to know the truth about why I needed to work the nightshift; Grandma was sick and a huge amount of money was needed for her treatment.

Then on a visit to the hospital to see grandma, who's health was increasingly deteriorating, I met with a news which came like a shower of rain in the desert- all her hospital bills had been cleared and that too by Derrick Hudson.

"Thank you. Thank you so much!" I kept saying in tears, "Thank you for saving my grandmother."

Derrick Hudson wrapped his arms around me and allowed me to cry into his chest, "It's okay, Mélie." "It's okay."

Grandma's surgery was a success and I didn't need to pretend to be a stripper anymore. Derrick soon confessed his feelings for me and I couldn't be happier about being with anyone other than the man who had given my grandmother another chance to live. I was happy again! Everything was finally falling into place- until disaster struck.

End of flashback.