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time I’ve had to come to your rescue in the last
hour.”
    What
the…!
    This
guy was really starting to piss me off.  Who the hell does he think he is
anyway?!  If it wasn’t for him coming to my rescue in the first
place, I wouldn’t be in this situation.  I slapped his hand away and
scowled down at him.
    “No
thanks on that rescue attempt.  I can get down perfectly fine by
myself.  Just step back so I don’t land on top of you.”
    His
eyes darkened and then quickly filled with humor. His voice lowered an octave
when he replied, “Oh, the threat of you on top of me is supposed to make me
move? Because I can promise you, Damsel , I’m not feeling real motivated
to budge even an inch.”
    I
flashed him my best menacing stare.  “I’ll tell you this one more time,
Do. Not. Call. Me. Damsel.”  I pointed my finger in his face to drive my
message home.  It must have worked because he removed his outstretched
hand.  He stepped back from where he had been standing and held his arms
out to his sides in defeat.
    That’s
right mister, fear the ninja.
    I
turned my body around, determined to shimmy down the side of the speaker and
then drop the last foot to the ground.  I got my lower body safely over
the edge but my shirt caught on the corner of the speaker and I was stuck there
with my ass in perfect view of Mr. Arrogant standing behind me. 
    “This
is a delightful view.  I almost wish I had a camera.  Are you sure I
can’t help?”
    My air
huffed out from annoyance before I freed my shirt and started shimmying
over.   I finally dropped to the floor and looked over my shoulder to
find my acquaintance openly staring at my assets.  His eyes wove a slow
path up my body and stopped suddenly on the dragonfly necklace tattoo on my
shoulder.  His eyes widened and he looked up to my face, grabbed my
shoulders and spun me around to face him.
    “What
is your name?!”
    I was
shocked by his sudden intensity and I couldn’t process what he had just asked
me.  I stared into his eyes but didn’t say a word.  He continued to
hold me by the shoulders and was searching my face and body as if trying to
memorize me.  He looked back up at me and slightly shook me out of
frustration.
    “Your
name.  What is it?”
    I shook
away my stupor once again and jerked my shoulders out of his grasp.  I
took a step back and looked up at him in challenge.  “Now why the hell
would I want to tell YOU my name?!  Thanks for the earlier assistance but
you can forget that you know me now.” I turned to walk away and he called out
to me again.
    “That’s
fine if you don’t want to tell me your name.  I’ll take your refusal as a
clear indication that you wish for me to continue calling you Damsel.”
    My jaw
dropped and I turned back around.  “If you really think I’m dumb enough to
fall for that crappy manipulation tactic, then I should be upfront and honest
with you now.  You are clearly confused about the type of woman that I
am.  I am not the type that needs rescuing and I am not the type that
swoons over a beautiful face and a deep rumbly voice...”  He grinned at
that and I quickly realized my error.  Refusing to acknowledge that I just
called him beautiful, I continued, “…and it is pathetic for any person, male or
female, to refuse information about themselves in order to continue some type
of crappy pet name.”
    Those
dimples of his popped out and his eyes smiled right along with his mouth. 
“I’ll make a pact with you; you tell me your name, and I’ll leave you alone for
the rest of the night.”
    I
considered his offer.  If he was telling the truth I could end this
aggravating encounter now just by giving him my name.  On the other hand,
if he was lying, than at least he might stop calling me Damsel. There really
was no down side to this situation.  I decided to play hard ball anyway.
    “I’m
not enough of an imbecile to believe that you mean that.  How do I know
you will stick to that