Michonne pinched at her tank top stuck to her sweaty torso. The air-conditioned breeze caressed her overheated skin, sending goosebumps up her back. She bunched her dreadlocks off her slick neck, wishing she'd tied them up earlier.

To say it was hot outside would be an understatement. The scorching sun unforgivingly beat down on the busy city of El Paso. Gusts of hot air blasted into the shop with each swing of the heavy glass door, reminding its patrons of the torture that awaited them beyond the glass pane.

She worked up a serious sweat on the short, ten-minute walk from her hotel to the coffee shop. The hotel receptionist recommended it, saying it had the best coffee in town. This better be worth it, she thought, frowning at the slow moving line in front of her.

She sighed in reluctant acceptance, deciding to pass the time swiping through her recent texts. One from her boss, Carol, reminding her to pick up her ID information from the prearranged location and to give her an update on the article by the end of the week. Another from her mother, telling her to call her back. And one from the guy she'd gone out with last week. Was it Morgan? Or Monroe? She made a face as she swiftly erased the last one.

Though he had been nice enough, there was something about him that bored her to tears. At one point during dinner, she swore she almost nodded off in the middle of one of his stories. Andrea would say she was just being picky. Michonne would say he reminded her of her father, even his age wasn't too far off.

She sighed disappointedly. Dating was difficult, to say the least. After being in a relationship for all of four years, finding a way to connect to somebody again felt nearly impossible. Things were different. People were different. She was different. Or maybe she was just full of shit and excuses, as her best friend would say.

Speaking of her best friend, no calls or messages. It must've been a busy morning at the office. She quickly sent off a text letting her know that she'd arrived before pocketing her phone and finally placing her order. She moved to the side to wait, taking in the quaint coffee shop in the meantime.

The small cafe was cute, in a small town sort of way. She was used to the noisy bustle of a New York City coffee shop with its endless whirring, yelling, and loud chatter in the background. Here, the people took their time, conversed quietly, and lounged around – their sluggishness most likely due to the heat outside. Living here for the next two months was going to take some adjusting.

Although, it appeared that she wasn't about to escape the ever-present leering of men.

She glanced at a table, catching the eyes of two of them who were openly gawking at her. She felt their eyes lasciviously drag over her body. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she took her phone out again, hoping to have received a text back.

Nope. She pursed her lips and checked the weather app, wanting a heads-up on the hellish weather expected for the rest of the week.

After a few moments of browsing, one of the two men stood up and ambled toward her. She noticed and quickly crossed her arm in front of her, angling her body away. Oblivious to her signals, he continued approaching her with a smug grin.

She sighed and lowered her phone. She wasn't in the mood to let him down easy so she opted for a rude shutdown, the kind that made a man rethink his life. She quirked her eyebrows up wearily and turned to him, readying herself.

It was then that somebody gently rested their hand on the small of her back. Startled, she looked down at the dusty, brown boots of the person standing next to her. Her gaze trailed up his worn black pants and dark plaid shirt until reaching the perpetrator's face. She knit her brow. What in the hell..., she thought, trying to figure out what was happening.

The brazen man with curly, brown hair looked down at her with a kind smile. Stubble covered half his face and his skin was bronzed by the sun.

She barely had time to register his attractive features when he opened his mouth and swiftly put a damper on her observations.

"Hey sweetheart, I saved us a table over there. I wasn't sure if you saw me or not."

If his cowboy getup didn't give him away, his drawl certainly did. He was a local. Extremely local. And extremely oblivious as to what he'd just walked in to.

She looked at him in disbelief. "Excuse me?" she scoffed, baffled by his tone of familiarity.

His easy grin slightly faded as he watched the other man slink back to his table. He whispered close to her ear, sending shivers down her neck, "I think he got the message."

Her body tensed as she realized that a complete stranger – though fine as hell and smelling like he'd just stepped out of a fresh shower – had his unwelcome hands on her. Her instinct was to start throwing elbows and knees but she restrained herself. She didn't want to draw any more attention to herself. It certainly wouldn't help in the long run.

She clenched her teeth and hissed menacingly, "Don't touch me."

The stranger furrowed his brow and looked down at her to see if she was serious. When he realized how upset she was, he promptly removed his hand from her back. "I didn't mean to overstep my bounds. I just thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong," she bluntly interrupted, giving him a look.

He eyes gleamed at him like polished obsidian, sharp enough to cut to the core of his being and strong enough to destroy any attempt at justifying himself. She was rightfully upset but there was something else in that glare that threw him off kilter. It was a familiar glint he had only ever seen in a mirror.

Guilt bubbled in his stomach. He felt as if he'd just taken a glance at something not meant for him. He lowered his gaze to the ground and nodded.

"Fair enough." He peeked up at her. "Sorry 'bout that, Miss...?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, both out of annoyance and because she wasn't sure what her assigned cover story was yet. She couldn't risk giving him her actual name or making one up. What if she saw him again? It wasn't like she was hoping for it to happen but, just in case, she needed to keep her stories straight.

When she didn't respond, he held up his hand in resignation. "I get it. You don't have to answer that." He tilted his head in an effort to dispel the tension. "I'm Rick, by the way."

She remained silent.

"I just thought I was helpin'," he attempted to explain.

She crossed her arms. "I didn't ask for your help."

He raised his eyebrow skeptically, feeling obligated to provide her with his reasoning. "Didn't think it was necessary given those two men were eyeing you with ill-intent the second you walked in."

She tilted her head unconvinced by his logic. "And yet, you were the one who touched me without my consent," she retorted.

She was appreciative of him keeping an eye out but she had to shrug off a feeling of uneasiness. He admitted to watching her from the moment she arrived. It was one thing to step in but another to admit to doing some leering of his own.

Though this 'Rick' seemed normal enough, she couldn't give him any room for argument. Good intentions or not, he was a strange man who'd laid hands on her. That wasn't going to fly in anybody's book. Besides, why would he feel the need to watch her? Who the hell was this guy?

He bit his bottom lip and rested his hands on his hips. "You're right. That wasn't my intention." He looked up at her ruefully through his fair eyelashes.

She turned and remained silent, resisting from giving him the eye contact he was trying to draw. Now was not the time to be making acquaintances with rugged cowboys, especially ones as fine-looking as him. She feigned disinterest, hoping to deter him from going down a path she could not follow.

A look of understanding crossed his features, recognizing the effort she was putting into brushing him off.

"Alright then," he said, eyeing her carefully, "I'll just be on my way."

"You do that," she murmured and resumed scrolling through her phone.

He nodded knowingly at her dismissiveness. She wasn't interested, that much was certain, and he wasn't the kind to push a lady into something she wasn't interested in. He began walking past her but decided to stop. If he was being dismissed, he wanted to make certain he didn't forget his manners.

She glanced up at him, surprised he was still there. Then the look in his eye caught her full attention.

He gazed at her with the intensity of powerful ocean waves beneath a cloudless sky. They swiftly drew her away from solid ground and crashed against her resolve. She sharply inhaled as her eyes glanced down at his tempting, pink lips. They gleamed at her, inviting her to brush against them to test their softness, to taste their assured sweetness.

She could almost imagine herself gently, tugging the bottom one between her teeth as she plunged her fingers into his curls and…what am I doing?

She blinked back up at him incredulously. When did she start fantasizing about kissing strangers in broad daylight? Apparently, being single for over a year was starting to take its toll. She could only pray her thoughts didn't show on her face.

After thoroughly searching her eyes, he gave her one final nod as if satisfied by what he'd awakened. "You have yourself a nice day, ma'am," he murmured in a voice so smooth she had to take a steadying breath.

He grinned at himself as he turned and walked away. He'd never pursue a lady disinterested but he wasn't against using his manners to pique her interest. He'd leave the rest up to her.

Her eyes followed his bow-legged swagger out the door. She continued staring long after he was gone as if in a trance. Cowboy had game, she'd give him that. And if she was there under different circumstances she would have most certainly investigated just how far his game could go, but not today. Not now. She had a job to do.

She shook her head at her distractibility just as her order was called and her phone rang. When the familiar selfie of her blonde best friend graced the screen, she quickly answered, "Remind me again why I'm here?" She mouthed a thank you to the barista before taking her iced coffee and leaving a tip in the jar.

"Ah, let's see. You wanted to expose the truth behind allegations of corruption and make a significant impact on, and I quote, 'putting an end to cartels thriving along the border'. At least, that's what you said after half a bottle of vodka. Or, wait, hold on, was it because you wanted to escape summer tourist season in New York? Hey, you! Yeah you! Get the fuck out of the way!"

Michonne knit her brow at the sudden insult, as she made herself comfortable at an empty table. "What?"

"Not you. Just a dumbass who doesn't know how to use the goddamn sidewalk. Move it, asshole! Anyway, how's Texas, babe?"

She smirked at her friend's open irritation. "You're losing your touch if you can't already tell by my voice."

"Hey, low blow. I'm distracted here. Just give me a second. I'm standing in front of the office right now. Let me just...," Michonne could hear muffled noises as she imagined her best friend hastily making her way into the building. "Okay, wait, yeah, there we go, made it. Alright, okay, let me hear that gorgeous voice of yours."

She sighed tiredly, looking out the window at the visible waves of heat coming off the pavement, second guessing her decision to take on this assignment for the hundredth time. "It's hot, Andrea, too fucking hot. I thought our summers were hot but this; this is hell."

"Texas? Hot? You don't say."

She frowned. "I don't appreciate the sarcasm."

"You sound grumpy."

"Ugh, it's too hot to even think." She took a long sip of her cool drink. "Mmm, damn, this is good iced coffee."

"Oh, well, that explains it. You still haven't had your coffee. Wait, iced, really?"

"Have you been listening to anything I've said?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's hot, got it. So, have you single-handedly brought down the cartel and are on your way back to write the article of the century, winning you award after award and then eventually the Nobel Peace Prize, yet?"

Michonne snorted softly, appreciating her friend's teasing attempts to cheer her up. "There's so much wrong with what you just said. And, no, I haven't even taken a shower yet."

"Nobel Peace Prize winners don't take showers!"

"I'll call you back when you're less sober."

"No! Who am I going to relieve all this pent up sarcasm with?"

"You'll just have to reveal your true colors."

"These people aren't ready to feel my wrath...are you, Sasha? Are you?! Sasha says hi."

"Mercy to those who have to put up with you for the next two months."

"Aw, you know you love me."

"Probably too much."

Her friend's tone changed. "Listen, you be careful, baby girl. Don't do anything stupid."

"It almost sounds like you care, Dre," she replied flippantly, deflecting from acknowledging the fear that was beginning to settle in her stomach.

"I'm serious, Michonne. Do the job and come right back home."

"I'll be fine. And I'll be home soon with the article of the century to remind people that newspapers still exist."

"You and I both know you have a better chance at winning the peace prize."

She was right. Journalism had become a world of miscommunication and manipulation. She could only attempt to uphold her integrity and expose corruption amongst those sworn to lead and protect, awards and circulation numbers be damned.

Michonne sighed morosely at the thought of the enormous task that lied before her, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Alright, you hang up this phone and get to work. We're not paying you to socialize."

"You're not paying me anything."

"Oh, speak of the Carol, here she comes. I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, babe."

"Bye, Dre."

"Bye, Chonne."

She lowered the phone, staring at the screen as the call ended. The nerves she'd been avoiding were beginning to form a tight knot in the back of her throat. Reality sank in.

She was about to immerse herself into an unknown world, over a year after she had plunged into a world of corruption and witnessed heart-crushing evil. Granted, that time around, she'd traded ten months of her life for a Pulitzer Prize and a lifetime of nightmares. This time around, it was only for two months. The risk of adding more dimensions to her existing nightmares was slim to none. Besides, she wasn't planning on leaving the safety of the Sun City for longer than a few moments at a time.

Yet, the logic wasn't enough.

Her nostrils filled with a sickening stench of smoke and blood. Her stomach churned, the sharp, sour taste of bile slithered on the back of her tongue. She squeezed her eyes shut.

The nightmares that plagued her dreams found their way into her daytime thoughts again. She clenched her teeth, her fingernails digging into her palms, and began the breathing exercises her therapist had taught her. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

She rolled her shoulders and neck, forcing herself to relax before a panic attack set in. She didn't have time to break down. She opened her eyes and stared at the glossy paper cup in front of her. She had a job to do. It was important. It made a difference.

She repeated the mantra in her head until she started to believe it was true. She just needed to keep her shit together long enough to see it through. She slowly squared her shoulders, summoning what was left of her confidence until a feeling of calm finally eased her nerves.

She could do this. She took a steadying breath. I can do this. She drank the rest of her coffee, conscientious of her breaths, and stood to leave.

With the cowboy a distant memory and the nightmares a conquered foe, she was prepared to take on whatever this assignment could throw at her. With each step, her confidence solidified and the prospect of facing another challenge empowered her. She pushed the glass door open, ready to face the heat.

Howdy!

So, what do you think so far? This is my first original, totally AU, multi-chapter story I've ever written. I'm a bit nervous about it but super excited to finally share it with you guys.

I have to admit, I've never been to Texas. All I know about the Lone Star state is what I dig up in my research and the information I get from interactions with family members who were from Texas. If there are any Texans reading and you feel like I'm getting something wrong, let me know. I do know I absolutely LOVE the quirky Texan sayings. They're so whimsical and perfect so I'm using them to title my chapters. Plus, I like to think it's a subtle nod to the late and great Abraham Ford. :)

I'd like to take a second to give a shout out to michonnesbooty on Tumblr. She graciously accepted to be my beta on this and did an absolutely lovely job! It's thanks to her I found enough confidence to share this with you. So thank you!

Anyway, I truly hope you enjoyed the first chapter to this story and I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks for reading!

Yours truly,

semul