by Pierce, SJ
While considering her next move, something flew at her from the right.
Cling-clang!
She shrieked and stumbled sideways, wobbling on her heels. Someone had walked through the door she passed in front of, and the jingling of the bells tied to the door handle had startled her.
The lady that emerged paused to stare at her with laughter close to bursting from her lips, and she turned to walk down the sidewalk in the same direction Alyx had come from. Alyx didn’t have the wits about her to care that the woman had given her a patronizing look, although, embarrassment tugged at her pride.
She slid her purse strap back over her shoulder to continue on her way when she remembered the woman held a steaming cup of coffee, which meant, she was exactly where she needed to be. She spun around to walk into the coffee shop to place her order, when her shaky ankles pled with her to sit and rest.
One empty table sat lonely in the corner of the shop by the window, so she made her way there and pooled into the chair.
“You okay today, Alyx?” the barista asked from behind the counter as he wiped his hands on his apron.
“I’m fine. I just need to rest a minute.”
“Your usual, then?”
“Yes, please.”
He turned to make her order, and she rested her cheek upon her folded arms. Was she going crazy? Were her experiences a hallucination of some sort? Even though both possibilities seemed plausible, she knew better, because even if her mind played tricks on her, her tingling scar made it all the more real. What does this mean? she thought. With each encounter, her desperation over it amplified, but she would have to bear this burden alone. A human’s shoulder was no place for her unearthly burdens. She would have to continue following her instincts and run away.
“Alyx!” the barista yelled. “Order’s up!”
She stood from her chair with sturdy legs and went to pay for the lattes.
* * *
Thankfully, Alyx made it back to the building without encountering the man again, but his presence that morning troubled her all the same. It took her ten times longer to read an email or enter a new client into the database. Today would not be a very productive day. When she attempted to push it to the back of her mind, her new commitment to Benjamin and letting go of her ‘painter man’ made their way to the forefront; there were beginning to be too many emotions to juggle.
As she vacantly stared at a company memo, her Instant Messenger popped up in the bottom corner of the computer screen. Cindra. I assume there wasn’t a proposal last night, or I would have heard about it! she typed.
Alyx smiled and positioned her fingertips over the keyboard, surprised that it had taken her friend this long to get the scoop and that her phone wasn’t flooded with texts as soon as she woke. I got a proposal alright, just not the one you were hoping! lol He asked me to move in.
It took a solid five minutes for her to respond, probably because she was either celebrating the news or had a momentary distraction, but when she finally did, a smiley face emoticon came up along with a Congratulations!
* * *
Five minutes before lunchtime, Alyx typed an email to Cindra. Hey, girl, Frederick offered to take me to lunch and told me to bring a friend. Stacey might join us too. This would be an excellent opportunity for you to schmooze! Say you’ll go!
Within seconds of sending, her phone rang. Cindra’s desk extension. Alyx grinned as she picked up the receiver. “That was fast!”
“Consider me there,” she blurted, her enthusiasm practically radiating through the phone.
“Do you need longer to think about it?” she teased.
“Did that seem desperate?”
“Only a tiny bit, but I’m glad you’re going. Meet us at the elevators in thirty minutes.”
“See you then!”
“See you then,” she echoed and returned to playing solitaire on her desktop.
Alyx had stopped pretending to be interested in her work because getting anything done in a timely manner seemed next to impossible. Maybe leaving for lunch and conversing with other people would help direct her mind somewhere else and re-energize her work ethic.
Frederick yawned as he emerged from his office and handed her a folder. “Can you file this under Mr. Whitman’s case?”
“Sure, and maybe you should get an espresso with your lunch today,” she said as she plunked it into her desk drawer.
“That actually sounds like a great idea. You ready yet?”
“Lets do it!”
Alyx grabbed her purse, and they stopped by Stacey’s office on the way.
“You coming?” Frederick mouthed.
Stacey shook her head and pointed to the phone. “I’ll be awhile,” she whispered.
Frederick nodded, and they waved bye as they made their way toward the elevators to meet Cindra.
* * *
With their heels clacking against the pavement, they hurried along the sidewalk. Another storm system had rolled in and the dark sky reminded them that rain wasn’t too far behind. Frederick warned them that it was quite a walk but insisted that they go to the highly esteemed bistro off of North Highland Avenue. He tried it last week while out to lunch with an associate and deemed it the best place to get a sandwich in the city.
“What’s the deal with this weather?” Cindra huffed.
Frederick smoothed his hair with his hand, the humidity causing his usually straight, slick hair to frizz. “I know! One day it’s nice, one day it’s cloudy and cold.”
“You guys realize this is Georgia, right?” Alyx said with her arms crossed over her chest to keep warm. She should have borrowed one of Benjamin’s jackets, even though it would have swallowed her whole. “It should be expected.”
“Too true,” Frederick replied.
When the banter died down, a bout of awkward silence followed. Alyx hoped that Cindra wouldn’t clam up just because they were eating with ‘Casanova’ today. If I have to, I’ll pep talk her in the bathroom, she resolved.
Three blocks away from the bistro, they approached a homeless woman pandering on the sidewalk, asking passer-by’s for money to get a meal. Her short, scraggily hair peeked from under a knitted cap with holes, and her wild eyes drooped with exhaustion. Frederick wedged himself between the wily looking woman and the girls to shield them from her attempts to hassle them.
“Could any of you spare any change?” the beggar asked, her raspy voice choking as she spoke.
“Keep walking,” Frederick insisted, turning his back to her.
Remembering how big the old bum’s eyes were the other night when she offered over her food, Alyx couldn’t bear the thought of the old woman going hungry. She slowed to a stop and rummaged through her purse to find the five dollar bill she had left over from the cab fare.
The woman hobbled toward her. “Bless you, child.”
When she thanked her, Frederick and Cindra stopped and turned. Frederick threw his hands in the air. “She’s just going to buy booze with it,” he griped.
“You’re welcome,” Alyx said to the lady as she lifted the bill from her hand. When she caught up with her lunch mates, they glared at her with crossed arms. Cindra’s teeth chattered violently from the cold. “Sorry, guys.”
“You would save the world if you could, wouldn’t you?” Frederick scoffed.
Cindra bumped into her with her shoulder. “I’ve always said she’s as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside.”
Three, chilly minutes later, they approached the block that housed the reputable bistro, and a troubling realization hit Alyx like a ton of bricks. Oh my God, I hope it’s not HIS bistro. “What’s this place called again?” she asked casually. She had been there three years ago out of necessity to see where he worked, but she hadn’t been back. Plenty of other restaurants littered the same block, so she hoped he wouldn’t say –
“The Market,” he replied.
Her high heels skidded to a stop. Cindra peered curiously over her shoulder, and Aly
x walked forward again while throwing a smile on her face. If her friend caught wind that something was up, a barrage of questioning would ensue. Maybe he’s not working today, she thought with a fragile hope.
She focused in on her draw to get a feel for where he resided, and the pull was strong, practically tugging from the center of her chest in the direction of the bistro. She let it go and stumbled backward. He’s definitely there. She shook her head woefully and forced her feet to trudge over the concrete. It would only figure that just as she had resolved to let him go, she would eat at his restaurant today.
Frederick and Cindra walked in first, and as Alyx held the glass door open, she considered letting it shut behind them and running down the sidewalk to escape the impending torture. If it weren’t for her boss being there, she would have seriously considered it.
As they stood in the narrow waiting area, she discreetly skimmed over the faces in the restaurant while swiping on some chapstick. Maybe he’s on break.
“Right this way,” a sweet voice said, and the hostess led them to a square, wooden table close to the bathrooms.
While she informed them about the soups of the day, Alyx recognized his familiar silhouette from the corner of her eye, and an electric current rolled up her spine, goose bumps covering her skin. As her ‘painter man’ passed their table to the other side of the restaurant, she attempted to remain calm and stoic. Drawing attention to herself was out of the question.
After they had placed their orders, Alyx excused herself to the bathroom to further compose herself.
“I’ll come too,” Cindra said as she scampered behind her.
Alyx rolled her eyes. She needed a moment alone, and with Cindra that was impossible. She busted through the door of the two-stall bathroom and went to the stall in the back.
“I have to say, girl, I have no idea what to say to him,” Cindra said as she preened her hair in the mirror. “My crush on him is starting to bite me in the ass.
Alyx barely listened to her rambling, but gave a courteous “mmm hmm” to pretend as though she were. She leaned against the marble stall with her eyes closed to still her frayed nerves.
“Maybe I should think of something to talk about other than the weather, but I don’t know how I’ll manage that when he’s sitting only a foot away from me.
“Mmm hmm.”
“Anyhow, I’m heading back to the table,” she said and opened the door to the bathroom. “You alright?”
A quiet sigh rushed through her nose to force the words. “I’m fine, see you in a sec.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, and hey, ask him about his marathon training. He’ll talk your ear off.” Maybe that will throw her off my scent.
“Thanks, girl!”
The moment her friend disappeared through the door, Alyx reasoned that her reaction to being there was silly. Her ‘painter man’ didn’t know who she was or what she had been up to. As far as he was concerned, she was just another customer. With her eyes still closed, she imagined clinging to the promise she made to Benjamin. If she could hold on to that, ignoring him would be a piece of cake. I can’t let him have this hold on me anymore.
With her hands balled into courageous fists, she made her way back to the table.
A few minutes later, they were deep into a conversation about marathon running when his silhouette strode by their table again. He glanced at them as he passed and did a double take once he had made it behind the counter. She drew in a quick breath, and her fingernails dug into her legs. It’s fine. His lean form continued to the kitchen in the back, and she allowed her breath to escape.
Her attention refocused on Fredericks’ description of his meal plans before a big race, and just as her nerves settled again, he emerged from the kitchen with plates of food on a rectangular tray. When his path didn’t divert around their table this time, she snatched her phone that lay beside her and pretended to text, typing random keys. If she looked him in the eyes all of her confidence would ruin, and her grip on her promise to Benjamin would certainly falter.
His dark green apron met the edge of their table, and her face drew closer to the screen, her thumbs clicking away at her faux text conversation. “Here’s your food!” he said.
With those three little words, his smooth Irish accent pierced her through the heart and her thumbs froze on the key pad. “Your waitress asked for my help. Her section is slammed. Who has the turkey and swiss with potato soup?
Without looking up from the phone, she popped her hand into the air, and he placed the plate in front of her. She knew her shameless disregard for his hospitality appeared rude, but she didn’t care, she didn’t dare look at him now -- the very sound of his voice jostled the cage she had locked all over again last night.
“And, Frederick, you must have the roast beef and cheddar?” he asked and placed the next plate down.
Nice, he’s on a first name basis with my boss.
Frederick rubbed his hands together vigorously as he stared at his sandwich. “You know it!”
“They already know your name here?” Cindra asked with a giggle.
He peered up at her ‘painter man’. “I made quite the impression, didn’t I, Isaac?”
Isaac, she thought as she continued with her pretend texting. He looks like an Isaac.
Isaac patted him on the shoulder in a friendly way. “I’ll just say that I’ve never had a customer so… enthused over our food,” he said and shifted his gaze toward Alyx. “And ma’am, you look familiar. Do I know you?”
Know me?! she thought, and her attention jerked away from the phone. The suggestion that he knew her from somewhere was enough to break her determination to avoid him. The grip on her promise to Benjamin had finally slipped.
When their eyes met, the electric surge rolled through her body again, and her desire reached through its cage and fused with the instinctual draw to him. They intertwined, like a tightly bound rope, undecipherable as to which was which. It happened involuntarily, as though it was being done without her permission, and was so intense that it pulled at her to stand and walk to him. To stay grounded, she locked her ankles around the metal chair legs.
As her wide eyes remained fixated on his, she expected him to squirm from the heavy silence, but he only regarded her with a polite, crooked grin on his face, piercing her heart for a second time. Each one produced a wave of sharp pain, but she much enjoyed the sensation. She shook her head in an attempt to refocus, to bring herself back down from the clouds, and cleared her throat. “I, um, I’m not sure. I don’t believe we’ve ever met.”
His grinned widened. “I swear I’ve at least ran into you before.”
Breaking his fascination with her, a customer motioned to him for assistance. “Excuse me. Enjoy your meals,” he said and was off.
During the conversation, Frederick became disinterested and now played with his spoon, swirling it around his coffee mug, but Cindra had been highly aware of every aching moment. Her eyebrows sprang upward, and she pointed a chipped fingernail at Alyx. “You’re gonna tell me what that was about,” she mouthed.
Alyx hunched over her plate with embarrassment. I should have never walked through that door.
* * *
With a light mist dusting their faces, they hustled back to the office to beat the rain. Cindra and Frederick walked a few paces ahead of her, chattering away, which Alyx appreciated because it gave her a moment to process what had happened. So many times before she had imagined what it would be like to meet him in person, never anticipating it would ever come to fruition, and today, unintentionally, it became a thrilling reality.
He was more handsome in person than she had expected, even in his dark green work apron and latex gloves. It wasn’t because she saw him up close; he looked exactly how she expected. It was the way he spoke, his accent, his mysterious eyes, oh, his eyes studying her for once. For the past three months, she had been the one doing the studying. Being the other way around this time, it slightly unnerved he
r, but she couldn’t deny that her head still floated amongst the clouds.
CHAPTER 5:
Out with a Bang
It could have been the way her silken, black hair fell around her shoulders, or the way her wide, chocolate brown eyes gazed into his as though it weren’t for the first time, but something told Isaac that he had seen this attractive woman before who sat at table seven.
During their meal, he eavesdropped on their conversation as he walked back and forth from the dining area to the kitchen, but his efforts to get her name were hardly a success. She mainly sat in silence, disconnected from the other two’s repartee. The only thing he knew for certain was that she worked for Frederick as his assistant.
After they had disappeared through the glass door, he went to the register to see if the woman he recognized used a card. He sifted through their waitress’ card slips underneath the till, but found only one receipt for a Fredrick D. Bachman with all three meals accounted for. Damn, he paid.
He stacked the receipts as neatly as he had found them and stood behind the counter chewing on the end of a straw, staring at the chair she sat hunched over in. He couldn’t believe he would ever forget a striking face such as hers. Although, it evoked a strange longing inside, almost disturbing.
“Daydreaming again, Isaac?” Tanya asked, snapping her fingers in his face, “table five asked me to find you. They need their check.”
Isaac jerked from his trance. “Sorry, boss!”
She squatted next to him to grab a few clean glasses from under the counter and peered back up at him. Even as he worked at the register to get the correct total for the bill, he gazed over at the empty table with his eyes focused on her chair.
“It was that girl, wasn’t it?” she asked as she stood, placing her hand on her hip.
Isaac shook his head with pursed lips. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”
“Don’t lie to me, Lucky Charms,” she teased, and her round face drew into a smirk, “I saw the way you looked at her. I haven’t seen you look at a woman like that, well, since I’ve known you.”