The Last Grimm_Red's Hood

by H. L. Wampler

  “No, but with your age and the intern application you sent in; I made an exception. I was pleasantly surprised.”

  “So, do you want my resume?” I asked looking down at the papers in my hands.

  “I’ll take it for my files, but I already made up my mind,” she stated mater-of-factly.

  “So, that means I got the position?”

  “For now.”

  I took a deep breath, slowly letting it out, trying to get my stomach to return to where it belonged, down below my heart. I got to my feet, forcing my legs to stop shaking, and shook Belinda’s hand.

  “Thank you so much, Miss Hexe.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight. I’ll have the appropriate paper work faxed to your school.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Miss Hexe?” a devastatingly handsome man walked into the room his eyes glued to the papers in his hands.

  The man was young, maybe twenty or twenty-one, tall with brown hair and the clearest blue eyes. I had never seen another guy like him. His flawless features and statuesque frame kept me hypnotized. I was afraid to blink. I was afraid if I closed my eyes for even a split second I’d wake up from the dream, and he’d be gone.

  “I’m in the middle of something, Connor.”

  He has a name!

  “Oh, my apologies,” he finally looked up, glancing at me, “I wanted to let you know that I fixed the bugs with the website. It should be ready in a few days.”

  His eyes roved over my body, ending at my face. Our gazes seemed to collide like two Ferraris at high speed. The energy that emanated between us really shocked me. I could feel my heart skip a beat, my breath hitched in my throat, and my stomach went right back to somersaulting.

  “That’s wonderful, Connor. Thank you,” Belinda said, stone faced.

  I wondered if she could make any other facial expressions. She definitely had one too many rounds of Botox. All I could do was stare at him though. For whatever reason, I could not take my eyes off of him. He continued talking to Belinda, going through the papers with her while I stood there slack jawed, gawking. He let his beautiful blue eyes flicker to me and linger while he talked with Belinda. He didn’t seem to care that I had been standing there like a school girl staring at her favorite ice cream. My face flushed, and I could feel my cheeks burning. The humiliation was evident on my face. He caught me staring and I could do nothing about it.

  I stood there for the rest of the time with my eyes glued to my shoes. I didn’t dare look up or make eye contact with the gorgeous Connor. I could still feel the heat on my cheeks as he left the office. It was insane to think someone of his caliber would even harbor thoughts of someone like me. Someone so plain and ordinary.

  “I’m sorry about that, Abigail. Do you have any questions or concerns?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank you again, Miss Hexe.”

  I turned and quickly headed down the hallway, running right into him.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” I stuttered bending down to help him pick up the papers he dropped.

  “No problem. You’re the new girl?”

  “Um, yeah. I start in the morning. It was really by luck I got the position I think,” I quickly got quiet, “I’m babbling. I’m sorry; I don’t know what came over me.”

  A smile crept across his face, “It’s alright. Babbling happens.”

  He extended his hand to shake mine. Completely dazed by his beauty, I let him take hold of it. As our hands locked I felt an exhilarating rush run through my body. I quickly pulled my hand away and clasped it with my other. I blushed and looked down, embarrassed. I hoped he couldn’t hear my heart pounding. It felt like it could burst through my chest at any moment and land on the floor right there.

  “Cool. Well, I’ll see you in the morning,” his soothing voice reverberated throughout my body.

  He flashed a smile, and I couldn’t help but watch the graceful Adonis glide toward a door at the end of the hall.

  Blanche, the bottle blonde, had resumed her position at the desk, snapping her gum even louder.

  “Bye, Connor,” she called adoringly.

  I walked around to grab my coat when she saw me and the smile quickly faded.

  “Good you’re done,” she hit a button on the intercom, “I’m taking lunch now, Miss Hexe.”

  “Fine,” the now quieter response came through.

  “See you in the morning,” I mumbled.

  “You got the internship?” she stared at me like I had a horn growing out of my forehead.

  “Yeah, I start tomorrow.”

  “Great,” she sighed while rolling her eyes.

  I wasn’t sure what her problem was. She must have been born a bitch. What other explanation was there? She slid into a little red jacket while I put on my own pea coat. Unfortunately we ended up on the elevator together. It had to be the most awkward ride in elevator history. Blanche stood on one side, I on the other, in dead silence. I made sure to take my time getting off and walking across the lobby, giving her plenty of time to power walk out of the building. She did impress me for half a second. She power walked in those stilettos and six inches of snow like nobody's business. That was no easy task, even I had to give her credit for that.

  From the top step, I could see the red hood bob out of sight.

  Chapter Three

  I tightened the scarf around my neck and felt confident enough to head to my own bus stop. Market Square was deserted and it was a relief. Most of the little shops that surrounded the place were closed down. No doubt because of the horrendous weather. One little shop off to the side still had a warm glow coming from the window. It was probably the place producing the amazing coffee smell. Despite the bitter cold and craving for good coffee, I kept going to the bus stop.

  I stood near the sign just waiting I wanted nothing more than to get into my own car. Oh the heated seats and blasting hot air would definitely thaw out my poor frozen body. It was somewhat disconcerting standing alone at the bus stop though. Apparently everyone else found other modes of transportation to work, or they called off. The nylons on my legs did little to protect my skin from the bitter cold wind. This just solidified my wanting a parking lease even more.

  “Hey, you!”

  I turned to the voice and saw the guy from Belinda’s office quickly walking towards me.

  I looked around, then back at him, “Who? Me?”

  “Yeah. Why are you standing out here in the cold?”

  I pointed up at the bus stop sign, “Waiting.”

  “You don’t drive?”

  “I do, but in my infinite wisdom this morning thought I’d save thirty bucks and park at the mall. The bus seemed like a good idea then.”

  “Oh. Well, you look cold.”

  “I am,” I said through chattering teeth.

  “Come on then.”

  “Where? The bus should be here in twenty minutes, I don’t want to miss it,” I said.

  "You’re not waiting out here for a bus. I’ll drive you to your car.”

  “It’s kind of far from here.”

  “It’s fine. I like to drive,” he insisted.

  “Are you some sort of serial killer or something? You’re being awfully insistent on getting me to go with you.”

  He laughed and ran his fingers through his already messy hair, “I’m a nice guy is all. If you want to wait, that’s fine. You can freeze your tail off

  He turned and started walking down the sidewalk. It was though he didn’t even care that I said no. I looked around and as an unforgiving winter wind blasted my already numb body, I ran after him.

  “Hey! Um, I’ll take you up on that offer,” I smiled meekly.

  “I figured you would,” he laughed. “Your name is?”

  “Oh, I’m Abigail. My friends call me Abs or Abby.”

  “I’m…”

  I cut
him off, “Connor. I heard Belinda say it.”

  He laughed again. His eyes twinkled a bit, if a guys can twinkle, “Yes, I’m Connor Guy. Well, Abigail, it’s nice to officially meet you.”

  “Same here,” I said, trying to suppress a smile and giggle that wanted to escape.

  “Would you like some coffee?” he asked suddenly.

  “Huh?”

  “Coffee? Cappuccino? It’s cold and there’s a nice coffee shop around the corner.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure. That’d be great.”

  We took a quick right turn, and the smell of brewing coffee greeted us. It was the same coffee place I smelled walking across the Square. It was a distinct robust blend with a hint of peppermint. I'm not sure I had ever smelled a more magnificent smell before. The aroma of the different flavors wafted from a small shop a few stores down. Looking around I realized we had walked in a big circle. We were back in Market Square, so it was the same place. The green and red awning that protected the worn green store front was burdened down with snow. The vinyl slumped under the weight, and occasionally a merciless lump of white powder fell to the ground. Connor held the door open for me, and we stepped into the small shop. The wooden walls were lined with coffee, tea and coffee accessories. The store was definitely one of the most morning beverage oriented shops I’d ever been in. I browsed around looking at the different flavors. There were bolds, milds, French pressed, morning, robust, and flavored. There were different sized coffee mugs, travel mugs, percolators, and coffee snacks lined against another wall.

  “You like coffee?”

  “I’m a freshman in college. I live on coffee.”

  “Same here. Come on, they have some great stuff ready.”

  “Okay,” I let him lead me through the muddled shop to the front counter where steaming pots were sitting behind it.

  A cheerful and plump older woman stood ready to take our order. Her graying hair was tied up in a loose bun and her rosy cheeks looked like they were threatening to fall off if she smiled any harder.

  “Hello!” her deep baritone voice boomed.

  “Hi,” I squeaked out.

  “Coffee?”

  “Yes. Two French vanillas with double shot of espresso please and an extra shot of vanilla in each,” Connor said pulling out his wallet.

  “You’re paying for my coffee?” I whispered.

  “Sure. Think of it as a welcome to the office,” he winked.

  I blushed and stood there waiting.

  “You two sure picked a heck of a day to come out,” the older woman, whose name tag read Peggy, said handing over the cups.

  “We just got finished at the office,” Connor said, handing one of the hot cups to me.

  Peggy looked at me suspiciously, “You look awful young for a business lady.”

  “I’m an intern still in college for a few more years.”

  She got a wide smile on her face and laughed a deep, hearty laugh.

  “Thanks,” Connor waved as we headed out the door. “Now we go to my car.”

  “That’s some place.”

  “I go there all the time. Peg is one happy woman.”

  “That is an understatement,” I said.

  We walked shoulder to shoulder down the sidewalk. I didn’t even notice that the streets were practically deserted. I always knew it was cold by how many people were out walking around or waiting for buses. A smile was plastered to my face. My cheeks were actually sore from smiling so much. Connor led me to a small parking lot halfway across the city. My feet, legs and hands were numb by the time we reached his car. I almost wished I had caught the bus. Hell, I’d be half way to my own car by now. Of course, I wasn’t going to be assaulted by awful odors, smashed by other people's large bodies, and the company was vastly different. My fingers were crossed that his personality matched his devastatingly good looks.

  Chapter Four

  We sat in the car as it heated up. I never sat on heated leather seats before, but I liked it. The only thing missing was a massager. He pulled out of the lot and onto the snow covered street. A few buses sat at the stops, waiting for people. He whipped his car around the narrow streets until the highway stretched in front of us. Snow didn’t seem to bother him at all. I held onto the door handle watching as the skyscrapers quickly disappeared behind us. It was definitely faster than taking a lumbering bus.

  “Snow tires?” I asked nervously.

  “Had them put on last week,” he said stepping on the accelerator to beat a yellow light.

  “Great,” I said tightening my seat belt.

  “I’ve never wrecked,” he smiled broadly at me.

  “There’s always a first for everything.”

  The silhouette of the mall came into view beyond the bare trees. His sleek, black BMW swung into the nearly empty parking lot. My Volvo sat at the end of the lot, lonely and snow covered.

  “Well, Connor, thank you for the ride,” I said, my shaking fingers releasing the seat belt.

  “It was no problem, Abs,” he smiled, his burning gaze smoldering into my own.

  The sound of my name rolling off his tongue sounded like heaven. I felt my heart speed up a bit, my cheeks flushed again, and my poor stomach started to flip. I tried pulling my hand away, but he just tightened his grip.

  “I’m glad you got the internship,” he said.

  “Th-thanks,” I smiled, hoping my foundation concealed my flushing cheeks.

  He released my hand after a few seconds and left me sitting there dazed. I shakily reached out for the door handle and fumbled to pull on it.

  “Do you need help?” he asked running his fingers through his hair.

  No, but I would love to get my fingers in that hair of yours! I thought to myself.

  “No, I’m fine,” I wrapped my sweaty hand around the handle a second time, and succeeded at opening the door.

  I dug through my purse clumsily, cursing myself for having absolutely no game with guys. I clicked the automatic unlocker and plopped into my driver’s seat. Starting the ignition, I jumped at the sound of a honking horn. I looked up and over at Connor’s car sitting parallel to mine. He motioned with his hand for me to put my window down.

  “What? Did I forget something?” I asked.

  “Do you have a cell phone?”

  “I’m sorry, what?” I asked again.

  “A cell phone, do you have one?” Connor asked.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Let me see it,” he held out his hand.

  I arched my eyebrows at him in confusion.

  “Just let me see your phone. I promise I’m not going to do anything to it.”

  “Okay,” I handed him the phone through the windows.

  He took it and quickly typed something into the keypad, and handed it back.

  “My number. If you ever want to talk or anything, call me,” he winked and drove off.

  I quickly scrolled through my contacts and found his name right there.

  Connor Guy. What a name. What a guy.

  While staring at the number it dawned on me that he did not have my number.

  ME: Connor, since I have your number

  You should have mine. See you tomorrow.

  I hit send and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. As I put the car into gear, about to pull out of the lot, my ringtone started going off. My first thought jumped to Connor, but why would he be calling me?

  I scrambled for the phone and checked the caller I.D. Anna.

  Geez.

  “Hi Anna.”

  “How did it go?” the excited voice on the other end asked.

  “It was fine,” I said.

  “Just fine?” she asked.

  “Yeah, just fine.”

  “Fine enough to get the position?”

  “What are you? My mom? Yeah, I got it."

  I pulled the phone away as her high pitched squeal came through.

  “So are there any cute boys?”

  “Come on, Anna, I’m not doing this to find
a guy. It’s educational.”

  “Oh, so there is.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “No,” I repeated.

  “Yes.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I knew it! Is he hot?”

  “I guess. I don’t know,” I muttered. “I’ll call you back. I’m driving right now.”

  Before she could say anything else, I ended the call. The thought of Connor distracted me enough on my drive home, I didn’t need Anna beating my ear off.

  Everybody always wondered how we became and stayed best friends. Our personalities were so vastly different, but we seemed to mesh well. Her fiery personality and bluntness amazed me. She always had a witty come back, and never took shit from anybody. Me on the other hand, well timid fit a lot better. I hated confrontation and being in the spotlight. Maybe that was why we got along so well. I didn’t steal her attention.

  I heard my phone beep and knew Anna was upset. I smiled; she always seemed to get mad at me over such small things.

  Abigail, you asshole.

  You have blue tooth through

  That car of yours. Call me.

  I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the screen.

  Dearest Anna,

  Later.

  My house was dark and desolate. Mom had forgotten to turn on the porch light for me again.

  "Mom?"

  "Office," came a muffled response.

  I looked down the small hallway and saw soft light sneaking out from under the office door.

  "I'm home mom," I said opening the door.

  "I see," she said with her nose buried in a newspaper.

  "No book tonight?" I asked.

  "After I read this. Apparently the police found some junkie dead in the middle of downtown this morning. It’s the fifth attack in two weeks."

  "Really?" I didn't remember seeing any police hovered around anything when I went to my interview.

  "Yeah, they said it's the third attack in two weeks."

  "Wow. That's really scary," I turned and headed toward the kitchen, “I’m eating and going to bed.”

  "What's really funny," mom continued as I was leaving, "everyone who had been attacked was wearing some sort of red hooded jacket or sweater."

  I stopped while walking out the door, and remembered the junkie on the bus this morning.