Lacy
The image of the stranger lingers in the back of my mind as I navigate the dark underground garage of my apartment complex. My eyes dart to every corner, car, and person.
Once I’m safe inside the elevator headed to my floor, I let out a deep breath then lean against the back wall until it bounces to a stop. My door is just down the hall, and when I step through, I push it shut with a little more force than intended. The slam startles me and my heart skips a beat. I turn back and flip the lock, then drop my purse on the round table separating the small kitchen from the living area. All I want right now is to sit down, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I pick up the remote and turn on the news, then take a seat on my couch. The worn cushions feel like a cloud to my tired ass, and it’s not long before my eyes close.
With a jerk of my body, my eyes spring open and I’m overcome with confusion. As I scan the room, I realize I’d fallen asleep on the couch. Glancing at the screen on my phone, the large white numbers tell me I have less than an hour to get ready. I jump up and sprint to the bathroom.
After a quick shower, I wrap a robe around me, throw on a bit of makeup, then slide on a smooth red cotton sundress before combing out the tangles in my hair and throwing it in a messy bun. I manage to make it out the door with only minutes to spare.
***
When the taxi rounds the corner, my face drops at the line of people waiting for a seat in the busy restaurant. I’m hopeful my sister is already here and has a table for us. I exit the cab and weave through the large crowd, my pulse quickening at the proximity of bodies. Once I reach the hostess station, I release a deep breath and lean against the counter.
It’s not long before a lanky blonde with a set of perfectly straight, blinding white teeth greets me, “Good evening, ma’am. How many in y’all’s party?” Her Southern accent comes across as forced, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
I raise up on my toes and glance over her shoulder, scanning the restaurant for my sister while asking, “I’m actually meeting someone. Tracy James. Do you know if she’s here yet?”
“Well, let’s have a look.” Thumbing through her register, she scans the pages, then stabs at a name with an index finger. “Yes, ma’am. Looks like we’ve seated Ms. James already. Charlotte here…” she extends her arm to a petite brunette, “will escort you to your table. Thank you for dining with us.”
As we approach the table, I take in my sister’s appearance. Her hair has been smoothed back into a low bun and her wrinkled clothing replaced with a sunshine yellow maxi dress that’s accented with a wide floral print hem. She looks beautiful, but her put together exterior doesn’t reach her eyes. The transparent blue orbs swirl with emotion.
I lower in the seat across from her, and my eyes drop to her neck where faint purple lines mar her skin. I nod toward the marks. “Are you okay?”
A hand goes to her neck and her eyes lower to the table. “I’m okay now. I will admit though, the whole thing freaked me the fuck out, and when I saw the bruises, I cried.”
I move next to her and give her a tight squeeze. “We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” She meets my gaze when I lean in to get her attention. “We can grab a cab and order in. I have wine.”
She shakes her head and waves away the idea while pulling away from me. “No, no, it’s okay. I want to stay. As you said, we could both use a drink.” With a weak smile and a nod toward the surrounding tables, she whispers, “Everyone is looking at us.”
I turn and scan the room. “They sure are. Well, all except that couple who looks like they could have a quickie right there on the table. I wonder if they even realize they’re in a restaurant.”
We both giggle, but our smiles fade when the waiter approaches.
His scowl and posture give off an arrogant vibe that thickens the air. When he begins reciting the specials, his monotone voice is robotic. My lips curve up when my sister stops him with her raised hand and gives him our orders. He turns on a heel and retreats to the kitchen.
“So, I had something interesting happen to me today,” I say, while swirling the ice in my glass of water.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“Well…” I shift in my seat, “on the way to my car this afternoon after work, I saw someone—a man, I think—staring at me from the trees. I couldn’t see his face because of the shadows, but shadows or not, I could tell he was huge—like bodybuilder huge.”
“Wow, that’s creepy. Did you call the police?”
“I really didn’t think to call anyone. When he caught me looking, he ducked behind a tree…” I shiver at the thought, “and I didn’t stick around.”
“Yeah, it’s probably good you didn’t. If you see him again, you should definitely call the police.”
I nod in agreement, then move back to the seat across from Tracy and let the subject of the stranger drift to the back of my mind.
Once our food does arrive, the savory scent of steak fills my senses, but after revisiting the events of the day, my appetite is minimal, and I end up pushing around the contents of my plate. “I’m heading over to the bar to get something stronger to drink. You want anything?” I stand and wait for her answer. Nothing. When I glance down, I see she’s on her phone, so I reach across the table and tap her on the head. “Tracy?” When her eyes meet mine, her brows are raised in question. “I said I’m going to get us some drinks. Do you want something different?” I tilt my head toward her glass of water.
“Oh…um, a vodka and tonic? Make it a double.”
Weaving through tables, I reach the bar where I find every barstool full and a line starting to form with people waiting to order drinks. I take a place behind an older gentleman, then pull out my phone and scroll through the screen.
“Who’s next?” the bartender yells.
As I step forward, my face still in my phone, I don’t have time to react when the older gentleman comes into view and I bump into him, almost knocking both drinks out of his hands. “I’m so sorry, sir! Are you okay?”
With roaming eyes, he looks me over from head to toe. “I’m as fine as you are, miss. Would you like to join us for a drink?” he asks, pointing across the bar to a table where two men with thin grey hair and creased skin sit. I offer them my flashiest smile, then return my gaze to the older gentleman, and find him staring at my boobs.
When I clear my throat, he brings his eyes back to mine. “I’m actually here with someone. Thank you for the offer, though.”
He shrugs, then turns to walk away, but not before tossing over his shoulder, “Your loss.”
I place my order with the bartender and lean against the counter, staring toward the older gentlemen’s table. My lips curve into a smile. It’s not as though I haven’t been hit on before, but generally, it’s by men well below the age of retirement.
When the drinks slide before me, I turn back toward the bar and present my card to pay, but the bartender waves my hand away.
“It’s already been taken care of by the gentleman sitting over there.” She points to the corner of the bar.
I expect it to be the table of older gentlemen, but she taps me on the shoulder and I follow her finger.
The way the sun’s casting shadows in the bar, I’m not able to make out his face, but from the angle of his body, it’s easy to tell he’s looking directly at me. And even though he’s sitting, his size is very similar to the guy from Magnolia Woods. That thought alone raises the hair on the back of my neck. When he lifts his glass, tilting it in my direction, my hands begin trembling and I almost drop the drinks I’m holding.