I waited impatiently as a couple stared at the flavor list above my head. They’d been in the frozen yogurt shop for twenty minutes already. We only offered a dozen flavors. The decision couldn’t have been that hard to make. “We close at nine.” I used the most polite voice possible, but, as it was 8:56, I figured they needed a reminder.

I was in a bad mood before they walked in. I was trying to make sense of a crazy dream—or at least I thought it was a dream. It was as if memories randomly showed up in my head with no warning. The problem was with every passing second, they were becoming harder and harder to remember. I needed this couple to leave so I could concentrate before it completely disappeared. Normally I didn’t care about analyzing my dreams, but this was different. I hadn’t even remembered having the dream until hours after waking up.

“That means you don’t let new customers in after nine. We’re already here. You can’t kick us out.” The guy wrapped his arm around his date’s waist. “Don’t worry, baby. There’s no rush.”

I bit my tongue. Who did this clown think he was? If I wasn’t certain the guy would report me and get me fired, I would have given him a piece of my mind. Instead I started wiping up a sticky spot on the counter I’d overlooked earlier. Now who was that guy from my dream? The one with the piercing eyes? I struggled to remember. I needed someone like him in my life. Someone to save me from my perpetual position as TV sitcom friend. You know the type: the boring one that serves no purpose except to make the main character seem more interesting. That was me.

“Can I try the vanilla again? I’m not sure I liked it.” The girl pointed at the hard yogurt in the case in front of her.

Seriously? Who tried vanilla twice? I mean everyone in the world knew what that flavor tasted like. I gritted my teeth. “Sure.” I picked up one of the small pink spoons and scooped a tiny amount. I handed it to her.

She tasted it. “I’m still not sure.”

I glanced at the neon colored clock by the door. It was two minutes after nine now. “I’m sorry, but I really have to close.”

“No you don’t. You’re going to let my girlfriend take her time and pick a flavor.” The guy puffed out his chest like that was supposed to intimidate me or something.

I sighed before glancing at the clock again. I was going to be late meeting my friends for drinks. Or really my friend Grace and her other friends. Saying it in the plural made it sound better.

“Is the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor good?” The girl batted her long eyelashes. I’d have bet a lot they were fake—and not the good fake kind.

“If you like cookie dough, yes.”

She nodded as though I’d just shared some life altering secret. “Can I try that one too?”

I sighed again. “Sure.” I took out another pink spoon.

She tried it. “I changed my mind. I don’t want anything.” The girl turned toward the door.

“I agree. Horrible service here.” The guy followed her and slammed the door behind him.

I silently cursed them while I wiped down the rest of the counter. There was a time in my life when I got along with everyone. That time had come and passed. Now I was lucky if I could handle being in the same room as someone who rubbed me the wrong way. It made working in the service industry dicey, especially when your customers were mostly tourists. I loved living in Charleston, but sometimes I wished I lived somewhere a little more off the beaten path. Like the place in my dream. It had been beautiful. Full of all sorts of colors so much brighter than anything I had seen before. I remembered stone buildings out of another era, and a frozen lake that seemed to go on forever.

The bell above the door rang again. I looked up half expecting it to be the same annoying couple. I would have something to say about that.

But it wasn’t. It was a guy, a guy from my dream. Not the guy. Not the one with the intense eyes and the dirty blond hair I wanted to run my hands through. This was another guy that was still vaguely familiar.

"Can I help you?" I took in the six feet plus man with blond hair down to his waist, and I seriously doubted he wanted any frozen yogurt.

"Yes." He stopped with that one word, and I waited for him to say more.

Curiosity started to offset my annoyance, but that didn’t mean I was going to wait around forever for him to respond. "Ok. What is it you need help with?" The more I looked at him, the less I believed it was possible he was from my dream. I was out of it. That was all.

"I need you to come somewhere with me." His expression was serious. Completely and utterly serious, which made no sense since his words were crazy.

My internal alarms went off. Forget curiosity, I needed to protect myself. I started thinking of my escape plan. Should I call the police?

"I do not mean you any harm," he said as though that was reassuring at all.

“You need to leave.” I gestured to the door. “Now.” I kept my voice reasonably calm even though my heart was beating out of control, and I was starting to sweat.

“I will.” He lowered his head. “If you come with me.”

Was this guy mental or a psycho? “I’m not coming with you. I have no idea who you are or why you’re here, but—”

He held out his hand. “My name is Elron.”

“And?” I watched him warily while cursing myself for leaving my phone in my purse in the back room. My boss was strict about the no phones at work thing, and sometimes I liked the forced break from the online world, but not this time. This time I needed my phone, and the only way to get it would require turning my back on the guy. And did he really just introduce himself? That wasn’t how these things worked. This was the moment when he pulled the gun or something.

“You wanted to know who I was. Now I have shared my name. I already know yours, Ainsley, so no need to waste any time with that.”

I froze. He knew my name? That ruled out any possibility he’d randomly stumbled into the store. That would have been better. A whole lot better. “Leave. Now.” I changed tactics. Maybe this weirdo needed to think I was stronger than I was.

“I mean you no harm, Ainsley. I am here to help you.” His eyes were wide.

“I don’t need any help.” Especially not from some strange guy. I had enough issues in my life. Like my step-sister running off with my boyfriend. That was a hard one to swallow, but I was dealing with it.

“But you do need my help.” He took a step toward the counter. “You are in danger.” He spoke with a strange accent I couldn’t place.

Between the accent and the hair I started to have another idea. “Did someone put you up to this? Did they pay you or something? To prank me?” It hurt to even say it out loud. My lack of friends was one thing, but enemies willing to stoop to such a level was far worse.

“Did someone pay me?” He put a hand on his chest. That drew my eyes to his clothing. He was wearing a simple brown tunic of some sort and pants of a similar material. He brushed some long hair away from his ears.

I froze. They weren’t human ears. They were pointy like Elves from a child’s storybook.

Elves ears. I was absolutely right. He was being paid. “Yes. Obviously you’re an actor. Is this a joke? Did my sister put you up to this?” She had already destroyed me once. Was she trying to make an even bigger fool of me? Or was it someone else? Maybe it wasn’t meant to be mean spirited. Grace had been nagging me about dating again and getting out of my rut. Was this an intervention of sorts?

That possibility sounded a whole lot better than my first idea, but it was impossible to know. But I was now sure this guy was an actor. I relaxed a little at that realization. I could handle an actor. He wasn’t looking to hurt me. He was looking to get paid.

“An actor?” He furrowed his forehead. “As in someone who performs?”

“Please don’t play stupid. The gig is up. I’m sure you’ll still get paid.” I rolled my eyes. That was as long as I wasn’t the one who was supposed to do the paying. If that was the case, he was out of luck.

“You still think I am here for money?” His puzzled look deepened. “I already explained I am here to help you.”

I sighed. “Please. I don’t have time for this.” I was going to be late. That was for absolute sure. If Grace was behind this she would already expect it. If she wasn’t, well I’d deal with that problem once I got rid of this guy.

“Is there somewhere you need to be?” He tilted his head to the side. “Are you not done with work?”

“I’m done with work once you leave. I have to clean up.” I picked up the rag I was technically done with, but he didn’t need to know that.

“I would be happy to do the cleanup for you.” He reached for the rag.

“I can do it quickly once you leave.”

“I am afraid I cannot leave unless it is with you. I am only here for that reason.”

“Is that your real hair?” I tried another diversion tactic. Now that I wasn’t afraid, I was more interested in who he was. He had a handsome face, and I wondered how he got into playing a part like this.

“Yes. Why would you ask that?” He touched his long hair.

“It’s long. You don’t see too many men with hair that long.” Maybe I sounded sexist, but it was true. “Although you don’t see too many women with hair that long either, so what do I know?”

“You were unconcerned with my hair the first time we met.”

I startled. “Um, what did you just say?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I misspoke.”

“We have never met.” Was this all part of the act? Freak me out? But the nagging feeling I had met him before made that seem unlikely.

He looked down. “As far as you know, yes that is true.”

“Ok, get out. I mean it. I was going to tip you or something, but this is all I can take. Get out. And I hope whoever hired you paid you well enough for this. Or maybe this is a hidden camera show?” I glanced all around the shop. Would my boss have gone along with this? Doubtful, but maybe they put the cameras up on someone else’s shift? The thought of this being recorded made it so much worse. I hurried into the back room and slammed the door behind me. I was done talking to the guy.

I collected my belongings and slipped out the back door. I would get in a lot of trouble for not locking up, but I’d come back later. Right now I had to get away before I embarrassed myself even more.