I widen my eyes dropping my jaw. That guy, Zac, is standing right behind me.

“Oh, Jeez!”  I frown.  “You actually did scare me!”  I squeal, chewing my bottom lip right after.

“It’s because the street’s so quiet.”

I roll my eyes and sigh. “What are you doing still here?” I ask. Suddenly worried he may be a stalker or something.

“Well, we had a couple of drinks at the bar down the street and I was walking home when I just saw you jumping for that cat and…I thought that was funny.” He grins. “Hope you don’t mind me talking to ya.” He says.

“Oh, well, I see,” I mumble, biting my thumbnail, not quite convinced about his explanation. “Um, no. I was just trying to find a cab back home.”

“Wow, a waitress that uses cabs to go to work.” He snortles.

“Well, not really. Today was my second day and I’m not used to standing and walking around for eight hours straight. My feet and legs ache, and I’d be too tired to even walk ten feet more now, so…”

“Then why you got this job? Were you in need of cash or what?” He asks daringly.

“Pardon me?” I widen my eyes. “That’s not a cool thing to ask, especially considering I’m a stranger to ya.” 

‘I can’t believe what he just said!’

He grins. “Here ya go again.”

“What?”

“You got defensive already.” He says.

“Are you serious? I mean, you dared ask about my financial situation when I don’t even know you!”

He snorts. “Doesn’t hurt to ask? I don’t usually do what people are supposed to do anyway. I don’t fall into the standards, so it’s not a problem for me to ask if you need money, or even how much money you make.”

“Really?”  I chuckle sarcastically before speaking. “Well, I guess I do fall into the ‘standards,” I blurt, using finger quotes. 

“What a temper!” He groans sarcastically.

“Ok, you know what? I didn’t like you guys in the first place, but I had to be polite because you were customers. But now we are not in that damn restaurant and I don’t have to talk to ya. So, take care, and hopefully, I’m not gonna see ya again!”

He slowly shakes his head, clicking his tongue.

I turn pretending he’s not there, and I unfold my arm to stop a cab.

He stands on the sidewalk and purposefully locks his gaze on the backdoor window. I don’t want to turn but I do, and I glare at him. He grins with one side of his mouth as our eyes meet, and when the car drives away, he slowly disappears from my sight.

I shake my head.    

‘What a fucking asshole. What does he want from me? An easy fuck? How dare he say I’m broke? – well I am but that was mean - He thinks he can act like a dick and women will like him anyway, or even fall for him just because he’s damn hot?  Maybe, but that’s not me! I’m not looking for a one-night stand, let alone a serious relationship, and definitely not with a man like that!’

   I hand the driver twenty bucks. “Keep the change, I say as I open the back door realizing it’s almost a third of my daily wage. But I was really too tired to even walk to the subway.

“Never again though. I can’t waste my money like that!” I promise myself.

 “Good night Miss Lords,” The night concierge says from his cubicle - he looks happy, although he works his ass off for twelve hours a day.

My best friend Lisa moved to Paris and for the time being, she let me use her cool apartment in the upper west.

“Good night Lawrence,” I smile, heading toward the elevator.

The door clicks open when I insert the four-digit code. The dim lights in the living room turn on automatically. I take off my coat and shoes and I stroll to the kitchen. The huge silver fridge is empty aside from some Chinese left over I bought ‘to-go’ last night.  I take a whiff inside the white carton box and I cringe, but I’m too hungry and I carry it into the living room along with a can of soda. I lay on the couch, and as I curl my legs up on the soft seat, I can’t help admiring the beautiful night skyline from the door-to-floor wide window.

 I start eating the sticky noodles using wooden chopsticks, and I realize I forgot to microwave them, though I’m too lazy to do it now. I feel my eyelids involuntarily shutting. I fight against sleep and a sudden series of blurry images flash through my mind. 

‘I’m dragging a huge bottle of wine on the ground, but a man’s silhouette appears in front of me and laughs ‘You can’t do it!’ He says.  I’m raging and when a beam of radiant light brightens his grinning face, I gulp. ‘You again! Get out of my sight!’ I wail. But suddenly I find myself in a taxi, and when the driver turns to ask me where I need to go, I gasp when I see it’s Zac again.  I clumsily try to open the door, but it’s locked, and I start panicking. ‘Don’t worry.’ His voice echoes, and then I realize his face has turned into a cat’s face.  But suddenly I’m on a wonderful exotic beach.  Zac is laying next to me and holds my hand before he leans forward and kisses me. He tastes so good that I eagerly part my lips, letting my tongue duel with his. I’m getting excited and the heat in my core starts burning. My breath catches and when he eases into me, I start trembling and I grunt throwing my head back and overwhelmed by the immense pleasure.  He groans into my ear and his breath washes over my earlobe.  I’m about to explode and I feel the waves coming in. I’m ready. I tighten and start to release…’

 “Grace? Grace, you there?” Lisa’s muffled voice calling from the headset on my laptop wakes me up abruptly.

I jump, and the noodles glide down my chest. 

“Shit!” I grunt. 

I clumsily get up and feel my panties warm. All at once I revive the dream I just had. “Jeez,” I mutter, feeling my face turning red.

“Yeah Lis wait!” I wail, rushing toward the living room table.

“Hey what’s up? I’m sorry I just fell asleep on the couch,” I chuckle, still half asleep, as I sit on the chair in front of my laptop.

“Hey Grace, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother ya. Oh, my God, it’s one in the morning right there,” she squeals. “It’s been two months I’m living in Paris and I still have to really understand the hour shift.” She giggles.

I chuckle. “No, it’s fine, I just got back from work. So, how’s it going?” I mumble. Then I cringe as I pick a couple of cold, greasy noodles, which have sneaked inside my boobs cleavage.

“I’m alright baby, Paris is so beautiful and romantic!” She squeals.

“I know, I need to come visit sometime soon!”

“Oh, please do! But hey, you didn’t tell me! How was your first day at work?”

“Um, yeah, it was yesterday. It was alright, ya know?” I mutter, sounding not quite convincing.

She raises an eyebrow.

“Well, Lis, I can’t lie to ya.” I giggle. “It’s an ok job that will help me pay the bills eventually, but it’s really not my cup of tea,” I say, with a resigned expression.

“Of course, it’s not dear, you are an academic researcher! But it’s not gonna be for the rest of your life so don’t you get upset!”

“Yeah, well…Um… I’m scared, though. What if nobody hires me and I get older and older. That’d be it. I’m gonna have to be waiting tables for the rest of my life.” I frown. “With all due respect to the category, really. But this is not my goal in life,”

She chuckles. “Don’t worry Grace you’ll find an even better one. But I still think you shouldn’t have left the research project you were part of.” She mumbles. “I know I know, don’t tell me! That fucking moron of your ex-boyfriend,” she adds.  “But seriously, like, fuck him and that bitch!” She rumbles with emphasis.

“You are right, but I really couldn’t stand having to see them both every damn day. Both of them! Working together with the guy who cheated on me and the girl who fucked my boyfriend? No way!” I groan all in one breath. 

“I know. I hear ya, baby. This isn’t fair, but trust me! You’ll find the job you love in your specific field eventually. You are young, you own the world!”

“We’ll see what happens Lis. But hey, I should be glad I got here a week ago and I found a job already. Plus, there’s my supervisor, who’s been so sweet to me,” I squeal.

“Oh cool, glad to hear that! How ‘bout guys? I mean, did ya meet any hottie worth mentioning?”

I pause, and my expression gets serious. “Lis, I told you. I’m done with men.  That’s it.”

She grumbles. “Oh my God baby, are you for real? Shut – up! They can’t be all fucking morons! You need to live your life dear. It’s about karma! That shit can’t happen twice in a row,” she says. “Besides, it’s been more than six months baby.” She smirks lasciviously. “There must be some real heat down there.”

I let out a sad smirk, biting my thumbnail as I slowly shake my head and I take my time to cross my legs up on the chair.

 “I didn’t meet any guys worth mentioning, to answer your question. Well, actually I did meet one, but he is a fucking jerk, so… See?  I’m not even going there, Lis!”

“Wait, what?” She giggles.  “Tell me about it?”

I squeeze my lips to one side and I raise an eyebrow. “Last evening at the restaurant. There was this guy with his friends, ya know? One of them was trying to be funny when I got to their table, and I’m like what the fuck? But the guy made his friend shut his stupid mouth, and he apologized to me for his damn friend.” I chuckle. “But the thing is when I got out of the restaurant at the end of my shift I almost jumped for a stupid cat and then I hear ‘It’s only a cat’ or something. So, I freak out and when I turn, this guy’s right behind me. Alone. And I go, ‘oh my God what does he want?’ And then he’s been a fucking dick with me.”

“Wow. I mean was he hot?”

“Well, that’s not the point Lis! But yeah, he’s freaking hot, just for the record.” I smirk.

“There ya go,” she squeaks, clapping her hands a few times.

“But I don’t care Lis! First off he’s a dick. He has an attitude and he was really improper with his questions. Secondly, even if he was the sweetest guy in the world I’d have forced myself to run away from him. I’m not gonna be fooled around again. So, no more men in my life!”

“Easy Grace.  Don’t ya think that’s a little too much?  Those are big words baby.  And who likes the sweet guys anyways?” She giggles.

I smile, but then I lower my gaze, trying to hold my tears back. I swallow my own saliva and I bit my lip tight feeling a notch in my throat. I don’t want Lisa to see me cry.

“Grace? Sweetie are you alright?”  She asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine Lis. Um, I’m just exhausted.  I need to get some sleep. Do you mind if we hung up?” I say, my voice slightly shaking. 

“Oh my, I’m sorry dear, you know I talk a lot! I forgot it’s past midnight down there.” She chuckles and then adds “Yeah for sure! Go get some rest!”

“Yeah thanks, I will. Alright Lis, and... Um… I can never thank you enough for what you are doing. The apartment is perfect. Thank you so much!”

“Oh, shut up! Don’t thank me, baby, you know I love ya.”

I giggle. “Thanks anyway. I love ya too. Take care Lis, talk to ya soon.”

“Thanks, Grace. You, take care!  Bye now.”

I shut my laptop and close its lid, but I don’t get up from my chair. I sit with an absent glance, staring at nothing. A single tear slowly glides down my cheekbone.