What’s Next?

“What the f**k am I doing?” Abigail asked her self while nervously fidgeting in her seat. It was mid-pandemic, why was she out? She had recently lost her job - budget cuts. Thanks COVID. She was a month behind on her rent. Doordash, Uber eats and Lyft just weren’t covering it anymore. She had blown through all of her meager savings trying to stay on top of her bills when she confided in her best friend. “I think I can help.” Britney replied, pulling out her phone. “No! Please don’t. I can’t afford to pay you back anytime soon.” Abigail pleaded. “No, stupid.” Britney snorted, “I know this site. I used it last year. It’s like tinder for sugar daddies. You just upload some sexy pictures, adjust your match settings and wait for the messages. You don’t have to actually meet these guys if you don’t want to. Hell, you don’t even have to use your real name.” But Abigail had used her real name. She used her best selfies, adjusted her settings to ages 30+ and salaries of $100k+ and 10 minutes later her phone pinged with a notification. ‘Hello beautiful,’ it read, ‘my name is Jake. I’m new to Boston and looking to make some new friends.’ Odd. Why would he use this site to make new friends? After a day or so of messaging back and forth, Abigail finally gave Jake her real phone number. One hour of video chatting later, her CashApp notified her of a $600 payment from $jakethomas for ‘having such a beautiful smile.’ Cool. She could get used to this. Three weeks later, Abigail had paid her bills. Thanks to Jake, she had enough left over to refill her pantry. She was putting away her pasta noodles when her phone rang. “Hey, Jake! What’s up?” She answered, excited to hear from him. “Oh, nothing much. I was just wondering if you were free Friday night?” “Um.” She started, unsure of what to say next, “I normally visit my parents on Friday nights but I’m sure I can rearrange that. What did you have in mind?” “I would appreciate if you could go to dinner with me. A good friend of mine’s restaurant is opening Saturday and she is having a small practice run Friday night.” He replied, sounding as pleasant as ever. She thought it over for a moment before agreeing, the knot in her stomach tightening. She got off the phone and walked into her bedroom. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Crystal blue eyes peered back at her, her small, pale face was framed by dirty blonde hair. ‘What if he thinks I’m a catfish?’ the quiet voice in her mind wondered. Her photos were more flattering than the reflection staring back at her. She had put on a little weight during quarantine, her stomach slightly protruded under her shirt and her leggings fit tighter on her thighs than before. ‘What if he doesn’t like what he sees and demands his money back?’ She was stressing herself out now. She was cute. He willingly gave her the money, he couldn’t demand it back now. ‘What if he expects something in return?’ the little voice asked, getting louder. “We’re going to a public place. I will drive myself, there is NO WAY anything I don’t want to happen is happening.” She said, out loud, to calm herself down. She had to call Britney. She would know what to do. “Girl. Go. Even if you end up not liking him, you got your bills paid AND a free meal out of him. Just share your location with me and I’ll make sure nothing happens.” So here she was. She had spent all afternoon getting ready. Her maroon cocktail dress felt just a little too tight, she wasn’t comfortable in her black wedges - it had been a year since she had worn anything other than crocs - and her make up was a shade too dark for her skin. But she was here. She drove herself to the address Jake had sent her. She knew the area. The restaurant had been a mom and pop diner she worked at while still in high school some ten odd years prior. ‘Wow, the new owner sure spruced up the place.’ She thought. She would’ve never guessed the building had ever been anything other than the beautiful bistro she was looking at now. Tinted windows covered the front of the building under a large Hollywood-esque sign that read ‘Bistro’ in almost cartoonish vanity bulbs. The lights for the sign were off and she couldn’t see any lights inside. She thought Jake may have tricked her. Just as she contemplated going back to her car, a thin woman dressed in all black with platinum blonde hair and dark eyes opened the door. “Hi! Are you Abigail? We’ve been waiting for you!” She exclaimed, her ruby red lips forming into a smile. “Yes, I am. I was worried I was at the wrong address for a second.” Abigail admitted, almost embarrassed. “Oh I know,” the blonde woman began, “we haven’t turned the outside lights on yet. Don’t want people banging on the doors until tomorrow! I’m Jordan, by the way. Come on in!” Jordan ushered Abigail into the restaurant. It was breathtaking. The previous booths had been done away with, individual tables sat in their place. The walls were dark gray and the floor tiles matched with hints of glitter. Single bulbs hung from the ceiling, Abigail could barely make out the wires. The kitchen was separated from the dining area by a fully stocked bar and gray double doors. “We only have a few close friends coming in tonight and a very small selection of entrees to choose from, just as a test run for our crew.” Jordan explained as she led Abigail to an empty table on the opposite side of the room. “Are you the owner?” Abigail asked, nervously searching for signs of other people. “Yeah, I am.” Jordan responded, chuckling at Abigail’s nervous expression, “Don’t worry, the crew are in the back and Jake is on his way. Traffic.” Abigail breathed a sigh of relief as two teenage girls opened the gray doors to peer out as she walked by. Jordan sat Abigail at her table as one of the girls hurried up to her. “Hi. How are you? My name is Jennifer and I’ll be your waitress tonight!” the small girl said, shakily. Abigail had to hide her chuckle, this was obviously the young girls first job. “I’m great, thank you, Jennifer.” “Would you like to see our wine selection for the night?” Jennifer asked, slightly more confident. “That would be great, thank you.” The young girl handed Abigail a laminated sheet with seven different wines listed. “I’ll let you look over that and I’ll be right back.” Jennifer smiled before walking back to the kitchen. The front door opened, Jordan appeared with another couple and sat them on the opposite side of the dining room from Abigail. Jennifer returned and Abigail ordered a single glass of red wine. ‘What the f**k am I doing?’ She asked herself while nervously fidgeting in her seat. The doors opened again. Jordan appeared with a tall young man. He had to be around 6’3, slim, athletic build and had a fresh tan. He was wearing a tailored black suit and had a slight five o’clock showdown covering his sharp jawline. Jordan began leading him towards Abigail. As they approached where she was sitting, Abigail stood. “Hello, Beautiful.” the man smiled, showing a set of sparkling white teeth, “it’s nice to finally meet you.”