The Swan

Being Watched

Present Day

Eve startled herself awake. She fell asleep and dreamt about that awful day. She still felt her cheeks flame just remembering. Reminding herself that she wasn't that ugly duckling anymore, she sat up, realizing they were about to land.

Walking off the plane, she strolled down the jet bridge to the airport. It was surprisingly busy for the time of day. Eve walked through the crowd of people looking for the sign pointing to the baggage claim. She passed a couple of food stands and a restaurant before stopping to ask someone. She found a gentleman sitting at a nearby table drinking a coffee.

"Excuse me sir. Can you please point me in the direction of the baggage claim?"

The man looked up into the most beautiful face he had ever seen. He couldn't talk at first. Then he stuttered. "Yes, of course. You are almost there, keep going to where you see that red sign in front of that shop," he pointed in the direction he was talking about.

"Oh yes, I see it, thank you!" Eve replied before smiling and walking on. She smiled remembering how he looked at her. While Eve knew she was beautiful, she usually didn't boast. But since she developed into a beautiful woman and looked so different from high school, like a swan from an ugly duckling, she was aware of the looks she gets from men. The feeling never gets old.

The man sitting at the table watched as the gorgeous lady walked away. 'Who is she? She is breath-taking'. The man heard his phone ringing, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked at his phone before accepting the call. "Hi honey. Yes, I got in a little bit ago. I will be heading your way soon," the man smiled, thinking of his fiancé. She really is a treasure, he thought to himself in an attempt to forget about the woman he just met, as hard as that might be.

***

-Eve-

Eve stepped outside into the semi-warm air. She looked for the shuttle that would take her to the rental car lot. Spotting it, she headed to the small bus when a young man with glasses stepped down from the driver's seat to help Eve with her luggage. After getting seated, she made a mental list of the things she needed to do over the next couple of days.

Eve didn't know how long she would be back, so she knew she needed to lease a condo for at least six months. She would buy a temporary car tomorrow and begin making plans. Eve was going to stay at her family home with her grandmother that night.

After the shuttle pulled up to the lot, she received her luggage from the driver and after tipping him, she looked around for the car she rented. She pushed the alarm button on the key fob. Hearing a horn honk in the second row, she walked that way. She soon arrived at the rental car and put her luggage in the trunk before sitting behind the wheel.

In the silence, her thoughts began drifting back to that day. But she reminded herself that she would find a way to make Maria, her friends, and anyone else that made her life a living hell back then pay.

Eve drove past one of her favorite restaurants as a child. She decided to stop and eat. Pulling her car to the curb, she stepped out and was walking around the front of the car with her gaze down. She fumbled in her purse looking for the key she just dropped in there before she had the chance to lock it. Suddenly, she ran into someone and dropped her purse. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Eve bent down to pick her purse up when she heard a familiar voice.

"I apologize. I wasn't paying attention," it was the same man from the airport.

***

It's her. It's the lady from the airport earlier. He was shocked to see her again so soon in a big city like this. He was staring silently at her for a few seconds before realizing she said something. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Just that it's a small world," Eve replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I was heading to my office down the street here. What about you?"

Eve responded, "I decided to grab a bite to eat."

After thinking about it, he offered to buy her lunch, as a way of apologizing for his earlier clumsiness. Eve thought for a moment and agreed.

"By the way, what's your name?" Eve asked.

"David. David Landon. You?"

"Evelyn. Evelyn Robertson," she responded.

***

Eve found David to be quite charming. "So, David, what do you do?"

"I'm actually a psychiatrist. I have an office down the street in that medical building," David responded before taking a sip from his coffee cup. He loved this little diner.

"I've always been interested in psychology," Eve stated. It was the truth "Are you married?" She stopped. "Sorry, that was too personal," she realized he might not feel comfortable answering all of her questions.

David responded, "No, you're fine. Um, no. Not married," David didn't want to mention his fiance. This surprised him. "What about you? What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a writer," Eve replied. "And no, not married," she laughed.

David felt relieved that she wasn't married. He also loved her laugh. It was refreshing.

Eve learned that he moved to Glenwood about five years ago from Florida. David is only two years older than Eve and graduated from high school a year earlier than her.

Eve enjoyed talking to David over a cup of coffee. They talked for well over two hours before David had to leave for an appointment with a patient.

"I enjoyed talking with you," David said. "Maybe we could do this again sometime," he offered before they parted ways. David felt like he was in love. This is a different feeling than what he feels with his fiancé.

Neither David or Eve saw the woman standing outside the cafe watching them. She turned the camera off and walked away before David could walk out and see her.