Blink of an eye

Uninvited customer

Catherine

The warm rays of sun tried to tear me away from my pleasant sleep. No matter how hard I tried to resist, my sleep faded away. While stretching my muscles I tried to remember when I had slept that good. I must have been way more tired than I even realized. Walking home from the station had felt exhausting and the memories of the end of my walk were a bit dizzy. Climbing up the stairs had made me nauseous but I did get home, didn't I? I mean I was here, sitting on my bed… So obviously I made it here.

My eyes caught a bucket of roses on the dining table and the hair on the back of my neck rose up. Someone was here in my home! I didn't find anything else to grab as a weapon than a table lamp. The living space itself was empty so the intruder must hide either in the bathroom or the balcony. I tried to stay as silent as possible when I tore the bathroom door open. No one was inside. So whoever it was, had to be on the balcony. My grip on the lamp tightened as I prepared to open the last door. To my surprise no one was there either. I was confused as I walked towards the flower vase. This time I noticed that there was a note on the table. It was written with neat handwriting.

'Dear Catherine. I'm so sorry I had to leave you alone last night. I found you lying on the stairway when I returned to see you. You weren't conscious so I helped you to bed. Please get yourself checked today. I'm worried. Sorry I had to leave you again. There's a sandwich for you in the fridge. Damien'

So the one in my home had been Damien. I felt annoyed and thankful at the same time. Anyone could have done something to me while I was blacked out, even him. On the other hand, I trusted Damien on some level. Not completely, but he had been helpful and kind to me. I wanted to believe that he couldn't do anything bad to me. He had been around me lately and it was obvious that he was interested in some level. I wasn't sure how I would get it through to him that I didn't date anyone. A rich and handsome guy like him was surely used to women doing anything for him but I wasn't like that. I was thankful but nothing more. He should focus on other things than me.

My thoughts wandered back to last night while I ate the sandwich he had made for me. I had been fainting more often lately but it must have been because of the stress and my late head trauma. Concussions made people weak. I wasn't going back to the hospital to hear the same things I had already heard. 'Eat better and exercise. Are you depressed? Meet friends more. Do things that you love.' It was just a phase and when I had rested enough I'd return back to my normal self.

I got myself ready for work. I didn't feel like going but I couldn't afford to stay at home. The restaurant I was working at was located near to my home. Walking there made me feel breathless but I managed to be on time. After changing to my working uniform I went to greet my boss Andrea. "Hi girl! Are you feeling better already?" She asked. I smiled and saluted her. "Better than ever, boss. Busy night ahead?" She squinted her eyes as if she was doubting my words. "I can hardly tell if you are serious or not. Take an extra break if you feel bad, okay? I know you haven't been very well lately. We have some reservations for the night but not that many. You can leave early if you need." She said. She was probably the nearest thing I could call a friend. "Okay, I promise to do that but everything is well. Nothing to worry about." I noticed that I had been repeating that line a lot lately.

Evening went on smoothly. I had been feeling great and there was no need for extra breaks. I served two plates as I noticed that we had had a new customer while I was in the kitchen. I wiped my hands on my apron and got ready to take his order when I realized who was sitting on the table. My attacker. His dark eyes stared at me while I licked my lips trying to figure out what to say. I wanted to retreat but I felt like I was glued there. "Good evening, Catherine." He simply said. How could he know my name? "You have a name tag, pet." He continued. How could he know what I was thinking? "Get us a bottle of red wine and come sit with me for a while." I didn't want to do it but I walked to the bar and grabbed two wine glasses with a bottle of wine. I was like in a trance, I didn't have another choice than to obey. I returned to the table, opened the bottle, poured it in the glasses and sat down. My mind screamed now as I wanted to get away. Something in him made me nervous and scared. "Let me introduce myself, pet. I'm Stefano Rossi." The name 'pet' made me feel somehow dirty. I wasn't anyone's pet. "What are you doing here?" I managed to say. Stefano laughed coldly. "So feisty, little pet. Don't be too hasty. I just wanted to meet you. I've heard so much about you." His eyes roamed down to my chest and my stomach turned around. He was dangerous. "What do you mean, heard about me?" He took a sip from his wine. "All in time, Catherine. We'll have plenty of time in the future." Stefano placed his glass on the table and rose up. He walked to me and leaned down to catch my jaw with his fingers. I tried to look straight ahead but he forced me to face him. Even though I was scared of him, his next move surprised me. He smacked his lips to mine and kissed me forcely while holding my head still. Tears roamed down to my face but all I could do was submit to his actions. Finally he withdrew from me and whispered to my ear "Soon, pet. Very soon.".