Beyond The Echoes Of You

Chapter 8

"He just annoys me so damn much, Adams." Mike complained bitterly. "I had to fight the urge to punch him right there."

Adams looked at his friend and shook his head. "You seem to have too much time on your hands, Mike. You've recently taken over your parents company, and you should be working, not drinking at a bar and sleeping there, also fighting because of a woman, remember she's not May." Adams stated calmly.

"And who said I wasn't working? I'm really trying my best Adams, but it hasn't been easy, it's way different from when I was working with you. And I wasn't fighting anyone because of a woman." Mike defended.

"You only worked with me so as to gain experience and prepare yourself for this moment. It's not going to be easy, but I'm sure you've got this, and I'm always here to help you if you need anything."

"Yeah, I know that." Mike replied, giving Adams a small thankful smile.

"So, with that said, I think you should focus on the company and leave that woman and her boyfriend alone."

"He's not her boyfriend." Mike rolled his eyes. "And I'm not leaving her alone. I don't want that little fly thinking his so called threat made me scared."

"So you're saying you're only going to get close to her because you want to annoy that guy. That doesn't make any sense to me and I don't even think you should be doing that, or are you just using that as an excuse to not leave her alone?" Adams questioned, his voice dripping with skepticism.

"What do you take me for, huh?" Mike scoffed.

Adams looked at him for a while, he had a lot to say to Mike, but he decides to just let things be. "Just be careful." He finally said.

"Yeah, I will." Mike replied, then he stood up. "I should take my leave now, I've got a company to take care of."

"Glad you're taking my advice.'' Adams chuckled. ''And please do make out time to come see us, Diane has been asking of you, she really misses you."

"Who am I to refuse the princess? I've missed her a whole lot. I'll find some time to come visit. My regards to them Adams, I'll see you around." Mike waved at him before turning to leave.

"Be sure to keep out of trouble.'' Adams yelled after him.

***

Mike stopped at his usual coffee shop on the way to work. He went inside and was greeted by the smell of freshly made coffee. The barista, who knew him well, asked, "The usual, Mike?"

Mike nodded and took a seat, gazing out the window as he waited for his coffee. Meanwhile, a new employee approached the counter, where the barista instructed her to deliver Mike's coffee.

As the new employee approached Mike with his coffee, their eyes met, and they both froze in surprise.

"May?" Mike asked, his voice laced with astonishment.

May's eyes widened, her expression a mix of shock and wariness. "Mike? What are you doing here? Did you...follow me?"

Mike scoffed in disbelief. "Why do you always think I follow you everywhere?'' Mike asked, standing up.

"Because you did follow me to the boutique, so you might have followed me here as well." May stated.

"I already told you that I didn't follow you there, and why would I even want to do that." Mike denied, he then took his coffee from her. "I'm just here to get my coffee because this is my regular spot, and you can ask the lady over there if you don't believe me." He shrugged.

May looked at him for a while, as if judging if she should believe him or not. "Fine." She finally said. "I'll believe you didn't follow me here, but I really wish that we would stop meeting like this."

Mike's eyes narrowed. "Why? Because your little boyfriend told you so?"

May rolled her eyes at his words. "Anthony is not my boyfriend, and I'm only saying that because...." She trailed off.

"Because?" Mike questioned, urging her to complete her sentence.

"Because I don't like seeing you."

Mike chuckled softly. "That's too bad because I think we'll be seeing each other more often now." He replied, then he raised his coffee and gave it a little shake.

A little smirk appeared on his lips. "I'll see you around, May." He said before leaving.

As May watched him leave, she couldn't help but scoff in disbelief.

"Don't just stand there, May. We've got other customers waiting." The barista yelled at her.

May was jolted back to reality. "I'm sorry." She apologized as she hurried back to work.

***

Time flew by, and soon May's shift was over. As she cleaned the counter, Susanne, the barista, approached her. "You're doing a fantastic job, May. Thank you." Susanne said, smiling wearily.

May brushed it off. "It's nothing."

Susanne asked, "How was your first day? I hope you'll stay with us for a long time. You're a breath of fresh air compared to our previous employees. The boss made an excellent choice."

May smiled. "Thanks, Susanne. Don't worry, I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon."

Susanne glanced at the time. "You should head home. Can you close up the cafe?"

May nodded. "I've almost finished cleaning. I'll lock up on my way out."

After Susanne left, May quickly finished her tasks, changed into casual clothes, and locked the cafe door. Though she was eager to go home, she remembered Anthony's request to pick her up after work. She pulled out her phone to send him a text.

His reply was quick, he informed her that he would soon be getting off work, and she should wait for him.

May sighed, tucking her phone away after reading Anthony's text. She rubbed her palms together, bracing herself against the chilly evening air. Just as she was starting to feel the cold, a sleek black car pulled up beside her, making her frown suspiciously.

The window rolled down, revealing Mike's mischievous grin. "Need a ride?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

May's smile was polite but firm. "No thanks, my friend is on his way."

Mike's grin widened. "Don't bother him. It's freezing tonight, and it's not safe for you to be out here alone."

May gestured to the passing pedestrians. "I'm not alone."

Mike persisted, his tone laced with concern. "Let me drop you off. I've heard this area can be rough, especially for someone like you."

May's expression turned icy. "I can take care of myself. My friend will be here soon, so please leave."

Mike honked the horn, trying to get her attention as she walked away. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!" He yelled before speeding off.

May breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be rid of Mike's unwanted attention. She quickened her pace, eager for Anthony's arrival.

May waited patiently for Anthony, but as the minutes ticked by, she grew restless. The cold was seeping into her bones, and her feet ached from standing. Despite not knowing the way home well, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

As she walked, Mike's warning echoed in her mind, but she brushed it off. The streets seemed deserted, and the darkness made her quicken her pace. She turned into a narrow alley, her heart racing with every step.

Suddenly, two men emerged from the shadows, blocking her path. "Hey, beautiful, what's the hurry?" One of them sneered.

May tried to ignore them, but they stepped closer, their eyes gleaming with malice. "Hand over your bag, sweetheart." The other man growled.

May clutched her bag tightly, refusing to give in. One of the men pulled out a knife, its blade glinting in the dim light. May stumbled backward, fear coursing through her veins.

Just as the men were about to pounce, a figure burst into the alley, tackling the attackers. Mike's fists flew, and the men stumbled backward, retreating into the darkness.

As the men fled, Mike turned to May, his chest heaving with exertion. "Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face.

May nodded, still shaken. "Y-yes, thank you."

Mike's gaze lingered on hers before he nodded. "Let's get you home safely."

Mike guided May to where his car was parked, opening the door for her. "In you go." He said, helping her into the passenger seat.

As he slid into the driver's seat, May turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "How did you know where I was?" She asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

Mike's expression was neutral, but a hint of a smile played on his lips. "Let's just say I was in the neighborhood.'' He replied, starting the engine.

May's eyes lingered on his, searching for answers, but Mike's gaze remained fixed on the road ahead.

"You followed me again, didn't you?" She asked, her tone accusatory.

Mike let out a low chuckle, his eyes never leaving the road. "You were being stubborn, and my conscience wouldn't allow me to leave you there alone, so I came back. When I saw you walking alone, I decided to follow you. Good thing I did, too."

He glanced at her briefly, his expression serious. "You took a wrong turn into that alley, and...well, you know what happened. I warned you it wasn't safe."

Mike's voice took on a scolding tone. "You should have come with me instead of waiting for your friend. What if I hadn't shown up? You need to be more careful and take better care of yourself."

He paused, focusing on the road once more.

May's expression softened, gratitude replacing her initial annoyance. "Thank you.'' She said, her voice sincere. "I guess I owe you one.''

"Ha!" Mike laughed. "It's best not to say things you don't mean. You were hell bent on keeping your distance before, and now you owe me one."

"I was only being polite, but I'm still going to keep my distance from you.''

Mike scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that."

May was going to say something when her phone rang, interrupting them. She hurriedly fetched her phone from her pocket and answered the call. "Hello, Anthony."

"May, where are you? I'm at the cafe, but I don't see you anywhere."

"Um...I err..." She was still thinking of what to say to him when Mike dragged the phone from her.

"She's with me, I'm taking her home so meet her there." He said, and hung up.

"What the hell!" May dragged the phone back from him. "Why would you do that!?" She questioned furiously.

"What? You were having difficulty telling him what happened, so I decided to help you."

"You're crazy!" She spat in annoyance.

Mike glanced at her briefly. "I know, that's one of my charm." He winked.

May could only shake her head, she didn't even know what to tell him anymore. She simply turned away and prayed that they arrived home soon.