6. An Invitation
992 Words
A week had passed since my full-blown anxiety attack. Mary was careful when others were around and never called me by anything other than “girl” or “my cook” when others were around. The car was finally ready but I didn’t feel like I needed to leave. Not anymore. Mary was right, Paradise Mountains seemed a place as good as any to restart my life.
Mary had told me a bit about her story and I found out some similarities with mine. How she had met the seemingly most charming boy, how he had entranced her to a life away from her family and how the mask had fallen once they were married. The difference was Mary was no Nadine and had stood up for herself. He had attacked her senseless and deprived her of an opportunity to bear children of her own, but she faced him in court, landed him in jail and departed to start a whole new life with her parent’s blessing and their savings. She had landed in Paradise Mountains, where she had decided to establish herself. Later, she had married Mack, but he had to prove to herself he was nothing like her ex-husband. Her story made me feel weak. I had suffered as much as her but couldn’t face my nemesis as she had faced hers. I also didn’t have my parents support, or anyone’s for that matters, and had to claw my way out of the pit I was in all alone.
And then there was Alexander. The guy confused me. One might think that given my lack of interest he would give up, but that only seemed to fuel his own. He started coming to lunch at the diner, sometimes with Herbie, others alone. Sometimes he would even come for breakfast, always joyful. He had always a carefree smile upon his face, a wink and a joke. But I was always cautious near him. For starters, he was the law in the city. He seemed a few years older than me, although I couldn’t say exactly how many, and had a deadly stand that screamed “military” of some sort. So I tried to keep my distance as much as I could.
And then one day he derailed me completely out of my tracks:
"So Bess, have you done any sightseeing?"
"I’m sorry, what?"
I was up the front that day, serving him breakfast since Mary had yet to arrive, and the guy was too talkative for my own taste. Who the hell was that chirpy at 6 in the morning?
"Sightseeing. You know, leave the town, walk a bit…"
"Can’t say that I have."
What I didn’t have as well was people calling me Bess, so I had to fight my urge to look upon my shoulder every time he called me that.
"You don’t know what you’re missing. Want to go on a picnic with me?"
"On a picnic?"
"Yeah, you know… we bundle up some food – this is delicious by the way – walk a lot in the surroundings just to open up an appetite, pray that no bear finds us…"
"Wait, what?"
My panic seemed to amuse him, who left out a heartily laugh.
"Just kidding… No Winnie the Poohs around here… and if there is, they’re getting ready for Winter… So, what do you say?"
I chewed on my lower lip, something that I do when I’m getting nervous. Thomas used to hate that I did that, it would be as if the only marks I could use were the ones he gave me. Alexander, on the other hand, seemed drawned to my lips, as if a magnet was pulling. I retreated one step, pulling myself out of his reach, and said:
"I don’t really think I’ll have time…"
"You have the day off tomorrow, don’t you?"
His casual question made me think that he had spoken with Mary about my days off.
"Yes, but…"
"Did you had anything better to do?"
"Well…"
"Thought so… Pick you up at eight?"
I was beginning to feel frustrated. Would he allow me to finish a sentence, at least? So, I answered firmly:
"No. I don’t want to go on a picnic with you."
"Ouch, you broke my heart. Are you sure? I could show you…"
The rest of the phrase was lost in my head. He had finished his breakfast and was starting to lift himself from the chair. He was a big man with big hands. God only knew what he could to me in the wild, with no one near. The pressure in my chest was starting to pile up again and when I was becoming dizzy, I heard Mary’s voice coming from behind:
"Are you bothering my cook, Alex?"
"Actually, I was inviting her for a picnic tomorrow."
"That’s a wonderful idea, where will you take her?"
"To the valley near the Mountain Pass."
"It’s beautiful this time of year, well thought of."
Alex hadn’t stopped looking at my face, even when I was trying to calm myself down. I couldn’t afford another anxiety attack, not now, not in front of him, not again… he would soon put two and two together and with my luck, he would get five.
Mary put her arm around my waist and pinched me slightly.
"I’m sure she’ll have a great time at it."
Wait, what? I had just told him no. How could Mary… I found my voice and said:
"Actually, I…"
"Promised to do an apple pie for the ride." Said Alexander, with a grin. My eyes darted around, but it seemed I had no way out of this. My shoulders sagged in defeat. I took console in the thought that if Mary, who had the tiniest of glimpse of my past, could shove me in Alexander’s arms, he couldn’t be that bad.
Right?
- Writer
