Extraordinary

Chapter 3- It Gets Worse

Nora's POV:

     Sarah got to my parents place, picked me up and sped to her apartment so I could fill her in on all that had happened. She agreed that I could stay with her for as long as possible before her roommates began complaining or reported it to the landlord. After listening to my turn of events, it was time for us both to get going to work. We got dressed and immediately upon arrival I could sense that something was off. The parking lot was more empty than usual and a few blinds were left down. Normally all the blinds were pulled up to showcase the shimmering pieces of art displayed within. Mr. Heron, the boss, took great pride in the aesthetics of the place. He ensured it always ranked high on the charts for the best bars to go to in state. Even our uniforms were carefully selected to compliment the colours used on the interior of the place.

     The front counter bartenders wore white button down shirts and black ankle length pants. Our aprons were pocket less and white, with a tiny slot for a name tag. We had no pockets which made it harder for anyone to commit theft. Instead of the usual notepad to take long orders, we selected the items for the orders on an automated system. Small built in tablets on the counter in front of each seat would show customers what they had ordered and their costs. For the servers and bartenders, the items would appear on a large screen that could be viewed to the back and front of the inner bar area.

     At work that day, things were a bit slow. Customers were coming in but making small purchases. They were leaving quickly as a result. It wasn’t until 9pm that three black Mercedes Benz cars pulled up to the front. From the first car came Loila's husband, Richard, looking sharp as always. From the other two cars came his business associate’s, presumably after a business meeting. They all seemed to have come to the bar to unwind. Things were going well. They were drinking and discussing amongst themselves, even venturing to sing some karaoke from time to time. At the rate they were drinking, it didn’t take long for them to become a bit tipsy and their movements more clumsy. At one point during karaoke, the banshee sounding singer amongst them fell. His wallet fell and slid under the bar counter but we hadn’t noticed until he was ready to leave and said he couldn’t find it. Myself and the other three bartenders on duty searched and one of my colleagues pointed out the wallet to me in the far corner of my work station at the counter. I picked it up and offered it to the man who had lost it. He seemed grateful enough but Richard wasn’t. His first move was to open the wallet and show that there was no money inside. “This woman must have taken the money. Such a shame the look on her face; pretending to be innocent,” he scoffed and yelled in my direction. He called for the manager and they went into the manager's office. When they came out Richard was smiling and the manager had both hands on his hips. In front of everyone, he demanded my name tag and shouted at me to change out of his uniform. I was too stunned to react until he yelled at me a second time. I dragged myself into the washroom and changed as fast as I could. When I was done, I went to the office and was given my check. The security searched my belongings before I was allowed to leave but didn’t find the missing cash. I could see Richard's sinister smile through the lowered glass of his car on my way out. Amazing how people would go to bring others down.

    I took the bus home, to Sarah's place, careful to ensure no one saw me enter. I dropped myself on the sofa bed and waited patiently for my mystery man to come find me. It didn't take long to drift off. I was exhausted. For tonight's visit we were sitting near a creek that looked familiar. We were surrounded by beautiful spring flowers and were being serenaded by birds of all colors. I felt his hands before I heard his voice. He seemed to have noticed a tear sliding down my cheek. No caresses this time. He surprised me by sitting down on the ground behind me, cradling me between his legs, leaning my back against his chest. He intertwined our fingers and I was surprised to see long tanned fingers that looked like they belonged to a man who worked a lot with his hands. His legs were toned and felt so warm against mine. He was wearing grey slacks and his feet were bare like mine.

     Finally, he spoke. He wanted to know why I was crying. Without hesitation I let everything off my chest about my day. He listened actively, asking questions from time to time. It felt amazing having confided with this stranger. It was like we were best friends. I asked if I could see his face which he refused. He promised he would show himself to me one day. He promised I wouldn't be disappointed and was hopeful that I would recognize him. I managed to ask him if this was real, tearing up a bit awaiting his response. He sighed saying it was as real as I wanted it to be. His left hand slipped out of mine, stretched a bit, picked a beautiful blue flower. He placed it behind my ear and kissed the tender skin below the lobe. "Rest well sweetie, goodnight," he whispered right before I was whisked off into wakefulness. I reached up and was stunned to find that beautiful blue flower perfectly intact, tucked behind my ear.