Chapter 1
1139 Words
What do you do when you find out your father made a deal with a devil just so he can live, and now you have to marry said devil?
Nothing. You do nothing.
But I am not you, so I ran.
It’s been three years and I am still running. Not staying too long anywhere for my face to linger in their memory. Working odd jobs because unlike what they show in movies, you can’t hide and not work unless you don’t mind starving. Trust me I tried.
“There’s someone here to see you,” my boss grunts to Isabel.
He might be grumpy but he is the only reason I have stayed longer than my usual three months. He doesn’t ask questions and even why he does, he doesn’t ask twice.
Isabel changes out of her apron and applies gloss before going out back to see who I assume is her flavor of the week.
At least one of us is getting some action.
There are a lot of customers today because it’s Friday and alot of people need to forget they have live and need a place to regain their sanity before they have to repeat it all again starting Monday. So Isabel better get her ass back in here as soon as possible.
There is a group of women giggling at the nearest table. One of them tells them she has an announcement.She is overdressed for someone who wants to unwind at a bar. This is going to be fun.
One of them is stifling a smile. I am betting she knows what her friend is about to say and is the closest one to her in the group.
Overdressed Lady places her left hand on the tables. Gasps and ohhs follow.
“Omg. This stone is massive. How did I miss it earlier?” One of the other ladies asks. She is dressed in black pants and a blue button down shirt and clearly doesn’t like Overdressed Lady.
“I know right?” Overdressed Lady asks. “ I told him to get me something simple, but you know how he is”
She definitely didn’t tell him to get her something simple. She looks like the type of person who would send you the exact ring she wants, give you possible dates when you can propose and the contact for the photographer.
“Of course, I know. He was mine for three months remember?” The Lady answers.
“Jennifer, you promised not to bring it up,” Overdressed Lady’s bestie says between gritted teeth.
“My bad. I was joking,” the lady replies and sips her drink like she did not just ruin Overdressed Lady’s evening.
The topic changes but Overdressed Lady never takes her hand off the table. Bad table manners if you ask me.
I am wiping off a spilled drink from the table when I hear a voice, definitely male and too sure of himself say, “ You look good”
I look up at him. He is sitting on one of the high chairs. His is tanned along his ring finger. He is either married or newly divorced.
“What can I get you?” I ask hoping he is not stupid enough to make advances at me.
“Three glasses is my limit. So I’m okay. But what time do you get off work?”
“Uhmmm. Let me see,” I say pretending to be deep in thought. “Way past your bedtime”
I give him a pointed look.
“Don’t be like that,” he says and tries to grab my hand.
“I am going to assume you have kids with your wife or ex-wife, maybe even a mistress. We wouldn’t want them to grow up without a father now. Would we?”
He grins like I just told him it’s Christmas.
“So I am going to give you five…no three minutes to pay for your drink and leave”
“You’re a fiesty little thing,” he says licking his lips.
Fiesty little thing? He thinks he’s the macho male lead in some romance novel.
“Where did you get that scar? I think it’s sexy” he asks pointing at the scar that runs across my right eyebrow.
I remember th
Thankfully, someone saves me from having to give him an answer.
“Back off Freddie. Three drinks. Pay up” I hear Isabel say behind me so casually.
“I was just leaving”. He drops a bill on the bar and struts out of the bar. Or attempts to. Them is only so much you can do after three glasses of whiskey.
“You know that guy?” I ask Isabel who putting on her apron.
“Kind of,” she rools her eyes. “We have a mutual friend”
I shrug and return to cleaning the table.
The rest of the evening is uneventful save for the usual drunk prople throwing tantrums. There are a couple more Freddies but I handle it like a champ.
I return to my apartment (see: rathole. Because you can’t spend like atrust fund baby when you want people to think you earn minimum wage) after my shift.
But as I listen to my next-door neighbor’s too loud emo music through the too thin walls, I wish I was back at home with my parents.
Suddenly the music becomes two times louder than it usually is. That’s it I’ve had enough. I step into rhe cramped hallway and knock on his door. It takes teo minutes, but the door finally opens.
A gigantic guy with piercings all over appears. I came to threaten him but he look like he could inhale me in a single breath so I’ll rather not provoke him.
“Hi,” I wave awkwardly.
He raises an eyebrow in digust. “Do I know you?”
“That’s exactly why I am here. We are neighbors but I never properly introduced myself,”
“Okay?”
“I am Joanne,” I lie, stretching out my hand for a handshake.
I am not about to tell this man my government name. I tell everyone is Joanne, anything to stop curiosity and I am pretty sure I look like a Joanne. That and the fact that I always had I fake ID with that name on it
“Dexter,” he says but doesn’t take my hand.
“See you around,” I tell him before running back into my apartment. I double check to mske sure the door is properly locked. He could be Jacob’s mercenary for all I know.
“Who was it?” I hear someone ask from inside Dexter’s apartment.
“Some weirdo across the hall,” he answers and closes the door.
- Writer
