Just Like Work

“It’s empty. Finally…” Maria drew a long breath, her heart pounding, as she cautiously scanned the corridor outside the luxury store named The Aurelius. Swiftly, she slipped out, her light brown uniform suit blending with her formal flowy pants. Adjusted her face mask, she headed past the extravagant corridor and the elevator, opting for the ordinary and dull elevator, the one meant for the maintenance staff or any low-ranking employee of the building. Leaning against the elevator wall, Maria tapped her arms lightly, eyes locked on the changing numbers at the top of the door. DING Maria flinched to the soft buzz of her phone. It was a flashing notification that said – “Your cab will be arriving in 10 minutes.” “Just 3 more…” She whispered to herself, mentally preparing for a swift exit when the doors opened. As the elevator dinged open, Maria again took another alternative route to leave the building - the one that lead to the parking lot of the restaurant across her store’s building instead of the front exit. Recent days had witnessed Maria’s adoption of longer and unconventional routes to go home as well as when leaving the store building, she had been arriving early and leaving late, spending her lunch breaks in the staff room instead of going to eat out with her colleagues… she was being extra vigilant these days only because of what happened a few weeks ago at The Night Bridge club. All this extra caution stemmed from a night she deeply regretted, an incident that haunted her every day. DING Maria’s attention was once again claimed by her phone, this time the notification announced “Your cab has arrived.” A couple more minutes and she would be out of her building and in the open, close to the restaurant and the public. Drawing closer to the store building’s exit, Maria quickened her pace, seeking refuge among the bustling crowds she normally avoided. She paused, ready to embrace the safety of the open space. She had called the cab at the restaurant’s address like last time - a public place with lots of people, Few more steps and she would be finding some solace in the presence of the crowd, an unlikely comfort necessary for her safety. But her relief evaporated as an imposing black SUV blocked her path. Her shock was evident despite the mask, her body got stiff and her heart started to beat so loud that she could hear it. “Need a Ride?” A tall man dressed in an all-black three-piece suit said as he stepped out of the SUV. His voice was heavy and commanding. His inches-long dark hair neatly combed and waxed in place, sharp nose, and just as sharp pair of eyes situated deep within his skull were fixed on Maria and a slight smirk played on his thin lips. “FU*k!” Maria uttered involuntarily. She cursed her luck, only if she was a little faster then maybe… maybe she would have slipped away without getting caught. She quickly adjusted her posture, attempting to appear unfazed, though her panic was palpable. “Maria…” The man called her name slowly, his raspy voice echoed in Maria’s ears. He approached her while closing the last button of his suit and placed his hands inside the pockets of his trouser. “Sir, the store’s closed.” Maria recited in her practiced salesgirl voice. She wanted to walk past him but her path was obstructed by other cars. She was too shocked to notice that the black SUV hadn’t arrived alone. ‘Do they have armed men inside them?’ ‘He hasn’t come to kidnap and kill me. Has he?’ Her mind raced, contemplating different possible scenarios and all of them were bad. The man nodded. He took a step closer to her and said, “It closed an hour ago.” Like he was accusing her of making him wait and wanted an apology. His commanding presence and sharp features sent shivers down her spine. “Yes. And I need to go home.” She held herself together and attempted to walk past him and in order to do so she would need to be in close proximity with either him or the cars and both options could have been dangerous. “Could you please, move your vehicle?” Maria requested since being polite was the only way to mask her anxiety. The man’s gaze lingered on Maria before he returned to his car. She sensed a temporary reprieve, but her heart started racing again when he didn’t get inside but instead stood next to it. “Get inside.” He commanded. “I have a cab and people waiting. Thank you but no.” She said and was retreating to the path she had come from when a hand grabbed her arm. His grip on her arm was strong and his movement was swift like she didn’t weigh anything as he dragged her into the SUV before she could react. When she realized what had happened, the SUV was already moving. “LET GO!! HELP!!” She screamed and banged on the car window but it was useless. Screams and struggles proved fruitless as the SUV sped away. Maria’s fear intensified with each passing moment, uncertainty gnawing at her. ‘Is this how I am going to die? I don’t even have life insurance, what will happen to Somu, she doesn’t even know about my savings?’ Maria clung to her purse and shrunk herself in one corner, distancing herself as far away as she could from the man who remained eerily composed. He was patiently watching Maria lose her cool and get more and more petrified by every passing second. His face was expressionless like it was made out of stone – emotionless, sharp, and cold. His gloved hands deftly reached out to remove Maria’s mask and his gaze studying her intently, like memorizing her facial features, his eyes traveled from her forehead to her lips. ‘Kidnapping and a moving car… God, please tell me he isn’t planning to r*pe me before he kills and dumps my body on the roadside… Just kill me already, assh*le.’ Maria was usually patient and calm but not when it came to misery, she preferred to get it all over with as quickly as possible. His enigmatic silence fuelled her apprehension, making her dread the unknown more than anything else. Once realizing that she was being watched and she had no control over what happens next she thought for a minute and then said in a desperate attempt to assert some control, “What do you want? No one’s going to pay any ransom for me.” ‘Sh*t, What if he plans to sell me or my organs in the black market?’ There were just too many ways she could die and they would still make a profit at her expense. “Your time.” The man responded with a pause-laden declaration while he adjusted his expensive watch. “I have been waiting for 13 days to get a little of your time.” Maria knew that watch, it was from The Aurelius, a limited collection that had arrived last week. She was the one who had recorded the inventory for that day. The realization dawned that the suit he had worn was also from her store and she was the one who had sold that to him. It had earned her a generous commission, thanks to him. And same was the case for the perfume he was wearing. “Yes, you guessed right.” He said and unbuttoned his suit. “I visited many times but couldn’t get a hold of you. You are a busy woman, Maria.” He stated with an air of anticipation, a hint of seduction and threat laced in every word that came out of his mouth. Maria’s heart sank as she understood the situation. She knew that he visited, she knew he visited to meet her and she also knew that he couldn’t meet her because she had purposely planned to avoid him with the help of her manager. And now she also knew that he was aware of her plans. ‘Sh*t! I am screwed.’ “Maria… You have been avoiding me.” He glanced lazily at her. “I wonder why?” “You don’t seem very friendly, sir.” She answered. It was futile to deny it. He chuckled. “We meet under rather unfriendly circumstances.” She clutched her bag waiting for him to get to the point. She would have loved to get this over with and be as far away from him as possible. “Who do work for?” The question was unexpected and Maria didn’t have an answer for that. ‘Is he asking about the owner of the store?’ “I don’t know the owners. I am only a temporary employee.” She answered hesitantly. He smiled again. But this time there was a sinister look to it. “Try again.” She thought for a second trying to recall the name of the owners of The Aurelius. “I don’t… know…” “The Night Bridge- Shootout…” He gave her a suggestive look before narrowing his eyes at her. On the contrary, Maria’s eyes went wide, ‘He recognized me!!’. The panic reflected on her face as the horror of that night flashed before her eyes. She had never seen so much blood and never in her life had imagined seeing so many dead bodies in one place. It was the day she wanted to erase from her memory if she had a way to do so. “Now, who do you work for?” “I don’t know anyone other than Jugul. He was the one who told us... told me to serve your room that night.” She blurted out in a shaky voice. “You know who I am?” His voice tinged with disappointment. “Anthony,” Maria murmured. She was being honest, she only knew his name and that he had killed people. “How disappointing!” he muttered, more to himself than her. Maria anxiously waited for one of the dark scenarios to play out but nothing happened. Anthony stayed seated calmly in his place with his legs crossed and staring ahead. BUZZ … BUZZ… Maria flinched at the sound of her phone ringing inside her bag. Her eyes darted between her bag and Anthony, contemplating whether or not to pick up the call. To her surprise, Anthony took the bag from her and answered the call, putting it on speaker. “Madam, your cab is waiting for the last 10 minutes. Where are you?” “I…” Maria opened her mouth but it was dry from all the tension and panic. She needed water. “She won’t be needing it,” Anthony answered and disconnected. He put the phone inside the bag and handed it over to Maria. A few moments later he lowered the windows and said looking outside. “Stop avoiding me.” His voice was as calm as before. Maria was confused when a loud clicking sound made Maria flinch again. She noticed that the vehicle had stopped moving. The door at her side opened and she hopped off without wasting a second. And she found herself standing on the street that led to her house. Watching the SUV leave, she couldn’t believe she was home and in one piece, unharmed. She recalled his parting words again, “Stop avoiding me…”. It was a warning, a chilling directive that signaled the tormenting uncertainty of her situation, a haunted reality she could neither avoid nor escape. ----------------***------------------