The Writer's Dilemma

The Meeting

    The next day Audrey appeared at Stygian’s building early in the morning. The photoshoot was going to begin in Marius’s office. At noon, they would move to one of Marius’s beloved hiking trails for an exchange of scenery. She took her time walking up to the front desk, wincing with pain as her rib cage ached. Her wrist was thickly wrapped in white gauze. After yesterday morning’s meeting with Marius she had taken the rest of the morning off, telling Mr. Jacques that she had tripped and fallen down a flight of stairs, avoiding any suspicions or questions from her colleagues. She returned home after her parents had gone to bed and left before they had woken up so they wouldn’t see the condition she was in and worry about her.

                As she was ushered to the tenth floor, the weather was clearing up into a bright, cloudless day. She was seen to the area where the camera crew was setting up their equipment where she hid in the shadows, hoping to remain unseen. It was an hour later that Marius decided to show up, hardly glancing in her direction. The first scene took a few hours with Audrey huddled in the corner, barely moving an inch due to the pain she was in and how crowded the room was. Marius approached her as the crew began to pack up.

                “I’ll drive you.”

                “Yes, sir,” Audrey gave a soft reply, hating the content smirk that came over Marius’s face. She followed him at a distance to his car, waiting for his permission to sit.

                “Your attitude is much better today,” Marius nodded for her to get in the car. Audrey remained silent, looking straight ahead, not letting her eyes stray. Their drive lasted nearly thirty minutes, the mountains looming in front of them as they drove. When they arrived, they separated without a word, the camera crew once again working diligently to get the work done professionally and in a timely manner. Audrey stood off to the side, hoping that the seconds would tick by faster and this day and week would end. When the film crew called it, Marius approached her once again. “We will review the photos on Monday, on our way to Vancouver. Have a lovely weekend,” He leaned into her, planting an extremely brief kiss on her cheek. Audrey shook, her body instantly moving away, letting him walk by as though nothing had happened.

                On her way home on the bus, Audrey’s phone buzzed, alerting her to a text message her phone had received. She opened her phone, reading the message carefully.

                                Wyatt: I was so nervous I forgot to give you a time for tomorrow and I got

                                My days confused! Claudel Café will be open (don’t tell anyone the code please).

                                Do you mind meeting for lunch at 12?

                Audrey looked at her phone sadly, unsure if she should go out with the condition her body was in. She knew that she’d be very disappointed if she didn’t go.

                                Audrey: Twelve is fine. The code is safe with me.

                When she arrived home, she went straight to her room, falling fast asleep under the covers.

                The next morning, Audrey woke up late, taking her time to prepare to meet Wyatt due to the pain in her ribs and her reluctance to go out at all. She barely managed to get by her mom with the excuse that her carpal tunnel was acting up again. As she caught the bus that would take her to Claudel Café she fidgeted nervously, hoping that Wyatt wouldn’t take notice of the shabby state her body was in.

                When she entered the café, she could only make out a few groups of people in the dim lighting. She maneuvered her way between tables, finding that the crowd thinned out towards the back of the café until there was only one man sitting in the corner, a hat and sunglasses hiding his face. Audrey approached him slowly, her heartbeat picking up, beating nervously in her chest as she was grateful for the terrible lighting.

                “Wyatt?” She called his name, wondering if the light was playing tricks on her or if she had gotten the wrong person. It most certainly didn’t look like the manager she had seen a few days ago and she was confused at why anyone would need to wear sunglasses inside a dimly lit café. Her eyes followed the man as he stood and faced her.

                “Miss Marchand,” The voice was the same as on the phone, but the features were different. “Let’s talk privately,” He motioned towards a door leading into an empty back room, two coffee cups set on a coffee table. The lighting was much brighter in this room. As Audrey turned back to Wyatt she was stunned beyond belief. The hat and sunglasses had been removed, revealing that it was not Wyatt at all.