I quickly put my stuff in a small locker off to the side of our computer desk. I grabbed a brown apron out of the drawer of the desk and slipped it on and headed out front of the shop.
As I opened the door to the coffee shop I couldn't help but feel uneasy, I had been freaked out by that man that I sprinted past my fellow coworker who was eyeing me up. I looked up at her, her blue eyes staring into my soul. I gave a half hearted smile and walked behind the counter to greet her.
"Are you alright?" She questioned, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "You sprinted right past me pale as a ghost."
I drew in a breath and gave a long exhale. "Honestly Ariel I'm not really sure what came over me, I just kinda zoned out, no need to worry."
She shrugged it off knowing that was the best answer she would get from me. I didn't generally try to lie however, I felt it was easier than trying to explain that eerie feeling that washed over me. I didn't want to seem paranoid.
"...Val? Are you listening to me?" Ariel waved her nearly manicured hand in my face.
Snapping out of my trail of thought I nodded casually. "Yeah sorry what we're you saying?"
She sighed and gave me a look indicating she knew something was off about me. "I was saying you totally missed this fine as hell man that came in right before you showed up today."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "A fine man came into this unimpressive coffee shop?"
"I know it seems hard to believe but instead of our elderly regulars we actually had someone come in that wasn't about to take a dirt nap."
I bit down on my lip, feeling a little uncomfortable how to discussed the regulars. She gave a awkward smile realizing how she sounded.
"Soooo anyway." She changed the subject. "This guy I swear to god was well over six foot. Long brown hair and the most dreamy green eyes you'd ever seen."
Ariel gushed for a while describing this man in so much detail that I swear I was the one who took care of him. I started to zone out as she continued her rant on "it should be fucking illegal to look like a Greek god". I nodded and agreed with her to keep the peace but the next sentence made the hair on my neck stand up.
"….. and did I mentioned he was COVERED in tattoos." She beamed. "Like I'm sure under his clothes was nothing but them, especially the ones on his super muscular arms.. Jesus I'd let that man choke me."
Covered in tattoos?
I immediately thought of that arm that held the door open for me. Could it have been a coincidence that that could have been the same man she was talking about? I got a little sick to my stomach replaying that feeling that washed over me in that instant. I decided to cut her off in her ramble mess to ask.
"Ariel when you were attending to this guy did you feel…." I tried to think of the words to use. "a bit of a threatening aura from him?"
She stopped talking and gave me a look that just screamed "you must be nuts". I shrugged hoping she would at the very least humor me.
"Uh for one that's a kinda odd question to ask, and two the only aura I was feeling was my own lust building up in my….."
"No need to finish that sentence!" I cut her off really quick and turned around to start my morning routines. I heard a little chuckle from Ariel and then the sound of her stocking supplies.
I looked over at the door, the morning sun peering through the windows lighting up the place.. perhaps maybe my lack of sleep had me on edge. That had to be it. I must be losing my mind from sleep deprivation and now assume everyone is terrifying. I laughed lightly at myself. I hop to god that was it.
Little did I know there was a pair of eyes almost burning into me with such intensity. Hidden in the shadows of the surrounding buildings someone was watching and waiting and I was clueless as to what would soon transpire.