10. Phoebe
Chapter ten
Phoebe
I ’m sitting across from Dwayne in French Fry Eddies diner, and taking a self-conscious sip of my strawberry milkshake that he insisted I should get, even though I tried politely to tell him I was not really a fan of strawberries, or milkshakes for that matter. That was strike one against him, and his ongoing rambling for the last five minutes straight, without needing me to get a word in, isn’t boding well for him either. I should have just trusted my instincts and turned him down again. Why do women do that? They ignore the little voice inside of themselves that is there to keep them safe. I’m bored out of my mind, despite him thinking the stories of his escapades with his fraternity brothers are amusing, news flash, they’re not. They scream of sexist bullshit, and badly behaved men that should know better, but don’t seem to care how their actions impact others around them. I’m unfortunately quite familiar with that thought process, having grown up around mafia men, who have thought exactly like them all my life.
“ So, yeah, he was like, did you see that? And I couldn’t stop laughing,” Dwayne chuckles to himself, and his eyebrow quirks up in a questioning manner when I don’t join him. I have no idea what he’s even talking about. I zoned out almost immediately when he started telling his story. “So, um, thanks for agreeing to come out and have dinner with me. I really like you, Phoebe, we could be good together.” He reaches across the table for my hand, and I quickly snatch it back and hide it on my lap, an instant shot of anxiety hitting my veins, and causing my heart rate to spike. I don’t want to be unnecessarily cruel to him. I am sure he’s someone’s catch, he’s just not mine. I also have to be wary, because guys like him tend to be assholes when they’re turned down. I don’t need to add to who I have to watch out for while I’m on campus. I’m just about to try to politely turn him down, and end this miserable date, when a dark hoodie catches my peripheral, and I end up turning in the booth and ignoring Dwayne completely. My hands begin to shake in my lap, and my mouth goes dry, as I try to get a better look at the guy sitting across the room, in a booth, with his head turned away from me. I’m almost positive it’s the same guy from my lecture. Is he following me? Who the hell is he?
“Earth to Phoebe, are you even listening to me?” Dwayne tries to recapture my attention, and stares in the direction I’m trying not to appear to look at. “Do you know that guy or something?” His tight voice brings me back to glancing at him. His mouth has gone into a stern, straight line, his jaw is clenched so tightly that I fear for the state of his teeth, and his dark chocolate eyes are storming as they bore holes into me. Shit, is he angry or jealous? With my luck, it’s both, and he’s about to cause a scene. Quick, think of something to say, idiot. “I think he’s from my biological science class. He left his notes behind last class, and I retrieved them for him.” The change in Dwayne is instant and frightening. He goes from being angry to carefree once more, and that dimple that first caught my attention makes a reappearance. “You’re so nice, babe. That was decent of you. You had me worried for a second that you were checking him out while on a date with me.” Yeah, if bells weren’t sounding the alarm in my head about Dwayne before, they are now. “I... I wouldn’t do that. This has been nice, Dwayne, but I have to be going, I have a ton of assignments to complete for tomorrow, and I’m not feeling great. I think the milkshake is upsetting my stomach.”
He bites down on his bottom lip, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. I’m trying to be polite, but if he tries to stop me from leaving, I don’t know what I’ll do. I quickly glance around to ascertain if anyone will assist me if he decides to get handsy with me, but I don’t see anyone I know. “Maybe we should get you something for your stomach, babe. We can run to the pharmacy by my frat house.” Hell to the no, I have no desire to go anywhere with this guy, never mind near his frat house. “I’ll be alright, I have stuff at home. Thanks, though, for the date.” I glance back at the hoodie guy, and his head is bent over the menu. Now is my chance to get a proper glimpse of him, and confront him about the note. I have to find out if that’s who was watching me, and left me the note. I also need to get the fuck away from Dwayne, and end this date, without starting a very public altercation. I begin to rise from the booth, my purse clenched in my fingers, and my body tense. Just put one foot in front of the other, Phoebe, and don’t look back. He’s not going to try to stop you in a diner filled with people. If he does, scream and elbow the fucker in the nuts, and keep going.
“I’m just going to go over and tell him that I have his notes saved for him, and I’ll be going. Thanks again, see you around.” I don’t wait for Dwayne’s reply, as I start to make my way across the packed diner, just as the front door opens and a large amount of the football team enter, being obnoxiously loud and rowdy. The sea of enormous bodies situates itself between me and my target, and I have to work extra hard t o make it around them, while keeping a cursory glance toward Dwayne to ensure he’s not following me. “Excuse me, please.” I try to get around one of the players, who tries to wrap his massive arm around my waist, and to pull me into his space. “Where are you going, beautiful? Let’s get to know each other over some fries.” He winks at me. I step back and away from him, bumping into someone else with frustration, as I keep forcing my body forward through the crowd. A quick look backward shows me that Dwayne is heading right for me. Fucking hell, when it rains, it pours trouble.
When I’m finally free of the crowd, and on the other side of the diner where the hoodie guy is sitting, I’m confronted with an empty booth. Crap, where did he go? Panic soars inside of me, making a cold sweat break along my spine. I turn my head in every direction, looking for any sign of his hoodie. He was just here a moment ago. I quickly scan the diner, but there are so many patrons standing around now inside that it’s hard to see. Fuck, was it him? Did he spot me making my way over to him? Is that why he’s suddenly gone? The only thing left on the table is a discarded glass of water, and the menu he was holding. The waitress comes over to clear the table and glances up at me. Just as I’m about to ask her where he went, she lifts up the menu, and a napkin with my name slips from underneath. I quickly reach for it, and stare down at its surface, the blood instantly draining from my face and my breath stalling in my thr oat.
The message stares up at me from the stark white contrast of the paper napkin, like the edge of a sharp blade, ready and waiting to dig into my chest. “Girlie, you okay?” The young waitress reaches out, and prevents me from crashing into the person behind me in shock. Concern and curiosity are lining her face, and I know I must look like I’m about to bolt for the door in fear. “The guy who was sitting here, did you get a good look at him?” I question with hope, my voice rising with my internal panic. She gives me a strange look before raising her shoulder. “Naw, he kept his hood up the whole time. Didn’t get to order anything besides the water, before he took off like a bat out of hell.” She moves away to take someone’s order, and I’m confronted by my new reality. Someone is watching and playing games with me. The question is, who, and what is their end game?
With one glance back toward where Dwayne is still trying to reach me, I crumple the napkin in my fist and slip my hand inside my purse, reassuring myself that I have my blade, before making my way out of the diner and to my car, while whatever shred of self-preservation, and sanity, I have left, urges me loudly to get out of here. I’m going to have to be even more careful if this guy is watching me, especially since I don’t know his intentions, but my gut is telling me loudly that whatever they are, I want no part in them. Another part of me fills with excitement, the chase, the not knowing, and the possibility of being captured by someone outside of my mafia world, causing the urges I try to hide deep within myself to rise to the surface. With all the danger I constantly face, I shouldn’t want the things that I do. I should be running in the opposite direction, screaming, but instead, I’m clenching my thighs, knowing my body is getting worked up. A cold shiver, filled with dread, works its way through my limbs, and my now overheated skin.
Lit tle by little, I am starting to feel like my new, safe world is crumbling, and I don’t know how to stop it. Will I ever be free, no matter how far I run, or will s omeone always be hunting me?