Intuition
“Thalia!” Janice’s loud voice breaks my stare from my phone screen. My eyes glance back down at the unanswered message I left for Jace: Where the hell are you?!
“Girl, you okay?!” She breaks me out of a worry-filled dissociation again.
“Yeah… hey, have you heard anything from Jace?” I ask while sliding my phone into the back pocket of my jeans.
“No. Not since our shift a couple of nights ago.” Her eyes peer down as she writes something on her paperwork clipped to her clipboard. “Why?” She inquires, still not looking up.
“I haven’t either. We haven’t talked in a couple of days. It just feels like something is up. We don’t go days without talking. It’s also not like him to miss work. He’s usually in here before me.”
With a fresh new feeling of worry, I cross my arms across my chest. Janice sets the plastic clipboard on the bar and grabs her phone out of the side pocket of her dress pants.
I nervously watch her scroll through her list of contacts.
She presses the call button, letting out a long sigh, and puts the phone up to her ear .
“Straight to voicemail.” She confirms as she presses end.
“Something isn’t right.” My voice wavers with panic.
“Maybe he’s just having an off day. Like, I don’t know… maybe he missed his alarm or something.”
“He hasn’t answered any of my messages in the past three days.” I grab my phone out of my pocket and show her all my unanswered texts.
“Maybe… maybe he’s feeling under the weather.”
“No, that isn’t it. He would call me and bitch about how sick he is.” She laughs at the notion and nods her head in agreement. This just doesn’t feel right. Something is seriously wrong.
“Don’t worry, chica. I’m sure he’ll come through those doors.
He’s probably just running a little late.
” We’ve already established it’s not like him to be late.
She picks up her clipboard and gives me a sweet smile.
Her heels click on the hard floor as she walks towards the kitchen.
I grab one of the rags from under the bar and begin cleaning a few glasses.
Anything to keep my mind occupied. I feel like I am going insane.
As the night goes on, I catch myself staring at the front door.
Jace, you have to come in. Please fucking walk in those doors.
Through my peripherals, I see Janice’s face clouded with worry, joining me in checking the doors .
I’m not the only one. She has to feel it, too.
My phone is still a loss for answers as I scroll through the many texts in the thread. Still nothing.
Something is seriously wrong, I know it.
The shift ends, and Jace hasn’t graced my worried presence. I wonder if I keep fixating on the dark street in front of me, something would happen; like he would magically walk in these doors, panicking because he slept in, or lost track of time. I guess I can only continue to hope.
“Money is all accounted for.” The sound of the register sliding closed wakes me from my overwhelming thoughts. A fake smile is the best I can come up with for my sympathetic boss. Who the hell am I kidding? I grab my purse and jacket from the brass hook behind me and walk out from behind the bar.
“He’s going to turn up. Don’t you worry your pretty little head. I bet he’s sitting in bed, surrounded by tissues and cold medicine. He’s probably just too exhausted to answer his phone.” She opens the glass door, and we both walk out of The Neon Rose together.
It’s fucking two A.M. and I should be asleep in my bed, but here I am sitting in my car, watching Thalia walk out of The Neon Rose.
She doesn’t see my black Mustang across from the bar in the shadows of the other buildings.
Wasn’t it lucky that I was already out, exploring the nightlife that is New York City?
I keep my stare with a greasy Philly cheesesteak in hand as she walks down the long stretch of sidewalk alone.
Where the hell is that Jace kid? He’s always tagging along everywhere she goes.
It’s too fucking late for her to be walking by herself.
While still hanging on to my greasy sandwich, I take my phone out of my side pocket with my free hand and send her a quick text.
Me:
Hey, Sweetheart
I continue to stuff my face with the best fucking Philly cheesesteak in the city, and watch her glare down at the light coming from her phone.
My attention stays on my screen, waiting to watch it light up with her message in my hand.
Thalia:
Hey, Lee
Me:
What are you up to tonight?
I type while stuffing my mouth with another bite, licking off the liquid cheese that slides down my lower lip.
Thalia:
On my way home.
I watch the three dots appear on my end of the conversation. What is it, Sweetheart?
Thalia:
Do you want to come over? I mean, if you’re not too busy. I just don’t want to be alone tonight.
She stops in her tracks on the sidewalk and keeps her attention on her phone as if she’s waiting for my response. Absolutely, Sweetheart.
Me:
I would love to see you. Just give me a sec, and I’ll head over to your place .
I put the greasy sandwich in the brown paper bag, already dripping from its unhealthy juices. Grease from the steak covers my tattoos when I wipe my beard with the back of my arm. Perfect, just the way I like it.
My eyes stay on her as she continues her walk on her route towards her apartment.
Waiting until her body is no longer in clear focus, I start my car and back out of my space in the shadows.
My car moves slowly and far enough behind her.
If she sees my Mustang, I’m fucked and she’ll think I’m a fucking stalker.
I’m not a stalker, just highly fucking interested in her safety.
My attention doesn’t divert from Thalia’s form as she stops in front of her apartment complex. She glances down at her phone and stuffs it back into the pocket of her jacket. I’m almost there, Sweetheart. I pull into the small parking garage that faces the front side of the building.
Me:
I’m here.
The grease on my fingers slides down my screen with my quick text. It takes only a matter of a few seconds for her reply. My phone vibrates on my leg when I wipe off the juices from my sandwich on my pants.
Thalia:
I’ll meet you in the parking garage.
She responds, and like a fucking smitten teenage girl, I can’t help but smile. It’s been too long since I got to see my girl. My girl.
Quickly, I turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds before I see her walking towards my car.
I step out of the driver’s seat and wipe the rest of the Philly grease down my jeans and shut the car door, leaving the remainder of the sandwich in the passenger seat.
Her red lips turn up into a small smirk the closer she walks closer to my car.
I wonder if she can see my big grin hiding under my beard and how fucking pathetic I look.
She hugs her leather jacket around her body and her boots click on the concrete floor the closer she walks.
We both meet in the middle of the garage.
“Hey, Lee.” Her sweet beam stays frozen on her face while she continues to hug her jacket close. Something’s wrong . I see the worry all over her face.
“Hey, Sweetheart.” I bring her into my chest and wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. “What’s wrong?” I ask full of worry with her head tucked into the crook of my neck.
“Can we talk about it inside?” Her tiny voice is muffled against my jacket.
“Of course,” I answer and she takes my hand and leads me to the side of her building.
My knuckles turn white under my black leather gloves as I grip my steering wheel.
What the fuck is he doing here? I watch the two of them while I’m parked a few rows back in Thalia’s parking garage.
They can’t see me as Lee’s whole body practically covers her when he brings her into his chest. My body vibrates with rage when I see the two of them make their way towards her apartment building.
What the fuck is this? I bite my lip until it bleeds when I see his fingers intertwined with hers. Calm down, Alan. Nothing has happened until you see it for yourself. I take a long breath to relax my nerves. Ten, nine, eight, seven…
I continue to count backwards before finally climbing out of the driver’s seat. Quietly, I shut the door, making sure it doesn’t echo throughout the garage.
I stuff my hands in my coat pockets and begin following Lee and Thalia, keeping myself hidden by standing in the shadows of the tall concrete pillars and large cars.
I notice her eyes light up with every glance he gives her.
She looked at me like that. Inside my pockets, my hands ball into tight fists as I close my eyes and take another deep breath. Calm down.
Still spying from the darkness, I lean my shoulders against one of the columns in the garage and observe the two of them make their way into the side entrance of the apartment complex.
My fist releases and feels for the metal ridges of the key I had made.
The pads of my fingers run along the cold edges as they disappear into the door to her complex.
The soles of my dress shoes click against the concrete as I pick up my pace towards the building. They echo loudly the closer I get to the large exit of the parking garage. Pace yourself, Alan. Don’t give yourself away. Lee isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The thought of him on the same couch I was on just a few nights before has my blood boiling. The image of her grinding against his lap while he kisses her makes the hair on the nape of my neck stand at attention. Don’t jump to conclusions. Take another breath and collect yourself.