2. Maya
two
Maya
" G ood morning, Maya," Mr. Hutchinson says. He's nailing up another plank on the front of his shop.
"Good morning, Mr. Hutchinson." I stopped before his shop and gazed at the broken windows and torn-up front porch. "I'm so sorry."
"Oh, don't you fret, dear? It was bound to happen one way or another. This town just seems to be falling apart at the seams, and no one seems to care."
"I think they care," I say, smiling softly to him. "I don't think anyone wants to see their home getting destroyed."
Mr. Hutchinson stares at me for a moment before laughing out loud. "Always positive, just like your grandmother. It's good to have you around, dear."
"What will you do now? I set my basket of groceries on the ground on a small step out of the snow.
"Not sure. I might head out of town to go live with the rest of my family elsewhere. I feel a little guilty. I had a new apprentice starting today."
"Apprentice?" I ask him. Mr. Hutchinson owned a small, classy tattoo shop that seemed to have been here longer than my grandmother's bakery. The building was only one story, a small building with only one room once you entered. It was nicely decorated inside, and the walls were filled with art. As long as I've known him, Mr. Hutchinson was the only one with tattoos in town.
"Yes, ma'am, he was supposed to start today, but I haven't seen him yet. I'll have to break the bad news to him."
"Is it someone from out of town?" I hugged my coat tightly and hugged myself, trying to stay warm.
"Yes, ma'am. I believe the kid's name was Asher. Nice kid. Talented with the ink and needle."
The cold chill returns when the name leaves his lips, grabbing both my shoulders. This time, I lean into it.
"Everything happens for a reason, hon. Just make sure you stay safe. I get worried about you sometimes cooped up in there alone."
"You don't have to worry about me. I love doing what I do."
"But things are getting dangerous nonetheless. It would help if you had a man in there with you." Mr. Hutchins chuckles. "You oughta get yourself a dog if nothing else."
"I would love that, but I don't know if the bakery can handle that, especially with all the baking.
The fur wouldn't be a good mix." I laugh a little.
"Well, honey, please be safe either way." He puts his tools back in his toolbox and throws them over his shoulder. "You need some form of protection. Get yourself a bodyguard, if nothing else. Hell, you can even steal the apprentice. That way, his trip from wherever he came from wouldn't be completely useless. But you get home, little lady; you shouldn't be walking alone." Mr. Hutchinson waves me goodbye before walking off down the road back towards his home.
I grab my basket back up and begin walking back to the bakery. The town is buzzed with life early in the day. It's almost noon, and children from the orphanage are running around and playing with old toys that were passed down or donated many years ago. People flutter about dressed in heavy coats lined with fur from various animals. The sun left a bright shine on the snow that lay softly on the ground. As far as I can see, the town is lined with small shops, and the outer skirts are lined with small homes for families.
I suddenly stumble and run into something. I catch myself and look down, only to see a large black dog staring at me.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you there, handsome." Its eyes are slate gray, and my entire body is met with that familiar chill. I freeze.
The dog stared at me momentarily before slowly walking off and disappearing around the corner into a small alley. I jogged to follow it, but as soon as I rounded the corner, there was just an empty alleyway leading to a dead end.
"What's wrong, Miss Maya?"
The sudden voice startles me, and I jump. I turn around to see Emmett standing there without a coat, gloves, or scarf.
"Emmett, you're going to catch a cold like that." I pick him up, wrap him in my coat, and wrap my scarf around both of us.
"I never get sick, and it's too hot." He smiles brightly, showing his missing tooth.
"If I recall, Mr. You were sick last week. Where is your coat?"
"It's back at home." He smiles and crosses his arms.
I set him down and take off my scarf, wrapping it tightly around his neck.
"Bring this back to me tomorrow. You can borrow it for a bit." I wink at him. His eyes light up, and he runs off to his friends.
I make my way out of the alley and glance behind me one more time just to make sure. And just like before, all that was there was an empty alley.
I begin walking back, and my chest begins to feel tight.
"I'm losing my mind just like my grandmother did," I whispered to myself. I hugged myself tightly in an attempt to comfort my now-racing thoughts.
My breath becomes ragged, and suddenly, my mind is racing.
I will end up like my grandmother, bumbling old stories about fairytales and monsters in the woods.
Maybe Mr. Hutchinson was right. Maybe it all is too much for me to do on my own.
I feel my heart racing, and my chest grows tighter. I round the corner and see the bakery, and my feelings only worsen.
As I make it to the door, my hands are fumbling with the keys, shaking, and my head is light.
Suddenly, a hand reaches out from behind me and grabs the keys, quickly shoving the key into the lock and opening the door for me.
I spin around, my back against the door. Standing in front of me is a tall man with broad shoulders. He's wearing a tight black T-shirt tucked into his pants and a heavy black leather jacket draped over his other arm.
"Didn't mean to sneak up on you. You looked like you needed some help." His voice is velvet and slides past my ears like silk. I look up, and I'm met with piercing gray eyes, his arms held, intricate swirling tattoos from his wrist up to his neck, and peeking just out of his shirt collar.
His hair is inky black and falls just above his shoulders, pulled up in a half bun.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." I stuttered out. My eyes darted between his and
I was met with a familiar feeling that I couldn't place my finger on.
"Asher," he says. He reaches his hand out to me.
"Maya," I reply softly, still a little stunned. I reach my hand out, and he grabs my fingers before bringing my hand to his mouth and kissing it softly. At that moment, all of my anxieties seemed to be still.
"So, what brings you into town?" I say softly, throwing my jacket over a nearby chair. Asher walks in behind me, and I shut the bakery door, re-locking it. Today was Sunday, one of the few days that I could close the shop to catch up for the upcoming week. It was a welcome break from the normal busy, bustling week that I dealt with from morning to evening most days.
"I came in for an apprenticeship to find everything boarded up."
"Common occurrence around here right now," I sigh and lean against the counter.
"Thank you for letting me in, by the way," Asher says, looking at me and smiling warmly. I meet his eyes again, and familiar cold wraps around my shoulders, comforting me.
His eyes roam my body momentarily, and I can feel my face heating up. I turn around to grab something off the shelf and find it just out of reach.
"Please, allow me." Asher gets up and comes around the corner of the counter, putting us in close quarters. My breath hitches, and I find my face inches away from his chest. He reaches above me and grabs a small jar for me, handing it to me softly before returning to his seat.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"You said there were a lot of shops closing around here." He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. His lashes are black and fall over his eyes, making the gray barely visible at this angle.
I clear my throat and turn around. "Someone's been breaking into shops around town, but no one's been caught yet. As you can imagine, it's the talk of the town." I reach over, grab my white lacy apron, and throw it over my head. I tie the strap behind me tightly. Asher seems to watch my every step. I steal a glance, and he swallows deep, readjusting his position in the chair.
"Has anyone gotten hurt?" This question catches me off guard.
"A few."
"Badly?" His eyes are intense and unbreaking.
"Bad enough," I say to him sternly. My sudden attitude change seems to make his jaw tick. He tilts his head slightly.
I took down my long braids that I had put up earlier that morning. I brought all my hair up into a high ponytail and tied it up with a slim white silk ribbon—a habit I picked up whenever I was about to start baking.
"Well, thank you for bringing me out of the cold again. I'm sorry to come up behind you like that."
"There's no need to thank me." I turned around to grab ingredients off the high shelves behind the counter. "What will you do now that your apprenticeship is cut off?"
"I'm not sure to be honest with you." He fixes his position in the chair again. "Are you all by yourself here?"
I glance at him, and his eyes seem to stop me in my tracks, just like last time. I hesitate.
"I am," I say, trying not to seem bothered by the question.
In truth, I've always wanted someone. For once, I wanted to feel like someone could take care of me and protect me from all the world's evil, but unfortunately, no one in this town has offered that to me. There have been men who offered love to me and asked me to be theirs, but it never felt right. That was too boring, and they always seemed to offer it because it seemed convenient for them to have a little housewife.
"Seems kind of dangerous with everything that's been going on. Where is your family?"
I stopped stirring the ingredients in the bowl. "They aren't around anymore, unfortunately."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anyone, or are you truly all by yourself up here?" I look at
Asher and a cold feeling seem to wrap around me again, warming me up. His eyes are piercing through me.
"No, it's just me." I grip the mixing spoon tightly.
Suddenly, the shop door bangs loudly, and I glance out to see Sarah, a long-time friend. She's frantic. Asher gets up and unlocks the door, opening it for her, and she rushes in.
"Maya, another shop was just broken into," she shouted.
"During the day, are you sure?" My mouth falls open in shock.
"Miss Withers' fruit shop was just vandalized. They almost caught the guy, but he got away."
Asher glances at me, and his jaw tightens. He seems to be on edge.
"That's only a few doors down from here." I set the bowl down as an unsettling feeling creeps over me.
"That's why I came to warn you. I don't think you should stay here alone tonight. You should come stay with me and my family." Sarah is stumbling over her words.
"Sarah, you know I can't do that," I say softly. I stare down into the bowl at the mixed ingredients. I'm gripping the bowl so tight that my knuckles are white. Just then, a familiar hand reaches my hand, releasing the tension in my fingers.
"You don't have to worry, dear. I'll be staying with her." Asher's voice cuts through the air, no longer silky like before. I stare at him with my mouth open in shock, and Sarah does the same.
"And who are you?" Sarah snaps.
"A close family friend from out of town," he says, just as calm as before.
Sarah seems taken aback but doesn't respond. All she does is nod her head. She looked at me momentarily, asking if I was okay, and I nodded.
"Come get me if you need anything. There's always room for you at our place."
"Thank you," I smile softly.
Sarah exits the door, and Asher locks it behind her.
"I'm sorry," he says to me.
"No, I should be thanking you. I can't stay with her and her family. It's not particularly ideal for me." I laugh as Asher releases my hand.
"Why is that?"
"Well, her brother proposed not long ago," I grin and begin mixing ingredients.
Asher gets a devilish grin on his face. "And what did you say?"
"I said no, he was in it for the wrong reasons."
"Reasons?"
"He wanted a housewife, Asher." I roll my eyes.
"You don't want to be a housewife?"
"I don't wanna be forgotten in a house along with all the other responsibilities. I don't know how to explain it. I just wanna be taken care of."
Asher stares at me for a moment before chuckling to himself. "Well, I am at your expense now. I'll keep all the eligible bachelors away for you."
I laugh, not a fake laugh like the one I had been doing for weeks now, but a real laugh. "Good luck," I say to him, wiping a tear from my eye.
"I don't need luck. I am lucky." He smiles at me softly. But I can sense a hint of chaos.
"Give it a week, and I'll have another proposal lined up with flowers I can get at the nearest meadow if I want to."
"Tell you what, all you have to do is bake me an apple pie whenever I ask, and I'll fight off any man that steps foot on your cute little stoop."
"Apple pie," I chuckle. "That's it? You have a deal." I proudly reach out to Asher, and he grabs my hand just as gently as before.
"Deal," he says.