Maizyn
Chapter Twenty-One
No nightmares are a blessing. It’s kind of crazy to wake up feeling revitalized for once.
I actually slept well and woke up in a good mood for once.
I guess it’s not hard to wake up happy when you get tag teamed after running a marathon through the woods.
It’s amazing to wake up feeling happy. The boys went to work at the office today, which means I have the majority of the day to myself.
I could stay home and be lazy, but I am itching to get out of the house.
I saw on social media that a new bookstore just opened up right up the road, so I think I will visit it today to see if it lives up to the hype.
I should probably get dressed though. I don’t think an oversized shirt and boxers are appropriate attire for walking around in public.
I climb out of bed and get moving before I get too comfortable and decide I'd rather stay in it.
I take in my appearance in the mirror; other than the messy rat's nest piled on top of my head, I don’t look half bad.
I trot to the bathroom to get a quick shower.
I turn the shower on and wait for steam to bellow out from above the curtain before I undress and step under the stream.
The boiling hot water dancing across my skin is even more enjoyable when I don’t have internal thoughts to battle with.
Is this feeling why people sing in the shower?
Can’t say I blame them at this point. I make quick work of scrubbing my body clean, being careful of the few scrapes and bruises left over from last night before moving on to my messy hair.
I lather in the shampoo, scrub my scalp a bit, then wash it out before working in the conditioner.
I take more time with the conditioner, using it to untangle any knots in my hair.
Once my hair is tangle-free, I wash it out and shut off the water.
I wrap a big fluffy towel around my body, letting my hair drip down my back as I brush my teeth.
I towel dry my hair next before twisting it into two French braids.
I skip makeup entirely today. It’s never really been my type of thing.
I usually don't wear it, but it’s something I have to be in the mood to put on.
Freshly showered, teeth brushed, hair situated, that only leaves me with the task of picking out an outfit.
I start with a matching black bra and panties set, pairing it with the first pair of black fishnets I pull out.
I opt for a pair of black jean shorts today with a cropped black shirt.
Keeping with the theme, I put on black socks and my black high-tops.
I slip my knife into my back pocket and then create a group chat with Atlas and Gavin to let them know I am leaving the house and where I am going.
Don’t know why I didn’t make a group chat sooner; it’s so much easier than sending multiple texts.
Mapping the bookstore, I see that it’s only a thirty-five-minute walk, so I decide to head there on foot instead of getting a rideshare.
I head out the door, making sure I lock it behind me.
The walk goes by quicker than I thought it would.
I always enjoyed walking; today is no different.
The weather is perfect for it today. It is really nice to just free my mind and enjoy my surroundings.
It is pretty peaceful. As the bookstore comes into view, I instinctively know I am going to like the place.
It reminds me a lot of Pages. The exterior of the building is warm and inviting and there is a cute little diner next door to it that I will definitely be checking out once I leave.
I push open the door and a bell chimes above me.
The scent of new paper hits me like a breath of fresh air and I immediately feel relaxed.
I should’ve found a bookstore sooner. Maybe I wouldn’t have spiraled as much if I had.
The inside of the bookstore gives almost fairycore vibes and I am living for it.
Twinkly lights, vines, and flowers make up most of the decor.
Some of the chairs are even shaped like tree stumps.
I honestly love it here. Bookstores always have a sense of home about them.
The smell of books settles my soul just a bit more.
I browse the shelves, making a mental note of all of the books I want to come back and buy.
I take my time, trailing my fingers along the spines.
I flip through a few random books that grab my attention, picking two dark romance novels that I cannot leave this store without.
I head over to the checkout counter and am greeted by a bubbly woman who is somehow shorter than I am.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me she was a real-life fairy.
She makes small talk while I check out and instead of shutting down at the idea of talking to a stranger, I actually engage in the conversation.
It’s perplexing, honestly. I usually limit any type of conversations because i suck at small talk but her personality is refreshing and she makes me feel welcome.
The entire experience just marked it in my mind as my new bookstore. I will definitely be coming back often.
I exit the bookstore, books in hand and enter the diner next door. There is a sign when you walk in saying to ‘sit wherever you would like,’ so I make my way to a booth in the corner. The diner somehow looks new and old at the same time. It looks like 60s retro meets the present. I kind of like it.
An older lady, probably mid-fifties, comes over to greet me. “Welcome to Kathy’s Diner. My name's Margaret. What can I get you started with today?”
“Oh, uh, can I get a cup of coffee to start with?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart. Were you ready to order as well?”
“This is my first time here. What is your favorite thing on the menu?”
“A first timer? Well, you are in good hands. You can't go wrong with nothing on the menu, but the French toast is my personal favorite.” Her excitement paints her words with a twinge of a southern accent that reminds me of my Momma.
“French toast sounds good; I will have that.”
“Good choice. Let me grab you that coffee and your food will be up in a jiffy.”
She sets a coffee mug in front of me, fills it a little over halfway and waltzes away all in a blink of an eye.
I pour way too much creamer and three sugar packets into my coffee, stirring it with a plastic stirring stick.
I take a sip, doing a happy dance as the caffeine enters my body.
The waitress clears her throat to get my attention.
She is quick. I don’t even get the chance to finish my first cup of coffee before she slides a large pile of French toast in front of me and tops off my mug.
I unroll the silverware and almost laugh out loud at the choice in cutlery.
It’s your basic butter knife and spoon. It’s the fork that cracks me up.
Engraved into the fork is the phrase No Forks Given.
I don’t think I have ever seen anything better than that.
I may just have to take this baby home with me.
Once I get my giggle fit under control, I turn my attention back to my giant plate of food.
The portion size is huge. I am only able to finish half of the plate before I wave Margaret over for a to-go box.
I make sure no one is watching me as I slip the amazing fork into my back pocket.
I leave a twenty on the table as a tip and pay my bill at the counter before making my way outside.
I make it almost halfway home when anxiety begins to set in.
Something feels off; I just can't name it yet.
I keep walking, paying extra close attention to my surroundings when a man jumps out from a side street, startling me.
With books in one hand and food in the other I will have to sacrifice one of them.
Damn it. Keeping a death grip on my books, I drop my to-go box of food as I scramble to retrieve my pocket knife.
My fingers curl around metal but the moment a smile cracks across his face at the weapon I brandished, I realized my mistake.
“What are you planning to do with that fork, young lady?”
Fuck a duck, I wish the ground would just swallow me now!
I could scramble for my knife, or I could double down on my fuck up and have a little fun with this.
Let’s do something crazy. I look at the man like I am bat shit crazy and stand my ground.
“A girl could eat; you look like a decent meal. Do the math.”
He lets out a chuckle that sounds more like a mucus-filled cough. “You're a funny little thing, aren’t you?” Something about his tone makes my stomach sour.
Everything about this man is creeping me out but I am trying my best not to let it show. “It wasn’t a joke.”
He puts his hands up in mock surrender, “Alright, take it easy. Don’t get yourself hurt.
I just wanted to say that a pretty young lady like yourself needs to be very careful because you never know what type of people could be around watching you.
” With that, he turns around and leaves.
He doesn’t turn back around or say anything else, leaving me with nothing more than the cryptic message.
I pocket the fork and run the rest of the way home. I hope I am just overreacting, but that entire encounter makes me feel on edge.
Gavin’s RS6 and both Atlas’ Supra and Alfa Romeo Giulia are all in the driveway when I arrive home, so I assume both men are here.
I can’t wait to tell Gavin and Atlas about my crazy morning.
It was all amazing until that man showed up.
I type the code into the pin pad, swing the door open the moment the green light flashes, indicating the door is unlocked.
“Honey, I'm home! Anyone in here?” I laugh as I say the words. I am hoping my retelling of what just happened will relieve my anxiety about it just a bit. I hope telling them will lighten the mood. I kick off my shoes as I shut and lock the door.
“Kitchen!” Both Atlas and Gavin yell at the same time.
When I enter the kitchen, Atlas is cooking something on the stove and Gavin is typing away at a new laptop. I place my books on the counter and take a seat at the bar top, where I can see both of them at the same time.
“How was work, boys?”
Atlas mumbled fine and Gavin just grunted.
“How was your day, Little Tornado?”
“This morning was amazing but the weirdest thing happened to me on the way home today. You will never guess it.”
“Did you see a magical creature?”
“Good guess, Gavin but no. Atlas, any guesses?”
“I don’t know. Did you find free books on the side of the road?”
“I wish, but no.” I roll my eyes at the overdramatic guess before bouncing on my toes. “I almost stabbed a man with a fork.”
Both of them stop what they are doing and turn their attention to me.
“You did what?” Gavin says at the same time Atlas says, “We are gonna need way more details than that, Chaos.”
“Okay, so you know how I was checking out that new bookstore on Westwood Circle?”
“Yeah? What does that have to do with the fork or almost stabbing someone with it?” Atlas questions me like I am forgetting key details.
“Well, there is a cute little café next to it. I was hungry, so I grabbed some lunch while I was there. The booths were super cozy, the food was delicious, the forks were super cute. I may have pocketed the fork when I packed up my leftovers, but that's beside the point.” I wave my hand away as if dismissing what I just said. The boys are smiling at my rambling. I take a deep breath before proceeding with my word vomit. “Anyway, I am walking back to the house with my leftovers in one hand, books in the other, and this man walks out from a side road, scaring the crap out of me. The asshole made me drop my food to grab for a weapon. I wasn’t about to drop the books. The fork was in the same pocket as my knife, and I grabbed it by accident instead. Of course I doubled down like I meant to grab the fork. Pretty sure it made me seem crazier than a knife would have.”
“Did the man say something?” Atlas asks the question first.
“That's the weirdest part. He smiled some typical creeper smile, said I should be more careful because I never know what type of people could be around me, and then walked off.”
Gavin seems to pale at what I just said. “What did this man look like?”
“Thinning black hair swooped to the side to hide his bald spot, olive skin, dark, dead-looking eyes with a scar across his cheek. Your basic weirdo.”
“Yeah, that's creepy. Glad you're okay.” Gavin slams his computer closed, causing Atlas and I to both look at him.
“Everything okay?” My voice comes out tentative. This is not the reaction I expected from Gavin and I am not sure how I feel about it.
He stands abruptly before answering, “Everything is fine. I will be right back. Ramos needs me for something.” He rushes out the front door without another word.
Silence settles over the kitchen as I try to figure out what just happened. “That was weird, right? It’s not just me?”
“That was odd, even for Gavin.”
Atlas agreeing with me makes me feel a little better. At least I know I’m not imagining anything. “Any idea what that was about?”
“No, not really. But he gets a little weird anytime he does side jobs for Ramos. I wouldn’t stress it too much.” His words sound nonchalant.
I want to believe him. I really do. The timing seems off. It’s making my chest feel weird. The rumble of a car engine can be heard from outside.
“Did Gavin just leave? I swear I heard his car pull out of the driveway!” I rush to the door to check outside, confirming my suspicion. I rush back to Atlas, my arms flailing around as I most likely overreact to the situation. “He is gone. Why did he leave without saying anything?”
Atlas reaches for my hand, pulling me to him to get my attention. “Relax, Maizyn. Ramos probably needed help with whatever side job they are working on. I wouldn't worry too much about it. He'll be back later.”
"But why would he do that right when I finish telling you two about the creepy encounter?" Confusion and hurt battle it out for control over my emotions.
“Sometimes that's what Gavin does. I don’t think it’s related to what you said.”
He places a kiss on my forehead and I let his touch calm me even if something is setting off warning bells in my head. “You're probably right.”