Enigma Stigma (ONC 2023 Entry)

2.

The seven words that the brooding man spoke to her stuck with her for the rest of the day, distracting her as she sat in the gray office of what could be her future employer. That had been the only thing he had said to her on the bus before choosing to ignore her existence again; her pen forever lost now on the floor of that bus. After all, she wasn't about to lean across the man to try to reach for it when he opted to remain unmoved.  Constance was letting that confusing statement play through her head over and over again as the middle-aged man behind the desk continued to read through her resume at the speed of a turtle.

'You shouldn't be able to see me. What the heck is that supposed to mean?' Constance thought, snapping out of her thoughts when the man in front of her finally arched a brow.

Constance felt herself begin to panic. The man obviously must have asked her a question, but she had been too distracted to answer it. Constance didn't want him to realize she hadn't been listening, so she tried to quickly run through the possible questions he could have asked her. However, she didn't do it fast enough for the man who she felt was becoming less and less of her future employer by the second.

"I asked you why you suddenly want to go from teaching back to a secretarial position," said the man.

"Yes, right...well, I felt like it was a necessary change of pace," said Constance, deciding to keep her answer short and simple. She didn't want to elaborate on her reason for leaving the teaching profession. It had been painful enough of an adjustment at the time for a girl that had grown up playing school. Reality had a way of shattering even the most practical of dreams.

"I see. Well, I appreciate you for taking the time to come in today for the interview. I still have a couple more applicants to interview, but I will call you once I make a decision either way," said the man.

"Thank you," said Constance as she stood up from where she was seated.

The two of them shook hands and soon Constance was back out in the bright sunshine filled day. Walking along the sidewalk back towards the bus stop, she stopped at a food truck that was parked against the curb selling fresh sandwiches.

She bought a grilled ham and cheese sandwich from the food truck before making her way towards the bus stop. Constance knew that she would more than likely be sitting there for a while, but she didn't have the money to look around the small city she found herself in to go shopping. She could barely afford living in her new apartment. It was definitely a downgrade from what she used to have. Something in the apartment always seemed to need a repair of some sort that she had to figure out herself with the power of Youtube. Constance had been planning to pass the time eating her lunch and writing - but without her lucky pen - she had nothing to write with.

She sighed as she plopped down to sit on the bus stop bench once she reached it. She unceremoniously unwrapped her sandwich before taking a bite; the crumbs cascading from her mouth and onto the ground at her feet. She didn't care that she wasn't being very ladylike about eating. She was thankfully alone at the moment. She swallowed the bite in her mouth as she thought about how today was not going the way she had planned in the slightest.

'This is why I don't plan things,' thought Constance, beginning to worry about the process of looking for a new job once again. She doubted the man she had just sat before was impressed enough by her to hire her.

"You're probably going to have to start applying to more jobs when you get back to your apartment because you were too distracted," muttered Constance out loud.

Just as she moved to take another bite of her sandwich, she noticed the presence of someone out of the corner of her eyes. Turning her head, she saw it was none other than mister dark and brooding from the bus. She was surprised when he broke the silence between them first.

"See? I knew you were crazy."

Constance watched an irritatingly irresistible smirk appear on his face, causing the frustration she was feeling internally to heighten.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"I mean you seem to have a habit of talking to yourself and making yourself look crazy," explained the man.

"Well, I wasn't talking to myself earlier mister you-shouldn't-be-able-to-see-me," said Constance, feeling everything about this man getting under her skin.

"Who says I'm not just a figment of your imagination though?" asked the man as his smirk grew just a bit longer; an impish gleam now in his eyes.

"You're not. You're standing right beside me," snapped Constance. "I know I'm under stress right now being between jobs, but I'm not imagining you."

"Alright. You just keep telling yourself that," said the man with a chuckle.

Constance let out a small humph as she turned away from him to take a bite of her sandwich. She methodically chewed on it for a moment before putting the sandwich aside and screwing her eyes shut.

"What are you doing?" asked the man.

"I'm thinking that - if you're a figment of my imagination - then you should do what I say so I'm thinking of what I want you to do. AH HA!"

Her sudden exclamation startled the man standing beside her as her eyes flew open again. She looked over at him as the joy that finally sprung across her face just as suddenly fell away.

"What?" asked the man.

"I wanted you to dance like a ballerina," she said with a pout, "But you're not so it means you're real."

"Your logic is stupid..." muttered the man, but it was still loud enough for Constance to hear.

"Well, I think you're stupid," said Constance.

She turned away from him again; her eyes soon narrowing on her lucky pen as it was held out in front of her face.

"Take this."

She didn't have to be told twice. Constance immediately wrapped her fingers about it.

"Since you took your pen back, I want you to forget I exist as thanks," continued the man.

That statement surprised her as she turned her head to face him. She saw that his face couldn't be more serious at that moment as he narrowed his eyes on her. His eyes were absent of any sort of warmth; colder than a January day.

"I mean it. After this - even if you can see me - don't. Turn the other way and leave me be."

"Wh-"

He wasn't about to give her any sort of explanation though as he turned his back on her and started to walk off.

"At least tell me your name," shouted out Constance after him.

"I'm Stuart," said a man that just happened to be walking up to the bus stop then, slightly obscuring Constance's view of the man walking off on her.

Constance gave a dismissive wave towards Stuart as she tried to see past his burly frame at the man. She thought for sure that the man would ignore her and that was exactly what he continued to do as he walked around the corner and disappeared from view. Sighing, Constance crossed her arms as Stuart - who was curious who she was trying to look after - turned to see nothing.

"Are you...are you okay?" Stuart asked as he turned back around to look at Constance.

"I'm fine!" snapped Constance in such a way that made Stuart jump.

Stuart wedged the earbuds about his neck back into his ears as he sank down onto the bus stop bench beside Constance as she put her pen on her leg before moving to eat the rest of her sandwich. As she ate, she looked at the lucky pen that she now had back in her possession. Even though the man told her to forget him, Constance now found it a personal challenge for herself to figure out every possible thing there was to know about that man. She'd find out his secrets one way or the other.