Omens In Your Skies

Third Times A Charm?

Home at last! Flopping onto the couch I close my eyes and sigh.

"Hey Evie you okay?"
Mary is shaking me awake gently and I jump.

"Hmm? Oh yeah." I stretch and groan.
"It was busy tonight." I add.

"Did you have to take care of the same party?"

"Mhm, but this time.." I pause remembering those eyes intensely watching me.

"There was another guy. He had a ski mask on and just watched me. Never spoke, but his eyes were always on me. Then the same guy that came onto me last week tried again when I left work tonight. Hopefully after the second denial he'll get it." I stretch again and stand up.
My feet are killing me.

"Evie this group of guys sounds sketchy... does Paul know about them?" Mary follows me into my bedroom.

"He does, and he didn't seem too worried. Don't worry I'm feeling it out, and if something is weird I'll step away." I give her a half smile.

Mary goes to bed and I lay down thinking about those dark eyes watching me. Waking up around eight or so I decide to get some grocery shopping done and then grab some lunch. By eleven I am at a small bar slash diner having a glass of wine and nibbling on my salad. Every time I think I'm going to keep from wondering what's going on with those men, I'm back to thinking about those symbols along with the suspicious feelings I get.

Maybe they're a gang or something. What if they protect the bar and extort Paul? My head shakes and I laugh at my conspiracy theories.

"This seat taken?" A male voice asks.

I glance over but don't really look at him and shake my head.

"Seats all yours." I finish my salad and push it away then sip more of my wine.

"What are you drinking?" I hear him ask.

That's when his voice registers in my brain. When I swivel a bit in my seat to face him it confirms my thoughts. The man from the beverage store, and now the other night. Our eyes meet and I feel more familiarity in his gaze. He blinks a few times and waves the bartender over.

"Sir?"

"I'll have what she's having." He looks back at me and smiles.

My body doesn't know how to respond to him. I feel like a short circuiting computer.

"Are you alright in there?" He waves in front of my face.

"Fine, yeah totally fine." I turn back around and look at the bar. What should I say to him? He makes me feel—different. Not like when I've been around other men.

"Did you like the wine?" He swirls His wine glass around then sips. I watch his lips softly touch the glass and he smirks.

"You must've liked it because this is it!"

"Yes it was, thanks for the good taste." I take a sip of mine and appreciate it.

A long silence settles between us, it's not awkward, but the tension I can feel between us. There are some things I wanna say but I hold myself back, he's a stranger and I don't need to open myself up like that. His eyes are on me again, and there is that familiar feeling again.
Shifting in my seat I down the rest of my wine and wave the bartender over.

"Let me get your next drink." He says.

"I—I have groceries I need to get home. Plus I have to be sober enough to drive too."

Finally I give in and look at him, but just as quickly I look away. His eyes are burning, intense, it takes anything my head was going to say and trashes it. Signing my receipt and put my cash tip down. That's when I noticed the stamped symbols on the ten dollar bill I laid down, and so did he.

"Damn, ya don't see cash tips much anymore. Keeping it old school."

"Oh, yeah they're my serving tips. It is weird to even have cash on me to be honest."

"Hmm." He scratched the back of his head, then ran his fingers through his thick black hair.

"I'm sure I'll see you around." I smile then take my leave.