Mountain Crest

Chapter IV - [The Stranger]

The spell is broken as quickly as it was cast.

Mate? Was this guy australian, or something?!

Maisie blinks and breaks off the eye contact, the goosebumps on her skin uncomfortable, and she looks down and sees all the glass on the ground.

Startled, she steps away from it, and moves to grab the broom, hidden under the bar to sweep the glass shards away. The distraction from the really weird thing that apparently just happened is something she's glad for.

However, during the entirety of her quick clean up mission, the mans intense stare doesn't leave her.

This is a very surreal experience.

She ducks under the bar. Her cheeks feel a little red and the thought that someone just staring at her makes her this flustered kind of makes her want to die.

As she disposes the glass shards in a trash can beneath the bar, all worst case scenarios filter through her mind.

The guy could be a stalker, or a serial killer. Maybe he wants to kidnap her. Blackmail her parents for money.

But she crosses the thoughts out. Really, she has to stop being this insanely paranoid about all men she meets.

Additionally, she cannot hide under the bar forever. And she's pretty sure several people want a refill by now.

Maisie looks up, ready to return to the world above, as she sees the stranger right there. Leaning over the bar, looking down at her with that intense stare.

Okay, now she gives him a weird, judging stare. Because that is weirdo behavior.

Composing herself, Maisie gets up. The stranger sits back in the seat, and it seems he also slowly got his composure back.

From whatever that just was.

Breathlessly, he repeats,

"Mate."

This guy has got to be Australian or something. Should she just say it back? Part of her thinks the stranger is about to pounce on her, or something, with how he's staring.

"Uhm. Hi?"

He looks a little taken aback at her response. Then this really weird exchange is suddenly interruped by the call of her name.

"Maisie! Bring a beer-plate to table six'er please!"

She snaps into action instantly, taking a platter and filling it with five big cups, and then filling those cups with beer.

Prolonged-Eye-Contact, as she decided to dub the stranger, does what he does best. Until, as she is about to fill the last cup, he speaks,

"You work here."

It was more of a statement than a question, because obviously she fucking worked here. Absently she notices the deep timber of his voice, which does quite add to the whole picture of an attractive man.

Struggling a little with fitting the last cup on the plate, Maisie sarcastically answered,

"Really? I didn't notice," she leaves the safety of the wooden bar and passes the stranger, who turned to continue staring at her. She offers him a grin.

Maisie feels a little awkward. Men like that usually don't pay her this much attention. But she's working, so she can process this entire situation later, actually.

As she puts the platter with the beer cups on table six, the men are in the middle of watching two of their own play chess.

One of them, a guy that was here yesterday as well, turns a worried eye towards her and the stranger at the bar.