HEAT |OMEGAVERSE| ⚣ ✔️

Are You Stalking Me?

⁤Today I meet with same and his wife, and while I'm excitedᅳthere's also a tension building within me at the same time. ⁤⁤I'm hoping that if she's married to Sam though, maybe she's just as kind and open-hearted as he's been. ⁤⁤I'm trying to keep an optimistic perspective, telling myself that all my bad thoughts are just my brains way of trying to drag myself down. ⁤⁤But what if I'm setting myself up for disappointment? ⁤⁤What if she finds me repulsiveᅳand persuades Sam that he should never have befriended me?

I grab my keys and wallet from my living room and walk over to my coat rack, slipping on my jacket. I pocket my possessions and walk out into the hallway, locking the door behind me. I walk down the building stairs, and open the front door to outside, take a step out.

The afternoon sun burns my eyes and the usual fall breeze tickles my neck as it goes by, sending a slight shiver through my body. I pauses in my tracks as my eyes adjust to the light, noticing a car parked across the street. It's the same dark grey sedan with tinted windows I'd seen just a a few day's ago. Exhaust fumes emit from the exhaust  and I squint my eyes stepping a couple feet away from the building, trying to capture a glimpse of who's inside.

Suddenly the car pulls away into the main road, accelerating rapidly down the street. I release a breath, unaware I've been holding it in and walk down the right side of the walkway to my new car. I do my best to brush off that odd encounter, and hop inside. I turn my key in the ignition and the engine starts quietly. I drive off up the street making my way to the coffee shop.

——

I pull into the parking lot near Roosters, and find an empty slot to put my car. Pulling into a vacant one I slap the car into park, retracting myself from the vehicle. A sudden wave of nerves washes over me and I exhale a deep breath, taking small steps towards the entrance.

The outside of the small coffee shop catches my eye, with flower boxes below the windows, overflowing marigolds in shades ranging from orange, yellow, to red. A chalkboard menu is propped up by the door, showcasing their specials for the day, and sunlight shines through the glass, giving me a glimpse of the cozy space inside. A couple of small, round tables sit out front, where a few customers sip their drinks and chat.

I grab ahold of the handle to the door and step inside, the strong aroma off coffee filling my nose pleasantly. I glance around the shop when my eyes stop on a arm in an orange sweater flagging me down, attached to Sam. I smile at him and walk over, noticing he's alone at the table. I take a seat across from him and he shoots me a warm and comforting smile, showing his teeth.

"Where's your wife—I thought she'd be coming today?" And with my question Sam turns slightly in his chair, pointing to the back of a small woman at the counter, her long black hair covering her back.

"She's ordering our coffees." He turns back towards me and I give an 'oh' expression, nodding.

"Well how's your day been going?" I ask.

"Not bad, kind of just a relaxing day. The wife and I are planning to go catch a movie at some point and maybe some dinner together. Our schedules rarely line up for us to spend the weekend together."

"Oh really? What does she do for work?"

"She's a bartender at a club we live close to, she's been working there since she turned twenty one."

"Oh that's awesome, maybe we could go there sometime." I suggest, and Sam grins at me.

"Sounds good to me, but beware, I'm kind of an idiot after a couple of gin and tonics," he whispers across the table and we both share a laugh, "according to Alicia, last time I was asking one of the bouncers where my wife was as she was walking me to our car." Sam scratches at the back of his head in embarrassment and I chuckle.