No Escape

Chapter 1

I closed my laptop and stared out the window at the sunset. The café I was currently perched in was approaching closing hours, but I was hesitant to leave and go back to my bare apartment. I had just moved to Florida... well not just, I have been here for seventy-one days and I hated to face that fact because that also meant that I had been unemployed for seventy-one days, without friends for seventy-one days and have been sitting in this café, at the same spot, for six hours every day for seventy-one days. It's not that I haven't been looking for a job. I have sent out thirteen applications in my seventy-one days of being in this State and have been turned down eleven times and I'm pretty sure my other two applications got lost or misplaced in the mailing system. Erin, one of the waitresses from the café, came and tapped my shoulder, "We're closing now Janet," she said with a small smile, "I'll see you here tomorrow?" she queried. I detected a hint of mockery in her voice but then again, I wasn't good at identifying stuff. I nodded at her, gathered my belongings into my messenger bag and walked to my car. My 1992 Honda Integra purred when I started her up and we began our journey to my apartment in Miami Gardens.

I walked into my apartment and flopped down in my recliner. This and an old TV was what my living room consisted of. The apartment was painted in a dirty nude color, with white scratches here and there. The kitchen was situated right behind the living room. It didn't have much space but that didn't matter much because it wouldn't be in use. I stretched for the remote and flicked on the TV. I skipped through searching for a decent movie to watch but that was hard to do without any cable. A deep sigh emerged from my lips as I turned the TV off. Sooner or later I knew I would go insane. Solitude was not my forte. I went to my fridge and grabbed a Stella Artois, capped it open, turn off the lights and went to my room. It was another short night.

Morning took forever to come as it seemed to do the past, now seventy-two, days I've been here. Today, however, I felt different. A tinge of will power hit me with a mix of determination and I felt like I was bound to do something different today. I took a bath in the stingingly cold shower, drew on my capris and a white tee with my Sperry, grabbed my messenger bag and I was off to my usual Denny's to get breakfast, then I was off to do... I really didn't know.

After breakfast, I parked Tega, my car, and decided to go walking down the beach. A great sight it was to see people so happy, frolicking in the sand. A shady spot under a palm tree called to me and I perched there. My hand began trembling and an old but familiar urge came over me. I immediately removed my sketchbook and my stationary and just like that I began drawing. A green ball bounced along my shin, and that broke my concentration, a few meters away stood a little boy patiently waiting for me to throw it back. "Here you go," I said as I threw the ball towards the little tanned boy. He waved and resumed playing. I glanced down and looked at what I drew and a smile washed over my face and disappeared as soon as it came. Unconsciously I felt my ring finger, and I was reminded that I left drawing in my past.

It was almost 12, usually I'd be heading over to the café, but I was determined to make today different. I walked to a nearby mall, although I didn't intend on getting anything, but window shopping can't hurt, right? I was wrong. It pained to see all I wanted but couldn't have. Well not couldn't, but shouldn't, for my own safety I believed. I couldn't afford to attract any unnecessary attention. I walked past a mirror and stopped dead in my tracks. Looking at myself I could barely recognize me in these bland colored, baggy clothes. I was never a fashionista, but my style was chic. I looked at my hair. The curls were hardly defined, the bleached parts looked trashy, I looked like a mess. I reminded myself of my apartment. Bland and bare. I went over to the map to see if there were any hairdressers on the mall and just my luck there was.

I walked out of the mall feeling refreshed and slightly happy. For the first time in a long while I felt in control of my life. Like I was living for me, and that's when I went back in the mall and bought a cute mini dress. Maybe I'd go clubbing tonight. Maybe I'd find some friends. It was a long shot, considering everything, but I walked back to Tega with my little bag of maybes.

It felt like I was in the mall for hours, but my watch said differently. It was just fifteen minutes to 2. "Where should we go now girl?" I asked Tega, her engine purring under the twist of my key. After minutes of contemplating and Tega purring along, I gave in and just went to the café.

"Hey Janet, you're late today, your table is waiting for you over there," Erin said, greeting me as soon as I stepped in. Trying to be nice I smiled and headed over to my usual spot. I sat with a sigh and looked over to the catch the smile of an attractive, slim-thick, tall, dark and handsome man. Without thinking I smiled back, I quickly caught myself and stopped. I didn't need anything of this sort in my life. Maybe doing my hair was a bad idea.

"You look...different today," a voice said. I looked up to see Fred, the cook and part manager of the little café.

"Different bad or different good?" I said with a laugh.

"Different good, I like it...is there anything different I can get you today or you'd like your usual?" he queried.

"My usual." With that being said, he walked off. Fred was a pretty nice guy, we didn't interact much because Erin was always minding my table. Remembering her I looked over to see her flirting with Mr. Dark and Handsome. Rolling my eyes, I took out my laptop to check the news. Whilst scrolling a headline caught my eye "Latuga's business under fire". I slammed the laptop shut, and my heart started to race. That name. The memories. The reason I'm here. Everything flooded back to me.

"Where did all that red color in your face disappear to?" said Mr. Dark and Handsome, towering over me. I quickly snapped out of it and straightened up, "uhhh..."
"May I?" he asked motioning to the chair. I nodded.

"Here you go," Fred said, putting my dishes and drink on the table winking at me as he walked off.

"So beautiful, why are you eating here alone?" Mr. Dark and Handsome said, his voice raspy and hard. Although I believed that line was heavily over used, I proceeded to respond, "sometimes being alone is best."

"Having some company doesn't hurt either," he responded.

"I know that, that's the only reason I gave you the okay to sit."

"Hmm, I like your spice, can I ask what's your name?"

"I don't know," I said with a smirk, "can you?"

"You remind me of my grade 9 teacher," he replied with a chuckle, "May I?"

"Janet, you?"

"Mike, it's a pleasure to meet you," he stretched his hand to shake mine.

As he smiled I saw a twinkle in his eye. The same twinkle I saw when I met the devil...the first time.