Under the Cover of Darkness

03 | Carson

After yesterday night I got back into my normal sad, indifferent self and the alarming speed with which it happened made me wonder if I'd imagined my whole encounter. That my mind was so in need of some respite that it'd conjured up some mysterious woman.

But I knew she was real. I could still smell her lavender shampoo, could still fell the soft skin of her thigh and the spark of mischievousness in her eyes.

Her eyes.

I found those globes even more odd than her mask. They were obviously contact lenses-they were the colors of the rainbow. Seriously what's with her and rainbows?-but she wore them like they were her real eyes. They could've easily been her eyes.

I thought that a night's sleep and a good dose of reality would remove her from my mind but by three o'clock I'd replayed my conversation with her about a million times, give or take. It could've been more. I always ended up with the same question. Why'd she suddenly disappear?

I sat feeling like Prince Charming when Cinderella ran except this Cinderella left with both shoes on.

Alex had to snap her fingers repeatedly in front of my face before I focused.

The only thing different with her was that today she managed to wear some lip-gloss. She still had the I-couldn't-give-two-fucks-if-I-tried look and another shapeless grey dress that distorted her figure.

"I'm sorry I'm so out of it today," I rubbed my face. "You were saying?"

"I said I'm leaving for a couple of hours. I'll be reachable by email or text if you need me, I'd rather you didn't call," she shifted uncomfortably as she picked a spot on her drab dress.

Of course. Today's Tuesday.

Every Tuesday Alex took off to God knew where for half the day. I didn't question it because she never took out of her vacation time and worked really hard unlike the rest of the morons on my payroll.

"Sure. I'll text if I need you."

She nodded but didn't leave immediately. "I know this is the last thing you wanna hear but you probably should get in touch with your mom. She called about three times just this hour asking of you. You could continue ignoring her but I'll tell you now that the next time Cynthia Miller calls I'm putting her through. You can fire me if you want."

With those last words she turned on her heel and pivoted herself out.

If it were anyone else they'd have been out of a job the minute they said those words but of course I wouldn't fire Alex. I don't know how I survived without her.

I shook her words out of my head and resolving to continue ignoring my mother I unzipped the casing protecting my grey MacBook Air.

As I set it up in front of me the full ludicrousness of what I was about to do hit me with full force.

I prided myself on being an above average stalker — let's face it we've all stalked someone at some point in our lives — but I didn't know anything about her and short of typing 'how to find the strange masked woman with rainbow hair and lovely lavender shampoo I met at a random bar last night' into Google, there was no way I could find her.

I intertwined my fingers behind my head and leaned into my chair.

Think Carson.

Even though I'd replayed last night a million and one times, there was something nagging at me about it.

Suddenly it clicked. The bartender!

They seemed really familiar with each other and if anyone would know her it'd be him.