Stockholm Syndrome - ThatcherJoe

3.

I awoke suddenly. Through blurred vision I saw that I was still on the sofa.

'Fuck sake' I muttered to myself. I picked up my old phone and checked the time. Five a.m. I could go back to sleep. That would be the easy option. However, something was telling me to get up. Was this what motivation felt like? I walked into the bathroom and started running a hot bath. After thirty minutes of soaking, I got out, got dressed, grabbed my bike and set off. The sun was just rising and it looked incredible over the horizon. I should really make a habit of waking up this early. This was a good opportunity to collect my thoughts and decide what I was going to do about my life. Do I continue, and restart my career, or go back to what I know? That would be safest of course, but I enjoyed Youtube. I enjoyed performing, making jokes and being my own boss. I was stuck. There was no where in my head that sprung to mind when I thought about where I was actually going, so I let the bike take me along the promenade.

After cycling for twenty minutes or so, I came to the pier, and across the road, I saw the coffee shop from yesterday. There was a short girl, five foot four with long brown locks opening the door with a set of a million keys rattling in her hand as she twisted the lock. She looked over at me and smiled. There it was. That smile again, it was Anäis. I hadn't taken much time yesterday to evaluate her appearance, the only thing I remembered was her smile, but she was pretty. She was beautiful in fact. I waved to her and she waved back. I saw her car parked round the side of the shop. If she parks there, then why was she over this side of the road on the promenade yesterday? At the same time I was trapped? I brushed it off as coincidence and walked my bike onto the pebbled beach. The tide was out so it was the perfect time to find my phone. I spotted a black glistening shape underneath the plinths that held up the mighty pier. I dropped my bike and ran over, recovering what was once my fully functioning phone. It was soaked, smashed and wouldn't turn on.

"Brilliant, fucking brilliant" I muttered to myself. I shoved it into my trouser pocket, picked my bike back up and walked it onto the promenade. Maybe I should go for a coffee? But would Anäis think I'm keen? I brushed off my thoughts, crossed the road, chained my bike up outside and walked into the shop.

"Back again are we?" She giggled from behind the counter. "We're not actually open for another..." She glanced down at her watch. "Three and a half minutes."

"Oh sorry I'll just come back another time" I said, fumbling for the door handle behind me. Shit. I've embarrassed myself haven't I? She let out a louder giggle this time. Followed by a shriek of laughter.

"Joe, it's fine, I'll make you a tea, on the house, and not shit this time!" She smiled. I let out an anxious sigh and took a seat at a table by the window. She bought it over a few minutes later and sat down opposite me with her own drink.

"Thank you Anäis, and thank you again for yesterday, I found my phone" I said smiling. She giggled again. "I guess the sea doesn't take everything" I chuckled. She laughed too and gazed deep into my eyes. It felt like she was reading my brain almost. Her eyes were a soft shade of aqua and they were heavenly. I quickly looked away, making eye contact with her felt intrusive, and it bought a wave of shyness over me.

"I guess I was wrong then." She shrugged with a smile. "Did you sort another phone?" She added.

"Yeah I did, just an old iPhone I found, its not great but it'll do' I said. She looked at me again with those eyes, and parted her lips to form that beautiful smile again.

"Brilliant, I guess now you have no excuse not to put my number in it!" She laughed. "Since I did save you from being locked away on that pier forever!" I laughed and she laughed with me too. I didn't usually give out my number to people I didn't know, since leaks can be annoying, but Anäis felt trustworthy, and like she said, I did owe her. I passed her my phone and she tapped her number in for me. When she passed it back our fingertips met, only for a second, but she smiled at me, and yet again I was taken in. I finished my tea as she stood up and walked back over to the counter. "Sorry to leave you Joe but I don't get paid to sit here all day talking to cute boys," She laughed again and before I knew it she had waltzed into the back room of the shop and left me sitting here alone. I placed my cup and saucer back on the counter and shouted goodbye, but no one responded. I guess she didn't hear me. I made a mental note to text her later as I left the shop and got back on my bike.

Before I knew it I was home again. Confronted by my own loneliness. However this time, coming home felt energising. This morning felt like it was the defibrillator to my failing heart. I set up my camera equipment, penned an idea into my notebook and began filming. This felt right.