Pizza n' Tea: A Weird Combination

1. Pizza Delivery

Fin: Jul 9, 2020

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Can this guy hurry up and answer the door already? I shiver in my thin jacket against the chilly December night. The snow is falling harder than before, and it's starting to land on my glasses. This is my last delivery of the night and I'm really just trying to get home to my lukewarm shower.

The door swings open.

"Finally!" I mutter.

"What was that?" a guy in his early twenties opens the door. He looks slightly familiar. Maybe we went to the same high school.

"Nothing, pizza delivery! Your pizza's here, that'll be 20 bucks." I stick out my hand waiting, tapping my booted foot on the snow gathering on his porch.

The guy cocks an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be nicer? Don't you want a good tip tonight? I mean, clearly I can pay well, don't you think?" he gestures at the mansion I'm currently standing in front of with his two hands.

"You're my last delivery, I just wanna get home tonight. Twenty dollars?" I shake my hand in his face.

He smiles instead. "What's the rush? The night is still young, there's plenty of time. It's freezing outside. I ordered one too many pizzas for myself, why don't you come in and join me?"

"Are you kidding me? What makes you think I'm actually gonna come into some stranger's house? I'm not trying to die or something. Look, pizza's already here, whether you eat it or not is up to me. I really don't care. Do you have the twenty dollars or not?" I shake my hand in front of him.

"What if I said I don't?"

"Well I'm gonna call my manager, who's probably gonna call the cops. And then the cops'll--"

"Okay, okay never mind, forget I asked. I'll pay you. But my wallet's inside, I gotta go get it. Why don't you come inside and wait for me to get it? Your coat doesn't look like it's keeping you warm."

"Dude. What kind of guy doesn't get his wallet before he opens the door if he knows it's the pizza delivery." I roll my eyes at him. The snow is swirling now, and I can barely see two feet in front of me into the night. Regardless, I still tell him, "I'm not coming inside, just hurry up." Just as I say that the wind hollers and picks up, pushing me inside the door.

The guy laughs at me. "See, even Mother Nature is telling you to come in. I'll go get you the twenty dollars. Just stay here." He turns into the house.

I step back outside, not sure I want to be in this guy's house longer than I should be. What if he tries to kill me? I shiver against the cold wind that sends snow particles down my neck.

He returns with the twenty dollars and is about to hand it to me when he notices that I'm outside again. Just before the bill lands in my gloved hands, he snatches it back, looking past me. "It's a blizzard outside. You can't go anywhere in this weather. Just stay here for now. I promise I won't hurt you." Shaking the bill in front of me, he steps backwards.

I look back into the swirling wind. He wasn't lying. It's definitely a blizzard outside. All of a sudden, I remember why he looks so familiar. It was definitely high school.

"How do I know you're not planning to kill me and bury me in some hidden corner of your gigantic mansion." I raise one eyebrow at him. Truthfully, he doesn't seem like the type, but one never knows.

He puts his right hand up, holding up his three middle fingers. "I swear on my mother, I'm not going to kill you and bury you in a hidden corner of my house. Seriously, if you go outside in that weather, you'd basically be signing yourself up for death."

I mean, he wasn't wrong. I think back to the motor scooter I've been using for the last three years for pizza deliveries. The engine had been starting to give out a lot more often lately. Just this morning, it took me three tries just to get it going. It would be a 30 minute drive back home.

But that doesn't change the fact that I don't even know this guy. "I think..." I begin, "What are you doing?" The guy starts walking closer. I lean backwards. Shit, what if he's a psycho? I'm already inside the house. Just as I'm about to turn to make a break for my scooter, twenty dollars be damned, he reaches his hand over my head.

"Can I close this door? It's like negative twenty degrees outside, all the heat is leaving the house while you're going back and forth over there trying to decide. Heat doesn't come for free you know." He smirks at me and places his hand on the doorknob behind me.

I let out a sigh of relief, telling my racing heart that I'm not about to be kidnapped.

"Oh, what the hell, I'd probably die out there anyway. I'd rather not go down looking like a frozen popsicle snowman lady."

-----

"So, I'm staying in your house, but I don't even know your name," I start.

"So, you're staying in my house, and I don't even know your name," he repeats, raising one eyebrow at me.

"It was your idea, you basically dragged me in here!"

He chuckles. "I'm uh,...Shaun, it's a pleasure to meet you." He sticks his hand out.

"What did you forget your name or something," I laugh awkwardly. I really hope he's not a psychopath. Just in case, I start looking for all the possible exits out this mansion.

"I'm Bailey." I take his hand and shake it. "Is there anyone else in the house here?" I ask him.

"Not tonight. I live with my mom, but she's out on a business trip. Supposed to be back in two days. And the housekeeper's out for the next two weeks since Christmas is coming up soon. Sounds convenient, I know, but it's the truth. Promise." He says. I nod at him, trying to gauge his sincerity.

Slightly satisfied, I stand there for a bit and take in the house. We're standing in his living room and it just oozes money. There's a golden chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, a few leather couches that look so hard and stiff that I bet no one ever sits on them, and a fireplace in the wall across from me. To my left is a door that probably leads to another room, and there are two black spiral staircases leading to the next floor.

I look out the giant windows of his living room. There's already snow coating the windowpanes.

"I think pretty soon, we won't be able to see out those windows." I point at them.

"You made a good choice, deciding to stay here." He claims.

"Of course the kidnapper would say that." I roll my eyes at him.

"I swear, I'm not a kidnapper or a rapist or a murderer. Just a good Samaritan. I solemnly swear," he says, with a solemn look on his face.

"Right," I say. His words didn't really instill trust into my heart. Hope I can trust you anyway, Shaun.

A/N (more like note to myself because I doubt anyone would even read this, but):

Well, I'm finally doing something different that I've only ever dreamed about doing before. It's probably not that great and is riddled with holes, but I am open to constructive criticism. Thanks!