by Laurèn Lee
Without warning, my stiletto heel caught in the crack of the sidewalk as I swayed, ready to fall flat on my ass. But someone caught me and broke my fall just in time. I whipped around and stood nose to nose with none other than William. His eyes pierced my soul, and my heart attempted to leap out of my chest.
"William!"
"Oh, it’s you again," he said casually.
Blushing for the hundredth time that day, I swallowed hard. "Thank you."
I stood up straight of my own accord, smoothing out my coat. My subconscious screamed so loudly at me, I couldn't ignore it any longer. "Will you have lunch with me?"
William raised his eyebrows. “You speak English, lady? I already told you no.”
"But I'm just going to the cafe down the street, and I'd love some company."
He was about to decline again; I could tell by the sadness etched into his face.
"Pretty please?”
His gaze softened, and he glanced around. Barely any pedestrians walked the streets. After all, it was still business hours and well past lunch break. Not to mention it was freaking cold out!
"Well, I could use a hot meal," he trailed off.
I grinned broadly, excitement swooping in my stomach.
We walked in silence toward the cafe, where he held the door open for me once we reached its frosty glass door.
"Thank you."
He nodded as he stepped inside behind me. His stench swirled in the air, and I held my breath.
The cafe was cozy and quaint, but precisely what I wanted. Local artwork covered the walls, and smooth jazz crooned from the speakers. Not many people sat at the bamboo tables, but the staff was hustling and bustling behind the counter anyway.
A barista called from the cash register, telling us to sit wherever we liked. Her gaze stopped briefly on William, and while I caught her stare, I hoped he hadn't. The last thing I wanted was him to regret joining me for lunch because some teen couldn't keep her eyes to herself.
"Have you ever been here before?" I questioned curiously.
He furrowed his brows and shook his head.
Duh, Amelia. Don't be so awkward.
"It's my first time, too. What do you think you're in the mood for?"
We sat at a table away from the window, William's choosing. A beautiful cityscape painting hung on the wall next to us. The subtle strokes of pastel acrylics blew my mind. Damn, my new city was pretty.
William continued to study the menu. I wondered what was going through his head. Was he afraid to order? Did he even want anything from this place?
"I'm thinking about a panini," I said, hoping to break the impenetrable silence.
"Me, too," he replied.
The timid waitress popped over to our table with a couple of waters and notepad at the ready to take our orders. We both ordered the steak and mozzarella panini. I noticed the waitress wouldn't make eye contact with either of us. I couldn't technically blame her. I'm sure the scene was confusing: a professional woman in a suit eating lunch with a man wearing two winter coats and a beard that would rival Forrest Gump’s.
Once she walked away rather hurriedly, I drew a blank as what to say next. What exactly do you talk to a homeless man about?
I settled on an easy one, or so I hoped. "So, where are you from?"
"New York City," he said. Reluctantly, he took off his winter coats and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
"What a great city!”
William shrugged. "It's okay."
"I'm from Candlebrook," I said. “Not too far from Pittsburgh.”
He nodded but didn't respond.
Fuck, this is isn't going well.
"What brought you here?"
"You’re nosey."
“Well, I’d just like to get to know you is all.” I shrugged.
“But why?”
I hesitated. “Well, to be honest, you kind of remind me of my father.”
William grunted. “Your dad was a bum, too?”
I swallowed. “No, but he had the same sleeping bag as you, and he was also in the military.”
William reached for his dog tags, clutching them in his gritty fingertips.
“Which branch?” I asked.
"Army."
"Thank you for your service, William."
He nodded and finished his Coke.
"I bet you have a lot of stories from your time in the military," I offered enthusiastically.
Again, he nodded with no response. Maybe I shouldn't pry? Maybe something bad happened to him while serving?
The waitress returned with our paninis, a welcome interruption to our conversation, which seemed to be going nowhere.
My mouth watered as I glanced down at my plate. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw William's eyes grow two sizes bigger. I wondered if it was the first warm meal he'd had in a long time. Well, at least since I left him the sandwich. Elation bloomed in my chest as I felt happy to be the one providing it to him.
"This looks so good! Almost too good to eat!"
I peered up to William and saw he'd dug into his panini. A piece of mozzarella cheese dangled from his lip, caught in his beard.
I smiled, took my napkin, and reached to pull the cheese off his mouth. He flinched at my touch, which in turn, caused me to pull back. If anyone were watching us, they'd either be laughing or feeling fucking sad. We’d certainly be the most awkward people they'd ever seen.
"Sorry," I said, shrugging.
"Whatever."
I ate half my panini, and while I could have finished the other half, I saw William's eyes stare at the savory steak and cheese on my plate. "I'm full; do you want the rest of mine?"
"No, thank you."
I shook my head and scraped the rest of my lunch onto his plate. "Eat," I demanded.
Without waiting for his protest, I stood and went to the ladies’ room to freshen up. I walked into the restroom, reapplied my lipstick and put an extra glob of concealer under my eyes. The bags under my soft chestnut-brown eyes were far too noticeable for my liking. I needed to get more sleep.
I walked back into the central part of the cafe and heard fierce arguing erupt over by the table William and I had chosen.
A man in a chef’s hat stood berating William, whose fists were clutched at his sides.
"No loitering! You must leave this instant!"
William stood, his eyes narrowed and his chest heaving. "I'm not loitering, asshole."
The man, whom I assumed to be the manager, yelled back, "Leave now, or I'll call the police."
I rushed to the table and tapped on the manager's shoulder. "Excuse me, but what is going on here?"
The manager, old enough to be my father, huffed and puffed. He looked at me and back to William several times. "This man is homeless. We are not a homeless shelter."
William took a step toward the manager, but I held my arm out to prevent his advance.
"My name is Amelia Montgomery. I'm with Logan and Logan Attorneys at Law. This gentleman is my guest for lunch. He is not loitering, and if you'd like, we can settle this back at my office."
The manager's eyes grew, then he spewed apologies. I held up my hand, indicating for him to stop talking. I turned back to look at William, except he was gone. He'd vanished without a sound. All that he'd left behind was a crumpled five dollar bill.
I grabbed my coat, ignored the manager's continued apologies, and stalked out of the cafe. I looked up and down the block, but William was nowhere to be seen.
Just when I'd convinced him to take a chance and join me for lunch, everything blew up in my face. The high I rode from the morning evaporated, and nausea forced itself upon me. This man, a war veteran no less, didn't deserve that kind of treatment.
I wondered deep down if I'd ever see him again. And, if I did, would he even want to talk to me?
Fuck.
Chapter Eleven
Amelia
Later that evening, Charlie's father, Cal, arrived at our apartment to pick him up. Part o
f the custody agreement said he was able to take Charlie for extended breaks during the school year. Charlie's school would let out Monday for February break, and starting today, for the next two weeks, I'd have the apartment to myself. As much of a handful as my darling son could be, when we were apart, it felt like a piece of me was missing. This would be the first time in our lives Charlie would be so far away from me. Candlebrook was three hours away. He might as well be a whole world away.
Once I heard the knock at the front door, my stomach dropped. I never looked forward to seeing my ex-husband, but the smug look on his face when I opened the door stirred my rage.
“Cal,” I said, not trying to hide my distaste.
"Amelia."
I stood in the doorway and called to Charlie. "Your father's here."
"Coming!" Charlie replied excitedly. I knew I should be happy he'd have the opportunity to spend time with his father, but did he have to sound so pleased about it? Ugh.
"So, are you going to let me in?" Cal asked.
"Sure.” I stepped aside and let him come in.
I crossed my arms over my chest and secretly wished I hadn't thrown on yoga pants and a ratty college tee shirt as soon as I'd gotten home.
"Did you get the invitation?"
"You mean the invitation to your wedding?"
"Uh, yeah."
"I did."
"Are you going to come?" He asked carefully.
"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to check my work schedule."
Cal nodded and rolled his eyes. "I see things haven’t changed much. Charlie, c'mon kid. We have a long drive back!"
Charlie cruised down the hallway with his backpack resting firmly on his shoulders. "Ready, Dad!"
I pulled my son into a deep bear hug and squeezed him until he cried out. "Hun fun, okay?"
"Duh, Mom. Dad and I always have fun."
"You can Facetime me anytime. Day or night. I'll make sure to have my phone on me. And call me if you need anything."
"Mellie, it's just two weeks," Cal muttered.
I shot him a scathing glance. I hated that nickname, and he knew it. "I know how long he will be gone, Cal."
"Okay, guys," Charlie interrupted. "I love you, Mom. I'll make sure to keep in touch."
I kissed him on the forehead and gave him one last hug. "I love you, sweetheart."
"Love you too!"
And, just like that, my baby was off to Candlebrook. I leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. I missed him already. What would I do for two whole weeks without him? After a few minutes sulking in my pity party, I pulled myself up and headed toward the wine rack. Maybe a cold glass of Pinot Grigio would lighten my mood. It was going to be a long two weeks without my buddy.
A few attorneys from work invited me out tonight, but I politely declined. With Charlie gone, I wanted to spend a little more time on a few more potential client pitches.
By eleven o'clock, I'd hit a snag in my research as I realized I left an important file on my desk. I groaned and cursed myself. Sure, I could stop working and go to bed; the file and research would be waiting for me on Monday. Not to mention, my proposal wasn’t due for another week, but I loved having my work completed ahead of time.
I paced the apartment, biting my nails to the quick. What to do, what to do?
Groaning, I shuffled to the kitchen and retrieved my purse and my keys. I wobbled to the door as the wine hit me all at once. There was no way I could drive like this, which also meant I shouldn’t be working with a buzz, either.
Regardless, I ordered a Lyft to take me to work.
I grabbed my coat, ignoring my less-than-casual ensemble, and leaped down the apartment building stairs to the lobby. The building, erected in the 1920s, glowed with historic architecture. There's no way I would have been able to afford something like this at my old firm, but with my new position came a new, much larger salary.
I saw a white Escape parked out front, so I waved to my doorman as I jogged outside. My driver stayed quiet for the ride, which I felt eternally grateful for. I wasn't much of a talker, and I was also tipsy. Didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of a stranger. Once we arrived at my office building, I thanked him and wished him a good night.
With my ID badge in hand, I unlocked my firm's front doors and shivered as they clicked open. While some lights stayed on overnight, the building stood mostly in darkness. I wasn't a fan of horror movies, and the scene mirrored a slasher film. I dashed up the stairs, too frightened to take the elevator, and thanked God my office was only on the third floor. Several beads of sweat collected on my forehead and dribbled down my back. I flung my office door open and swished my hand in front of the motion-activated light. Once the fluorescent lights broke through the darkness, I squinted and willed my eyes to search for the file I needed.
There you are!
I grabbed the file and gazed outside my office windows to admire the gorgeous cityscape, brilliantly gleaming under the night sky. I smiled and put my hand to the glass, grateful I took this position in such a wonderful city.
A few dings interrupted my thoughts, and I looked down at my phone. I must have put my phone on silent by accident. I had a voicemail and missed a text from Charlie. Without reading the message or listening to the voicemail, I called him back right away.
"Hi, this is C-Dog. Leave a message, playa!"
I rolled my eyes and made a mental note to ask Cal what he was letting Charlie watch on television. I tried one more time, but he still didn't answer. I checked his text to me which read, “Goin to da movies. Bye!"
I missed my son more than anything, but now I’d have to wait until tomorrow to talk to him. Life can be lonely when you're leaning on just one person for balance. Good thing I had plenty of work to do to keep myself busy and distracted.
I'd temporarily forgotten my fear of whatever may lurk in the darkness of the building as I moped down the stairs to the foyer and out into the night. I ordered another Lyft, and the app promised a driver would arrive in less than five minutes, but after ten passed, and no one showed up, annoyance seeped in.
I noticed a car parked a block away with its flashers blinking rapidly. Maybe the driver missed the address? I huffed and puffed like the big bad wolf as I trudged toward the car. Then, a group of rowdy twenty-somethings stumbled into the SUV I’d assumed was my ride. Guess not.
My eager footsteps echoed down the street as dozens of other drunk people walked in droves to the bars in the party district. I passed an alleyway where a stray kitten pawed against the restaurant door nearly hidden in the dark passageway. I tiptoed toward the tiny feline. The breeze chilled me to my core, and an eerie feeling flooded my consciousness as I approached the cat.
Something didn't feel right. I peeked over my shoulder and saw a man wearing all black, standing in the entrance of the alley. I hadn't noticed him at first. His head hung low, and he wore a black cap pulled right to his eyes. My heart thudded in my chest, and I wished I’d brought my pepper spray with me. Or that I hadn’t gone down a dark alley on a Friday night by myself.
The man strode closer to me, his echoed footsteps bouncing off the buildings on either side of us. Despite the chill in the air, sweat dripped down the small of my back. The buzz from the wine vanished, replaced with sheer terror. I heard the man clear his throat as his stale body odor permeated the air.
"Hi, pretty lady." He grinned and grabbed my wrists.
His breath reeked like he'd eaten a dead rodent and rinsed his mouth with sour milk.
"Get your hands off of me," I howled as I tried to pull away. He gripped my forearms firmly and didn't budge an inch.
"I'm an attorney. I will take you down," I threatened more darkly. My body screamed with panic; my mind raced. Would this man try to kill me? Would he hurt me?
"Oh, a fancy lawyer, huh? Must mean you have more money on ya?"
Instinct took over, and I spat in his face. His eyes narrowed. He took his free hand and wiped the spit off his cheek. "I wasn't p
lanning on hurtin' ya, but you may have changed my mind, bitch."
He cocked his arm back and raised his fist. I squeezed my eyes shut as I prepared for the inevitable blow I was about to endure.
But it never came.
I opened my eyes and saw the man's cocked fist frozen in mid-air. Another man behind him grabbed his arm and held it tightly.
"Let. Her. Go."
My attacker did as he was told, but only to face the other man squarely in the eye. My attacker snickered as he looked him up and down. "What are you going to do, huh?"
"This," the man said and punched my attacker in the solar plexus, which caused him to grasp at his chest and crumble to the ground.
I gasped, taking a heaping breath of fresh air. I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath until now.
I looked up and gazed into the eyes of the man who'd saved me.
It was William.
Chapter Twelve
William
Amelia shuddered as her attacker scrambled to his feet and hobbled away.
“You saved me,” she mumbled breathlessly.
Her casual appearance caught me off guard. I assumed the woman lived in a blazer. With her hair pulled back, her soft skin glowed under the streetlamp.
“It was nothing.”
“How can I ever thank you?” she asked.
“No thanks needed.” Last time she thanked me, a bastard restaurant manager shooed me away. Wasn’t going through that again, not even for a hot meal.
“I mean it. Who knows what that creep would have done to me? Thank you so much.”
"It's honestly not a big deal, lady."
Amelia threw her arms around my neck. I held my breath and pulled away. I didn’t like people touching me, let alone hugging me. I wished she’d let go.
"It’s freezing out here. Do you have someplace to go?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said over my shoulder. I walked away, leaving her near the street behind me. It was my night for the shelter, and if I didn’t go soon, they’d lock up, and I’d be locked out, stuck in the cold for another miserable night.
