She gives me assuring reassuring smile and heads to her table to give her guests their drinks. I look over at my section and see that a group of five guests has arrived and is seated at a large booth. I glance at my watch. Three more hours until closing.
I dig into my apron’s pockets to ensure I have my pen and pad and walk over to the newly filled booth. Placing napkins and utensils on the tabletop, I begin my spiel, “Hi everyone. Welcome to Three Aces. My name is Raya and I’ll be your server for the evening. May I get you any drinks while you look over our menu?”
I take their drink orders and walk over to the kiosk to plug in their appetizer, Spinach Artichoke dip. As soon as it’s ready, I place the appetizer on their table and take down their orders. Fifteen minutes later, Layla assists me with handing out their meals.
“Okay, we have the Ace Burger, the Ribollita, the Short Rib Pizzeta, the Saffron Risotto, and scallops.” Layla and I pass out their plates and leave them to it. As we walk to the back of the bar, she pats my shoulder, “Almost closing time. I’m in desperate need of a cigarette.”
I scoff, “I’m sorry, but that’s disgusting.”
She shrugs her shoulders, “I know, but it’s a habit and an addiction that’s harder to kick than some people think.”
“Why would you even start?”
She laughs nonchalantly, “I was young and stupid.”
“Still, that’s no excuse to continue.”
She nods her head, “My reason to smoke is because I enjoy it. Now come on, let’s make these last two hours count.”
His soft hands trail along the ridges of my thighs, his kisses lightly touching my lower neck, his warm breath blowing against my skin. I squirm underneath him and revel in the pleasure of his touch. He shifts his weight to avoid crushing me and plants kisses all over my chin and his hands move to my lower stomach. He looks into my eyes and winks. I smile in response and pull his body against mine.
His pant accelerates, “Raya, you are marvelous, truly breathtaking—your soft skin, mesmerizing eyes, and elegant hair. I love absolutely every part of you.”
I feel my heart flutter as he expresses his love, “I missed you, Duke.”
He bends down slightly and plants his soft lips onto mine. As our lips touch, it’s as if fireworks have exploded around us. His tongue pushes inside my mouth and coaxes mine into a dance. He combs his hands through my hair and my fingers slide down his bare back. His kiss grows deeper and deeper as our bodies heat up. Pulling away to bite my lower lip, he sucks on it for a few seconds.
I squeal as his hands move to my panties and slowly slide them off. I think, am I ready for this? A feeling of panic washes over me and I look into Duke’s eyes. The golden brown hue in his eyes radiates comfort, but for some reason, I can’t shake this apprehensive feeling.
I move my hands to his chest, “Wait, I can’t do this yet.”
He mocks, “Why not? You were ready for me a year ago.”
My mind goes blank, “What are you talking about?”
He shifts his body, unbuttons his jeans, and kicks them off. The panic returns as I focus on his darkened eyes and see greed pour out of them.
“Duke, I want to stop.”
He bends down and grabs hold of my wrists, tightly gripping them, “No, you don’t.”
My heart beats stronger and my breathing becomes ragged as I try to kick him off of me. He grunts but holds his weight on me. I cry out in protest and howl for help. Tears spill down my face as his free hand trails across my exposed breast.
“Please stop.”
I hear a soft chuckle, but realize it’s not Duke. The man on top of me lifts his head and I scream as the horror takes over. Craig.
I thrash my body as much as I can but he’s too strong for me.
“Get off of me, please!”
Craig rejects my plea as he positions himself above me. I cry out as pain and terror courses through my body. My hands tremble and tears continuously spill down my face.
His voice echoes throughout the room, “Now, be a good girl for me.”
My eyes shoot open and I immediately sit up, wailing a fearful screech. I look around to find myself, alone, in my own bedroom. I breathe a sigh of relief. Shit, what a nightmare. Peeling off the covers, I see I have completed drenched the bed in sweat. I rest my palm on my forehead, allow myself to cry for a few minutes, and decide to try and get my mind off of it.
I head into the kitchen to get a glass of water and look at the clock. Three o’clock. I groan. Got to get up in two hours. Might as well stay awake. Shuffling to the living room, I plop on the sofa, and tune to whatever the television is airing at this hour. As I flick through the channels, I decide that reruns of Seinfeld are the best remedy. You can never have too much Kramer.
For the next hour, I revel in the joys and laughs of Jerry and his friends. I remember watching this show with my mother. It was one of her favorites. A feeling of sorrow and bleakness descends upon me as I recall a few memories with her. Before I go down that anguished road, I decide to get up and hop in the shower. Thirty minutes later, I’m outside jogging to the gym. I arrive a little early for my kick-boxing class, but it’s okay. I need to get in as much practice as I can.
Sipping on my PowerAde, I head up to the practice mat. Jumping up and down, I roll my head and begin to stretch. I see a few of the other students enter the studio and I wave hello to them. Continuing my stretch, the instructor, Derrick, enters the studio about five minutes later.
He walks to the front of the studio, “Good morning, everyone. Let’s get those last stretches in and we’ll begin in a few minutes. Today, we’ll work on balancing while empowering the jab and cross kicks.”
Derrick pairs us up into groups of four and we practice balancing while holding our kicks in place. One of my group partners, Mia, grabs hold of the practice bag and I take aim as my right leg jabs into it. The four of us rotate practice kicks with the bag, and after that session, Derrick instructs us to try a few practice moves on each other.
After an hour long session of jabs, crosses, front kicks, and even a few uppercuts, my drained body cries out in need of rest. As the students clear out, Derrick walks up to me, “Great job today, Raya. In only a short amount of time, you’ve really improved.”
My face beams, “Thanks, Derrick. I take this class very seriously and always want to be my best.”
He smiles back, “Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’ll see you next week.”
I decide to walk back to my apartment instead of jogging. The spring air feels good against my sweaty skin as I cut through the park. There are kids on the playground, pigeons being pigeons, and even a few squirrels scattering across the grassy lawns. I look up into the soft blue sky and think about what he’s doing at this moment. Is he thinking of me? Does he even realize what day it is?
Several people are gathered around a fountain and tossing pennies into it. I walk up to the fountain and check my pockets only to come up empty.
An elderly man standing next to me leans in, “Make a wish.”
I shake my head, “I don’t have a coin.”
He reaches into his pocket and hands me a dime. “Here, it’s my last one.”
I deny his offer, “Oh no, I can’t. That’s yours.”
He urges, “You need this wish more than I do.”
I surrender and take the dime, “Thank you.”
Turning to look at the magnificent fountain as the water spurts out and flows under its folds, I see tons of coins at the bottom—hoping they represent a few fulfilled wishes.
I close my eyes, think of a wish, and immediately envision him. I wish for his happiness. Opening my eyes, I toss the dime into the fountain, watching it slowly sink and cluster with the other hopefuls.
I head to the corner grocery store to grab a few things for dinner tonight. On the way home, I pass a local bakery and decide to grab a few cupcakes—yellow cake with chocolate frosting…my favori
te. What the hell, I deserve a few sweets.
After a long day of work at the diner and a tranquil, hot bath, I make my way into the kitchen to grab a cupcake. I spin to open a drawer and grab the matches and candles. Quickly striking a match along the strip, I light a small, pink decorative candle and place it into the center of the cupcake.
I hold the cupcake and whisper, “Happy Birthday,” then blow it out and wish that next year will be a better year. Who am I kidding? It will never get better.
After devouring the cupcakes, I walk out onto the balcony and stare into the night sky. Memories of my mother invade my mind and tears escape my eyes.
“I miss you, Mom. I wish you were here.”
Raya
I walk into the restaurant, head into the employee lounge, and hang up my coat. Layla strolls in a few minutes later and leans up against an end table. She lets out a deep breath and runs her palm across her forehead, wiping away the sweat.
“Hey, Layla, how’s it going so far?” I quickly change into my Three Aces t-shirt and pin my name tag.
“It’s been really busy today but it’s tourist season, so what do you expect?”
I smile optimistically, “More customers mean more tips, so I don’t mind.”
“Yeah, not unless all of them are complete dicks. I’ve had three tables give me lame ass tips today and I’m fuckin’ pissed.”
I walk up to Layla and bump into her shoulder, “Hey, don’t worry. You’ll get a good table. Come on, break’s over for you.”
She groans and slumps hers shoulders, “Do I have to?”
I pull her out of the lounge and into the dining area where I swipe my card through the kiosk to clock in for the night. A few minutes later, I see the hostess seat a party of three at one of my tables.
Layla peeks over at me, “You’ve got customers. Knock ‘em dead.”
I stroll up to the table and see that Derrick is seated there along with two friends.
He notices my approach and exclaims, “Oh, hi, Raya. I didn’t know you worked here.”
I smile at the Derrick and his buddies, “Hi, Derrick. Yup, been here almost a year now.”
His brow curls, “Huh? I’ve never seen you here before. I guess we’ve always missed each other.”
I chuckle, “Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?”
Derrick smile radiates and he introduces me to his friends, Tony and Peter. We all make our acquaintance and I take their drink orders.
As I head to the bar to get their drinks, Layla sneaks up behind me.
“So, who is that?”
Her face says it all…she’s onto something. I shake my head, “Don’t start, Layla.”
She huffs, “Raya, come on! He’s a total hottie! And he’s totally into you. How do you know him?”
“He’s my kickboxing instructor, Derrick.”
She fans herself softly, “Whew! Sign me up for the next class.”
I shake my head and laugh quietly. “I’ve already asked you to come multiple times and you always blew me off.”
“Yeah, well you didn’t tell me the instructor was a fox!”
She ponders for a few seconds and gasps, “You’ve been hiding him from me, haven’t you?”
“Layla, I’m not hiding anyone. Stop being delusional. We barely talk in class anyway. All we do is kickbox.”
She looks at the table behind us, “He’s staring at you right now.”
I resist the urge to look behind me. “Okay, fine. Yes, he’s gorgeous, but I’m not interested.”
She wines, “Why not? Raya, I’ve known you since you arrived and you haven’t dated anyone. What happened back home in New York? You can tell me. You know that, right?”
The bartender hands me the prepared drinks and I place them on the serving tray.
“Layla, I’m not interested. Derrick is just a friend, that’s all. Please drop it.”
I see a frown plaster across her face as I walk away and make my way toward Derrick and his friends.
As I place the drinks on the table, Tony asks “So, how do you know Derrick?”
Taking my pen and pad out, I reply, “Oh, he’s the instructor for my kickboxing class.”
Derrick nods toward me, “Raya is one of my best students. In only a few months, she has improved tremendously. I’m very impressed with her.” He looks at me and winks.
I blush slightly and clear my throat, “So, have you all decided on the menu?”
I take their orders and key them into the kiosk. Layla is across the bar, nodding her head at me with a mischievous look on her face. Oh Layla, what are you thinking?
Forty-five minutes later, I place the check on Derrick’s table, “Thank you for coming out tonight. Have a great evening.”
Before I walk away, Derrick stands to grab my hand. “I can’t wait to see you in class on Thursday. Maybe we can get brunch after class?”
I gulp, “Oh, umm…” I glance to the back and see Layla staring at us, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.
I return my gaze to Derrick. “Sure. That would be fine.”
Derrick’s smile grows, exposing his perfect white teeth, “Great! I’ll see you on Thursday.”
He lets go of my hand, “Have a good evening, Raya.”
I retreat with a smile and suddenly realize, Oh my god. I said yes to him.
As I walk to the back of the bar, Layla squeals, “See? I told you. Lucky bitch!”
I laugh, “Yes, you were right.”
“EEEK! So, when’s the date? Where are you going? I need details!”
Now I have the urge to crawl under a rock and hide, “Thursday after class. We’re going out for brunch.”
“Seriously, Raya, the man is hot. His wavy blond hair, blue eyes, athletic and powerful —build—”
“Geez, Layla, maybe you should go out with him.”
She snorts, “Oh no, he’s all yours, honey.”
I laugh at her amusing remarks and prepare myself for the next round of guests as they enter the restaurant. Thinking about seeing Derrick again has my stomach in knots and I start to sweat. Shit, I don’t know if I’m ready for this. I try to shake away the unease. Just relax. He’s just a friend.
On Thursday morning, I wake up ready to take on the day and head out to the gym. After another long two hours of front kicks, jabs, and roundhouses, Derrick tells me to meet him outside the gym so he can change into clean clothing. I look down at my sweaty clothes and realize I should have brought a change of clothes as well. Oh well, too late now.
Fifteen minutes later, he meets me outside, “So, are you ready?”
I smile, “Yup, I’m actually starving.”
He gestures ahead, “Come on. It’s just a few blocks away.”
We walk side-by-side down the sidewalk and discuss the kickboxing class.
“So, tell me what made you decide on kickboxing.”
I try to think of a logical explanation without giving too much away. “Well, I wanted to keep in shape and it’s a fun workout. Besides, it’s always good for a woman to know how to defend herself.”
Derrick nods, “Oh yes, I agree a hundred percent. It’s a dangerous city and women definitely need to stay aware of their surroundings as well as understand the fundamentals of proper defense.”
A few minutes later, he guides me into a small but quaint coffee shop. We make our way to the line and I look at the menu.
Derrick leans in, “Have you been here before?”
“Actually, no I haven’t. What would you recommend?”
He taps his chin with a finger as he thinks, “Hmm…well, definitely try the cherry Danish, but their eggs benedict sandwich is amazing!”
“Okay, I’ll try it.”
I give my order to the barista as she rings me up, “That’ll be twelve seventy-five”
I take out my wallet but Derrick holds out his debit card as he winks at me, “On me.”
“Thank you,” I say w
ith a slight smirk and we make our way to an empty booth in the back corner of the café.
The barista arrives with our orders and hands us extra napkins. “Enjoy your meal.”
I look at my sandwich and practically engulf it with my eyes. “Wow, this looks delicious.”
Derrick passes me an extra napkin, “Dig in”
We eat in a comfortable silence for the first few minutes. Derrick finishes his meal and sips his coffee. As I devour the last bite of my sandwich, I catch Derrick staring at me. I grab a napkin to hide my stuffed face and blush with embarrassment.
Derrick laughs, “Good, huh?”
I swallow the last chunk of bread, “Yes it was. Thanks for bring me here.” I take another sip of my coffee.
Derrick leans in closer, “So, are you from around here?”
I shake my head, “No, I’m from New York. I just moved here a little over a year ago.”
“How do you like Chicago?”
“It reminds me of home, you know, the big city life. I enjoy it here.”
“Do you visit home often?”
I bow my head and take a deep breath, “Actually, I haven’t been back since I left. I’m on my own, so I have no reason to go back.”
He turns to look outside through the café’s window, “No parents?”
“No, it’s a long story and it’s still a little raw for me to talk about.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
I shake off the despair, “It’s okay.”
“So, Three Aces, huh? You like working there?”
I shrug my shoulders, “I enjoy the people there but I need to find something better. It’s hard finding a job, though. The market is terrible.”
“What are you looking for?”
“Honestly, just an office job. Anything secretarial or administrative would be great. Easy nine-to-five job, Monday through Friday. Apparently, finding one is harder than I thought.”
Derrick’s eye glimmer in the light as if an idea popped into his head, “Hey, I have a cousin who owns a small business. He’s looking for a secretary. I can give you his info. In fact, I think the company is hosting a small job fair next week. You should swing by.”
My heart stops and my hands clap, “Are you serious? Yes! That would be great!”
Little Things Page 12
