Waiting was bloody annoying, as was the fact that he really didn't know what he was waiting for. Another uneventful day passed, a normal day, all of which now felt meaningless. Reed sighed as he took off his apron, hanging it up on the hock in the back room of the coffee shop. Ardy was presumably hovering around somewhere, he could feel her eyes burning two little holes into his back.
"Anything you want to say?" He turned in the direction he thought she was, drying his hands off with an old dishcloth. He could hear her get up, putting her hand onto his shoulder.
"I have a weird feeling about Calsiter. Catherine is right, how well do we even know the guy?" He backed away from her, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Why would you care?" He knew he sounded more defensive than he had meant to get that sentence across, but he honestly didn't care. Why was Ardy even bringing this up? She couldn't read his mind after all.
It was true, he had been thinking about inviting Calsiter out for a casual dinner to make up for nearly puking on him, but even if he did, that didn't mean he was trying to get in his pants. It was a very normal friend thing!
Ardy exhaled, lifting her hand from his shoulder as though she had given up on lecturing him like a small child.
"I'm just saying, be careful." She walked away, her boots slapping against the wooden floor, rustling of her jacket being taken off the hock, then a short pause before she put it on.
"You are locking up." No question, no please, not that he was expecting it, then the door slammed shut behind her. Reed felt the cold air from outside hit his face as he clenched his jaw. Today was a horrible day.
He sighed, grabbing his coat and following Ardy outside, locking the door on his way out. The streets smelled like night and the approaching winter, a smell he had always liked but today it made his skin tighten around his skull. He felt as though Ardys eyes were still fixed on the back of his head, even though there was no one who could be standing behind him.
As he started walking, his fingers pressed against his phone in his coat pocket, freshly fallen snow crunched under the soles of his leather shoes. And as he walked he noticed something peculiar. A second pair of crunches, matching his pace was close behind him. Reed picked up the pace, the person behind him matched his speed. A small glance over his shoulder revealed nothing, no energy, no aura.
While he was still contemplating if he should turn around, confront the person, his phone produced his ringtone, a series of low an high tone. He cursed under his breath as the crunching of the others steps were drowned out. The only way to stop it was to pick up, or to turn it off.
"Reed here, who's calling?" He noticed his voice sounding pressed and harsh and he swallowed to loosen up his speech. The person on the other side of the line laughed nervously, and with that simple noise he recognized Calister.
"It's me, Calister, I was just wondering if you are free to talk? I've had a pretty horrible day..." He paused and Reed picked up the pace again, now nearly at the bus stop, he could already hear the engines and he could smell the gas, that disgusting smell lingering around vehicles of all sort.
"Sure, go ahead." The crunching was replaced buy boots of asphalt and soon after the other followed suit. Reed stopped at the bus stop, his free hand curling around the bus sign as he oriented himself. Calisters voice was a mere backdrop to this situation as the steps came closer and closer and Reeds breathing quickened.
And then, as quickly as they had been approaching him, the other passed him by, he caught a sniff of perfume and then the person was gone, the sound of the steps distancing themselves from him.
Reed breathed a sigh of relief, causing Calister to pause in the midst of the story he had been feeling.
"Are you alright, Reed?" Just now it occurred to Reed how weird it was that Calister, moody and angry Calister, had just called him. To talk sand vent about his day. Like a normal friend, one who didn't know hos special he was and how weird Reeds life really was.
"Oh... nothing, I thought I took a wrong turn!"He replied as he climbed into the bus, feeling his way to an empty seat, not a hard task at this time. It was the first excuse that came to his mind, way better than that he was a paranoid mess who had just nearly had a panic attack about a potential person following him.
"Ah man, that sucks. Want me to pick you up?" Reed could feel his ears rushing with blood. He was probably misconstruing Calister and the things he was saying.
"Nah,no problem. I got to the bus on time." An before Calister could respond, he added:" I was wondering though if you'd want to go on a d..." He cut himself off. "On a dinner with me. For that one time, you know."
He really hoped he knew. There was nothing but silence for few seconds and Reed nearly chewed his own lip off as he waited.
"Dinner? Sure, why not."
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