*ting ting*
ahhh i love the new bell that we bought for the store, i'm so happy that all is going fine with the business, the suppliers, and now we have more people interested in hiking and our tours, as I push the front door I see that Rique is already inside organizing and taking inventory
"hey whats'up Jo, how you doing?!'' Rique said looking up from an order
"you came early today, what happened with your superstrictjoggingroutine?"
"ha! funny, and what's with that tongue twister? i didn't know you were so lame for that shit ahaha''
"ha-ha now you're the funnyshitty one"
"but today is special remember? we sign a contract with THAT supplier so (...) i came to help (...) that happen to be early (...)"
"yeah sure, i know that you wanna know if Mr. Corbin try to flirt with me, am i right?'' i said while i walk towards my office
"ohh! come on Jo! i'm not as gossipy as you think, well at least not much ahahahah"
"mhm we'll see (...)" i know that he just wanna take care of me, he has been like that since our childhood.
We laugh while i walk through the corridor that takes me to my office, i accomodate my things, put my thermo on the desk with my freshly ground coffee, why people prefer buying in cafes when they can do it themselves? oh right, modern rush life, it's a shame it has to be like that
"toc toc, earth calling Jo" Rique said peeking through the door
"mm don't talk to me until i sip my coffee first"
"well, then i talk to Mr. Corbin and said to come back later right?"
fuck! it's already 9 am?! at least i wanna check the hiking poles contract before he came,
"damn, tell him that i will be there in a minute, i just need to clean up my desk first." jesus his timing and my daydreaming are awful, i gather my files my handbag and my thermo and put them inside my cabinet,
"as you like Boss", said that jerk laughing
"hey! you know thats not true, we both are the boss" i think my sad voice cause him just to said,
"i know (...)"
"Good morning for you too, Joan" i glanced up so fast my neck hurt now and i see Mr. Corbin standing at the door with his very pretty smile, why the fucker has a pretty smile? of course, he stands about 1.88 meters, brunette, a burst fade haircut paired with a trimmed beard, aquiline nose and those dimples, jesus, i need to calm down what am i thinking, clearly looking like an idiot standing here without saying anything
"i'm sorry Mr. Corbin, good morning, i didn't notice you, i was talking to my colleague Rique before you came out"
"no problem here Joan and please call me Alex,"
ok ... what's that light expression in his jaw? is he anger or what? was he annoyed because i said i didn't notice him?
"i think that we already past that stage, don't you think?" he said as he cross the threshold, i was perplex, what stage? what is he talking about? He unbottoned his jacket and walk to my single seater in front my desk, sitting like he owns the world stretch his arms in the armchairs
"oh, haha of course Alex"
using my neutral and business tone as possible just hoping that he didn't notice my anxious raising, and why i'm feeling a dangerous aura coming from him, its odd, i hope Rique its outside gossiping and waiting for my signal if this goes the wrong way, because i have a bad feeling about all of this
"Glad to hear it Joan, wow i like how your name sounds coming from me" he told me that with a gaze that gave me chills all over my spine
"what?"
(Umm nothing, soon you will see (...) he said at a very quiet voice tone)
what did he murmur? what the hell?
"So, Joan I came here for the contract and show you the final product, and tell me again, where is the destination place? I totally forgot (…) " what the hell is going on with him, usually he's not this passive aggressive, well, at least I didn’t notice until now
"It's in Guatemala," I get up to serve us a glass of water,
"right Guatemala! I totally (…) oh thank you (…) Joan" he take the glass of water while he managed to touch his fingers with mine and I quickly remove them, Jesus this guy is giving me the creeps and he's harassing me, even if his smile is cute I can't let him behave like that, i'm stupid for being deceive by him just for a smile
"today you're kinda distracted don’t you think?" Alex asked raising his eyebrow
"haha , yes don’t mind me, look here's the contract and tell me, where are the hiking poles? I wanna check them if it's all ok" while handling the contract to him, he check the contract, fold in half the paper and put it into the jacket
"Wait, don’t you think that 200 poles are to much? Maybe we should just deliver half of the lot and (…)"
"NO" he yell getting up so fast that he hit himself in the knee with my desk and the glass of water fell to the floor, I quickly scan the window that face the sales room if Rique is there but I didn’t see him anywhere. No? did he really say that?
"i'm sorry Alex but this is my shop and even (…)" i say to him while I search for tissues to clean up the mess
"i'm sorry Joan I didn’t wanna sound like a jerk, you know what's the best for your shop, if you want to break the deal then go ahead i'm just a supplier after all, but let me tell you something, safety it's not negotiable in this kinda business you know accidents happen, like fallings, ankle sprains and a lot more if they not carry the right equipment I …" he's nervously touching his watch and look desperate why?
"I know, look where are de poles? are they in the boxes in the sales room? I really need to check them before the delivery, they need to be well packed for the long journey" I said while throwing the dripping paper towels to the bin, thank god the glass of water didn’t fell on the documents of my desk, I think I should move all to the credenza behind me, maybe it’s a signal, yep its definitely a signal,
"Yes of course, that’s a good idea, they are in the truck because i didn't know if you were comming today at the shop"
he gets up and i notice him less nervous, but something it's still off about this situation
"yes of course, after you" we walk outside the office throught the corridor, Riques office is just in front of mine and as we pass i catch Rique watching us through the curtains of his office and trying to say don't go, but, what can i do? tell Alex to go fuck off? ask Rique to tag along? well that's not a bad idea ... thinking all this while walking to the front door i didn't notice Rique approaching us, he takes my by the shoulder
"i just got a call from the client of the tour of Central America, he want to confirm he's coming in 10 mins, where are you going?" he's glaring Alex and looking for any sign of danger
"hey, i'm just going out for a couple of minutes with Alex to check if its ready the delivery to Guatemala of the hiking poles, it will be quick ok?" i take his hand off my shoulder while i whisper to call 911 and call backup too
"ok, i (...) will wait for the client then," he answer while takes out his phone and pretend making a call
"your colleague is always that (...) considerate?" Alex said with a very tense tone and ... what was that, a low growl? what the hell is going on here, is his phone vibrating or something? he was holding the front door so i can go first and go through the parking lot,
"well, yes we have been friends since kids so, yeah we have that kind of relationship," i hear steps behind me and turn to see an angry Alex with a distorted face walking towards me and i instantly start to walk backwards telling my stupid legs to run but i just managed to walk
"what's going on Alex? did i said someth (...)"
"what kind of relationship you have with that fucker ha? is he just your colleague?" what? what the hell is this fucker saying? im seeing him coming closer with a dangerous expression with his fist closed and he keep asking me
"ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW! WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH HIM!?"
i can't keep this shit going on, the only thought that cross my mind was run, my car came to my sight it's parked behind the store, why i like that stupid parking lot? why i decided to park there today and not front of the store? motheronlyfucker parking lot with tree shade, while running i'm searching for my car keys inside my trousers nervously and suddenly i was shoved towards the brick wall behind the shop that get out the little air i have in my lungs and it made me hit my side head in the process, when i managed to focus, of course it was Alex, he got me between the wall and his body, grabbing me from my shoulders so i can't try to escape, i try to struggle but he's applying more and more force toward my shoulders and the wall, i keep struggling trying to shove him but for fucks sake he's to heavy it feels like pushing a wall, when i realized that all my effort goes to shit my only thing i have left is scream
"HEL (... )" i can't scream properly and i have his disgusting hand covering my mouth and his left forearm on my neck preventing me from breathing, with his right hand trying to unbuckle my belt i keep trying letting go of his grip, i hate this ...
"why you make the things harder Joan? i ask you a fucking question and you choose to run, from me, JA! that was stupid and now answer what (...) " i was trying to paying attention but my wounds hurts like a bitch, suddenly a shadow covered us and a hand grab Alex shoulder just to turn him around
"what the fu (...)" as soon as i was free from Alex grip i managed to breath but i can't, it's too painful, i try to focus my sight on the shadow and i just hear a fight coming up, screams and flesh colliding, leaning on the brick wall the only one i can call was
"RIQUEEEEEE!!"
in that scream was all my frustration, anger and pain, finally i see what was in front of me and was a massive man like 2 meters tall, jesus, who is he? and it's fighting with Alex like if they where in box ring and he was his punching bag, i can't take my look away from the fight, Alex can't keep up, while manage to stood up he's treathening the stranger with phrases like you don't know who you are messing with, i will kill you; but suddenly Alex got crazy and took out a pocket knife, i don't know why my only thought was to protect the stranger that's rescuing me, how the hell i'm gonna ... in seconds the stranger make a move, disarmed Alex and hit him so hard in the neck that leave him begging for air, then he turn to me and scan my body with his gaze i can't move, i'm seeing the most beautiful gray eyes that i have ever seen, in 4 steps he was in front of me and the only thing that come out of me was a little whimper
"stop *snif* i *snif *(...) " he was just standing there froze, perplex and concerned
"i'm not going near you, please take my hand so i can take you to a safer place"
i hear people running and then Rique was in my field of vision and a stranger similiar to the one that come first stop behind Rique, they stop dead watching the scene
"what the hell happened here Jo? i can't believe this motherfucker did anything to you?!" he was walking towards me but i can't handle the idea of being touched right now so i go backwards, Rique and the others seems desperate and concerned ... wait wheres Alex?! i can't see him anywhere
*ring ring*
i feel my phone vibrating and taking it out from my pocket i froze, it's Alex, is he crazy? but it looks that i'm crazier taking the call, i see the three man aloof whispering and glaring towards me with caution except the stranger with the gray eyes,
"hello (...)"
"now the hunting game starts Joan, you'll see that you're going to open those legs for me (...) soon"
*click*
i can't believe what i was hearing, while i see how the stranger got angry, why? he can't hear what Alex said to me
he walk through the parking lot searching like a madman for Alex while Rique and the other man were trying to calm him down
''Patrick, stop it, we can't do anything right now we must wait for the police"
ah, his name is Patrick; i saw them whispering and looking at me, while i was standing next to a brick wall i realized what had happened in the parking lot and how I had been so stupid not to have listened to my intuition when it told me that everything was wrong with Alex, when I realized, I couldn't breath properly and my chest hurt; I was hyperventilating and my tears wouldn't stop coming out. I needed to get this out. I heard footsteps and I felt like huge arms were lifting me up bridal style and all I did was put my arms around his neck and cry.
"Shhh, cry as much as you need (...)" it was Patrick talking to me but I couldn't process his words so I feel like we walked forever but it seemed like it was minutes, we entered the store and he went to my office and closed the door, then Patrick throw my papers off the desk with one hand while with his other arm he supports me and sits me in the middle of the desk,
"Honey, I need you to breathe, try to imitate me" I can't do it, my chest hurts, I'm short of breath.
"Look at me, we are in your office, you are on your desk, you are safe, you are in my arms and I need you to breathe, come on, imitate me Honey"
I saw how he inhaled
exhaled
inhaled
exhaled
and after several attempts to calm me down, he caressed my back from top to bottom. I realized that this man, his smell of cedar trees, his arms, his care and his concern had managed to get me out of my shock, why? i don't know
"Thank you, I (...)" why can't I speak?
"My name is Patrick, are you okay now?" How does he ask me that while he has me in his arms? I try to get out of his arms even though he seems doesn't want to, even though right now he is the most comfortable thing in this life, why do I want his touch and not Rique's?
"A penny for your thoughts" he tells me, showing me the most beautiful smile I've ever seen, I'm definitely an idiot.
"I (...)" when I see that he erase his smile and shows his worried face I don't like it, I want to see that smile again but I'm starting to feel exhausted, and to think that it's not even noon and I already had this shot of adrenaline,
I think I should have drunk the first sip of coffee, yes, surely that brought my bad luck, surely that was it; I think as I wrap my arms around Patrick's neck and fall asleep.
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