A beautiful nightmare

PART ONE;

He is achingly beautiful. Short brown hair, light brown eyes and skin with a subtle tan. He’s tall... maybe 6’3 if I was to guess. Oh my goodness, when he smiles... I’m certain my heart stops. He’s just so....

“Katherine!” I hear a voice yell.

I shake my head, ridding myself of my trance like state and see my co-worker Anna staring at me, hands on her hips and with a disapproving look that I know all too well.

“You were doing it again. You know, staring at that stranger like a creepy stalker”

I look at Anna and smirk. “You’re so dramatic. I’m sure I didn’t look that creepy. Besides, how can you blame me? Look at him! He’s so dreamy!”

Anna rolls her eyes and continues making Bert’s regular, a long black with one sugar. Bert’s in here every morning before his commute to work. He’s 75 years old and still working! I suppose that’s what folks do when they’re in love with their jobs, or careers should I say. Bert owns a publishing firm just down the road, - Bert’s publishing - He could have been more creative with the name, but I’m not in a position to judge. Not yet anyway. I don’t start my internship there for another week.

“ How is my future best selling author?” Bert says, turning to me after Anna hands him his long black in a tall white takeaway cup with the letter ‘B’ and a smiley face written on the front.

“Oh Bert, your belief in me is what keeps me going on my hardest days! I’m so excited to start working for you at the firm next week!” I say, with the biggest smile on my face.

“I’m always here for you kid. I’m actually on my way to get your office ready. See you tomorrow girls!” Bert waves us both goodbye and walks out the door.

Just seconds after Bert leaves, the beautiful stranger I can’t keep my eyes off stands up and leaves too, although he didn’t order anything. In fact, every time I see him in here he never makes an order. “Hey Anna. You know that stranger, well man...”

“Yes... the one you always creepily stare at. What about him?” She says, with an intrigued look on her face.

“Well. I’ve never seen him order anything here. Has he ever ordered anything from you?”

“Uhhh um... no. I’ve never even noticed to be honest. We’re popular here, always busy. It’s never occurred to me but now that you’ve mentioned it, maybe he’s the creepy one...”

The handsome stranger that comes into our corner coffee shop every Tuesday morning never orders a single thing. He sits in the back corner table, and types away on his laptop for hours. Never saying a word, never ordering coffee or our delicious breakfast options. Weird.

I laugh out loud. “I can’t believe I’m over analysing this. We have free wifi. He’s using our free wifi. He’s not a creep after all” I excitedly suggest to Anna.

“That makes sense. Maybe he’s not a creep, but he’s definitely a d*ck. It’s polite to order atleast a small coffee if you’re using the free wifi. I’ll definitely suggest putting a lock on the password in the next meeting I have with my father” Anna says, with her face scrunched up. Anna’s father owns this coffee shop, he named it ‘Samantha’s coffee’ after his wife.. who tragically passed in a horrific car accident a few years ago. Anna still struggles with the loss of her mother but she hides it well. She’s always smiling and I never see her looking anything less than radiant and beautiful. Her long blonde hair is always presentable and in a new style every day. Her blue eyes always sparkling. Anna is extremely intelligent, probably the smartest friend I have. She’s currently studying bachelor of psychology at Belford university. She’s in her second year and has been passing with High distinctions. Although I’ve only known her since landing this job a few months ago, we’ve become close friends. I confide in her about everything.

I notice the handsome stranger begin packing up his belongings, and within two minutes he’s walked out the door...

It’s Friday morning. Finally, it’s almost the weekend! It’s my last shift at the coffee shop today, and then I’m officially an intern at Bert’s publishing! I jump out of bed and jump straight into the shower to wash my long chocolate brown hair, it’s been a week since I last washed it.

After five minutes of standing under hot water, I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a white towel. I squeeze the excess water from my hair and I wrap that up in a towel too. I look in the mirror, my large dark brown eyes staring back at me.

My cheeks are rosy and I look well rested.

Excitement spreads across my face as the realisation that my life is about to change crosses my mind.

“Good morning Katherine! Today is the day! Dad tells me to wish you farewell and that he’ll miss his star employee! He wanted to tell you this himself, but he’s away on business and has limited phone time” Anna tells me

“I’ll make sure to visit every morning! Don’t worry, I’m only downgrading to being a customer! I’ll become this cafe’s most loyal customer!” I say cheerfully.

As I put on my apron in preparation to start icing today’s cupcakes I notice that the handsome stranger is sitting in his usual spot. I’ve never seen him here on a Friday. Maybe this is the sign I’ve needed. I need to ask him on a date. I’m too curious to just stare at him, I need to know his name, I need to know who he is... I walk towards him, my hands trembling.

“Hi... would you like to order anything today?” Damn it, really Katherine? This isn’t a table service cafe and he probably knows that! I mean, we have a sign telling customers to order at the register damn it.

He looks up at me and says shyly “No thank you” and then looks straight back down and continues typing on his laptop.

I can’t chicken out now. This might be my last chance. “I hope this isn’t weird of me to ask. But I’ve noticed you since you began coming in here. I was... um. I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me” I regret asking straight away due to fear of this achingly beautiful man rejecting me.

He stops typing, looks up at me and smiles at me. “Sure. I don’t see why not. I’m free tonight, say 6:00pm?” he asks casually, as if he’s used to being asked on dates randomly like this. But it’s a yes. I shouldn’t back out now.

“Great!” I start writing my number on my notepad, I rip the page and hand it to him. “That’s my number, text me later and I’ll send you the details” I smile at him and walk away, before he can say anything back.

As I’m walking back to the register Anna is staring down at her hands. I ask her if everything’s okay. “Yes I’m fine. There’s just been an update on my mums case.” She says, not taking her eyes off her hands... she quickly snaps out of it and looks up at me, “sooo, you were talking to the stranger, what about?”

“I asked him out Anna! I asked the stranger out!! We’re having dinner tonight!”

She’s silent for a moment. She’s thinking. She looks at the stranger. I’ve just realised I didn’t ask for his name. What kind of person asks someone on a date and doesn’t even know their god damn name? How stupid can I get? He must think I’m so weird! “Katherine!”

I snap out of my destructive conversation I’m having with myself and turn to Anna who is practically yelling my name.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for two minutes now, you were deep in thought again.” Anna says, almost laughing.

“Sorry” I say while tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.

“Anyways. You and handsome over there can have dinner here tonight. I’ll cook for the both of you. I doubt you’ll be able to make reservations anywhere last minute. It’s Friday night, everywhere is probably booked out” Anna says with a kind of urgency in her eyes.

I agree with Anna’s proposal.

“My names Austin by the way. I’ll text you, Katherine” the stranger, well Austin says as he’s looking at my name tag.

It’s 5:40pm and Austin should be here any moment. I’m in casual black jeans and a red body suit. My hair is down and wavy and I’m wearing light and natural looking makeup. Anna is busy in the kitchen preparing our food for tonight. I’m sipping on a cocktail Anna made for me, while I wait for the handsome stranger... I mean, for Austin. It’s weird knowing his name...

Austin arrives and he’s holding a bunch of flowers. He’s wearing black jeans and a plain white top. How he makes such a simple outfit look so elegant is beyond me. I stand up and greet him, he hands me the flowers and I place them in a vase that’s already placed on our table. Whatever cologne Austin is wearing has’ panty dropping’ potential. How can he smell and look this good. I offer Austin a cocktail and we sit down opposite each other at a small table, decorated with a white table cloth, eating utensils, menus and white candles. We begin talking.

An hour goes by and Anna finally comes out with our food. Austin and I share facts and stories about ourselves while eating the delicious food Anna has been preparing and cooking for the past two hours. We laugh at my bad jokes as we sip cocktails and enter into the late evening...

My head is throbbing. It’s dark and I can’t see anything. I can smell Austin’s cologne.

What the hell happened? The last thing I remember was sipping on cocktails while engaging in conversation with the most beautiful man I’ve laid eyes on. Oh no, he’s a psychopath isn’t he? God damn it Katherine! You’ve watched enough law and order to know men like this are too good to be true! God damn it!

A faint whisper snaps me out of my mental spiral. I hear it again. “Katherine” ...

“Austin.. is that you?”

I see a bright light directly opposite me, then I see Austin. He’s shining his phone on his face. He’s tied up. Oh god.

I realise I’m tied up too. We’re both in chains. We’re chained to the wall. Neither of us can move.

“It’s me. Are you okay? What the hell happened?!”

Bright light floods the room. My eyes sting from the sudden change.

I see someone standing in the distance. I close my eyes and open them again.

“Anna?” I gasp.

She gives a smirk that causes my stomach to drop.

TO BE CONTINUED...