Nightmare into Fantasy- Part 3

“Ugh… what the fuck happened?” Parker’s head was pounding. It felt like his brain had grown three times its size and was trying to free itself from the prison that was Parker’s skull. He pressed his hand to his forehead in an effort to quell the pain. Where was he? It was dark when he opened his eyes. At least he could be thankful for that. Moonlight streamed through the windows in the living room, illuminating different parts of the room as the moon traversed the sky.

His vision was hazy, he was indoors. The last thing he remembered was taking a bite of that amazing chocolate cake. The flavours lingered on his mind and in his mouth. He wondered if his family had left any for him. He froze with that thought. OH NO!!!

Panic gripped him. It had been several months since his last blackout. Why now? He hadn’t lost control around Tanya since one of their first dates. Of course showing that side of himself was a mistake but there was something about this woman. If they were going to move forward, she had to know what she was getting into. Keeping this from her wouldn’t be fair.

Surprise Filling

He was sweating more than usual. He had only been on a handful of dates with this woman but he was captivated by her eyes, wit and spirit. Not to mention… that ass… DAMN! She was nothing he ever imagined falling for. The women he usually found himself attracted to lacked substance. A mix of Stepford wife and reality television pop culture references. He ended one of his relationships just because the woman kept referencing YOLO, anytime he mentioned something he had yet to scratch off his bucket list. Ironically he couldn't help conjuring, “You only live once,” when thinking about Tanya.

Parker stood outside the bakery nervously awaiting Tanya’s arrival. How did she ever get him to agree to this? She sensed his hesitation when she suggested this location. It’s not like he had never been around confectionary items when dating, several exes and bakeries had restraining orders against him. Parker’s bakery based abuse had been well documented in local and regional news coverage. Fortunately his privilege prevailed and he was always released by authorities without charge and a promise to pay for the damages.

And then he saw her. Tanya was stunning. She wore a yellow floral summer dress which caught her curves in all the right ways and a pearl toned wide brimmed hat to protect her smooth features from the sun. Despite the protection, she was glowing like an angel sent to deliver him news of his fate. He was so not ready for this date.

“It’s more polite to greet people with your mouth closed,” she remarked with a smirk. Shit! His mouth was still open? How long had it been open for? Was he drooling? “It’s good to see you again Parker,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him tenderly. Her touch was electric yet her skin was soft and smooth. He had to catch himself to avoid holding the hug too long and coming off as creepy.

When they released each other they caught each other’s eyes. The urge to kiss her was gripping. They hadn’t shared that first moment yet. Was now the time? No… not yet. Just make it through this date and hopefully avoid legal action by her or the establishment, possibly both. He still hadn’t said anything. He tried to think of something clever, “Someone call heaven because I found their missing angel.”

Tanya rolled her eyes, like what he said was completely ridiculous. “You know, for someone who writes as well as you do, you would think you would be more clever when you open your mouth.” She appreciated the compliment despite how lame it was. “You’re going to have to be a little smoother while talking to my parents.”

“Wait, what?” He froze. She couldn’t mean now. They had only known each other for a few weeks. “Like right now?” He stammered. This date was quickly descending into nightmare scenario territory, how was he supposed to handle her, her parents, and his extensive history of bakery battery?

“Of course right now, Parker. This is their bakery.” She stated matter of factly, like he should have been anticipating this moment. OH FUCK! She had said her parents ran a very successful small business and to be fair the little shop was booming. They had to stand off to the side of the front entrance to avoid the consistent flow of traffic in and out of the shop. He had to catch himself, placing his hand on the exposed red brick that framed the bakery’s windows. He fought internally to regain his composure after absorbing information which he felt likely to lead to the demise of another promising relationship.

“Are you ok?” Tanya asked, concerned. “Because we can do this another time if you don’t feel you’re ready.” Who was this woman? Checking to see if he was ready. From the brief amount of time they had spent together, he appreciated the consideration she expressed.

“Yeah, yeah,” he rushed, trying to brush away her worry. “I think I’m just a little dehydrated.” Whew, good save he thought. “So your parents?” He trailed off. He had met the parents of some of his other partners before but at least they gave him some warning… like, “hey my parents want to meet you”, or “are you free to set something up with my parents?” Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a shotgun meeting with parents. This woman was mystifying. And he was strangely exhilarated.

“Look, I kinda like you.” Tanya declared bluntly. “And I have found that giving men an option on whether or not to meet my parents has always led to a quick exit or delay tactics. Either way, I’m not here to waste my time on someone who is not willing to at least meet them. My parents mean the world to me. And it would mean so much for you to meet them. So sack up princess.”

He opened the door for her to enter the shop. As she passed by him he whispered, “Not going to lie but I’m a little turned on by you right now.” This woman was cunning and it was probably going to bite him in the ass down the road.

Despite all the temptation around him, the afternoon was amazing. Her father was a mountain of a man with a soft demeanour and deep booming laugh. Her mother was the complete opposite. Tiny in comparison, to this man who looked like he had eaten several of his daughter’s exes, she was bold and assertive. A tiger mom who commanded the best from everyone around her. Parker couldn’t help but recognize the passion and ambition Tanya exhibited as her mom extolled an extensive list of Tanya’s accomplishments.

It wasn’t until they neared the end of their rendezvous that Parker began to feel the darkness creeping in. Tanya’s parents stepped away to give the two some time alone. “My dad likes you,” Tanya said as she leaned toward him. “He wanted me to ask if you want to grab a drink with him sometime?”

“He’s not going to eat me is he?” Parker suggested, half joking, half serious.

“No. He said you were too stringy. You’d probably upset his constitution.” She said nonchalantly. “He said he was more likely to snap your neck if you hurt me,” she delivered straight-faced.

Nata Worry

“Fair play…” Parker trailed off. Throughout the interrogation his eyes floated past Tanya’s parents and locked onto the pastry case directly behind them. The natas had been teasing him, lightly at first, snippets of conversation from disinterested parties then… BOOM! Shit got real.

She ordered six of the eight available desserts. Parker’s heart dropped. Church group BBQ my ass. Only two natas left. Urgency began creeping into his voice as his responses to Tanya’s parents became more abrupt. Nooooo! Another one got ordered. Now there was only one left. His attention was drawn back to Tanya, as her parents left the table. He was fully focused on her and their banter. He didn’t even notice the final nata vanish until he looked over at the case and it was too late.

His mood darkened immediately. He jumped up from the table, sending his chair screeching back and crashing to the floor. The rage began to grow as he had failed to satisfy his insatiable pastry demons. He gripped the table hard and was positioning his body for launch, until Tanya gently caressed his arm and slid up next to him. He turned to look at her, his eyes manic with panic and despair. Her eyes were full of affection and understanding, melting his until he gazed at her with the same affection. He turned towards her and leaned in for a kiss. Her lips parted ever so slightly. She closed her eyes and tilted her head. When their lips met, the atmosphere was electric. Everyone disappeared for a moment as they shared theirs. Parker would remember this kiss for the rest of his life.

Single Digit

He was still on the couch collecting himself, when he rolled over and saw it on the coffee table. Well that’s ominous he mused. Sitting in the middle of the table was a box wrapped in brown paper. He thought back to his Amazon order history. A revelation, those must be the Beats headphones he ordered a few days ago.

He sat up and reached for the box. It was lit up by the moon acting like some sinister spotlight. The box was a lot lighter than he thought it would be when he handled it. Written on the top in all caps was a message… OPEN IT. He tore into the paper, it was definitely not the headphones he ordered, but a small brown box. The items inside had come loose and were tumbling around inside it.

Even more intrigued now, he pulled open the tab and lifted the cover of the box. Resting on top of some crumpled newspaper were two items. A grey Samsung flip phone and a severed finger. He dropped the box and screamed at a pitch no one who identified as an alpha male would ever be proud of. The finger startled him and then he looked up and got a better look at the living room.

There were broken items and glass everywhere. Through the darkness he could see streaks on the wall. Dark droplets hid on the floor, waiting for light to illuminate their presence. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness his attention turned back towards the finger. That’s when the prospect hit him, congesting him with fear, worry, and dread. Where was everyone?