White lightening flashes in my face as I look out the window. The thunder cracks so hard it makes my ears pound. The rain beats on the ground like a drummer doing a drum roll during a rock concert finale. I can't help but stare at the raging storm outside. A storm like this would scare the crap out of Diane but it doesn't bother me at all. She's not at the bar with me and I should probably go to her place to check on her, but I don't want to. Not that I don't care, it's just I literally feel like I can't leave. It's just me here, there are no customers, no Carla, no Coach and like I said, no Diane.
It's weird being alone here with nothing to do. I'm always doing something and here I am, just standing here riding this storm out. Walking around, I can't help but notice how eerie this feels. My feelings of calm were now replaced with anxiety and I don't understand why. I go over to the jukebox to see if maybe some music could calm me down. I simply punch in a random number, not even caring who popped up, and then I instantly regretted not actually choosing a song. "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder does not help with calming your anxiety.
While Stevie went on and on about ladders falling and seven years of bad luck, I turn my head to notice the goddamn machine is still present. Then I couldn't help but laugh as I thought about the fortunes and Stevie's song. I agree with him. When you believe in things you don't understand, you truly do suffer. I will not let what happened earlier tonight get to me. As a matter of fact, I will go over to the beast and kick it just because I can. I'm the owner of the place and I can kick things around if I want. As I was about to lift up my leg, I notice a piece of paper on the floor and pick it up. It was yet another fortune.
What will you do when you have no one to look after you but yourself?
Ha! That wasn't a fortune, that was a question! The poor schmuck that got this one! I run to the phone and I call Diane. The storm had subsided by now so I figured the phone was okay again. The lady on the line said that her number was not available. I redial; of course her number is available. Yet, the lady tells me the same thing. I put the phone back on the reciever in frustration and then take another look at the "fortune." All of a sudden, something struck a cord and then my feelings of anxiety are back again.
Then I woke up. I am all sweaty and my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. I run to my phone and call Diane. Please, let her be available.
"Hello?" She answers. Oh, that's music to me!
"Diane, sweetheart, are you okay?"
"Well, yes," she answers, sounding kind of shocked by me asking her that. "Are you okay, Sam?"
"Yeah, honey. I just had a dream that's all."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I just wanted to talk to you so bad and you weren't there and..."
"Sam, it's okay. You're okay. I will be at the bar to open with you in a few hours. I am right here, darling."
"That's good, sweetheart, that's good."
"Okay," she says with a chuckle. "Listen, I'm going to go take a shower. Maybe you should do the same?"
"Yeah, yeah, I guess I could do that."
"Okay. I love you, Sam."
"I love you, too, Diane."
"See you in two hours?"
"Yes, see you in two hours."
I hung up the phone with a feeling of hope. Maybe this could all work out. Maybe I won't end up alone and she will be here with me after all.