It had become a ritual she unwillingly found herself taking part in. Every night he would wander in and sit down, his gaze would find her from the brim of his hat and she would cower for the rest of the evening as she moved around the tables. And here she was now, standing at the bar and cleaning it with a filthy cloth, watching Tenlisa hand him his usual drink.
She got this job a month back and he had become a daily customer shortly after, he briefly touched his drink before he continued to watch her. She did not make haste to serve him, ignoring his presence whenever she could until her boss would snap at her, waving his meaty finger warningly.
"Anything you say, sir," she would say, wipe her dirty hands on her apron, and look at Tenlisa with a pleading look who would roll her eyes.
"I will do it, sir. She has a bar to finish off," she would say and lower her voice to tell her how childish she was before moving to his table.
Tenlisa spent her childhood in poverty, although talented in her beautiful voice life has sent her down a different path. She was sold to a brothel by her step mother when she was fourteen of age, the innocent girl was consumed by the reality of the world. She would sternly tell Angelica she wanted no pity, that she was content with her life, enjoying being a bar wench with an opportunity to earn an extra coin for her services.
"I do not understand you, love. You have an admirer who is interested in you only. Why would you not talk to him?" Tenlisa said, pouring rum into a mug and shaking Angelica from her dream world.
"Talk to him? Tenlisa, that man is not sane. He comes here every night and does the same thing. Hardly touches his drink," she replied as she stopped wiping the bar to glance at him.
She met eyes with him like she expected and quickly looked away.
"Maybe he is bashful to make the first move," she said, giving her a suggestive look.
"If that man was bashful he would not have the nerve to look at me so openly. Whose side are you on anyway?" she asked, one hand going to her hip.
"I'm already gone," she raised her hands in surrender, then picked up the mug, "Take that to the far end table. To the man with the beard."
Angelica wiped her hands on her dark blue skirt, took the mug, and pushed through the busy tavern to the far end table, ducking to avoid a flying chair.
"Careful you mangy scoundrel!" she heard Tenlisa shout and chuckled as she put the mug down.
"Your drink, sir."
"Thank you," he said and smiled at her charmingly, "I have not seen you here before."
"I am new," she replied and smiled back.
She could feel the man watching her, leaning into his chair lazily, making her shift uncomfortably. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye worriedly, but quickly jerked her eyes away when the man spoke to her again.
"I see... My name's Charlie Roberts. And you are?"
"ANGELICA!" a loud voice roared.
She glanced back at her boss who glared at her with intense hostility.
"No hanging out in here, young lady! Not in my time!" he snapped.
She gathered her skirts hastily and said, "I have to go before my boss throws me out."
She was sent to the kitchen for the rest of the evening, washing the dishes and scrubbing the floor, helping the chubby cook whenever asked. Her boss called her peculiar when she asked to do the work no one would volunteer for, unaware that it was more pleasurable than having to cope with the man's stare.
She was on her knees and looked up to see Tenlisa enter the kitchen with a tray full of dirty dishes.
"Is he gone?" she asked hopefully and dipped the cloth into the soapy water before starting to rub the floor again.
"Depends what you mean by gone. He has paid for one of the rooms upstairs," she said and Angelica froze.
"But he has never done that before! How will I sleep knowing this lunatic is under the same roof as me? To have lots of people around is one thing, but having everyone asleep is another!" she said, stood up and brushed her skirt off angrily.
Tenlisa looked unfazed as she settled down at the table with her dinner.
"You speak as if it is my fault," she said, "and where are you going?"
"I need to take a walk. Do not be alarmed if I decide to sleep elsewhere," she said and stormed out of the back door.
Her face reappeared shortly after, she threw her apron on a chair, then disappeared again. She had the familiar feeling that someone was watching her, turning around with a frown she saw nothing but an empty street behind her, the full moon in the cloudless sky illuminating the reveling wench that she worked in. Continuing to walk away, she did not see a dark figure watching her from one of the rooms upstairs, stood at his window with not lit candles in his room.
"You should not have left... Who will be there to protect you...?" the man whispered with a dark gaze.
A/N: I really hope you have enjoyed the first chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you, especially since this is my first story.