Chapter Three
After hearing what felt like the thousandth click followed by an annoying dial tone, Jess hung up the phone for the last time today. She'd been interrupted, cussed out and hung up on more times than she cared to think about. People were just rude sometimes. Didn't they understand she had to make ends meet somehow just like everyone else? Her day job wasn't what you'd call easy, but it paid the bills.
Jess realized she had to have two jobs on top of selling what artwork she could to make it in an expensive city like New York. And telemarketing wasn't ideal, but she could find her a better job later in her area of expertise. Right now she just wanted shelter, water and food; and if calling endless lists of people trying to promote certain businesses like Valley Fair Inc. and Harris Household Appliances to get those things; well dammit she would do it.
Convincing potential customers that there is nothing else in the world they need more than a Harris Max-Turbo Blender with extra features great for parties is like trying to make a five-year-old sit in a chair watching CNN all day without them getting up or making a sound. It ain't happening, she thought. But luckily for her, she didn't get paid on commission, but for the hours spent dialing up phone numbers, which was a lot. Hours and numbers.
Jess liked working her telemarketing job in her pajamas, so she got up early enough to get in eight full hours of dirty-mouthed men and odious women slamming phones down in her ear before grabbing a quick shower and then off to her 4pm shift at Virgin Records. It was long days, but working the floor with Frankie, while listening to good music sure beat the hell out of staying at home alone.
The water sputtered then shot out ice cold streams as Jess turned on the shower head. It would take the water a minute to warm up, so she stepped into the artsy, orange, rose and brown colored bedroom/living room combo of her studio apartment to find her work clothes. It wasn't much, but it was home. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself until she could afford something better.
As she brought the black pants and VR logo-ed t-shirt into the bathroom, shed her pajamas and hopped in the steamy tub, Jess wondered if today was the day she would see that abnormally striking man from the coffee shop again. She didn't have a clue why he kept popping back into her head like he was meant to be the center of her thoughts, but with her past record of men—which was none worth a dang—it was a miracle to find one that captured her interests so completely without have even spoken. It would have been nice to have a conversation with him, but she didn't even know the man. What was she thinking?
After bathing properly, Jess towel dried quickly, dressed for work and glanced one more time in the mirror. Not a whole lot of make-up today, because she was running late from spending too much time thinking of him in the shower. It had been a good thing the hot water ran out, so she could cool her body from the erotic thoughts her mind had begun to explore before they got out of hand. Just the thought of those muscular arms made her all jittery and excited. It had been years since she'd been with a man, not since beginning of college.
Wait, wait, she really needed to slow down. Now she was thinking of sex with a complete stranger she didn't even know? Great. This was not the time for that. She needed to hurry and get to work before Kristi wrote her up for tardiness. And she wouldn't think of him the rest the day, no matter how boring her shift was. Her attraction for that man went well beyond what she considered dangerous and danger was not what she needed right now.
oo
When Jess entered Virgin Records, Frankie was all but jumping out of her skin. Her fiery red hair with black tips hung just short of her shoulder blades and bracelets covering half of both her forearms jangled as she motioned for Jess to hurry over. From the look in Frankie's eyes, whatever was going on had to be juicy. And Jess suddenly had a painful catch in her throat, fearing it had something to do with her.
"Wow, what took you so long? Usually you get here before I do."
Jess shrugged her shoulder and came around the counter to log on the computer, putting her on the clock. Or the old saying "punching in". "I just had a long morning, that's all."
Frankie chewed her smoky red lip a moment, "Phone creeps giving you beef again?"
"Some. Mostly the usual, just dial tones. So what are you so jumpy for?" she asked.
Frankie resumed her energetic mood and smiled, "That rude customer from last night called the store this morning to complain."
Jess's stomach clenched, "And that's a good thing?" Oh yeah, she was definitely in trouble for sure.
Frankie saw she was starting to sweat bullets. "It is if you heard what Kristi had to say after being bitched out for half an hour by the guy. She told the jerk you were one of her most reliable employees, she would defend your side of the argument all the way to the courtroom if that was where he wanted to take it, and if he had any common sense at all he would reframe from ever using such foul language."
"Wow," was all Jess could say. She couldn't imagine Kristi standing up for one of her employees over a customer—you know the saying a customer's always right—but when Jess thought of that guy last night and how pissed off he'd been over nothing. Well, in this case he wasn't right.
Kristi walked out the storage room from the back where the door had been propped open. Her blonde hair was stiff from too much hairspray and her nametag always seemed to be crooked, but in Jess's experience, Kristi was definitely a boss you didn't want to mess with. She was far from unreasonable, but strict. Fair, Jess would say. And now Jess had a new respect for Kristi; defending her own when necessary, as long as you proved your worth as a dependable employee and apparently Jess had done just that in the last three months.
"And if he ever shows up here again, ladies, just come get me and I will personally handle him. Is that understood?" Kristi commanded, obviously missing nothing of their conversation.
"Yes ma'am."
"Perfectly," Frankie said at the same time.
"Good, now I'm grabbing me a late lunch. Anything else happens; you've got my cell number." Both women nodded as they watched Kristi sling her purse over her shoulder and head out the door.
Frankie looked at Jess and snickered, "See? And you were worried for nothing."
The rest of the evening was uneventful. They'd had two large rushes, which was normal for a Wednesday night, but other than that only a few straggling shoppers. No angry customers though, a couple more well-behaved children that didn't stay long, an old lady in a floral shirt, sweat pants and beige crocs came in, looking for "head banging music" for her granddaughter and thankfully no mishaps with the cleaning this time either.
It was half after closing, eleven-thirty, and Frankie was counting the money while Kristi finished up some paperwork for new shipments of albums they were supposed to receive in the morning. Jess had been wiping off the last few prints on the front glass doors and opened them to flip the switch, locking one door in place when she noticed up the street a shadow had moved deeper into an alleyway. She blinked her eyes a few times, thinking maybe she just had blurry vision from lack of sleep lately. Jess squinted trying to get a sharper image and saw nothing but a side door to another store with a metal trash can beside it, reflecting the diminutive blue street light off the lid. It was eerie seeming, but not threatening. A normal looking New York night.
"Who's out there?" Jess felt whispered on the nape of her neck. The little hairs stood on end as the cool breath hit her skin.
She turned around and shoved Frankie's arm. "Nobody. And don't try to scare me, it won't work."
Her tattooed friend snorted, "It won't? Well, we'll see about that. Maybe one of these days I'll pop out and scare you when you least expect it." Frankie's laugh turned menacing like a witch's cackle and she scurried back to the checkout counter to clock out. Jess rolled her eyes and did the same.
oo
Jess had refused drinks with Frankie tonight as much as it would have helped her relax after a long day; she just wasn't up to it. She wanted to go home and go to bed. The night was cool, bums were settling down with their bottles of cheap whiskey, street cats were curled up milking their babe before bed and cars were still driving the roads; not as many, but always present.
The tennis shoes on her feet grinded into the pavement as she walked down the next street over. She was two blocks from her apartment now and two blocks away from her nice comfy bed. The light breeze stirred her hair and a sense of unease hit her like the rotten stink of a dead rat. It was dark, but nothing she hadn't walked through by herself a million times over before. Just then a clash against metal sounded from the alley she'd just passed a few paces back. A cat hissed and ran out into the street. Jess's heart was in her throat, pounding making it tight and hard to breath. It was just a cat, she kept telling herself. Nothing to worry about. Yeah right. The last thing she needed was to be jumped and mugged tonight, but then again that would complete her long day.
Jess ignored the sound and walked hastily towards her apartment. If she could just get home and lock her door, there would be no more worry, right? But this was nothing, just some animal or so she'd thought.
Light footsteps some feet behind her walked leisurely. Once Jess glanced back there and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Either someone was back there or it was just her overactive imagination. Jess hoped for the latter.
Suddenly, Frankie popped into her head and what she had said. Could she be following her trying to scare her? No, it wouldn't be her. She was half way to the dance club by now. But if it was Frankie, Jess would be happy to tell her mission accomplished. She was scared.
Jess quickened her pace after turning the next right corner. Her pulse was racing and her palms began to sweat like crazy. This wasn't the time to panic, but there was no way Jess was going to stop and investigate like dumbasses do in the movies. She hadn't been quite sure whether or not anyone was truly behind her until another metal trash can hit the ground and a man's voice cursed. "Shit!" It was rough and unfamiliar, but Jess didn't want to stick around and find out who it belonged to. One thing was for sure however, that voice had definitely not been Frankie's.
Shit was right. A man had to be following her. As her stomach fell, a million thoughts raced through her mind at once. She wasn't sure if leading him back to her apartment was such a good idea; but the police station was too far away to walk to; and knowing this city, no one would come to her aid if she screamed. She could yell fire, but most the time that didn't even work now days. The only thing she could think of was if she made it to her place and locked the door, Jess would be safe. She could call for help there and actually get a response.
Okay, so she was going home and had to quickly. The footsteps had grown a little closer and her breathing a little harder. Jess clutched the handle of her purse and walked as fast as her legs would carry her. The calves burned, but that didn't stop her pushing herself forward. Her apartment door was in sight now and a small quick relief swept through her. Her door; a salvation. She just had to reach it.
Crap, the keys, Jess groaned. Killers always got to the victims because they didn't have the keys out to unlock a door, right? She reached in her back pocket for the set, thanking Jesus she'd put them there instead of her purse and listened to them jangle as she rushed like her life depended on it. She prayed that wasn't the case, but wouldn't chance it.
The feet hitting concrete behind her had softened in distance again, but they were still strolling the same direction. Jess didn't care how it looked or if the man wasn't really following her after all, she decided to run the rest of the way; to hell if it gives her away that she is on to him. And if the man runs after her, she'll know for sure he was indeed following.
Her shoes picked up speed as she was two doors away from her own. After reaching it, she skipped a few steps almost falling on her face, but regained her balance abruptly. As she managed to stick the key in the bolt and turn it, she risked a glance behind. A tall man in a dark overcoat, walking swiftly began to slow as he looked up at her. Jess couldn't make out his features in the poor lighting on her street, but she knew instantly he had meant to follow and now he knew where she lived. What an idiotic move that was? But she couldn't have done much else. All the businesses between Virgin Records and her apartment had been closed; not to mention she really didn't have any money for a taxi, as if any came down her street ever.
Jess slammed the door and locked it directly, bolt and chain. If the man really wanted to get in, he'd try to bust the door down and hopefully wake her neighbors; but as Jess peaked through the tangy orange curtains he just stood there, looking up at her place like he was studying it for weaknesses. It was so disturbing; a chill went through her body.
Hell, what kind of mess had she gotten herself into now and why was this guy after her? There was only one thing to do now even though she hated making a scene of things. Jess picked up the phone, took a deep breath and dialed the police. Looks like her nice, comfy bed had to wait.