Chapter 4
Luke hasn't been showing up to the bar lately and I'm extremely happy. I've gotten better at taking orders and bring the drinks on time without spilling any. I've become friendly with most of the townsfolk who come in regularly. I've met Calvin, an archeologist in the making, who always orders the fruity cocktails.
Occasionally the town's doctor, Jin, comes in every now and then for a cup of tea with his fiancé, Anissa.
Owen comes in every night, sometimes with his boss, Ramsey, and split drinks. Owen usually ends up drunk and Ramsey scolding him while continuing to drink. The two of them are funny to watch. Kathy ends up embarrassed whenever Owen is drunk. He once asked what her cup size was or if she preferred her men shaven. I've never seen someone turn so red. She looked like a tomato that was too ripe.
I've met with the nearby inn owners. Apparently their daughter Maya has a thing for Chase but he seems uninterested in her. I never thought I'd say that I was happy when he told me. We were in the kitchen preparing drinks and Maya walked in and started flirting with Chase, who didn't seem to return. She eventually left, but not before giving me a dirty look and Chase told me how he was her mentor in teaching her to cook. Eventually he quit because she never improved and he couldn't be with someone who couldn't cook simple things as toast without burning it.
The more I got to know people in this small town of Harmonica, the more I enjoyed it.
Work was over and I decided to help out by taking out the trash. I opened the back door and set the bag on the ground in a loud thump. "Want any help?"
A familiar voice surprised me and I look up to see Luke standing there. His hair is the first I notice. In the moonlight it shines almost silver and I've never seen something so beautiful. "Well?" He breaks me from my trance and I instantly revert to hate mode.
"I got it," I say proudly and reach for the bag which is extremely heavy and almost topple over. An arm is wrapped around me and I know its Luke's. His face is looking at me with a mix of humor and concern. I force him to release his grasp and try again. This time the bag is lighter and I see Luke's helping me.
We toss the bag into the dumpster and I look around thinking of something to say.
"Thank you," I say quietly.
"Sorry, what was that?"
"I said thank you," this time a little louder.
"Sorry, you're a little quiet. Speak up," I lean over and hit him in the shoulder before yelling thank you.
"You're welcome," he says attending to his shoulder. "What's with you and hitting me? This is the second time I've helped you and you repay me with physical violence."
"Well if you weren't such a jerk maybe I'd be nicer," I leave him standing outside and slam the back door shut and lock it. I lean against the door and sigh. Why did he have to be such a jerk? He was really cute and I can't help but still want to be around him despite his way of treating people. I ease off the door and walk down the hallway. A knock at the door surprises me and I turn to open it. "What do you want now," I say angrily but find Owen standing there.
"Akari!" Kathy rushes down the hallway and take the door from my hand. "I'll handle it from here," she says eagerly and I can tell she's up to something. I give her a curious look but walk away. I hide behind the corner and wait till the door is closed. I sneak back down towards the door and lean against it.
I can barely make out what they are saying but I can tell it's interesting.
"….Date…. Kathy… Love.." I can make out a few words as Owen's deep voice shakes the door. Kathy's voice is quiet but I can tell she's talking. Silence lingers for a while and I think they've left. I open the door slowly but they weren't gone. Owen's hands are cupping Kathy's face while her body is limply pressed against his. He's leaning down and kissing her, his tall body almost hunched over. She's standing on her tip toes. I close the door quietly thankful they didn't see me. I bite my lip smiling but almost feel jealous.
I've never been kissed by a boy, let alone really near one in a loving manner. I quietly stalk to my room and plop on my bed. I close my eyes in hopes of falling asleep. Visions of tonight appear on my eyelids. Kathy pressed against Owen and his hands cupping her as he kisses her passionately. The two pull away but I notice that they're no longer Kathy or Owen. Locks of blue hair flow in the wind and my brown hair is pulled up into a ponytail. Luke is smiling at me with his devilish grin while horns start to sprout from his forehead.
I sit up and wipe the sweat from my face, my chest breathing heavily, "What a horrible dream."