Ugh, I'm so late for work. I run around my room, trying to gather my stuff while simultaneously getting ready. I went to sleep really late last night, staying up talking to Tobias. And so I slept through my alarm this morning, waking up much later.
I pull up my hair into a ponytail, then put on my shoes. Looking at myself in the mirror, I realise that I might feel cold in my thin sweatshirt, so I decide to grab a sweater. My jeans are warm enough. Walking into my closet, I look for my dark brown knitted sweater. Where did I put it? God, I'm gonna be so late if I don't find it. I just hope Tobias isn't waiting for me.
After looking everywhere, I finally find it on a shelf at the bottom. I grab it quickly and put it on, but just as I'm turning away, something catches my eye. Bending down, I take a closer look. Hiding under the sweater were a few photos of me. I look over each one of them.
What makes this whole situation weird is that I don't remember putting these here, and I certainly don't remember ever having them taken. I don't even recognise the place, it looks like I'm deep in some woods, with large trees everywhere.
What are these pictures? How did they get here? I'm so confused right now. I walk out of my room, hoping to ask my mother if she knows anything about them. But she already left for work.
I try to shake off the feeling that something is wrong. I need to get to work. Keeping the photos in a drawer in the living room, I leave the house. Locking the door behind me, I get a taxi.
At the bakery, Tobias is already seated and sipping on a cup of coffee. He looks tired, too. We never meant to stay up so late, but the time just flew past us. He sees me walk in and smiles widely. Standing up when I reach him, he pulls me into a hug, pecking my lips.
"Sorry I'm late today. I slept through my alarm." I say, and we sit side by side.
"I figured as much. I got very little sleep, too." He lets out a yawn.
"At least we learned our lesson. No more late night calls before workdays." I smile.
"You're right." He chuckles. "But I wouldn't mind sleepwalking through the day if it means I get to talk to you all night."
"I wouldn't mind it, either." I smile at his sweetness. "But I'm sure we'd turn into zombies pretty quick." He laughs at that, pulling me into his side as he kisses my cheek.
"See? This is what I mean. I love talking to you, Tris." I look up into his eyes and feel all my exhaustion fade away. Then I hear someone clear their throat.
"I should get to work. Tori doesn't seem pleased." I sigh, getting up.
Tobias grabs my hand, looking up at me with a small frown. I bend and give him a sweet kiss. We part, and he smiles. "I'll call you after work, okay?" He whispers and I nod.
Then I get to work, we have a big order for a birthday party today, so we need to make a two-tiered cake, along with cupcakes and cookies, all of them chocolate flavoured.
"Hey, Tris, I need to check the items we ordered in the inventory. Will you watch the register for half an hour?" Tori comes in just as I slide the pan of cookies into the oven.
"Of course." I smile and walk out to the front.
Our fall items seem to be getting really popular as many customers come asking for them. I serve a few people but there aren't many at this time of the day. Packing a takeaway box of cupcakes, I think back to the photos I found of myself in my closet and wrack my brain trying to remember where they're from. But I can't seem to recall anything. I hand over the box to the little girl who smiles brightly and heads out. I'm lost in thoughts when a man approaches me.
"Can I get a small slice of the lemon cake? Also a pistachio macaron." He asks.
"Sure." I get him his order and quickly type in to generate his receipt. As he's pulling his wallet out, I notice how blatantly he's checking me out. His eyes roam over my chest, even over all my clothes, and I immediately feel uncomfortable.
He takes his time paying the bill, deliberately trying to make it slow. I see the credit card in his wallet, but he still rummages to get me cash, putting together coins to add to the total. I hand him the bill, and pick up the money, turning away from him.
Taking his food from the counter, he walks to an empty table. But the whole time he keeps staring at me, not even looking down while eating. God, what a creep. I notice there's something familiar about him, but I can't quite place it.
Luckily, Tori walks out after a few minutes, and I rush back into the kitchen, letting out a loud sigh. Why are some men so obsessed with themselves and think they are being charming? When it's the total opposite and makes me feel disgusted.
I return to my previous work and try to forget about whatever that was. The buttercream I prepare is a perfect texture which makes me smile. Claire and I finish decorating the cake together, placing it in a box and into the big refrigerator till it's picked up. Now only the cupcakes have to be frosted, which is an easy job.
Checking the time on the clock, I decide to take a break for lunch. My stomach is growling and I kick myself for skipping breakfast. As I put the ingredients away and get ready to head out, my phone rings. I smile at the screen looking at the name, and quickly answer it.
"Hey." I smile.
"Hey, I miss you. Is it possible for us to meet for lunch?" Tobias asks.
"You called at the perfect time, Tobias. My break just started." I laugh.
"Great. I'm on my way to the bakery and then we'll head to lunch together, okay? See you in a bit." He says.
"See you." I whisper and we hang up. This is exactly what I need right now. It's been a weird day, and I miss him too.
Less than 10 minutes later, Tobias is at the front of the bakery, and I walk out to meet him. He smiles when he looks at me and takes me into his arms, and we share a soft kiss. Leading me away, he walks us down the street.
"So, what do you want for lunch?" He asks.
"Honestly, I'll eat anything. I'm very hungry." I sigh.
"How about some hot soup? There's a Greek restaurant down a block. You'll love it." He suggests.
"Done!" I smile and we continue walking, his arm around my shoulder keeping me warm and close to him. Entering the restaurant, the aroma of fresh food hits us instantly. Sitting together in a booth, we both place an order for the special soup with a side of crusted bread.
"So, how's your day been?" I ask him.
"It's been boring, I was counting down the minutes until I could see you." He winks at me.
"Really?" I grin.
"Yeah. We didn't get to spend much time together this morning, and I missed you. Then they called a meeting with all the employees, which was the same old shit." He shakes his head. "I'm so glad you were free or I would have had to eat lunch with the most boring people in the world."
"I'm sure that's not true." I laugh.
"It is! You have no idea." He whines, making us both chuckle.
Our food arrives and we dig in, the hot liquid warming up our cold bodies. This is another thing I love about the cold weather, as soup is one of my favourite dishes. I finish my bowl quickly, and Tobias chuckles, asking if I want more. We decide to get another one to share, and this time I really savour the taste.
I place my spoon down after finishing, and Tobias grabs a tissue to wipe the side of my mouth which had a few crumbs of bread. I whisper a quick thanks to him, and he just smiles. That was a really good meal, and the restaurant is really nice, too. We will definitely be coming here again.
I look around at the Greek decor, it is all so fascinating, when my eyes flit past a man. I look at him again, and realise it's the same person from before, who was staring at me in the bakery. And now he's staring at me again. I furrow my eyebrows, looking away. Why is this guy following me? I get a very bad feeling.
"Is something wrong?" Tobias asks, noticing my worried face.
"It's just, I saw that man earlier in the bakery. And he was staring at me rather creepily. And now he's sitting right there." I point in his direction discreetly.
Tobias's eyes catch the mans' and he glares at him. He looks really pissed, and a wave of anxiety goes through me again. He's ready to go over there but I hold his arm firmly, keeping him seated next to me. I've never seen him this mad.
"Hey, it could have just been a coincidence. It's okay, Tobias." I try to calm him.
"I just want you to be careful, Tris. This doesn't seem right. Promise me you won't go anywhere alone." He squeezes my hand.
"Tobias, that's crazy, I can't have a chauffeur with me at all times." I tell him defensively.
"Tris, please! I just want you to be safe. I'll walk you back now, but please call me or your mom or go back home with Tori. Promise me you won't walk back alone." He insists.
"Okay, I promise." I look into his desperate eyes, the fear and worry intense in them.
"Thank you. These men could be very dangerous. And I don't want to scare you, I just want you safe, Tris." He whispers.
"I will. Can we please leave now? I feel uncomfortable." I say.
"Of course, come on." We walk out after settling the bill. Tobias holds me close as we walk back to the bakery. He kisses me deeply when we reach, breathing me in.
"I hope I didn't scare you, Tris." He murmurs.
"I'll be okay, Tobias. Don't worry so much about me. We both have to get back to work now. I'll call you later." I say before standing on my tiptoes to kiss him again.
"Okay." He sighs, pulling me in one more time, and kissing my forehead before letting go. I watch as he walks away, turning around several times to look at me and giving me a smile.
As I head inside, I wonder who the man was. And why did Tobias get so worried? I know he cares for me very much, and always wants my safety, but he was really insistent. I guess his worry makes sense, no one is safe here. And there were a few cases of creepy stalkers on the news, too.
I decide to call Mom to ask if she'd be able to pick me after work, and she says she'll be here. Back to work, I frost all the cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and finish off the birthday order. The rest of the day goes by fast, and soon I'm heading home with Mom. We chat casually in the car, and I get a feeling that I'm forgetting something, but I don't know what.
A/N: Hey, guys! Another week, another chapter. And with it, many questions. But be patient, the answers are on their way to you!
