Cat And Mouse, chapter 4
EARLIER THAT DAY:
"Hey!!!" The large woman at the front slammed down on the counter, making all the plates shake. "Hey, starlet! I need a refill of coffee over here!"
Alice sighed reluctantly and put away the picture of Audrey Hepburn. She would always sneak in a few glances between customers; Audrey was her favorite. She grabbed the pot of coffee and quickly shuffled over to the woman, pouring her a glass. The woman took one sip and spat it back into the mug. "This is decaf! You know I drink regular!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I've never seen you before." Alice smiled meekly. "But I can get you a new cup if you'd like."
"Don't bother!" She picked up her purse and walked out of the diner.
Alice plucked a pack of cigarettes out of her front pocket and walked towards the back door. "I'm taking my break," she muttered to her manager as she passed him by on the way out.
Outside, she flicked her lighter and readied her cigarette. Taking a long drag on it, she exhaled through her nose and slid down against the wall, stopping once she landed on a crate. It had been about six months since the agency had shut down and she was getting along in New York, she had been in a couple of local plays and gotten some poetry published in a local magazine. New York was a fine city, but she missed L.A. and everything she had left behind. There was Charlie and Paige and Kristine, who had introduced her to Christian. "Hmmm, Christian... " Her mind wandered to the ex-lover, standing on the pier at Santa Monica that time they all drove out there for some beach air. That had been a while ago and Christian had long since left. After that she had drifted around Los Angeles, meeting an assortment of guys.
The crashing sound of the five PM traffic snapped her out of her state of mind. She looked around the dusty back lot; milk crates and large containers were against the walls and forming a sort of fence from the rest of the alleys. Getting lost in her surroundings, she didn't even notice the hand that came up from behind her.
"Wah!" she shrieked and shoved the owner of the hand into the wall behind her.
"Ah, what the fuck!" John coughed at the sudden attack and playfully hit Alice on the shoulder in return. "Consider that the last time I come to say hi."
"Oh, sorry John. I guess I just didn't notice you behind me."
"Clearly."
"So how are you, John?" Alice had by now finished her cigarette and reached into her pocket for another.
"Well, for one," John replied, grabbing the unlit cigarette from Alice's mouth and flicking it out onto the street, "I'm healthy."
"Ugh!" Alice groaned and pretended to choke John. "That was my last one!"
"Damn shame, I would've had fun flicking all of them."
"My personal habits are none of your business."
John smiled, and she knew another wise-ass comment was coming her way.
"Oh, I don't care what you do to yourself. Drink gasoline for all I care. But secondhand smoke, now that can kill."
Alice laughed and nudged John in the side. He was always a goofy kid, had been since she met him at the diner four months ago. He was only seventeen; he'd dropped out of high school after he couldn't take anymore of his mother's drunken fits. Yeah, they'd had plenty of talks out in the alley. But anyways, that was all he really was, a funny guy, a friend. Even though she thought he was pretty attractive, long hair that he had tried to make look shaggy but it fell evenly around his ears. He had a lean face, high cheekbones and a petit nose. She shook herself out of yet another daze. John was a friend, and not legal either.
"Hey listen, me and my friend Billy are going to a party tonight, wanna come?" John shook his hair, which went whipping around then landed back in its original position.
"Uh, yeah sure. Where is it?"
"Some guy's apartment, I'll pick you up at like seven, ok?"
"Okay sounds good. What should I wear?"
"Oh, well I wasn't sure whether to bring this up or not but the guy's kind of a nudist, so he'd prefer if you didn't wear anything."
"Okay, I'll figure it out for myself. See you at seven." She brushed her hand over his shoulder and then walked back into the restaurant.
"Hey!!!" The large woman at the front slammed down on the counter, making all the plates shake. "Hey, starlet! I need a refill of coffee over here!"
Alice sighed reluctantly and put away the picture of Audrey Hepburn. She would always sneak in a few glances between customers; Audrey was her favorite. She grabbed the pot of coffee and quickly shuffled over to the woman, pouring her a glass. The woman took one sip and spat it back into the mug. "This is decaf! You know I drink regular!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I've never seen you before." Alice smiled meekly. "But I can get you a new cup if you'd like."
"Don't bother!" She picked up her purse and walked out of the diner.
Alice plucked a pack of cigarettes out of her front pocket and walked towards the back door. "I'm taking my break," she muttered to her manager as she passed him by on the way out.
Outside, she flicked her lighter and readied her cigarette. Taking a long drag on it, she exhaled through her nose and slid down against the wall, stopping once she landed on a crate. It had been about six months since the agency had shut down and she was getting along in New York, she had been in a couple of local plays and gotten some poetry published in a local magazine. New York was a fine city, but she missed L.A. and everything she had left behind. There was Charlie and Paige and Kristine, who had introduced her to Christian. "Hmmm, Christian... " Her mind wandered to the ex-lover, standing on the pier at Santa Monica that time they all drove out there for some beach air. That had been a while ago and Christian had long since left. After that she had drifted around Los Angeles, meeting an assortment of guys.
The crashing sound of the five PM traffic snapped her out of her state of mind. She looked around the dusty back lot; milk crates and large containers were against the walls and forming a sort of fence from the rest of the alleys. Getting lost in her surroundings, she didn't even notice the hand that came up from behind her.
"Wah!" she shrieked and shoved the owner of the hand into the wall behind her.
"Ah, what the fuck!" John coughed at the sudden attack and playfully hit Alice on the shoulder in return. "Consider that the last time I come to say hi."
"Oh, sorry John. I guess I just didn't notice you behind me."
"Clearly."
"So how are you, John?" Alice had by now finished her cigarette and reached into her pocket for another.
"Well, for one," John replied, grabbing the unlit cigarette from Alice's mouth and flicking it out onto the street, "I'm healthy."
"Ugh!" Alice groaned and pretended to choke John. "That was my last one!"
"Damn shame, I would've had fun flicking all of them."
"My personal habits are none of your business."
John smiled, and she knew another wise-ass comment was coming her way.
"Oh, I don't care what you do to yourself. Drink gasoline for all I care. But secondhand smoke, now that can kill."
Alice laughed and nudged John in the side. He was always a goofy kid, had been since she met him at the diner four months ago. He was only seventeen; he'd dropped out of high school after he couldn't take anymore of his mother's drunken fits. Yeah, they'd had plenty of talks out in the alley. But anyways, that was all he really was, a funny guy, a friend. Even though she thought he was pretty attractive, long hair that he had tried to make look shaggy but it fell evenly around his ears. He had a lean face, high cheekbones and a petit nose. She shook herself out of yet another daze. John was a friend, and not legal either.
"Hey listen, me and my friend Billy are going to a party tonight, wanna come?" John shook his hair, which went whipping around then landed back in its original position.
"Uh, yeah sure. Where is it?"
"Some guy's apartment, I'll pick you up at like seven, ok?"
"Okay sounds good. What should I wear?"
"Oh, well I wasn't sure whether to bring this up or not but the guy's kind of a nudist, so he'd prefer if you didn't wear anything."
"Okay, I'll figure it out for myself. See you at seven." She brushed her hand over his shoulder and then walked back into the restaurant.
