A Thief's Seduction (Closed)

[Josu_T]

I wasn't surprised when I heard the phone ring again. What did surprise me was that it went off three times in quick succession. Either she had written one long message or she had written one thing and then changed her mind. I got to the phone and opened it. I read each message carefully, one after another. By the time I was done I had changed my opinion about one thing. I came to the conclusion that she actually did care. Everything else was the same though. I would get my vengance.

I thought about my next move. She offered to help me. I wondered how I could use it to my advantage. How could I get her to reveal her location or something I could use? I couldn't ask her to simply tell me. At least not yet. I also didn't want her to know I was trying to find her. Even if she thought I was trying to find her because I wanted to be with her. I wanted my appearance to be a surprise. I decided on what I wanted. I figured she wouldn't mind sending it.

I pulled out the phone again and slowly typed out the message. "I don't need anything from you. At least not now. I believe that you care about me now and that makes me happy. I do want one thing from you. I hope you can give it to me. I want a picture of you. Something I can have to remember you by. Something I can look at and remember the happiness of that ngiht we spent together." I hit send and put the phone down. Now I just needed to wait. I figured I wouldn't hear anything about a picture for a while. I got into bed and let myself drift off. My mind was filled with dreams of her. Dreams of our night together and what our lives could be like as well as dreams of getting my revenge. I didn't realise just how confused I was about what I wanted and why I wanted to see her again. In the morning I wouldn't remember the dreams.

 

[Orithyia]

A picture? What a strange request. Even with everything I felt about Alex a picture was proof that I existed and in my profession that was dangerous. Plus I had recently cut, styled and dyed my hair into a different look and I didn't like the idea of showing him the new me. Especially since the new me wasn't Eden but another persona that I had while I was in London. Still... I told him that if he needed anything I would help him to get it and what he asked for was so simple.

I thumbed thru the pictures on my phone to see what I had. "This might work." I said to myself coming across the picture that I had used to made my 'Eden' drivers licence. I thought about sending it but kept clicking in hopes that I had something better. "Oh." It was a picture that Vance had taken of me when I first got to London. Because he was a major creeper he always made our first meetings somewhere public. He had a special talent at making it feel like more and ruining a nice day with awkward feelings that I would never return. He had taken his picture of me and text messaged it to me. It was another reason that I would never like Vance, he pushed my buttons just to show me that he could. I didn't like pictures of me yet he seemed to always get one and would send it to me as if proving something.

Because I said that I was out I would never get the chance to say thank you for the gift that he had sent to me that I could in turn send to Alex. "I'm not sure if this is what you were hoping for but here you go." I felt weird typing the message out and attaching the picture and at the last moment I almost deleted it but pressed send before I could think better of it.

Even after sending the picture and making myself busy for the rest of the day, I still didn't feel right about it. Something about it didn't sit well with me and I went to bed early and tossed and turned all night.

 

[Josu_T]

I woke up the next morning and found that there was a message from Eden. I smiled when I saw that she had attached a picture. I opened up the file and was stunned by her beauty again. I stared at it for a while before I reminded myself about what she had done. I looked at it then as an image of my target. Before I got too far ahead of myself I sent a message back. "Thank you so much. It is beautiful. You are beautiful. You took every little thing with you when you left other than this phone. Now I will have something I can look at to bring back all those wonderful memories."

When the message was sent I started to focus on the picture again. I wasn't looking at her, but at the background. It was hard not to look at her, but I needed to get as much infor about where she was as I possibly could. Luckily it looked like a very recent picture of her. She looked just as I remembered her. I figured someone in her profession would not look the same for long periods of time. After a good look I realised that the picture was not taken anywhere in North America. I didn't know anywhere that looked like that. She was somewhere in Europe. That was still a big area, but it narrowed my search considerably.

I showered and dressed for the day. After breakfast I started work on tracking her down. I knew what I needed to do and who to talk to. I left my apartment and spent the entire day investigating everything I could on my own and then trying to convince people to help me with the other things. By the end of the day I had two friends willing to help me and I had the beginnings of some evidence. I would find her. I would get to her. It would take some time, but I was determined. Because of her I also had nothing to distract me. At the end of the day I also found out that because of the nature of my departure from the hotel I would get some severance pay. I didn't need it, but I would spend it to get to her faster.

 

[Orithyia]

My day had already started when I got the text from Alex. I was glad that I could give him something as simple as that and I smiled. He had called the memories wonderful. My heart felt lighter but I didn't let myself forget that I had hurt him. "I'm happy that I can give you something the help remind you of our time together." The text was simple and short. There wasn't much more then that that I could say.

I found that playing tourist was fun and there were many times in the day that I wanted to text message Alex and share with him the sights of what I was seeing or the newest thing I had learned but I didn't. It hadn't been a good idea to send him the picture, letting him know where I was would be even worse. "I wish I had taken him instead of the coins." I told the flowers in the green house. But I hadn't and there was no way I was going to slip and get Alex into more trouble by letting him know where I was.

"Wish you were here. Thinking about you a lot." I was in the tub of my room and it sparked memories that send shivers down my spine. "Tubs aren't the same without you here." I sent the text message and hoped that he would remember and that it would make his body tingle like mine was right now.

 

[Josu_T]

I didn't check the phone from Eden until later in the day. When I did I saw two messages from her. The first one was nice. The second one brought back the memories from our night together. I smiled for a moment and my body reacted. I couldn't help myself. The thought of what we had shared just turned me on. There was no denial that she was beautiful. There was also, unfortunately, no denial of how I had felt for her up until her betrayal. I got myself focused and ate dinner while watching tv. I needed something to distract me.

As I finished my meal I couldn't help but think about the messages. I suddenly got an idea of something I could do. I smiled to myself. She would really hate it. I made a couple of calls and got things set up for it. So far my efforts had been toward getting to where she was. This idea was something to use to get back at her.

I fell asleep that night and once again had conflicting dreams. In the morning I was fortunate not to remember any of them. I got to work right away. I started the day by spending another message to her. I knew I needed to keep contact to make sure I could keep track of her. "I went for a walk last night and looked up. The sky was filled with memories. I thought I needed the picture to remember you, but I realise I have many things here that make me think of you. It makes me smile." I hit send and let her process that. The rest of the day I worked on my own and with my friends to find the details. We got nothing solid at that point, but we were making progress. Unfortunately we were unable to get any fingerprint data on her. We couldn't find out who she really was, but that had been a long shot. I would have to keep referring to her as Eden and I'd have no background on her to assist me.

 

[Orithyia]

I had no reason to stay in London but every time I thought about going home I was struck with a fear that knotted my stomach. I didn't understand it but I was wise enough to listen to it. I had been in enough situations that lead me to believe in the gut feelings you get. I didn't need to know the why I just knew it happened ever time I thought about home. So I stayed.

Everyday I had been doing tours and waiting for texts from Alex and today wasn't any different. I was going on the 'Royal' tour and it seemed fun enough to fill my day. But I was getting bored of the history lessons, tours, museums, galleries and everything else that my handy little book told me to do.

Civilian life was boring and I don't think I was adapting to it very well. "I could always get a job." I told myself stepping on the the tour bus. I could bar tend, but stupid people piss me off. I crossed it off my list. I could join the circus, do they even have those anymore? It stayed on my mental list but I put a big question mark at the end of it. Umm... My mind was blank as to what to do with my life now. I never thought beyond providing and getting my parents out of the fishing village but now that I had more money then I knew what to do with the days seemed to have too many hours in it.

It was fate that my phone rang with a text message just as I was pulling it from my bag. I smiled at the text warmed in a way that not even the chilly London air could touch. I was still in Alex's mind. There was nothing that I could tell him about my days that wouldn't give away where I was so didn't respond right now. Maybe when I get a normal job just to fill my days I could tell him about it.

The rest of the day I barely listened to the tour guide as I rode and walked around the history of the Royals. It was interesting for sure but I had other things on my mind. I surfed the internet as the lady talked about Queen someone as I scanned the help wanted adds. I had told Alex I was in the antiques business and it wasn't a lie it just wasn't the kind of business that people generally thought of. He now knew I was a thief and there was nothing I could do about that. But I didn't want him to see me as that but didn't know how to change that.

"Oh." This sounded perfect. It was a high class rare and valuable book store with a cafe and coffee shop on the second floor. They needed someone who not only could value books of all ages but the help make coffee and cook and serve the breakfasts and light lunches that they provided. Plus they had free wi-fi internet. I quickly typed out and sent my resume and hoped to hear back from them.

Not even an hour later I got a call. "Is this Alyson Smith?"

"Yes it is."

"This is Books and Brew. I'm calling because I received your resume and would like to set up an interview."

The phone call went on to remark about me working for Bauman Rare Books and how they raved about me. The only thing he seemed to be worried about was my ability to make coffee and cook to which I told him I would happily make him something as a test of my skills. He seemed pleased with my response and the phone call ended with an interview for the next day at 9:00 am.

I wanted to text Alex but I would wait until I had something really exciting to tell him, me getting the job beings a great example.

 

[Josu_T]

I continued working hard. I needed to find something soon. I had to narrow down my search even more if I wanted to be able to track her. It took another whole day, but finally two of my friends got me the details that I needed. It was a relief talking to one and then the other. Both of them gave me information that matched. I wrote down a number of notes and thanked them. They had a little more research to do, but we were almost there. I knew that we were doing things that were illegal, but I didn't care. We were seaching records and hacking into systems that we shouldn't be in. But I knew now where she was. Approximately.

That evening I made a call to an airline and booked myself a flight. It was first class to London, England. I knew I had my friend who had tracked the text messages to thank. My other friend who had somehow got hold of the payment records from the restaurant had really helped confirm it. I owed them a lot. My flight would leave in two days. I hoped to have more details about where she was before I arrived. I wanted to find her before she left. She had been there for a while and I had no idea why or if she was even still there. It would take some luck, but I felt sure that I could get to her eventually.

 

[Orithyia]

The next morning I woke up early and recolored my hair. I was a blond now and I matched the picture in my ID. I had been every color that the dye boxes offered and I had it cut in more ways then I could remember. This wasn't my favorite look but it was different enough that if I picture was splashed across the news I would hardly be paid a double look. I looked in the mirror before heading out the door and wondered if Alex would recognize me now.

"Hi I'm Alyson." My voice had picked up an English accent that blend with natural speakers. "I'm here for my interview." I was greeted by a kindly old man with a wrinkled face and thinning silver hair.

The interview was quick and we fell into small talk and storytelling as I made cappuccino and drew a simple book outline with chocolate and browned up toast for eggs in a basket. The egg was over medium and the bread golden brown when I plated and served Henry.

"This is delicious." Smiled the older gentleman. "If I hadn't already decided to hire you, this alone would be the my reason." He took another bite, a large on this time and swallowed it with a sip of his coffee. "Ah..." He sighed and took another drink of his coffee. There was no need for him to tell me that he liked it, it was clearly written on his face.

And hour later I waved good by to Henry and pulled out my phone. "I got a job. A real one. I don't know why I feel the need to tell you but you're the first person that I wanted to tell. It's a cute cafe styled coffee place that sells books. I think I'll really like it and the old man who owns it is very nice. I hope you're day is going as well as mine is so far."

 

[Josu_T]

The next day I started to pack for my trip to London. I was hoping for something else from my friends. If they could figure out a neighborhood or even a hotel I would be very pleased. I did not expect to get my clue from Eden herself. I saw the message in the morning when I checked the phone. She had a job and she had even described it to me. I didn't need to know exactly where she was working, I had enough info to find her. I was very pleased. I decided to send her a little congratulation. "It is so nice to hear from you. I am glad you found yourself a job. I hope you enjoy it." I was tempted to add a note about wishing she had found it a few weeks earlier, but that wasn't a good idea.

I quickly finished packing my things and was ready to leave the next day. I went to meet with my friends who had helped me. I paid them for their services and thanked them. I then went out and started preparing for my trip in other ways. I got my hair cut and coloured. I found myself some colour contacts and I had already been growing out my facial hair. I made sure to get enough done so I would not be recognised at least on first glance by Eden. I picked up a few other items as well. I would be ready. I knew what I needed to do when I got there. I had a hotel booked and that evening an internet search and phone call had my plan for the first few days set. I thought about how Eden would likely do a lot of homework before going in and doing a job. I would do the same. I would know everything I possibly could before I put my plan into action. Everything seemed to be falling into place. It was happening faster than I had expected too, but I had been lucky so far.

 

[Orithyia]

I had planned to relax the rest of the day away but I was so excited about my new job that I would be starting tomorrow that sitting around doing nothing didn't sound right. So instead I went shopping. When that got boring I went to the gym and worked out. Even after that I still felt like a jumbling ball of energy but the day was long since past and it was getting dark. "For a day that I didn't do much it sure went by quickly." I wiped the sweat from my brow and changed my clothes. I didn't like showering in public and would go home to wash the workout off.

I was glad that I hadn't let myself go to a club or something of that nature because on the tram ride home I was lagging and feeling my day of shopping and walk then working out. I couldn't wait to get home to take a nice long hot shower, fall into bed and daze off to the sound of the tv on. And that was just what I did.

7:30am my alarm woke me up and I stretched in bed covering a yawn. I had dreams of Alex again but it was normal and I clung to them as I got ready for the day. It was a little colder today then it was yesterday and I dressed for it. The background noise from the tv said something about maybe getting snow later on this afternoon if the weather temperature kept dropping. I wasn't looking forward to it being cold enough to snow and hoped that it was just the dramas of the weather man.

Outside an hour later the sun was peeking out from thick clouds but it didn't feel cold enough to snow and if the sun was brave enough to show it's face maybe it was help in keeping away the icky cold flakes. I walked to the book store, it was just far enough to wish you would have driven but not far enough to pay the fair of the taxis. But it was a nice enough day and I ricked cold toes and fingers.

The store didn't open until nine and I got there just as Henry was opening it's doors. We exchanged good mornings and he showed me around the morning duties before his grand daughter got in. She was the cook and server for the cafe upstairs and arrived just as I turned on the lights for the cafe. We introduced ourselves but that was all we were given a chance to do as customers came in and it became a mad rush. It looked like this was the place to stop for your pre-work coffee and breakfast and I was told that now that I had been hired they were planning on opening earlier so they could catch the people who went to work before nine and the schoolers.

It wasn't until after two that I got my first break and I sighed falling into one of the older chairs in the back of the shop. I had forgotten how hard a real job was. It was constant and with a place this popular it was never ending as Henry popped his head in wanting my advice on the value of books a gent had just brought it.

 

[Josu_T]

My next day was a busy one. I woke early and got showered, dressed, and ate breakfast. Then I got all my things together and took a taxi to the airport. After some time waiting in line to check in and then even more time waiting at security I finally made it though and got to sit at the gate for a while. Eventually I got onto the plane. I wasn't overly excited about the long flight, but with focus on my task I was able to keep my mind occupied. Once the plane was on the air it was even easier with in-flight movies to distract me. Many hours passed and for a couple of them I slept. Finally the plane was preparing to land in England. Normally I would be excited to see another country for the first time, but I had work to do.

I made my way off the plane and stretched my muscles. After another wait to get my bags I was finally in a taxi on the way to my hotel. I would execute my preliminary search from there and then if I had reason to believe she was actually in London I would get myself an apartment to stay longer term. I checked in to the hotel and got settled. I decided not to unpack anything. I would likve out of my suitcase until I decided whether or not I was going to get an apartment. It was late, but didn't feel that late to me. I got changed into some warmer clothes and started to wander around the neighborhood for a while. I got my bearings, learned landmarks, and found the quickest paths from the hotel to certain important places. I got myself dinner at a place that was open late and returned to the hotel.

That night I lay in bed, not quite tired yet. I thought about Eden. I had a sense that she was somewhere in the city. I had no certain proof, but my gut told me she was there. Part of me liked that idea for the reason that I could get my vengance. Another part of me liked it for another reason. I tried not to think about that though. I glanced at the phone and saw no new messages from her. I could only hope for a message to give me another clue about where she could be. I already had the options narrowed down. She had told me about her new work place. Knowing her I figured it would also be somewhere a bit fancier. Possibly somewhere with older books would be more likely as well. A search had told me of three places in all of London that fit that description. They were quite spread out, so it would take time to cover all of them. If they didn't work out there were others that fit the simple parameters she had given me. Of the three I knew that one was owned by a woman. That would be the third I would look at. The other two didn't have details on the owners, so I would have to take my chances with them and pick one to check out first. I had already made my decision and just hoped it was the right one. The sooner I confirmed where she was the better.

 

[Orithyia]

"Wow." I sighed when things stopped for a moment in the day and then became slow and uneventful. "How did the two of you manage it?" I asked Olivia, the granddaughter.

"We don't. Around this time it starts to get busy again and we hire on part time help. But we've gotten so popular that it's getting harder and harder to handle." She answered as she wiped down the tables.

I got up and grabbed a wash rag and helped with the cleaning while they had the time. I had three more hours in my shift and I found out that I like Olivia just as much as I liked her grandfather Henry. She liked to talk and I thing we was happy for the chance to hang out at work with someone her own age. I mainly listened and made small comments were it was appropriate. When it got busy again we stopped talking and I assisted her with a little bit of everything. When it was slow again I looked up at the clock and notice that I had got nearly 30 mins over.

"Oh." I pointed at the clock and Henry looked over his shoulder.

"Awe well, it's a good break in for you." He chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. I had come down to help a man find a book and had taken in time in judging it's value. I was pretty sure he was just lingering around to talk to me and I felt bad for chatting with the man and running my time. "Come back tomorrow it'll be just as busy. I promise." Henry told me pushing an umbrella into my hands. "In case it rains or snows love."

I smiled nodded and took the umbrella. "I'll see you tomorrow Henry." Olivia must have herd me tell Henry by because I saw her head and upper body lean over the railing and she gave me a big wave and thanked me for all the help today.

"See you later!" She called as I left. I waved back and held the door for an older couple coming in.

I wasn't sore just tired. It felt like a such a long day and I wasn't feeling the walk back to my flat. "I should get a peddle bike." I added that to the list of things that I needed to do, then moved it to the top of the list. I was going to go get that now and I flagged down a taxi.

That night I laid in bed with the tv on that I wasn't really watching. I was thinking about Alex again. I wanted to know how he was doing. I hadn't heard from him all day and I had been so busy that I hadn't gotten a chance to text him. "How are you? I feel like it's been forever since we've last talked. I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you. It's late here so I'm heading off to bed. Night." It wasn't that I had anything really to say to him but I wanted to tell him good night so I did.

 

[Josu_T]

I got the message from her just before I was ready to sleep. I read it and shrugged. There was nothing there I could really use. It was good knowing she was at least still somewhere that it was night. She hadn't returned to North America or gone East. I could be confident that she was still in London. I decided to send her a quick message in return. "Your messages always make me smile. I hope you have a great night. I'm doing well. I am on vacation, visiting with family. I figured I should take some time off and relax for a while. Anyway, sleep well." I hit send and then tossed the phone aside. A few minutes later I was falling asleep.

In the morning I woke and got ready for the day. After I had breakfast and was dressed in a way I was sure would make sureI didn't get recognised, I gathered all I needed. I had maps, paper, pens, a camera, and a number of other things I might need. It was early. Earlier than the store I was investigating was set to open. I left with plenty of time. I arrived in the neighborhood and found the shop. I entered a small store across the street that was already open and browsed through it, constantly keeping an eye on the front door of the shop.

At about quarter to nine a man of about fifty years old approached the door and opened it. Fifteen minutes later the shop was open. I hadn't seen any women enter the store yet, so I decided to make my move early. If it was the store where she was working I had my chance to find out before she arrived. I strolled across the street and went inside. I found the owner and smiled at him. As I did I slowly pulled out a few sheets of paper with typing on them. A resume. "Hi, I am wondering if you have any job openings."

The man looked at me as if surprised. He slowly shook his head. "Sorry, there are no positions. We haven't had an opening in months. I don't think we will have one any time soon either. The shop down the street..." I turned and left the moment I had what I needed. Eden had said she just got hired. It obviously wasn't there. I had hope then that the other store would be the one. I quickly got a taxi and went in that direction. I had a feeling it would be harder at the second location though. I had been lucky there with the first.

 

[Orithyia]

"Morning Alyson!" Olivia was opening the shop this morning when I arrived.

"Where's Henry?" My voice was full of worry. I liked the old man and I didn't want anything to happen to him.

Olivia smiled hearing my concern. "He's still at home. We take turns opening the shop and he should be here before the hour."

I was relieved to hear that he was fine and walked in with Olivia knowing what needed to be done and getting everything started downstairs as Olivia started everything in the cafe. I stayed behind the book store counter until Henry arrived just minutes before the morning jam.

"You're quick on the start aren't you." Henry had habits that I had picked up from yesterday and a certain way that he liked to do things and I mimicked it down to the angle of his fountain pen.

"I guess." I shrugged brushing off the compliment. "I'm going to help Olivia before the rush gets here." Henry nodded and shooed me away as I ran up the stairs.

It was another busy day but this time I knew what was coming and it didn't seem as bad as yesterday. Faces were a blur but there were a few that stuck out that I remembered from yesterday and they were shocked that I knew their order before they even said anything. "Black with a dash of heavy cream, two sugar cubes on the side and the rim coated with cinnamon." The business woman was speechless for a moment then nodded her head. "Here you go." I had seen her and in the in between time had already started and finished her order.

My highlight of the day was when a young man in his early twenty's came into the store with a rare book wanting to sell it. Henry was thrilled to have a chance to buy a signed first edition and when I passed by for my break noticed the book. At first I didn't think anything of it but before I even made it to the back of the store there was something that was bugging me and I made my way back to the book counter. "Can I see that?" I asked Henry who was busy telling the history of the author and how rare this book was to the young man. The young man seemed full of himself until I asked to see the book and he shifted his weight, rocking back and forth on his heels. The young man didn't seem as eager to hand the book over to me as he had been handing the book over to Henry.

"It's okay lad. She's very good at what she does." Henry assured him thinking the hesitation was because of fear at the mishandling of the book.

It didn't seem to make the young man any more comfortable but he handed the book over to me and he tucked the thumbs into his back pockets and his fingers drummed. I knew what was going on. I had been on a job that related to a collection of rare books and it had taken almost four months to get a look at the collection. All but the last three were real. The collection was incomplete and the buyer didn't want to waste the money on the job and collection if it wasn't all there and real. I opened the book carefully and placed it on the table with one side flush and the other side hanging over just a fraction so that the weaving on the spine was shown. I counted the threads and the colored pattern. The author had been paranoid while alive and used the strangest method in binding his books. "It's a fake." I told Henry hand the book over to show the threads. The thread was yellow when it should have been red and it was knotted front to back instead of back to front. I pointed that out and Henry put on his glasses. He left then and got a copy of an unsigned first edition and matched the threading on the inside.

"And it is. Very good catch Alyson." He praised giving me a smile before his face turned hard and he proceeded to lecture the young man and threaten to call the police. The young man was so scared that he left the store and didn't even bother taking his book with him. "Thank you."

I waved away the thanks. "I was only trying to help. I'm going to go on my break now."

 

[Josu_T]

As the taxi took me to the second store I realised the third was along the way. I made a quick decision and decided to stop and check it out. Feeling confident it was not the right one I entered and found the owner. The fact that she was a woman was enough to confirm it for me, but I asked her about openings as well and got a similar response to the one I had recieved at the first. I was quickly back in the taxi and on the way to the shop where I was almost certain Eden was working.

When I arrived I paid the cab driver and let him leave. I had to be cautious and take my time in case she was there. I had not tested my new appearance on anyone and I had no idea if it would work on her. I spent about two hours sitting at a table outside a cafe half a block from the store. I watched it from the outside and made mental notes about all I saw. I casually enjoyed a meal and a few cups of tea while waiting, so I didn't look suspicious. So far there were no clues about whether she was there or not. An older man had entered and not exited for quite some time. He might have been the owner. If so that was a good clue that it was the right store. It seemed to be a popular place. Many people went inside for drinks. I felt it was safe to assume it would be a place that might need to hire new staff.

After sitting at the cafe I found other things to do in the area to keep an eye on the shop. There was nothing for sure that I could see that would lead me to belive Eden was there. Then, as I walked past the front door two men emerged and happened to be walking my way. They were discussing the cafe in the bookstore. One man's comment made me smile. "That new girl is remarkable. Just her second day and she already memorised my regular drink." The conversation shifted to how attractive she was, but I did catch her name before they turned down another street. It seemed she was going by Alyson now. I decided I had enough proof and continued walking until I reached the subway station.

I had dinner in the hotel that evening and thought about my next move. I decided I needed to go inside the store. I would do that in the morning and browse the books a little before getting a drink from the cafe. I'd make sure to go during the busy time to have the smallest chance of being noticed. I had to see her and had to learn more about her to make sure it really was her. I also needed to figure out more ways to get back at her. I would only have one shot at it and I knew that what I had planned already wasn't enough. I couldn't get proof to get her put in prison, so that left ruining her life. I needed to come up with ideas. I spent the entire evening thinking and coming up with potential plans that simply needed information about her to determine if they would work or not.

 

[Orithyia]

I was late in clocking out again and Henry offered to hire me full time rather then the part time that I had applied for. "Okay." I nodded putting the borrowed umbrella back in it's stand. "Do you want me to still come in the morning?" I wasn't sure if the shift from part to full would change my hours.

"Come in the mornings just like always but you'll be around for the homeward rush." He laughed as if he had just told a joke.

"Okay." If it was a joke I wasn't in on it so I just smiled. "Bye Olivia!" I called back to the cafe.

"Bye!" I heard her yell back. It sounded as if her mouth was full and it reminded me that I didn't have lunch today.

"See you tomorrow Henry." I waved good bye and walked down the street with my bike towards the smell of freshly baked bread.

My dinner was a thick soup in a delicious bread bowl that was cover on the inside with cheese that had melted and added it's flavor to the soup. I loved the warm soup warmed your body and make even the darkening London smoggy night beautiful. I made it to my flat called the elevator and pushed my bike into the lift. I was glad that I had bought the bike yesterday. It made the morning and late afternoon ride to and from work pleasant without feeling like drain.

"I didn't get a text from Alex." I frowned as I unlocked my door and picked up the mail from the floor that had been pushed in thru the flap. "Should I text him?" I leaned the bike against the wall and continued down the hallway to the living room where I flopped onto the couch. "Nah." I took my phone out of my back pocket and tossed it on the coffee table in front of the couch. I didn't want to be that clingy girl that texts everyday with nothing really important to say.

I took and shower dressed for bed and thought about how nice staying in London would be. I could move my parents out here, buy then a nice country home not too far from the city. I fell asleep dreaming for my life here. Even in my dreams Alex was by my side and we had a big fluffy dog as we tossed a ball in the park during a family picnic with my parents.

 

[Josu_T]

I slept very soundly that night. In the morning I took my time getting ready for the day. I wasn't in a rush to get to the shop. If I was there right at opening it might seem strange. For my plan I had to be patient. I couldn't rush things and risk getting caught. I was quite glad that my hotel room did not have a bathtub, only a shower. I had made sure of that. While Eden and I had spent time in a shower the main memories were of the tub. After my shower I dressed and went out for breakfast. I found a really nice place with a nice view out the window.

After my meal I returned to my room and gathered my things for the day. I took the bus system through town to the shop. They had been open for an hour at least. I walked in casually and started to look around at all the books. There were some that looked quite old and quite valuable. It was definitely the right kind of place for Eden to be. After a while the owner came up and asked if he could help me. I shook my head and simply explained I was browsing. I left it at that and he seemed fine with my explaination. I did find myself actually interested in what they had there. It was a great collection. There were books that truly caught my eye. It made it a lot easier to kill time until the main rush for the cafe started.

After a while I knew I needed to get to the cafe part of the store. One of the books had really interested me though. I decided to buy it. I took it from the shelf and went to the counter. After a little small talk with the owner about the book I had purchased it. I put it in my bag and slowly made my way to the cafe, joining the long line of people waiting to get their drinks.

 

[Orithyia]

I biked it to work again and when I got there the store was already open. I hurried and helped Henry with the downstairs and once that was finished went upstairs to help Olivia. We chatted and laughed as we brewed coffee and prepped for today's breakfast menu. Like always the menu was simple, fast and most importantly delicious. It also helped that most of the items were easily portable if you were in a rush and couldn't sit and eat.

"What do you think of a nicely spiced fruit muffin or scone for a bakery good?" It was simple to make, light on the tummy and a nice mix of sweet and spice.

"Sure I don't see why not. Make me and Henry up a pair and we'll be your testers." Olivia answered with a happy smile. "If it's anything like that rolled angel flake thing filled with jams I'll love you for it." Olivia had a sweet tooth and I was more then happy to fill what empty hours I had at home cooking up new things for the cafe.

About fifteen minutes before the morning rush I got this rush of goosebumps that covered my body from head to toe. I froze and looked around expecting danger. This feeling was never a good one and from what I could see around me there was no reason for it. I slowly went back to work smiling at a group of business men that had been here everyday since I started. I looked at my watch and noticed that they were early and waved them away from the queue. "Take a seat and I'll wave you over. Relax while you can, right." I smiled but it didn't reach my eyes, the brush of the unknown still too fresh to forget.

"You're the sweetest Alyson." The blond of the group smiled in what I was sure his flirty tone. I didn't respond but went around to fixing their drinks.

I wanted to linger on the feeling but people started to pour in and I filed it for later. Today like the day before I noticed the people from before and memorized what they got and if it differed from any of the other days. Most of the time it didn't but I needed something to occupy my mind or I would go back to analyzing why I got that feeling before.

"I added a touch of peppermint. I think you'll really like it and if not." I passed over another cup to the middle aged woman. "I made you the regular." I was thanked and the woman left.

"Alyson take the register?" It was phrased as a question but I knew what it really was, a plea.

"On it." I chirped turning away from the coffee maker to the register. "Good morning and what-" There was a sharp needle like stab between my brows and it momentarily took my breath away. I could have sworn I just heard Alex's voice. And was that his fleeing shoulder? I cocked my neck around the man in front of my and reached up on tip toes. No, not Alex's shoulders. It was a different man all together. The features were all wrong and his nose bore marks of having been broken years back. The gentleman in front of me politely cleared my throat and brought my attention back to him. "Oh um, sorry about that. What can I get for you?"

 

[Josu_T]

I waited in line just hoping that I wouldn't be recognised by Eden. When I reached the counter I placed my order with Olivia just before Alyson took over. I was fortunate that way. I was able to watch her without directly interacting with her and possibly giving away my identity. As much as she had tried to change herself I could still tell it was her. Just seeing her made my heart race and filled me with a wide mix of emotions. There was anger but also caring. The memories that flooded back made me wish we could meet under different circumstances. They made me wish she hadn't used me.

I interacted with her for a short time as she gave me the drink I had ordered. I mumbled a thanks and then turned to walk away. I bumped into someone accidentally and apoligised, unfortunately in my regular voice. I didn't turn to see if Eden heard me, I just did my best to blend into the crowd as I moved toward the exit. I got out and walked away from the store as quickly as I could. I could only hope she didn't notice me. If she did I might have to start all over again and she probably wouldn't make things easy for me a second time. I spent the rest of the day feeling paranoid. I wanted to send her a message giving some false information about my day, but figured that any mention of anything might just make her think of me more and realise that she had seen me.

 

[Orithyia]

Unlike the other day, today went by slowly and I was itching to leave. My mind was so filled with white noise that it was hard to concentrate. I wanted to text Alex or maybe even call him. I wanted to hear his voice but I didn't know what I would say if I got a hold of him. Maybe with the time difference when I called him he would be asleep and I would get his voice mail. I would be happy with that. Right now I would be happy with anything.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Olivia asked again.

I nodded and mumbled a weak yes. I was having one of those days where you beat yourself up about everything in your life and you what if every bad choice that you made. I wasn't even half way done with my list when I clocked out, at last.

"Bye." I waved and tried to gave a smile but knew it lacked my normal shine. I pushed my bike down the street not paying attention to what was going on or where I was going. I felt the people around me and the noise of the city but it was all background sounds as I replayed my time with Alex in my mind. 'There.' I thought think of our date. 'You could have ended the night there, gotten a good night kiss and left him before the picnic. It would have given you enough time to prep for the next day and keep Alex far, far from everything.'

I knew it was stupid but I took my phone from my back pocket and pressed the call button. One ring. I was only dimly aware that the sale air of a pack crowd had cleared. Two rings. Or that there was a loud blare of a car horn in place of the jumble of voice around me. Three rings.

 

[Josu_T]

I was sitting in my hotel room feeling worried about what might happen with Eden. I tried to distract myself with television, but that didn't work. I couldn't find anything to keep me occupied. Finally I started to use my computer to look for places I could stay that were near the shop. I found a few spots for rent and sent requests to see them. When that was done I leaned back and hoped that I would still have a reason to get one of them.

I was finally starting to relax when suddenly the phone rang. It wasn't a text message either. I was stunned. I looked at it as it sat on the bedside table and rang a second time. I couldn't believe she was calling me. I felt panic about to take me over. As it rang a third time I started to think about what to do. I couldn't answer it, could I? Did she know? Was she suspicious? It rang a fourth time and I struggled to make a decision. If I answered it I could be setting myself up for a total failure of my plan. I might just be over-reacting and she might just want to talk.

Just before the final ring I acted on got impulse and grabbed the phone. I hit the button to answer it and then paused for a moment. I took a deep breath to calm myself and lifted the phone to my ear. As I spoke I tried to sound tired. "Hello? Eden? Is that you? Why are you calling? I just got up. Why are you calling so early?" I stopped at that and waited, trying to keep myself from getting too worked up about it.

 

[Orithyia]

"Watch out!"

I was grabbed around the waist and hurled to the ground. Or what I had first assumed to be the ground but turned out to be a soft breathing person. "Oh." There was a loud crash and I watched my bike get crushed by the large moving truck. "That, that could have been me..."

"Yeah it could have!" Snapped the annoyed male voice from under me.

In my hand I still clutched the cell phone forgetting in the moment that it was still on the line or that Alex had picked up.

"Urgh." The voice moaned. "Do you plan on getting off me anytime soon?" It asked the annoyance in his voice not as strong as it was before.

"Oh sorry!" I scrambled off the man. This was so unlike me. I offered the man my hand and noticed the phone. I froze and stared at the counting time on the screen, a sign that the line was connected and Alex was there.

The man got up without my help and bushed himself off. "Are you okay Miss-?"

I panicked at the question and flipped the phone shut and cursed myself and my weakness. I had called Alex, almost gotten killed and he had been on the line to hear all of it. "Alyson and everything but my bike seems fine." I mumbled looking up for the first time at the man who had saved me. "I know you." He was one of the men who I had seen everyday since I started work. "Dark roast, light on the sugar, heavy on the cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon." I remembered.

"Yeah that's me. The name's Tristan though." He chuckled and the phone in my hand felt heavy so I tucked it back into my pocket.

We shook hands and the driver of the truck came out and we exchanged the normal, are you okay, yes I'm fine let me pay for the damage of your truck. Th which he refused saying that his insurance would cover it as long as I was safe and unharmed. I gave the driver a card and wrote my name and number down just in case and he drove off making sure once again that I was okay.

While this had gone on Tristan had gotten my bike out of the street and was waiting on the sidewalk when I turned away from watching the truck drive off.

"Do I get one of those for saving you?" He gave me his best smile.

I shook my head and took my twisted bike from him. "You know where I work." I told him trying to smile in return. "How about coffee my treat for the next two weeks? And pastries."

"Or how about a date?"

I remembered Alex and the last date I went on and shook my head no. "I'm sorry but I can't. I'm-" In a relationship? I couldn't say that because it wasn't true. "I just can't."

My savior nodded his head sadly. "I understand. Lucky man." He sighed. "Well if that offer of coffee is still standing..."

"Coffee I can do." I smiled. If only he knew about what I had done to Alex I was sure he wouldn't be calling him lucky.

We said our goodbyes and headed home. When I got there I took out my phone placed it on the kitchen table and stared at it with my arms folded under my head and I ened up falling asleep like that, watching a phone.

 

[Josu_T]

I was surprised to not hear Eden's voice. I heard the man yelling and then some loud noises that didn't make complete sense to me. I wondered what was going on. I heard voices and started to piece it together. As I was about to speak and ask if she was ok she hung up. I stared at the phone in confusion. I wasn't sure what to do. I tossed it aside and tried to think. There were so many possibilities. I ended up pacing back and forth along my room. I was getting frustrated. This wasn't supposed to happen.

I couldn't come up with any definiteive plan as a response to the phone call and what I had heard. She didn't call me back either. I didn't know what that meant. I decided to just wait to see what she did. If she called me I would talk to her. If she didn't I'd try to not think about it. I would just go ahead with my plan and hope that it worked. I decided to send her a text message late in the evening. It read, "I got your call. You didn't say anything. Are you ok? Wherever you are, I hope you are safe. It didn't sound good."

That night I had a very restless sleep. I tossed and turned and in the morning woke up feeling as if I hadn't slept at all. I got myself ready for the day and had some coffee to wake myself up. I spent the day looking at places to live. I was extremely lucky to find out that there were some empty rooms above a store across the street from the bookstore. The owner had never thought of renting them out, but I was able to convince him. We negotiated a good price and I paid for a month. By that evening I had cleaned my room of dust and had retrieved my things from the hotel. I got some bedding and spent the night on the floor. I hadn't realised all day that the phone battery had died and I needed to find a charger for it so I could contact Eden again. The next morning I discovered my mistake and went out to fix it.

 

[Orithyia]

I woke up at three in the morning with a jarring sharp pain in my neck because of the way I fell asleep. "Oooh." I sighed rubbing the back of my neck with a frown on my face. The frown turned into a full out snarl when I saw the clock and realized that I still had hours before I had to be in at work and that were was no was I was going to be able to go back to sleep. "Great." I moaned to the dull reflection of me that bounced back off the microwave as I somewhat violently popped open the door and turned to get a muffin out of the bread box.

'Bi-dum. Bu-dom.'

My eyebrows drew together at the sound.

'Bi-dum. Bu-dom.'

It was my phone. I ran over to the table and picked it up. I had a text message from hours ago. How did this not wake me up? I read the text from Alex and my heart got all fuzzy and warm. I still feel stupid for having called him but knowing that he care for me, that he was worried enough to text because I hung up on him. I clutched the phone tightly and held it to my chest. I wanted to call him, no, not call. I wasn't going to do that again at least not for a while. But text his at least. I started to reply when I realized what time it was and closed my phone. I would send him a message on my way to work.

Later in the morning I rediscovered my bike. The front tire was bent and in no condition to ride. Work wasn't far and if I started right now at a night speed walk I wouldn't even be late. As I walked I typed my response to Alex. 'Yeah sorry about that. I had a small run in with a truck. I'm not hurt and everything is fine, aside from my bike. The main thing is that I'm okay. I'll text you on my lunch break.'

At the start of work I heard my name being called and looked up. "Dark roast, light on the sugar, heavy on the cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon." I smiled and waved him up the line.

"Tristan." He reminded me with a charming smile.

"Tristan." I repeated watching him blush lightly as I said his name. "Wait here and I'll get your coffee." As I hurried to get his order, aware that the man in front was eyeing Tristan, I bagged a morning tart. "Here you go." I smiled handing my savior from yesterday his order and extra goodie.

"Thank you." The way he said it caught me and I lifted my head and stared at him unsure of what I was thinking at the moment. "Alyson." He added almost intimately as his fingers brushed against mine when he took the cup and bag.

I shook my head as Tristan left filled with a longing for Alex. Strange how another man who was so obviously trying to charm me could make me want Alex even more.

When my lunch break came around I texted Alex again. I didn't want to think anything about not getting a text back from this morning but I couldn't lie to myself and say that I was a little saddened by it. 'I hop your day is going good. Been thinking about you all day. I miss you.' A part of me yelled and screamed when I pressed the send button but I didn't want to lie to him or myself anymore. Yesterday proved that being distracted about Alex was dangerous and part of it was trying so hard not to say all the things I wanted.

I still hadn't gotten a reply from Alex but I wasn't going to let it bother me. Instead I wandered around the city and came upon a city market with venders selling fresh fruits, greens and hand crafted items. I looked around and bought a few things until it started to get late and the seller started to pack up for the day. When the last of the people were gone and the market was almost completely empty I left and started home with slow short steeps.

I wasn't going to admit it to myself but I had been waiting to Alex to send me something back. The idea of going home and waiting by the phone alone seemed to pathetic for my tastes and I had found something to keep myself busy until the last possible moment. "I hope he's okay." I said to myself as I walked down a dark alley that I knew was a short cut home.

 

[Josu_T]

The next morning I checked the phone and was stunned to see that it was off. It wouldn't start up and I realised the battery was dead. I thought about the last time I had checked it and realised I hadn't looked at it in a day. It could have been dead all that time. I could have missed a message from Eden. I actually felt some worry for her safety considering what I had heard during the phone call. Some of the worry was that I wouldn't be able to get my revenge if something bad had happened. Most of it was simply that something bad had happened to her. I left my new apartment right away and went to buy a charger.

It was still early in the morning when I got home with it and plugged in the phone. Right away two messages popped up from Eden. The first one was a relief to know that she was ok. The second one made me smile for a second before I caught myself and forced it away. I knew what my gut wanted to send back to her, but I needed to think about it. I carefully sent her a message. "I am so happy to know that you are ok. I am sorry it took so long to respond. The phone died and you only left the phone, no charger. It took me a whole day to find one. I've been so worried about you until I read your message a minute ago. It is such a relief." I hit send and set the phone aside.