Page 3 of You Need to Beg
“Responsibilities,” I muttered. Was he hiding from his wife? I looked down at his large hands. No ring. His girlfriend? His girlfriends? Was he caught up in a messy affair? He looked like the type of man who had a flock of girlfriends in every country. Did I really want to help out a philandering cheater?
“You’re going to have to tell me more than that if you want me to hide you,” I said. I really should have asked him to leave. I should have refused to participate in his games, but I guess, even back then there was a part of me that was desperate to know more about him.
He gave me a careful look before edging around the counter towards me.
“Hey! Stay back.” I said, grabbing a pencil and jabbing it in his direction. He took off his glasses, and his eyes twinkled in amusement before he turned apologetic.
“I’m sorry," he said, "I really am, but I don’t have time." he insisted, “they’re coming right now. I promise I will explain it all once they leave," he said crouching down to his knees before throwing a cautious glance at the door.
“No, you can’t come over here,” I said.
"Please," he said, looking up at me with pleading eyes and a finger raised to his lips. Before I could answer the shrill door demanded my attention once again.
I looked up to find two swollen men entering the small shop. They looked like they routinely crushed people. Did he owe them money? Would they beat it out of him, or worse. I shivered as I looked down, caught momentarily in his pleading expression. Without his glasses, I could see his eyes. They were a deep black, warmer than I had expected. Could I hand him over to these men?
I instinctively moved towards him, shielding his body with mine as they approached the counter.
“Oh hello,” I said, my voice higher than usual, “how can I help you?"
“We’re looking for a man, about this height, black, he was wearing sunglasses and a baseball hat,” the man with the bald head said gruffly. He didn’t look at me as he craned his neck around the shop.
“A man?” I repeated as the other man stomped around the hidden corners cast by the bookshelves. I turned my body protectively to shield his view of the stranger lying by my legs.
“Yes, a man,” the other person said impatiently as he came back to the counter, “you sure you saw him come in here?” he said to the other man.
“Certain,” the other man replied.
“Well, there’s no one here, and there's no way he could have left before we got in here,”
“He definitely came in.”
“I’m sorry I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I interjected. I could feel warm breath curl against my shins. My heart thundered as his skin grazed against mine. The smell of him was like a drug. It wafted high and filled me with ecstasy. I wondered if they could smell him too.
One of the men squinted at me, “he was here,” he insisted leaning in, “Is there another exit in this shop?"
“No, there isn’t.”
“Then where the hell is he,”
“First of all, do not raise your voice at me. Secondly, who? Who are you looking for?” I said firmly. I hoped I was conveying innocence in my tone. Though it wasn’t too hard to fake curiosity, I was desperate to know who the man at my feet was.
“It doesn’t matter,” the man said exasperatedly, “what matters is that this shop is empty, so you had to have seen him come in."
"A lot of people come in and out,” I said stubbornly before pausing with thought, “though…I think I did see a tall man a little earlier, he opened the door, but he bolted before he entered," I shrugged as they turned to look at one another. The bald man frowned as he looked intently at me. “I hope that answers your questions, and unless you’re going to buy a book, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. I’m going on a lunch break.”
"It's 3 pm," one of the men snarled.
"It is, and you're not my manager, so the timings of my lunches are none of your concern."
The man cracked his knuckles, “I don’t want to be stern with you,” he said quietly, “but I'm smelling a few lies here, and I don't like it." he leaned in dangerously close, if he went any closer, he would have seen the man lying at my feet. "I know that you know where he is and if you don’t tell me I’ll-,” he yelped as the pencil I had in my hand came crashing down in his hand. He drew back holding his hand.A bit dramatic,I thought as I watched him squeal, the pencil had barely even broken skin.
“I told you all that I know about hismysteriousman,” I countered, “now, if you think you can threaten me because I’m alone, you’re wrong," I said pointing to the security camera, I have just pressed a button to alert the police that I’m in distress. You come anywhere near me again, and I'll have evidence to lock you scumbags up.” I grabbed another pencil, “and there’s plenty of pencils left for me to do some lasting damage,” I snarled as they backed to the door.
"Bitch," the bald man muttered under his breath as I walked them out of the store.
"Yeah, right back at you," I replied as I closed the door, swapping the sign to “We’re closed”. They gave me a wary look before shaking their heads and walking down the street. The bald man pulled up a phone as they turned the corner.
I walked back to the counter once I was sure they had gone.
