Chapter 16
“Hey, B, could you go clean off the tables in the café?” Eddie
asked, when Bianca made her way back up to the check-out counter.
“Sure,” replied Bianca. She
crossed the store to the café area on one side and went around the counter to
find the cleaning supplies. She filled a
small bucket with soapy water, found a clean rag, and walked back around the
counter to start washing off the small round tables and chairs. Starting with the one closest to the counter,
she set down the bucket and dipped her cloth in it. She wrung it out and made to start scrubbing
the tabletop when she noticed a piece of paper lying on it. Setting down her rag, she looked at it closer
and realized that it had her name on it.
Surprised, she wiped her soapy fingers on her pants, picked up the
paper, and unfolded it. On first glance,
she realized it was a short letter written to her. Mystified, she sank down in one of the chairs
to read it.
Dear Bianca,
I know this is going to sound unbelievable, but this is AJ. I know you think I’m gone for good, but I’m
not. I’m an angel, Bean. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. I’ve been trying to contact you for
weeks. I just want to let you know that
I love you, Bean, and I always will.
Love,
AJ
Bianca gasped in shock and quickly read the note over again. Angry tears blurred her vision, and she got
up so quickly the chair tipped back and fell over with a loud crash.
“You okay, Bean?” Eddie’s voice called.
“Eddie?” Bianca said loudly, her voice shrill. “Eddie, come here!”
“Bianca? What
happened?” Eddie appeared in an instant,
looking concerned. He looked from the
tipped over chair to Bianca, standing there clutching the note, her eyes
brimming. “Are you okay?”
“Did you do this?” Bianca demanded, waving the note.
“Do what?”
“This!” Bianca thrust the
note at Eddie. Bewildered, he took it
from her and quickly read it.
“Bean… “ he said slowly, looking back at the note in
disbelief. “I… I didn’t write that. I would never write something like that.”
“Well, someone did!” Bianca cried.
“Someone left it here on the table for me to find!”
“Well… you know, Bianca, a lot of people know who you are… and…
and a lot of the younger girls around here know that you work here. Maybe someone wrote earlier today and left it
for you as some kind of joke or something.”
“Well, ha ha, that’s just real damn funny,” Bianca snarled,
crumpling up the note and hurling it across the room. “Jesus, what kind of sicko would write
something like that! That’s just… that’s
just…” She left the sentence hanging and
sat down in another chair, folding her arms on the table and burying her face
in them.
“I’m sorry,” Eddie said softly, hovering over her and gently
rubbing her back.
“It’s not your fault,” Bianca sniffed, her voice muffled. She looked up, rubbing her face. “I dunno, I guess I’m overreacting
anyway. It’s just a stupid note.”
“No, I understand. Some
people are just really insensitive.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Bianca muttered glumly. She sighed and slowly rose to her feet. “Well… I guess I should get back to work.”
Eddie looked at her in sympathy.
“If you wanna just go home now, B, you can,” he said. “I can finish up on my own.”
Bianca shook her head.
“No,” she said, “I hate being home alone. I’ll help you finish.” With a determined nod, she picked up the
fallen chair and her rag and started scrubbing.
***
AJ’s heart sunk as he watched Eddie walk away and Bianca start
furiously scrubbing the table. His plan
had backfired. Horribly. Not only did Bianca not believe the letter,
but he had hurt her, he had upset her.
He sighed and raked a hand through his hair.
“Well, that went over well,” Lindy said dryly. AJ just ignored her. He was in no mood for her sarcasm.
“What am I going to do now?” he murmured, to no one in particular.
Lindy took it upon herself to answer him. “I dunno.”
“Thanks, that was helpful,” AJ spat at her, rolling his eyes.
Lindy frowned. “Jeez,
that’s the last time I do you a favor.”
“Sorry,” AJ muttered. “I
just feel so… helpless, ya know?”
“Not really.”
AJ glared at her. “Well, of
course you don’t. You’ve
obviously never been in love before, so how could you?" he said
roughly. “Why don’t you just go away and
leave me alone? I need to think.”
Lindy stared at him for a moment.
An odd expression flickered suddenly in her eyes. Was it hurt?
AJ couldn’t tell, for it was gone as soon as it had appeared. “Whatever,” she muttered, with a careless
shrug of the shoulders. “Later.” And then she left, walking through the
nearest wall and vanishing from sight.
AJ sunk down to the floor, feeling worse than ever. Now that he was alone again, he realized he
really hadn’t wanted Lindy to go away.
It was lonely without her around.
She wasn’t exactly the nicest person, but no one else could see or hear
him, so she was better than nothing. He
wondered if she would come back.
Probably not, after how rude I was to her, AJ thought. But then again, he added internally, maybe
she’s like I am – so desperate for someone to hang out with that even I look
good.
He nodded with confidence.
She would be back.
***
