The Cutting Edge

Doubts and Shadows

"You're going to go on a trip with him?" Beth's voice was dripping with disbelief.

"Yep." Paige replied casually, sipping her strawberry margarita.

"For Christmas?"

"Yep."

"To meet his parents?"

Paige grinned around her straw. "Uh huh."

Beth stood at the bar and stared at her.

Paige casually slurped her margarita.

She jumped and almost spilled her drink as Beth let out an overjoyed squeal and grabbed Paige in a bone crushing hug.

"This is the best news I've heard all week!"

Paige gasped and tapped Beth's shoulder. "Um, do you mind? Kind of delicate here."

Beth released her and giggled. "Sorry, babe, I'm just so excited!"

Paige was excited too. Overflowing with joy, giddy, elated, ecstatic, she couldn't think of enough words to describe how unbelievably happy she was. Which was odd, because normally her entire being would be consumed with anxiety at the thought of a trip.

"-and this means he's really interested in you! I mean he wouldn't be asking you to go meet his parents -for Christmas no less!- If he wasn't really interested!" Beth rambled on.

Paige smiled and sipped her margarita, waiting for Beth to let off enough steam to return to a normal conversation.

Finally she paused, took a deep breath and said. "So are you nervous?"

Paige set her almost empty glass on the bar and shook her head. "Surprisingly, no."

Beth beamed. "That's amazing! Oh, babe, I'm so happy for you!" She proceeded to give Paige another bone crushing hug, and then said. "So when are you two leaving? Are you driving or flying?"

"We're leaving the day before Christmas eve, and I think we're driving but I'm not sure."

"And you'll be there for how long?"

"Around a week." 

"Wow! That's quite the trip."

She shifted on the bar stool. "It's not that big of a trip..."

Beth suddenly looked concerned. "I'm sorry, did that make you nervous? I didn't mean to make you freak out or anything!"

Paige smiled slightly. "No, it's fine, I'm just a little tired."

Beth glanced at the clock. "Well yeah, it's almost ten! You should probably be getting back to your house, you've got work in the morning, right?"

Paige stood up and pulled her jacket on. "Yeah, I'm pulling an early shift too."

Beth walked her to the door. "You poor thing, get a good night's sleep tonight, okay?"

Paige nodded and gave her friend a hug. "Will do, I'll talk to you later."

Beth smiled. "Kay, bye!"

Paige stood shivering on the sidewalk, waiting to hail a cab. The nights had been growing steadily colder, and her trench coat did little to protect her from the biting wind. Waving her arm frantically for a cab, she suddenly got a shiver down her back, the kind where you feel like someone is watching you.

She turned slightly, and glanced over her shoulder, peering into the darkness behind her, eyes searching the buildings and alleyways in between. For a brief moment, she thought she saw a silhouette in a shaft of moonlight, but the black shape just blended in with the other shadows.