Riding Blind

Chapter 1

Mina

Jeff

Joanie

Don

Trixie

Pete

Sergio

********************************************

His eyes were fixated on me the whole time.  I tried to ignore them for over an hour. It was starting to annoy me. Every single move I made, his eyes followed. Every drink I poured and served. Every customer transaction I made. I started to feel very uneasy.

"Can I get you anything else?" I finally asked him. He sighed and looked down at his glass. "Honestly, I'm not sure yet." He answered. I was taken about for a moment then went on my way to another customer.  "You ok?" One of our regulars, Mark, asked. I gave him a smile and a nod. Technically this guy wasn't doing anything wrong. He was sitting at the bar, paying for his drinks, and just starring. He had been doing the same thing for the past week. It was only my 4th week employed there. But I had never noticed him before then. This was only the third time since I started that I was working alone. Being as it was a Thursday, the bar was slow. Friday and Saturday was a different story.

It was about to be closing time. I glanced over at where the mysterious starring man was sitting. He had left without me noticing. I sighed in relief to my self.  After cleaning up and settling the register, I locked up.  Walking to my car, I started feeling uneasy, like being watched.  I started walking faster. The moment I made it to my car and locked the door after getting in, I could hear what sounded like a motorcycle driving away. I turned my car on and took in a deep breath of relief.

Driving to the house I was renting, I began to think of home. I had only been a resident of this small run down town in Pinewood, North Carolina for a month. A part of me missed knowing how to drive to every store, what every side road led to. Even the familiar chaos of the city that never sleeps. But I knew this was better. "No one knows you. You can start all over." I always reminded myself.  This was quiet. Small. Everyone seemed to know everyone. Except me. I was the new girl. The "city girl". The one who looked and acted so differently from everyone else.  Joanie, the owner of the bar who hired me, informed me that it seemed as if every man was intrigued by me. Women on the other hand, saw me as a threat.  The thought made me laugh. They have nothing to worry about. I go about my business and keep to myself. I always said. But I knew I stood out like a soar thumb.  Joanie even informed me after the first week working, that it seemed like her business picked up. She chalked it off as "everyone wanting to catch a glimpse at the new girl with bright red hair". I laughed. But it seemed like she was right.

I pulled into the small driveway and climbed out. I unlocked the door and walked into the now somewhat familiar living room. Living alone for the first time was hard. But I had seemed to be getting use to it. I did enjoy coming home to everything being exactly like it was when I left.  I walked up the stairs to my bedroom. As I took my clothes off, I glanced at the clock. 2:15am. I was exhausted.

I climbed into bed and laid there for a few moments, starring out the window at the moon.  I could hear the faint sound of a motorcycle in the distance.  It became a normal sound to me at this point. Every night I'd hear it and every night it somewhat soothed me to sleep. "Tomorrow's another day" I said to myself out loud, as I trailed off to sleep