Knife Traded for Love

Chapter 2

 

I walked towards him and said “Thank you so much, I owe you one man.” I realized then that this guy was around my age and cute, very cute. He has light brown hair, one blue eye, one green, and a nice mouth. He’s also seemed oddly familiar. I wonder why. I’m sure we’ve never met. I would remember meeting a guy with adorable, mysterious eyes like that.

 

He looks me up and down, from my dark brown almost black hair put in a messy bun, to my simple black two-inch heels. And finally after he’s finished….observing me, he smiles and says “No problem. But, hey, let’s leave this dump and go somewhere else. Somewhere a bit more lively.” After seeing my facial expression of pure disbelief, he says “Come on, you know you won’t get any more tables tonight, why don’t we get to know each other? I am your knight in shining armor, aren’t I?”

 

I cannot believe this guy. Talk about an oversized ego. I’m thinking about taking back that favor I said I owed him. I decide to get to the point quickly but with my usual rudeness. “More like an egomaniac in a motorcycle jacket. Who do you think you are?” I ask the mysterious stranger. Now it’s his turn to look surprised. But he gets over my comment pretty quick.

 

“Ah, I see. You’re too funny. You have to know who I am. I’m Todd Hemmingway. Guitarist of the band Knifes Traded for Love. Com’n don’t act like that. You have to know who I am.”, he says to me in an assuring tone. More for himself than to me I presume.

 

I actually do vaguely know the band but I don’t like them. And this guy can know my straight out opinion of his little boy band. So I said, “Well Todd, I know your band but they’re not my favorite style of music. You guys sound like a mix of Metallica and the Backstreet Boys. Sorry.” I looked at the circle clock on the wall down the hall and pretend I can actually see what time it is, and said “Actually I have to get back to work, bye.” I really don’t though, and he seems to know that too.

 

He suddenly grabs me gently by the arm, and says “Fine, well at least let me take you home because, obviously, Brooklyn isn’t all that safe tonight.” He pleads with me using his eyes. “Come on, you owe me one, remember? You can’t deny that you said that.”

 

I finally say “Meet me in the front at eleven, okay?” He seems surprised that I agreed that quick. I’m not one to go back on my word, so I may as well use up my debt to him this way. To add an edge on my part I say, “Now go before I change my mind.”

 

He nods and leads me back to the dining room and says “At eleven.”, and walks away without another word.

 

Fast forward two hours, I’m walking out and someone grabs my arm. Again. My hearts starts beating fast and I’m ready to turn around and knee someone in the groin when someone says “I’m so happy, I thought you were going to leave me here waiting! Which way are we going?”

 

I pull my arm away and say “Left, I live right down the street. Above the coffee shop on Main Street.” Yes, that’s right, I live right above the place where I work. The guy that owns the shop owns the whole building. And I don’t mind the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, so I really can’t complain.  

 

He nods and says, “So, you really don’t like our music? That’s disappointing.” He sighed, melancholic that I’m not squealing to be in the presence of a ‘rock star’. “Well, enough about me, why are you working in that run down restaurant?”

 

Ugh. Out of all the things he could possibly ask, why this question? “I was an orphan until I was sixteen. I was adopted by two jerks. Once I graduated, they packed my bags and kicked me out. I have two jobs to pay for my small apartment. Any more questions?” For some reason I told him. I told him all of it. And now he’s just standing there with his mouth open staring at me. when I couldn’t tell anyone it, I told a complete stranger almost everything. I throw my head back and laugh at his ridiculous expression. I finally say, “Well say something!”

 

He wryly smiles and says “I’m so sorry, I had no idea. Wow, I feel like a huge jerk.” We both sort of laughed awkwardly and walked in silence until we got to the building. “I am sorry, I will make it up to you though. So until tomorrow, my fair lady.” And he walked off for the second time that night.

 

What I realized then is that he doesn’t know my name. Oh well, gentlemen like that don’t really exist anymore. I unlock my door and get in my house, and quickly lock the door. Hey, it’s New York City, you never know what creepers are lurking around. Actually, I’m just paranoid.

 

It’s freezing because I don’t like paying the gas bill, so I just keep blankets around the house. I pull out my closet bed and for the first time in months realize how lonely I really am.

 

I remember those years of playing alone at the orphanage. And once I got adopted I got put into a public school. The schoolwork was easy, and I always got A’s in all my classes but I had no friends. All I had were people who lied to me and got me to do things to myself that I regret and will never forget.