The One He Watches

Chapter One: At First Sight

"There's a man watching you."
    That wasn't something any woman wants to hear, but given Juliette's profession, it wasn't something she hasn't heard before. At The Black Dahlia men of all caliber gathered. There was a time one man eyed her from a section she didn't cover, so much so he made all the waiters and waitresses uncomfortable, or that one time a drunkenly, overbearing man found the audacity to wrap his arms around her waist at the bartending station. Now there were false alarms also. Some people only walked up to her because they needed a restroom, more napkins, wanted to tip, or just gave her a compliment on her service. Being a renowned waitress on the campus of Valera University, alone, had its perks, but it also came with some downsides.
Most people asked for Juliette's name because she was an excellent server; and perhaps her beauty was a plus. She always had her tightly coiled hair pulled away from her face, showcasing her sharp, yet feminine, jawline, heart shaped lips, and doe eyes. She wore a muted plum lipstick that complimented her brown irises, a fan fave, and made sure to always wear all black under her waist apron.
    Tonight was like any other night, busy and almost overcrowded. It was a Saturday night, where the Ravens played the Lions at Valera Stadium, so it was expected. The Ravens and their fans would fill the restaurant like clockwork, ordering the same dishes they had last Saturday. You would think Juliette would be sick of something so repetitive, but she liked knowing what was ahead of her and wasn't a fan of drastic change. If only Juliette would have known what was coming, maybe she would have been better equipped.
    "What?" Juliette was leaned up against the bar in a world of her own. After having rush hour, decompression was quick to follow no matter the circumstances. Camille, on the other hand, was always observant.
    "There's a man at the bar watching you." Her eyes never parted the floor. She didn't want the man to look in her mouth and see that she was warning her friend, because his gaze was steady, and he was looking at them now. "He's been sitting there for the past two hours."
    Juliette shrugged. "Well maybe the man's looking for someone to get him a drink. Who's in charge of the bar tonight?"
    "Iris, but he didn't want anything, hasn't even asked for a toothpick."
    'Strange' , she thought. Juliette slowly lifted her gaze and scanned the establishment, not wanting to make herself obvious to the man Camille claimed had a staring problem. But before she could even identify this stranger, the table she was serving signaled for her. Without hesitation she put a smile on her face, kept their gaze and strutted over to her table. Her section was full of the VU football team. They always made sure to have her section, especially since the receiver of VU couldn't get enough of her.
    In the smoothest tone she could muster, the tone that always gets her tips, she spoke, "Everything okay, guys?"
    "Julez," Cameron smiled. That smile would have worked on any girl attending VU, but with Juliette he'd have to come a little harder. His teammates lived for the lively banter they shared; they were like an old married couple who would tease one another. The husband would ask his wife for a kiss, and instead of giving one, he'd stick his tongue out and lick her lip instead. "You over there slacking on the job and not gracing your section with your presence."
Juliette sat in her hip. "Well Cameron, if you missed me that much you could've just said that." She hovered over the celebratory booth his teammates always sat at. It had the best view of the restaurant, something they felt was obligated to them after a win. They could see everything from all angles in this corner, and it was the booth with the most room. "My presence is a privilege, not a requirement," she continued, "so you're welcome."
Cameron grinned, "Well I guess I need to start appreciating the privilege while I can." His eyes roamed her figure as his teammates approved with satisfied hums and tiny remarks making Juliette roll her eyes with a smirk. "Just so I can get you back over here, and actually put you to work," he teased, "how about you get us another round of beer and the check?"
Sarcasm dripped from her tongue as she put on her best southern bell accent, "Oh mah pleasure." Juliette grabbed the half empty beer mugs from the table and placed them on her server tray and got a wave of  'thank you's' from the boys. She nodded her head with sincerity in her eyes. Even though Cameron slightly worked her nerves, she enjoyed her time with him, and with him came his team.
Before Juliette could fully turn to the bar her body clashed with a solid figure, spilling the drinks on herself and whatever stood in the way of her getting more beers for her friends.
She gasped, "Oh my gosh!" She sat her tray down on the football team's table and grabbed the napkins from her apron pocket and began to wipe at the expensive looking clothes the person had on. Remorse fueled her, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you." She barely looked up at the gentleman as she continued to wipe him down. All she could think about was her perfect record here, and how embarrassing this is. Out of the three years she worked here, she never had a mess up, and the one time she does it's something every server dreads. It was as if the life the restaurant inhabited slowed.
    "It is not a problem." Juliette froze. There was something different about his voice. Deep. Deliberate. Each word seemed to linger before leaving his mouth, carrying an accent she couldn't place. She slowly stood up from her bent position from cleaning the beer that wasted on the bottom of his shirt, and finally met this stranger's gaze. He was disgustingly alluring; he had strong facial features: tanned skin, thick, hooded eyebrows, sharp cheekbones with slightly sunken cheeks, and a chiseled, squarish jawline. His eyes pierced through her soul, causing the hairs to raise on the back of her neck and a chill to sliver down her spine. It was as if the beer on his clothing didn't affect him at all; he didn't yell, he wasn't angry, he didn't even flinch. He was just watching Juliette watch him, and she couldn't help but feel that this is the gentleman Camille was talking about.
    Most of the restaurant witnessed the entire interaction. The spilling of the beer, his reaction, or lack thereof, to the beer being spilled, her frantic wiping of his clothing, and his unwavering stare. Eventually, their attention returned to their own tables, talking about the game that transpired, or the basic routines of their lives, but Cameron never took his eyes off the man that wouldn't take his eyes off Juliette.
    "Please, let me apologize on behalf of my staff." Camille came rushing in, putting space in between Juliette and this old-world aristocrat. He never took his eyes off of her as Camille continued, and Juliette found it hard to break his gaze as she was being pulled away from the scene by Iris.
    Iris rushed her to the kitchen where his eyes no longer had her in a trance, yet her body still felt as if it were still under his gaze: unmoving and taken aback. As the cooks worked tirelessly making sure the food was just right, Iris slightly shook her, bringing her back to reality.
    "What the hell was that?" She asked followed by a look of concern and surprise.
    Juliette leaned up against the wall, getting her bearings. "I—I'm not sure? I mean, I am sure. I was getting my table some more beers and I didn't see him." She replayed the encounter in her head, "He appeared out of nowhere." Camille marched through the swinging doors leading to the kitchen and her eyes immediately fell to Juliette. She stalked towards them and huffed.
    "So I gave the man a free meal to go and I took care of your table, Juliette. They have their beers and their check and I escorted the man out of the establishment with said meal."
    "Oh, you're a life saver," she sighed while face palming. "I owe you one, I don't know how I did that."
    "You're tired," Iris confirmed. "All you do is go home, do Pilates, sleep less than eight hours, work and do it all over again."
    Juliette gasped, "That is not true!"
    "Eh, it kinda is," Camille interfered.
She wore a deadpan face as her friends scolded her about her health, knowing that they were right. They went on and on about rest days and mental health, something Juliette didn't mind much. She made her agenda everyday and no matter the circumstances, she would complete it.
"And as one of the mangers here," Camille continued, "I'm putting in some PTO for you since you don't use it anyway." She knew not to push back, that would only make Camille put in more of the extra PTO she knew she had.
"Fine, but I didn't spill the beer because of fatigue ... I literally didn't see him standing there."
"Right," they agreed simultaneously, not really believing what Juliette knew to be true. She rolled her eyes as she gathered her stuff. If she was going on PTO, then she would exercise that privilege immediately; and leaving the establishment after that embarrassing performance didn't sound half bad either. She looked at the clock on the wall that read 12:02am–about an hour left before closing.
"We'll finish up here," Iris reassured, patting Juliette on the back. She disappeared outside of the kitchen, going back to her bartending post while Camille leaned up against the entrance of the kitchen.
"Cameron refuses to leave until he knows you're okay."
Juliette sighed, "He's just made up in his mind that I can't handle myself."
"Well I'd take advantage of it. If a man that could potentially go to the NFL liked me, I wouldn't even think twice before letting him get some."
"Camille?!"
"I'm just saying," she laughed.
Juliette shook her head, trying to contain the laugh that dared to escape her lips. "He doesn't like me, he just be playing."
Camille scoffed, "Bullshit." She crossed her arms and sighed, "Listen, I don't want you coming back until Thursday. This is a four day vacation for you. Take it and actually relax."
    She mustered up a smile as Camille pattered her on the shoulder, leaving her with the cooks in the kitchen. Juliette sighed as she walked out the back door and around to the front of the restaurant where Cameron was leaning against his car.
    It was a 2026 Chevrolet Corvette his parents gifted him, a beauty and eye catcher across campus. His car was practically campus celebrity status. Every girl wanted a ride in it—or, depending on who you asked, something else that Cameron had to offer.
    "Cam," Juliette smiled.
    "Julez, how are you doing, are you okay?" Cameron leaned off his car and embraced her with a hug, something she gladly excepted.
"I've been better," she admitted, "I won't make it a big deal though."
"Right." Cameron averted his eyes to the ground while biting the inside of his cheek. Juliette knew him well enough to know that meant there was something on his mind that he didn't know how to express. She lifted his head up with the tip of her finger and offered him a reassuring smile.
"What is it, Cam?" She laughed and he gave in immediately.
"I just have to ask," he joined her in laughter, "do you know that guy?"
"What guy?"
"The guy you spilled beer on."
Juliette's lips flattened. "Thanks Cam," she said sarcastically, "I don't know him."
He smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry to bring it up again, but I just—I don't know. He acted like he knew you."
"Well, I don't know him, Cam. I don't know what else you want me to say."
He shrugged. "I don't want you to say nothin'. I was just asking Julez." He saw the irritation written on her face, and not the good irritation she usually had when he was around.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he took her hand in his and brought her a little closer. "I was actually waiting out here to ask you something else."
"It better not be about who I know, where I'm going, or what I'm about to do."
He scoffed, "It's neither of those things." He released her hand and proceeded, "First, I need a retwist and was wondering if you could hook me up again."
"Consider it done since I don't go back to work until Thursday."
"And," he elongated, "let me take you home." Juliette gave him a quizzical look. The women on campus were already starting their rumors and being in his car would only ignite the fire brewing.
"You want me," she pointed at herself, "to get in your automobile?" She pointed his car making him scoff. "I don't know, Cam," she said hesitantly, "I usually like the walk, and I'm only a block away."
"Consider it a part of my payment for you doing my hair."
Juliette still wasn't convinced. She honestly didn't want their relationship to go any further than what it was—a good, solid friendship. If she took the risk for it to become something more, then she also ran the risk of losing the friendship she was so comfortable with, and that wasn't something she was willing to negotiate with.
"Just get in the car." Cameron opened the door for her, making her give in. She walked to the door, making sure to meet the gaze Cameron held before sitting in the car. She knew this would be some kind of turning point in their relationship. She should feel euphoric, grateful that Cameron, a respectable and popular guy, saw that she was valuable, because she was.
    To others, riding in someone else's car was frivolous, but Juliette knew how close Cameron held this red contraption to his heart, and any other time he had no problem leaving her in his dust, so this was different, and she despised different.
To make matters worse, the car lacked space and was a two-seater. Luckily for Juliette she wasn't too tall. A smooth five feet and five inches suited the car well, and surprisingly Cameron looked comfortable for his 6-foot-two build, but the car was tight, nevertheless. She didn't know what to say as he pulled out of the lot and headed to her apartment, but that didn't stop him from trying to make small talk.
    "You should come to the game next week, you know, watch me play."
    "If," she hesitated, "if I'm not working I will come to the game next week," she looked over at Cameron and saw the smile plastered on his face, "and watch you play."
    "For sure, for sure," he said trying to hide his smile. Cameron pulled into her apartment complex and stopped in front of her building. She closed the door behind her and bent down to the passenger side.
"Thanks for the ride Cam!"
Cameron revved his car, making it an alarm for the residential area, "Anytime Julez."
Juliette shook her head as he pulled off into the darkness.
    "What am I going to do with you?," she murmured while walking towards her apartment. She unlocked the front door and walked into her suite. It was a two-room lodging with a decent sized balcony that was attached to her bedroom, and a large enough living space and kitchen to accommodate a small get together. It had a quaint, intimate feeling that made Juliette fall in love with it in the first place. She wanted nothing more than to feel the warmth and coziness of her bed, but the whiff of beer that danced around her nostrils told her otherwise.
    "Shower then bed." She confirmed. She sat her purse down and stripped in the middle of her flat, wasting no time in getting in the shower. She made sure it was hot, so hot that steam caressed the mirror and beads of sweat formed on the bridge of her nose. She made a mental note that her hair needed a wash day, something that would take all day.
    Turning the water off, she hopped out the shower and wrapped her towel around her body, humming a song she didn't quite know the words to. She stepped in front of her steam covered mirror and wiped her hand across the surface, seeing her familiar face staring back at her. She gave herself a smile, not realizing the danger that lurked behind her.
    She heard the heavy footsteps coming towards her before she saw where they came from. Before a scream could escape her lips, an arm wrapped around her body lifting her off her feet, and a hand covered her mouth. She violently thrashed her body, knocking down everything in her path. The man was strong, too strong for Juliette to fight alone. Her screams were muffled, and tears started to brim her eyes as she began to register what was happening.
"No! No! No!," she screamed. That was the only thing she could think of as he took her to her bedroom. It was dark, the only light that crept into her room was the moonlight from her balcony. Her towel began to slip as he slammed her onto her bed, using his body weight to keep her from getting away from him.
She tried to catch her breath, tried to fight back, but the adrenaline in her body began to fade, making her come to a painful realization—this was it, and there was nothing she could do.
He pushed her head to the side, making her face the balcony. Her eyes widened as she saw a figure behind her glass doors. It was him from the bar. He was just standing there. The seemingly elegant, composed man from the restaurant had a completely different look in his eyes. They were cold, dark, and animalistic. They seemed to absorb the light around them, swallowing it whole until all Juliette could see was an endless, bottomless darkness.
He pushed her balcony doors open, slowly stepping in and never dropping his gaze from her attacker. Her aggressor, on the other hand, finally met his gaze and didn't have the time to react. He was fast, so fast that all she could do was blink before the weight of her attacker disappeared from her body. She quickly gathered her towel and covered herself as the man slammed the intruder into the wall.
Juliette watched in horror as the man before her crushed the intruder's bones with terrifying ease. The attacker barely had time to draw breath before the man seized his neck. A sharp crack rang through her room, silencing him instantly.
'That's impossible,' she thought.
The intruder's lifeless body hit the floor, making the once scary, huge man look like nothing but a mere sack of flesh. The man from the bar stood over his defunct body, staring only for a moment before slowly turning to Juliette.
His mouth and hands were stained with her attacker's blood and his expression was completely calm, "Are you hurt?"
Juliette stared at the blood on his hands and then his mouth. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She only nodded her head.
The stranger looked down at the body beneath him, then slowly lifted his eyes to hers.
"I told you," he murmured. "It was not a problem."