My intentions of extending the olive branch to Zak had be waylaid.
By waylaid, I mean that I travelled home instead of to his house. I took a long bath and spent an obscene amount of time shaving my legs for the sole purpose of none. I moisturised every single inch of my skin, possibly cell and I had gone through an entire wardrobe before flunking down on my bed, declaring to myself that I have no clothes.
Eventually, I decided on a pair of knee high boots and worked my way from there. Adding jeans, and a black and white plaid shirt. I accessed myself in the mirror, deciding that I looked cute.
Ok, so maybe I has some clothes..
The rest was pretty easy, I dried and styled my hair before giving myself light make up. After that, I sat in my lounge, wondering where to go from there, would he be at home? Or the museum?
Like with everyone, Zak had updated his social media, which is how I was able to track him down to the museum.
'Come on Elle.' I chided myself, realising I was stalling yet again.
But still something held me back, maybe it was my self conscious or maybe it was my sheer stubbornness.
"Right." I spoke to myself, opening my purse and getting a quarter out. "Heads I go. Tails I stay."
Laying the quarter on the top of my thumb, I took a breath before flicking it up into the air and watching it descend until it hit the carpet between my feet.
********
Despite the time of night, the line to the museum was long and it took forever to get to the gates. I thought it might have been a sign for me to turn back, but the quarter had decided.
Fate had decided.
Checking my phone, it showed that Zak was within the museum, filming the puppets which had only built up the excitement for everyone else in the line.
I felt like an intruder, queuing up amongst them. They had waited to see this museum, to experience it, whilst I was here, queuing up to speak to the owner in a hope that I could... Be reasonable.
"I hope Zak is here!" A woman beams excitedly beside me says. It causes her friend to bounce up and down too.
"I know! I've been here a few times now and he has came out! I got star struck and couldn't speak! I really want a photo with him this time!"
Turning, I got the same from another pair of women and ended up staring ahead, unable to look around without getting absorbed into conversation that I would rather not be in..
These women were his type, thin, beautiful, figure clinging clothes and face full of make up.
And here I was.. Irony.
I turn my eyes up to the security camera, wondering if he is sat in front of the monitors watching this new form of torture for me. I was between the Zak groupies, grating me raw with their hysterical obsession with being plucked out the crowd by him.
Had that even happened?
Part of me considered texting him, to let him know that I was here and waiting to speak. But with how I left things this morning, I had no doubt he would ignore me, hell he might even leave.
No, I would wait and try my best to slip the tour guide..
By the time I reached the front doors and herded inside with the groupies, I was ready to take my mug shot so that it could be added to the wall of serial killers he has in the museums jail.
"Omg did you see when he-"
I took a breath and did my best to zone out, I didn't want to reach over and strangle the underdressed, gorgeous woman beside me, just because she was in love with the man that had irritated me. Glaring at the museum security cameras, I had no doubt that he was watching them by now, probably listening in on the bullshit I was being subjected too.
Let's say I was eternally grateful when the tour guide announced we were going to start.
*****
The tour guide needs to look away from me.
It was their job to keep an eye on us, but she was getting in the way of my olive branch extending right now and it won't do. Her constant ear piece touching was telling me that she was in communication with someone.
Maybe she was in on the plan, perhaps she had a superpower?
Maybe she is a witch?
Fate aligned up for me when we were walking down the corridor, as I walked behind the groupies, I touched the walls with my fingertips until I felt the seam of a hidden door. Smiling, I waited until she turned before slipping through it. I paused, in the small dark space, it was dimly lit and claustrophobic.
Was this a rat run? Was I in the wall?!
Realising that the tour guide might notice I was missing, I hurried down the wall space and found another door, slipping out of it, I came into what I think was the church room.
How far along the tour was this room?
Brushing myself off, I fixed my hair and adjusted my purse on my shoulder before exiting the room as though I belonged here. Keeping my back straight and head high. When a tour guide stepped out of a door ahead of me and smiled, I almost faltered in my step, but instead I kept on towards the door. She kindly held it open.
"Busy night." She laughed.
"I know. I'm about to start." I lied.
"Good luck. Day shift?"
I nod "Yeah I spoke with the boss and got some overtime."
She nodded. "Well have a good night."
"You too." I smiled and watched as she headed off home. Not quiet believing that it had worked, I stepped into the room cautiously and deemed it to be the colleagues break room.
It was a standard break room with a few props, merchandise, appliances to fix food and a table and chairs. I looked around at the photos which had been pinned to the wall of the team at Christmas and Halloween. There were a few photos of Zak with various team members and his crew.
I was about to leave when I spotted the tour guides ear pieces sat on charge.
I couldn't..
I shouldn't..
But someone had been so kind as to leave the new ear bud replacement heads out too..
This could give me the advantage, so without a second thought, I picked up the ear piece, replaced the bud for a new one and put it into my ear before switching on the battery pack that came with it.
I also looked for a camera before picking up a merchandise top and putting it over the top of mine. Folding the sleeves of my shirt up to my elbow, I grinned.
I was getting good at this!
Static shot through my ear making me jump and hiss in pain, until a beep signalled that it had a station and then I was away. Listening to every single slice of information being put across them. I also took the liberty of picking up a name badge.
Kim, whoever you are, I'm sorry.
Stepping out the colleague room, I looked like I belonged here, I had everything, a t-shirt, earpiece and a name badge. Nobody would expect a thing!
Walking down the corridor and I listened out for Zak's voice or anyone that would mention is name as to his whereabouts. Sure enough I heard a conversation that peaked my interest.
"Repeat that?"
"I'm a tour short, I'm missing a woman."
Ah shit.
"Description."
"Uh brown hair, black and white checked shirt."
"I'll check the cameras now and send someone out to collect her."
I sniggered before tiptoeing around the dark corridors. Shortly after another conversation came through.
"Just to add onto the previous conversation. I have a disclaimer signed under Donald Duck."
So I may have been responsible for that too.
Finally, the voice I had been wanting to hear came over the radio. "Zak to Security, I need a full description of this person, immediately."
"10/4 we are working on it now. Advisory from us is to stay put until the person has been allocated."
"Alert me when you have more information. I'm in the basement."
"10/4"
Basement, huh?
Did I feel bad? Absolutely. I had few people looking for me now, but it was for the greater good, or at least that is what I was telling myself right now...
It was also a little alarming how easy it was to navigate around with an earpiece in, I knew when to step back into the darkness and what rooms to slip through, giving me plenty of opportunities to move around the museum until I got to the basement.
Maybe someone who was sneaking about would have waited for the coast to be clear before moving across the hallway and down the basement stairs? But I didn't.
Using the tour guide to cover me as I undid the gate and walked down the flight, giving another tour guide a smile and nod.
I was virtually invisible.
There was a temperature drop when I got to the door, but I put it down to it being underground. When I opened the door, I found it was even darker than upstairs with only limited lighting to help me see the way.
Using the small red lighting and my hands, I counted 6 stone arch ways as I passed through them before taking a left. I paused seeing a brighter light and a large satanic symbol painted across the floor.
The basement had been untouched, except a few pieces which had been placed down here. Pipe work had been left exposed, along with original brick work, only adding to the legitamacy of this place.
"Security to Zak. We have a photo."
Oh do they now?
"Zak to security, send it over."
I smiled hearing his voice through the ear piece and in here. I kept looking around until I found him..
His face lit up by his phone as he looked at his screen.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me. What the hell is she playing at?!" He growls.
Knowing that he had just received a photo of me and I was the one they were currently looking for, I decided to make myself known.
"Honey! I'm home!"