She sat across from him but refused to look in his direction, she had her attention outside and watched the dark and empty streets outside, she was at least satisfied with the spot he had chosen, a seat right by the glass walls.
This restaurant had been her choice, it was close to home and the location was somewhat discreet, she would not want a picture of herself and Jeremy Xiu splashed on the front pages of tomorrow’s news with the headline reading something about a secret relationship or an affair.
She was beginning to get uncomfortable and was suddenly beginning to doubt if sitting by the open window was so much of a good choice. She sighed.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me, Donna.” Jeremy said to her. He was beyond excited and was making it obvious as he constantly rubbed his palms on his thighs.
“I had no other choice, did I?” she replied without looking at him.
“Donna…” his countenance fell and he placed his hands on the table, trying to get a hold of Donna’s hands but she quickly slid them off the table. “I just really needed to see you, and talk.”
“Well, I’m here now,” she said and then fixed her eyes on him, but only briefly. “You are seeing me, you can talk.”
Jeremy sighed, he had rehearsed what he wanted to say to her several times as he had sat here waiting for her, now as he watched her from across the table, he seemed hesitant.
“Donna,” he started. “Please don’t be so cold to me, don’t make it difficult for us to talk.”
“It is already difficult and I will be honest with you, I am not comfortable sitting in a restaurant across from you, Jeremy.”
“What would you like to have miss?” a waiter asked her with a professional smile.
“Ice tea.” she said, grateful for his presence for the short while he would be here. He nodded and jotted it down before he turned to face Jeremy.
“And for you, sir?”
“Same.” he gave a curt reply and a corner of Donna’s lip twitched as she rolled her eyes.
The waiter nodded, jotted it down as well and then turned to leave to get their orders.
Jeremy sighed and looked down at the table, despite her attitude he would have to tell her the reason he had asked to see her. “I was never supposed to get married to Cheryl.”
Donna chuckled slightly, this was the reason he had wanted to see her?
“You don’t say.” she replied to him. “I would rather just forget all about it Jeremy.”
Jeremy looked up to her face but she wasn’t looking at him. “Six years ago, I told my parents about us, about our engagement, and it didn’t go down well with my father, he wanted me to call it off.”
“And that you did, Jeremy. I’m sure you made your father a proud man that day.”
He raised his shoulders and spread his palms on the table to emphasize. “I had no choice on the matter Donna, he threatened me-”
“With what?” She cut him off and then chuckled, bringing her attention to him now. “What did he threaten you with Jeremy? Hmm? No allowance for a month? A ban on social activities? Or was it for the position you hold in your company that made you throw away our relationship?-”
“He threatened me with your life!” he said and fisted his palm on the table, throwing his face in the direction of the windows with his eyes shut. Donna went quiet instantly. “He was going to hurt you, Donna, if I didn’t give you up.”
“Your drinks.” the waiter returned, causing Jeremy to pause and calm himself down.
Donna reached out her hand from beneath the table and picked up the glass of iced tea she had ordered and took a large gulp, then she set the glass down but didn’t look at Jeremy.
“I don’t believe you.”
* * * * * *
Cheryl walked painfully down the street, she had her car parked somewhere away from this neighbour hood when she had reasoned to trail Donna, since it had been dark, she had resorted to jumping over the tops of buildings and houses, but now with her toes stubbed and pain in her heel, she regretted leaving her car behind.
She followed a narrow alley way to avoid being seen, she was a well known person and she didn’t want anyone spotting her, if she was spotted then Donna might get to know she was in her neighbourhood and she didn’t want that.
Her stomach grumbled and she sighed, she should have eaten before as well.
She noticed a group of three men standing in a corner further down the road and she rolled her eyes, most definitely they would cat call her, it happened all the time with almost all the men she had been around with, but now she was not in the mood to entertain their woos, she reasoned to just walk past and ignore them.
“Well, well, well.” one of the men said stopping in front of Cheryl, he had a sinister smirk on his face and was holding a baseball bat in his left hand, it was something she had not noticed. “What do we have here? Wandering this neighbourhood so late at night.”
Cheryl flinched but tried not to show that she was frightened, this place was dark and empty and narrow with the only exit being in front of her which was now blocked by the man and a the other two with him. She turned around to go back the same way she had come, she would find another path home.
“Not so fast, Cheryl.” the man said and she froze in her steps. How did he know her name?
She turned to face him. “Excuse me?”
The man frowned and planted the baseball bat on the ground. “I mean you are Cheryl, aren’t you?” he watched Cheryl’s frown deepen, her eyes darted from him to the men behind him and then back.
“I could never forget a face, Cheryl. Especially one that is yours.”
“And how do you know me?” she asked. It was obvious the man knew whom she was so there would be no point in denying it, but she sure as hell did not know whom the man was.
“Oh the history is long darling.” he replied and swung the bat up to his shoulders, taking one intimidating step at a time toward Cheryl. “The history runs deep.”
“Look, I don’t know who you are or what you want from me.” she said and began to back away slowly from the man, feeling her fear rise. She was a vampire for crying out loud and she knew she could take them, but not all at once, plus something about the man warned her to be cautious.
“What I want from you…” he said and stretched his hand, extending the bat until it was pointed right in her face. “…what I want is your life, Cheryl. Your life.”
Cheryl swallowed, she turned away from the man and begun to run back the way she had come, but her path was immediately blocked by men walking down the road. She paused and stood rigid, watching as the men kept walking toward her, she turned toward the man she had been speaking to and walked closer to him.
“Who sent you?” she asked in a demanding tone. “Is the the old geezer, Ebeneezer? He sent you for me, didn’t he?”
The man chuckled and spat, then faced her before he spoke. “Whoever the old geezer is that you are referring to is of no concern of mine, I am here on my own accord and we are here to take our pound of flesh.”
She blinked hard. “Pound of flesh for what? I don’t even know you!”
“You’ve done so much evil to so many people, Cheryl, so much so that you don’t even remember.” he said, looking at her in astonishment briefly. “But you don’t need to recall, just know that this is payback.”
“I have done nothing wrong to you! Let me through!” she screamed at him.
The man nodded to the boys standing guard behind her. “Hold her down.”
Cheryl’s head snapped as she tried to get away from the men. “Get away from me! Let me go right now! Who the hell are you?!”