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When he gets to her, “Your wallet, bitch.”
Are those the only words this derelict knows?
I stare out the window again, wondering if the passersby can see the distress on my face.
No cops, no one even looking my way. Classic New York.
The little girl and boy—they can’t be more than two or three years old—cling to their mother as she fumbles in her purse, her hands shaking.
A third gunman has entered the coffee shop. Standing at the door. None of us can get out.
More fear whips through me.
My bowels are churning. I have to go to the bathroom.
Pissing and shitting my pants isn’t a good look, but at this point, I don’t care. I don’t care about any humiliation.
All I want is to live.
I want those two little children to live.
My God, this must be hell for them. They’re so scared.
I’ve lived in New York a long time. I know how to handle muggers. You throw your purse and run the other way. Most likely they’ll go for the money. Not that I’ve ever had to try it out, but I have friends who have, and it’s worked.
This…
Masked gunmen holding up a coffee shop? No escape?
This I’m not prepared for.
And of course he took my phone.
Why didn’t I think to call 911 before he took it?
Why didn’t I think of everything?
Why?
I heave another sigh of relief as the masked man leaves the young mother, her children unharmed. Physically, that is. They’re going to suffer emotional trauma. We all are.
Nausea claws at my throat, but all I had was a little coffee at home, so there’s nothing in my belly.
But still, the fear will keep me from puking.
The masked man who took everything from me has now stolen from everyone here. The three businessmen sitting here are now without their Rolexes, their credit cards, and all of their cash. They even took one guy’s cufflinks.
I don’t care.
I don’t care about any more things.
I just want them to leave. I want them to leave without firing a shot.
Why didn’t I stay at Ronan’s last night? He said I could stay, and he wanted the other woman to leave. I was too caught up in my own head to think clearly.
If I’d stayed, this wouldn’t be happening.
I would’ve gone straight to work from his place.
