Shaking my head, I brush it off. “No, no, it’s nothing. Just a little unnervedtoday.”
“If you say so.” She sets her phone down as the bell rings, signaling another customer. Her eyes find them behind me, greeting, “Hey there. Must be new in town! Haven’t seen you around here.”
I’m fighting to catch my breath before I take a seat. Everything is silent, and the other customer doesn’t respond. However, I hear Helen moving around.
“I got you, please take a seat.”
The chair on the table across mine scrapes against the floor, then a man plops down with easy grace. There’s something magnetic about his presence, I can’t help but look.
Ope.I have made a mistake looking at him because his eyes are on me, too. I just realize I’m uncomfortable under his scrutiny. I thought I was a tough bitch who doesn’t stew in discomfort because confrontation scares her?
“What’re you looking at?” I want to cringe at how shrill my voice is. “Why aren’t you answering me?”
Like I had not just yelled at him, he smiles and it is swoon-worthy. I feel like melting at how intent his gaze is on me. He pats around his pants and takes out a card.
My name is Mako. I am mute.
I cover my face in humiliation. “Fuck. I’m so sorry. Please, let me pay for your drink for being so fucking rude.”
He grins wider and coaxes me over, tapping his oddly-shaped nails to his table. I’m terribly restless if I don’t do what he says, so I let go of my pride and smile meekly, taking a seat across from him.
There’s a charm to his smile, a sparkle in his eyes that spoke more than words ever can. He lifts his finger for me towait as he jots something down on a piece of paper. In the generation of technology, this is refreshing.
He pushes the paper toward me.
I will forgive you if you let me buy you a drink.
This makes me blush for some reason. I can’t determine if he’s either too handsome that I feel unworthy to look, or his face is fuzzy. Hyperfixating on his long, sharp nails, cold sweat trickles down my neck.
“A drink?” It’s a rhetorical question so he cocks his head to the side.
Helen serves us the tea. My heart drops as I look back up at him. Gesturing toward the drink, he takes a sip of his. This can’t be laced, right? This just came from Helen, the bar on the other side. He hasn’t even touched my cup.
Why am I so paranoid?
Realizing I’m thinking too much about it, I take the cup and clink his cup with mine.
“Cheers!” This is a ridiculous situation, but stranger things have happened. When I drink, it’s a smooth trip down my throat. For a few seconds, I wait…
His eyes are too focused on me as if he expects me to grow another head.
Nothing happens and, finally, I admit out loud, “My socialization skills are a little rusty. You’ll have to forgive me.”
He sighs and points at himself as if dryly saying“My social skills are rusty, too.”
Unexpectedly, I burst out laughing. It’s weird how I can easily communicate with him.
“A man who can make fun of himself is a desirable man.” The words leave my lips before I can stop them.
Tilting his head down, he watches me, heavy-lidded, smoldering like I’m prey. He pushes another piece of paper toward me.
Plans tonight?
My belly flutters. “No…no plans. No kids, no boyfriend. I live alone…” Good fucking grief, why did I say that? I look suspiciously at the tea.
He writes on his paper again and shows me.
You need someone to take care of you. Meet me tonight.I can almost feel the caress in his words. I see it too late, but his hands, neck—they are covered in ink. Tattoos of symbols I know nothing of.
