The last thing I want to think about right now is yesterday. No, that's not true. It's the penultimate thing.

But yesterday was complete chaos. A stalker broke into my apartment and destroyed it. After a long time, I saw Mr. Johnson, which threw me off more than the red writing on my wall, and finally...I flirted with Acker.

That is if you can even call it that. I was ready to jump his bones in the kitchen. Why? I don't know, but I will find the reason, I promise.

It was nothing embarrassing. He obviously liked it. See the erection that he didn't even try to hide. In the end, it ended with just that. That's good.

Although I think Acker is definitely someone I'd enjoy in bed with. His strong hands holding mine above my head. Huge tattooed chest on me. His...

"We're at work." My thoughts were interrupted by Julie, who stood opposite me. "Stop thinking about sex."

"What?" I frowned. "I wasn't thinking of..." I didn't even try to finish my sentence. It would be useless, she knows me too well, so I just waved it off and threw the towel I had on my shoulder onto the bar, and started wiping it down.

"I hate Wednesdays." She leaned her elbows on the bar and put her head in her hands.

"And why?" I laughed when I saw her sad expression.

"It's the middle of the week." She moaned. "It's the worst day."

"I thought the worst was Monday." I frowned.

"Well, yes, but today is Wednesday, so Wednesday is the worst day. Stop arguing with me." She pointed her finger at me.

"Sorry." I shook my head with a laugh.

Julie is not acting strange at all, even after I told her about yesterday's incident. It caught her off guard for a moment, but she was back to work within minutes. I don't know why. Although I'm glad she's not acting out.

"Shoot, I'm done." She came to her senses when she noticed the clock above the bar. "I'm going to go change, I'll be back in a second." She patted the counter and run to the back.

I turned to check the time. She's right, it's late. Mason should be here by now. Weird, he's never late.

I returned my attention to the bar in front of me and scanned the customers.

There were a few regulars, some new faces, but I was surprised to find Acker at a table on the other side, directly across from me, with a woman next to him. His full attention was on her and it was obvious that she likes it. She plays with a strand of her hair and laughs at every word that comes out of his mouth.

We should hire him as a stand-up comedian if he is really that funny. They would pay us extra just because he was on stage where all the women can ogle him.

Sounds like a good business.

"Sorry that I'm late." I was pulled out of my thoughts by a voice approaching the bar.

"Oh my god, Mason." I looked at his face in horror. "What happened to you?" I glanced at the purple bruise under his left eye and the red marks on his nose, which looked broken.

Without thinking, I walked around the bar to him and took a closer look at his face. I saw a few broken noses over time, but up close this doesn't look too bad.

I cupped his face in my hands, which didn't surprise either of us, for some reason. I carefully ran my finger over the bruises. They look really fresh.

"I fought the wall." He laughed. "I can say I lost."

"Did the doctor look at it?" I pulled my hands away from him.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry. I should be completely fine in two weeks."

"You can't work like this." I frowned. "You must be in pain. I'll go see Eddie and take care of it." I turned on the spot, planning to go to the office, but Mason's hand on my wrist stopped me.

"It's okay Maya. I mean it. But thanks for caring." He looked at my face as if I were a painting in some exhibition, admiring me.

"Of course." I walked over to him, his hand still on my wrist. "You're my friend."

"Um." He cleared his throat. "I should go get ready for work."

"Yes of course, sorry." I laughed nervously and Mason let me go. A cold feeling appeared in the place where he was holding my hand, and in a moment he wasn't even in front of me.

I slowly made my way back behind the bar, and when I looked up, I found Acker looking at me.

The woman next to him was saying something, but he was only looking at me with a firm grip on his glass.

What is his problem?

I couldn't help but notice that he was looking at me the whole time I was waiting for Mason. It was really obvious, but I avoided looking at him. I don't know what's wrong with him, but I have a feeling that if I look into his eyes, we'll play a game of 'who can hold eye contact longer'. I'm not in the mood today.

After Mason replaced me and Julie left because she had a meeting with her parents, I went to change and knocked on Eddie's door on my way out. I heard his voice from inside and entered.

"Maya, are you leaving already?" He looked at the clock in surprise, which told me he had lost track of time again. "Oh god, I can't get out of these papers for days." He exhaled heavily.

"I would offer to help you, but I have no idea what you're doing." I laughed and walked closer to him.

"I'll get over it somehow, don't worry." He tried to smile. "I won't keep you, you definitely have plans. I'll see you tomorrow Maya."

"Um, Eddie." I laughed nervously. "Tomorrow is Thursday."

"Yes." He nodded. "That's what usually goes after Wednesday." He laughed.

"No, I mean..." I don't blame him for forgetting. "It's the eleventh of August." I swallowed the stone in my throat.

He looked at me confused, but I saw the moment he realized it. "Oh."

"You have a lot on your plate right now and..."

"No, it's..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry I...of course, you have tomorrow off."

"Thanks." I tried to smile and started walking towards the door.

"Maya?" He stopped me before I closed the door behind me.

I turned to him. "Yes?"

"I have some pretty good whiskey if you decide you don't want to be alone tomorrow. The door is open all day and night." He said with a sincere smile.

"Thanks, Eddie, I appreciate it." I closed the door behind me and left, knowing that I wouldn't take Eddie's offer.

*****

"Ladies." Eddie smiled as he brought drinks to our table and got back to work.

"You know, Eddie is pretty cute." Julie blushed as she took a sip.

I turned around to look at him and shrugged. "If you think so. But he is like thirty." I frowned.

"Twenty-eight." She corrected me. "And god knows he is single. I mean look at him."

"Maybe he's gay." I blurted out. "Or not. I don't judge." I said quickly, knowing that I can't since I'm not 100% straight.

"Shouldn't the two of you be working?" I smiled when I heard his voice behind me. "I mean if you get paid for sitting around like this, I'm switching jobs."

"And have you, around me 24/7?" I turned on my chair. "I'd have gone crazy." I looked up at the mountain of full muscles in front of me. His piercing blue eyes looking straight into mine. Strand of dark hair falling on his forehead and a smile that caused his dimples to appear.

"Oh really?" He smiled and came a little closer. He bent down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "Not something you want to hear from your girlfriend is it?"

"What are you doing here?" I laughed while he grabbed a chair next to me and sat down.

"Stopped by before heading home. Hi Julie." He smiled at her.

"Hey Christian, it's really good to see you." Her gaze fell on him and then on me. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." She stood up and squeezed my shoulder before smiling and leaving somewhere behind me.

"So why are you really here?" I turned to Christian.

"You always somehow know. There is no way I can lie around you, is there?" He laughed and took a sip from my water.

"Nope," I said proudly.

"I'm taking you on a date." He threw his hand over my shoulders. "And you can't say no."

"Huh. Interesting. No." I bit my lip.

"Do you want me to throw you over my shoulder and walk out like that from here? Because that's what's going to happen."

"You wouldn't dare," I said in a playful tone.

"Oh, I would." He smiled and leaned closer to brush a strand of my blond hair behind my ear, before kissing me again. "And you would love it."

"Maybe." I laughed and looked at his face. There is something wrong.

"Maya? You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"This is..." I looked around us and found out there was no one. No Eddie, no Julie, no one. "What's going on?" Suddenly I felt fear. My heart was beating faster and my breath was uncontrollable.

In an effort to calm myself, I looked at Christian. Only I was so wrong.

I started shaking as my gaze fell on his bloodied face.

Blood was flowing from his forehead and nose. "Maya?" He said like nothing was wrong.

"No. No. No." I shook my head and covered my mouth silencing a scream.

"What's wrong, love?" He tilted his head, blood falling all over his clothes and the ground.

I jumped out of my bed, sitting up with my hand on my chest, unable to breathe and feeling so much fear like never before. What the hell?

I am in bed.

In my apartment. Safe.

I'm fine.

Everything is okay.

My gaze fell on the red clock on the table. 3:04 am, the eleventh of August

Only one day. I have to survive this day and it'll all be better tomorrow.



Not that I'm complaining, but Maya hasn't left the room all morning. I knocked on her door but since she didn't answer I thought she was sleeping.

But since it's one o'clock in the afternoon, I'm starting to wonder what's going on with her. Is it that time of the month?

She was already strange yesterday. After she returned to the bar, changed, she didn't say a word to me and locked herself in her room for the whole evening.

I wasn't bothered to go to her and ask. I don't understand women. I know their bodies, what they need, and what to do to make them feel like in heaven, but their emotions and behavior will always be a mystery to me.

I got up from the couch when I heard the doorbell and walked to the door behind which I found Julie.

"To what do I owe your visit, doll?" I smiled and leaned against the door.

"Is Maya here?" She stood on her tiptoes so she could see behind me, but it didn't help her since I'm almost two heads taller.

"She's not out of her room yet, but if you want to try to get her out of there, help yourself." I moved out of her way and held out my hand for her to enter.

"When did you wake up?" She went in and I closed the door behind her.

"A few hours ago, why?" I frowned in confusion.

"Were you in her room?" She turned to me.

"No?" Why is she asking me such questions? Do all women have periods these days or is something going on that I don't know about?

"Huh." She looked at the door. "She's not there."

"What?" Without waiting for what Julie had to say, I walked up to Maya's room and burst in. Her bed was strewn about, but Maya wasn't in it. "Where is she?" I went back to Julie.

"I thought she'd stay home today, but it's obvious she won't be here when you're here. I should have thought of that before I came here." She thought about it.

"Where is she?" I repeated.

"Don't worry about her, she just needs..."

"I don't care what she needs." I jumped into her speech. "She has a stalker who broke into her apartment. She doesn't have her cell phone with her because it's still with the police, and she hasn't told anyone where she is. So if you know where she is, tell me. Now." I said harshly.

"You don't understand Sebastian." She shook her head. "You have to leave her alone. Just for today, I promise she'll be safe."

"How can you say that?" I raised my voice. "God knows where she is!" How could it not occur to me that she was not in the room? Oh I know because I thought Maya had at least some sense!

"Listen to me, Sebastian Acker." She dug her finger into my chest. "Maya can take care of herself, so leave her alone for a day. Don't you dare raise your voice at her when she comes, otherwise I'll deal with you myself. You won't say anything and you won't ask where she's been, okay?" She glared at me.

This is probably the first time I've seen Julie like this. She can be scary, who would have thought?