Beast in the Night

Chapter 4: New and Strange

Emily woke up around 8:00 in the morning. No matter how sleepy she still felt, she had no choice as it was time to go job hunting. Although her apartment was cheap, she still had to look for a job as soon as she could to have money to buy food, pay Fran for the car she stole, pay for utilities and other stuff she needed, and maybe save up enough money to move to a bigger place where she could create a lovely hutch for Bunny. A place with a spacious backyard, perhaps?

She got up and started to get ready but getting ready had proved to be quite overwhelming for her, too. Even the decision between the blue and yellow formal shirts―the only ones she owned―took her almost half an hour.

Eventually, she went for the blue one. The yellow shirt was too bright.

As soon as she was done, her world started to insinuate itself as she climbed down the stairs of the apartment building. Everything started to spin just a bit too fast. She had to pause as soon as she got inside her car and squash all the doubts and the impulse to abort her mission to find a job that day.

Emily’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. She was fully aware that trying to claw herself out of this downward spiral she called her life would feel like fighting against a current, but she must give it all her best to at least make up for the wasted twenty-five years of her life. She knew she deserved a second chance, and she needed a job to pull her out of this tailspin.

Once she was done giving herself the pep talk, Emily sat up straighter and practiced a few pleasant smiles on her face. Her hands pushed and prodded at her hair that was neatly pulled to a ponytail. Then she started the car and started her job hunting.

After applying at several different places and listening to a few people turning her down, by late afternoon, she was already sulkily meandering down the street with a cup of coffee. She was ready to retreat when she noticed a Cashier Wanted sign in the window of a coffee shop. Her face lit up, and she quickly found herself heading for the shop.

She went inside through the front door, looked around the modest coffee shop. Not too many people were there and most of them we’re glued on the laptops in front of them. She approached a woman with purple hair behind the counter who looked a lot younger than her.

“Hello there! Welcome to Sanson Road! What can I get you today?”

Emily glanced at the handwritten name pinned to her dark blue apron, reading ‘Sharon.’

“Sharon, hi. I’m just wondering about the Cashier sign―”

Sharon grinned. “Oh, you’re here for the job! Wonderful. Let me get Cassie for you. Wait there.”

Emily looked over to a round reclaimed table in a corner and sat there to wait. She waited for a couple of minutes, taking in the surrounding and breathing in the bitter scent of freshly brewed coffee. The dim lighting and soft music playing and a couple of earth-toned paintings hanging on the bare-brick walls suddenly made her long for the easy and worry-free life she was desperate to have.

Then a strikingly attractive woman who looked like a friendlier version of the supermodel, Naomi Campbell, wandered over to the empty chair in front of her with a folder in hand. Emily smoothed her hair with her hand. She was suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

“Hello, I’m Cassie.”

“Hi, I’m Emily. I’m here about the sign…” she said. She motioned to hand over her resume. 

“Ah, that’s alright. I hate reading. I’ll just ask you questions, and you just answer them. It’s better and easier for both of us,” Cassie replied, smiling. “Do you have any experience working at a coffee shop or working as a cashier?”

 ”Um…” Emily sighed and started to rub her hands as discreetly as she could under the table. “I…I don’t have any experience working at a coffee shop or as a cashier, but I am willing to learn, and I can learn fast.”

Cassie looked amused, not by what she said but by how she said it. “Okay. Any job experiences?”

Emily stared at her for a second. “Yeah. I worked as a part-time personal assistant for my mom when she―”

“Wait…okay. Let me stop you there, I’m sorry,” Cassie said, cutting her off, her friendly smile still plastered on her face. “I meant like a real job for a real employer. Not for your mom. However, I worked for my mom, too, when I was young. She made me clear our driveway every winter for some cash.”

“It’s not anything like that. It was a real job,” Emily said, looking puzzled. “I was paid on an hourly rate, so that meant I was never paid on my tardy hours or whenever I was absent for being sick. Fran made me call her by her name. She made me pay for every single advance p*****t I made. She even made me sign a contract.”

Cassie looked amused and shocked. “Are you serious?”

Emily shrugged. “Yes. I worked for her for three years. She said she wanted me to be a trained professional and it was good training.”

“And she made you pay for every advance p*****t you made? Your mom?”

“Yes.”

“What were the things you did for her? As her personal assistant?”

“A lot of things. She used to work as a Zumba instructor. I had to manage her calendar for her. Made sure her bottle water was never empty. I answered calls for her. Wash her laundry, clean the house, and her bedroom. Schedule her parlor appointment. Cook for her and her boyfriend. Massage her feet. Listened to her cry whenever she and Winston fought. The list goes on. She made me do everything for her.”

They stared at each other for a few moments. 

“You have a rather interesting experience there, Emily,” Cassie finally said, then she leaned back and put her fingertips together in a contemplative manner.

 Emily realized she was waiting for her to say something. ”I guess,” she said. “If it would help my application, I can assure you that Fran treated me more like an employee than a daughter.”

“Fran? Your mother?”

She nodded. “Yeah. After my contract expired and she stopped working as a Zumba instructor, she insisted that I continue to call her by her name and not mom.”

Cassie looked at her like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Amazing. Some mother you have there, huh.”

Emily pursed her lips. She’d heard the same reaction over and over again from the people she’d shared a piece of her life with. But, if it were all up to her, she’d never share. Her life, specifically her relationship with Fran, was something she was honestly embarrassed about. And thinking about it again now only made her long for the typical mother and daughter relationship, something she knew she’d never have, especially after stealing Fran’s car and Winston’s pet rabbit.

“Do you think you could you smile for straight eight hours?” Cassie asked, cutting off her thoughts.

She paused, inhaled, then exhaled and thought about the question for a moment. “I guess I could.”

Emily never really felt extreme happiness in her life that made her smile for hours. But she was willing to go the extra mile and smile on end if that was what it would take for her to land a job.

“This place usually gets busy in the morning, evening, and on weekends.”

“Got it. I’ve no problem working on the weekend,” she assured Cassie.

“Cool. Don’t worry, Anthony usually takes the weekend shift.”

“Okay.”

Cassie lent forward and put her hands flat on top of the folder on the table. “Do you really want this job, Emily?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re a family here. Not by blood, but you get what I mean. Most of the employees here have been here since day one. My husband and I started this shop. And the only reason we’re hiring is that our other cashier fell in love, got married, and now lives in Germany with her husband.”

“I understand what you mean. And I can assure you that I really, really want this job. I have bills to pay and…” Emily paused and took a deep breath.

Should she share another piece of her life with this stranger?

“Yes?”

“I have to pay my mom. And I promise you I won’t be any trouble. I’ll work hard to be a good employee and a good member of your…family,” she added eagerly.

“It’s a fast-paced environment we have here. You’d always have to be on your toes,” Cassie said.

Emily nodded. “I understand, and I have no problem with that.”

“Cool! Could you give me your contact number?”

Emily gave her number and smiled as Cassie wrote it down.

“Alright.” Cassie stood up. “Thank you so much for your time.”

Emily stood up, glancing from left to right, not sure what to say or react. Did she pass or fail the interview?

“I will tell the rest of the team about your application and discuss this with them. You will get an answer probably tomorrow,” Cassie smiled. She offered her and to her.

Emily took it for a handshake. It felt warm and soft. “Thank you, Cassie,” she said softly. 

 Their handshake lasted for a few seconds, and then she finally took her hand away. 

 “Oh, okay. It was nice meeting you. I will wait for your call!” she said after him. 

She left the coffee shop with her thoughts racing. Did she make a good impression? Or did she just embarrass herself by sharing too much about her personal life? But Cassie asked, and she couldn’t be feeding her lies during her interview. There was nothing she could do or say since her first and only work experience was indeed working as her Fran’s assistant.

Her thoughts continued to whirl as she drove home. She turned the radio on and tried to listen to music, but the song didn’t register with her. All she could think about was her interview and how much she’d really want to join Cassie’s little family at Sanson Road.

We’re a family here. Not by blood, but you get what I mean. Most of the employees here have been here since day one. My husband and I started this shop. And the only reason we’re hiring is that our other cashier fell in love, got married, and now lives in Germany with her husband. She recalled what Cassie had said.

A family. It was something she never really had the chance to have. Fran was the only family she had, but she never treated her like her own. There was always this boundary between them.

When she arrived home, she was still thinking about the coffee shop and how homey it actually felt when she was inside.

Emily took her shoes off and looked around her small and dull apartment and felt dispirited again. Because at the coffee shop and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces had given her a sense of life, and this was a big comedown.

She sighed and did some dishes, and then decided to have a bath. She got undressed, stepped into the soothing warm water, and sighed as she sat down. She slowly let her mind wander off and then thought about some backup plans that she needed if she didn’t get the job.

Which part of town should she go for some job hunting next? Then she thought about all the bills and the money she needed to pay up for Fran’s car. This only made her feel desperate for a job.

Once she’s done, she prepared ramen noodles for supper and looked for some carrots for Bunny.

“s**t!” she cursed when she saw that she had run out something for the poor rabbit. She looked for any food that she could give to Bunny for dinner and let out another curse when she couldn’t find anything.

“I am so sorry for being such a shitty fur parent, Bunny,” she apologized to the adorable grey Holland Lop when she approached its cage. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you die from starvation tonight.”

*          *          *

Rhys’ evening at his apartment was, like any other night, boring and lonely. But he wasn’t the type who would usually complain. He went on to do his usual routine, which included reading the obituary section of the local newspaper. That day, there were four. He read the one without any picture of the deceased.

“Randy Dahl,” he breathed in the name, and his fists clenched. He grabbed a pen and paper from a lamp table next to the couch, where he sat and started reading Randy’s obituary and started writing something on the paper.

“Sanford, Maine.” He smiled at the address he had written after a few minutes. And after another few minutes, he went to his bedroom and changed to his undershirt and boxers.

Then he stared at the wall. He smirked before getting into his bed. When he closed his eyes to try to sleep, for some reason, his next-door neighbor, Emily, popped into his mind. She wasn’t really the type who could make every man in the bar turn, but there was definitely something about her that would make him pay enough attention.

Rhys turned onto his back and let his mind wander further when he heard a knock on the door. His heart suddenly pounded in his chest. Without putting on his sweatpants, he got out of his room and opened the main door.

Standing outside was Emily herself, dressed in a grey bathrobe and yellow pajama pants. “Hey!”

“Hey.”

“Do you have any extra carrots or romaine lettuce, cilantro, or basil?” Emily asked, looking him straight in the face.

“Um-I’m not really sure. Are you cooking…”

“No. It’s for Bunny. I foolishly forgot to buy her some carrots today.”

“Oh. You have a rabbit?”

“Yeah. Do you have any dark leafy greens I could ask? I promise you I’ll pay you as soon as I get a job and start getting paid.”

Rhys wasn’t sure whether he should laugh or feel sorry for his new next-door neighbor. “I’m not really sure. Why don’t you come in and see if you could find anything in the kitchen for…?”

“Bunny.”

“Your rabbit name’s Bunny?”

Emily followed him inside. “Yeah. Stupid name, right? I didn’t name her Bunny. It was my mother’s boyfriend. Well, she was his pet, but I took her with me when I left Boston.”

Rhys just listened, slightly flustered, walking and picking up things around his apartment, trying to make it look neat and decent enough for his first guest in such a long time.

He had no idea why he was so nervous all of a sudden. Emily was just his next-door neighbor who he had thought about a few minutes ago.

“Oh, you’re from Boston?”

“Yes. Fran and I moved there some years ago.”

“Fran?”

“My mother.”

They walked over to the kitchen, and Rhys started bringing whatever vegetable he could find in his refrigerator and carried it all to the dining table next to a couple of muffins on a plate. “You take anything you think Bunny would like.”

Emily grabbed a couple of apples, apricots, bananas, and a pack of broccoli, brussel sprouts, and spring greens. “Thank you so much. Don’t worry. I will pay you. Just let me know much how are all these.”

Rhys smiled and took a used brown bag from the cupboard. “Don’t worry about it. Here, why don’t you put all those inside this bag.” He offered.

Emily did and returned his smile. “I insist. But I have to be honest with you, I’m only able to pay you after I paid my mom.”

“You don’t really have to, Emily,” Rhys insisted and noticed Emily’s eyes on the muffins. “Do you want some muffins?” He offered.

Emily hesitated for a second, but when she felt her stomach rumbled, she grabbed one and took a bit. The ramen noodle wasn’t enough for her that night. After a long day, she needed more. But she was on a very tight budget, and she didn’t want to ask Ydith to come over for dinner again and bring her food. She was suddenly embarrassed about her situation.

“This is good.”

“You can have both. I am not really into muffins.”

“Then why did you buy them?”

“Well, they easily fill my stomach, so I usually have them when I’m on the go or running late for work. But, don’t worry, I brought those on my way home today.”

“This is really good,” Emily said and took a seat.

Rhys smiled again, looking at her enjoying the muffin. “So why did you leave Boston?” he asked, trying to make small talk.

Emily swallowed and was silent for a few seconds.

“Oh, it’s okay if it’s something you don’t want to talk about,” Rhys said, recalling the first time they met when Emily asked him why he wanted to know her name.

Emily grunted and took another bite of the muffin in her hand. Then she replied, “Now that you have saved Bunny from starvation, and you did help me get in my apartment…”

“Okay?” Rhys wasn’t quite sure whether he was following.

“I moved here to get away from my mother and her boy…husband―Bunny’s original owner. He was actually the reason why we moved to Boston. He’s from Boston.”

“I see.”

They continued to chat for a while longer, mostly talking about the apartment and how long had Rhys been living there, and who were the previous tenants before Emily. Rhys couldn’t really help but watched her as she talked and noticed how her eyes alight with joy every time she spoke about Bunny. 

“And, are you planning to buy a male rabbit for Bunny?” Rhys asked. “I heard rabbits are quite sexually active.” After saying it, he quickly realized how awkward that sounded.

Nice move, Rhys. He thought to himself.

 However, Emily seemed unfazed. “Nah, we’re better off alone. And I think she’d love me more if I could provide her a better hutch that she could have all to herself than a boyfriend.”

Rhys hesitated for a moment as he didn’t want to sound weird again, but he couldn’t really seem to help himself and offer Emily a hand. “I could help you build a hutch for Bunny.”

“I’m planning to do that as soon as I find a better place. Some place with a good backyard, you know.”

For some reason, he suddenly felt bad knowing that Emily was thinking of leaving.

“When are you planning to move out?”

Emily shrugged. “I have to pay my mom first and then save money.”

Rhys nodded. “I see. Well, just consider my advance offer.”

“Okay. I will.”