The coffee shop was crowded – lots of students, people working from home, and tired commuters in wrinkled suits. I waited in line, then ordered a caramel and peanut butter latte. The barista was someone I’d seen before, and we made small talk. It felt good to be doing something so normal in the midst of my life’s total chaos.
“Don’t look now,” the barista said, leaning close. “But that guy over there is staring at you. Do you know him?”
I shook my head. “I don’t,” I said. I glanced over my shoulder and shivered. There was a man watching me. He had olive skin, white teeth, and dark eyes that managed to look menacing even in the dim light of the shop.
“Well, he looks kind of creepy,” the barista said. She handed me my latte and I took a sip. “I’d keep an eye out for him.”
I frowned. The only empty seat left in the shop was right next to the man, but I didn’t want to risk him trying to speak with me. Instead, I walked over to the other side of the shop and leaned against the wall. A group of college students was complaining about a professor’s ridiculously difficult assignment and I pretended to listen, nodding and bobbing my head along with the conversation.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. When I glanced up, I saw the man staring at me with the same creepy, broad smile.
What do you want, I thought as I glared right back. A tremor of fear crossed my heart as the man raised his eyebrows. He went from looking scary to truly demonic in that second, and my latte trembled in my hand.
“Hey, lady, shove off,” one of the college kids said. “We don’t know you, go away.”
“Sorry, sorry,” I mumbled. I tripped over my foot and fell, spilling my peanut butter latte all over my new shoes and the dirty floor. “Shit!” I yelled.
One of the college girls rolled her eyes. She handed me a wad of napkins and knelt down, blotting the coffee until the napkins were stained tan.
“Don’t mind him,” she said, jerking her head towards the kid who’d asked me to go away. “He’s a jerk.”
I blushed. “I really am sorry,” I said. “I just wanted to avoid that guy over there. He keeps staring at me.”
The girl glanced up. She narrowed her eyes, then turned back to me. “What guy?”
“That guy,” I said in exasperation. I stood up and pointed towards where the man had been sitting.
But there was no man there.
My heart leapt into my throat and I spun around, wildly looking in vain for the creepy man. When I saw him, I let out a little scream. He was standing closer than ever – so close that I could smell his tobacco.
“Oh, had a little spill, did we?” The man stepped closer and leered at me. His white teeth were gleaming in a scary, unnatural way and his beard was greasy.
“Leave me alone,” I stammered. “I don’t know who you are.”
The man grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. “You know exactly who I am,” he sneered. “And trust me, you little cunt – you don’t want to mess with the Amoruso family.”
I shivered and tried to pull my arm away. The man was strong, and he tightened his grip until my hand went numb and I cried out in pain.
“Leave me alone,” I growled. “Or I’ll scream!”
The man snickered. With his free hand, he pushed his coat to the side. I saw a gleaming silver pistol tucked into his waistband. Gasping in fright, I finally yanked my hand away from him and stumbled backwards, crashing into a nearby table and falling to the ground. The man didn’t take his eyes away from mine as I tumbled and landed with my limbs akimbo.
“That man,” I stuttered, pointing towards him. “He’s threatening me!”
One of the college kids darted over and grabbed my hand, pulling me up and back on my feet.
“Did you see that man?” I asked breathlessly. “He’s following me! He won’t leave me alone!”
The kid glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t see anyone,” she said. “Are you okay? Do you want me to call an ambulance?”
Heat rose to my cheeks and I flushed angrily, biting my lip. “No, never mind,” I said, pushing her hand away. “I’m fine, just leave me alone.”
My heart was still racing in fear but as I looked around the shop, I realized that the man had vanished. A cold chill ran down my spine and I grabbed my bag and darted outside. I knew I had to make it to the police station soon.
If I didn’t, the man would be able to find me. Suddenly, I felt terrified and agoraphobic. Most of the time, I felt nothing but comfort from walking alone in New York City, because I was never truly alone. I liked all the pedestrians and all of the cars – they helped me feel safe, like I was part of something truly larger than myself.
But now, knowing that there was a man out there who wanted to hurt me was terrifying. I realized that he could snatch me and it was likely that no one would even notice. New Yorkers are noted for always keeping their heads down, and I feared that if I was the victim of something horrible, it would happen in plain daylight.