chapter Two
“Espresso at table six,” my coworker Adam said. He shoved the tray over to me, peering myopically through too-heavy lenses, then wiped his hands on his buttoned up shirt. “A chocolate cupcake too.”
Rolling my eyes, I took the tray, an espresso, and one of the cupcakes.
Frowning, I went to serve table six. My frown dissolved once I saw Cheryl waiting for me in her usual spot. I’d met her on my first day in New York, about nine months ago. At the time, she’d also been a newcomer, and we’d hit it off instantly despite our age difference.
Cheryl was gorgeous, with brilliant blond hair neatly combed into a bob and silver eyes. She was wearing one of her impeccable suits, a to-die-for designer purse, and matching shoes. She was now thirty-two years old, and I had asked her at least twenty times why she hadn’t become a model instead of a psychologist.
Before going to the psychiatrist’s office—and running away from it—I considered talking to Cheryl about my visions. I’d given up when I realized she was one of the few friends I had and couldn’t afford for her to think I was crazy. She might never come to see me again. That thought scared me.
“Hello there.” Cheryl smiled and patted the chair beside hers. I glanced around. Adam was busy and my manager was nowhere I could see. “Is spring semester over?” she asked as I sat.
“Not yet. One more exam tomorrow, then it’s over.”
Being accepted into NYU with financial aid made it possible for someone like me, who came from a poor background, to get a good diploma. Since it was rare to get financial aid to such an esteemed school, I figured my education should be the priority in my life.
“Deserved vacation, huh?” Cheryl munched the cupcake with inexplicable grace. Somehow she never got crumbs down her blouse the way everyone else did.
“Vacation?” I chuckled with a forced dreadful tone. “I’ll be working full time during the next two weeks, till summer classes start.”
“I get that you have to work.” She folded her napkin neatly, and I wondered if she had been a princess or a queen in a previous life. “So why not get a job doing what you like?”
“Like singing? In a bar?” I was in the pre-health program, but my true dream was to sing for a living. My voice was good, but I’d chosen a career path that would give me stability and guaranteed money. I felt like I owed it to my parents, like I should do this to please them, to give them a better life when they got older. They’d sacrificed so much for me, and now it was my turn.
“I bet it pays better than waiting tables at the university café.”
I glanced through the large windows and sighed. It was midafternoon and the streets were already too dark, too full of creepy figures lingering outside the campus walls. I couldn’t risk working until late at night, having a vision in the middle of a street, and waking up robbed or raped or being attacked by a bat.
So I offered my second excuse. “Most of my classes are early in the morning. I would never be able to keep up with them singing late at night.”
“That makes sense.” A slight crease appeared between her salon-perfect brows. “But you could work with something that added to your resume.”
“Like work in a medical facility?”
“I saw an opening for a Patient Care Technician at Langone in the newspaper and remembered you have that certificate.”
“I do.”
“I bet they have regular shifts.” Her gaze fixed on mine, as if she were trying to spy on my soul. “So, what’s holding you here?”
Without a good answer for her, I shrugged.
“Promise you’ll at least look into the position.”
I knew she wouldn’t rest until I agreed. “I promise.”
Her eyes gleamed in victory before she abruptly changed subjects. “Now, why didn’t you go out last week?”
I gaped. “Raisa put you up to this, didn’t she?” My naughty roommate loved a good party and she never understood my reasons for skipping them.
“She’s looking out for you. You’re young and beautiful. You should go out more.”
“No.” I raised my hand in protest. “Not you too, please.”
“Someday you’ll meet a guy who will rock your world. He’ll ask you out and you’ll barely be able to mutter a yes.”
“We’ll see,” I said, my mind yearning to meet with Victor in a vision. I missed him so much. I imagined him by my side, drinking coffee before my classes, his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.
I glanced at Cheryl. While I imagined Victor with me in real life, I had never seen Cheryl with anyone. During the time I’d known her, she’d never mentioned a boyfriend, or talked about her family and friends. I’d never tried pushing her to tell me though. Who was I to demand the facts of her private life when I didn’t share all of mine with her?
She stood, bringing me to the present. “I gotta work too, you know. See you later.” After throwing me a kiss she left, strolling through the coffee shop like a famous actress crossing the red carpet.
I went back to work.
After attending to some tables, scribbling down orders, and passing along the requests, I returned to the back of the café, inhaling deeply. I loved the strong and rich coffee scent of the place. I was crazy about coffee and blamed my addiction on my mother, who made the best black coffee I’ve ever tasted. She always had a mug ready whenever I wanted one. Because of it, my parents’ kitchen had a permanent coffee aroma. Delicious.
I peeked out the door. In the front, Adam talked to the girl working the cash register. The manager was out again. I could hide out for a few minutes.
With my chemistry book under my apron, I sneaked into the dark and humid storage room and closed the door. I shouldn’t be studying during work, but I still had one more exam before I was done with spring semester. I had to study if I wanted to pass organic chemistry this time.
I opened the book to chapter eight, ready to read about Aliphatic Hydrocarbon. The number eight shined, almost floating off the page. I disregarded it. Another hallucination, probably. I read, trying to concentrate.
A light stab inside my chest spread like spiderwebs, carrying warmth and a rush of adrenaline down my arms and legs, tingling all over my skin. The world revolved around me, enveloping me in darkness. I blinked and let the pull carry me.
Butterflies danced in my stomach. What type of vision would this one be? Maybe it would be one of the ones where I was like a ghost, observing Victor’s actions, or one where he interacted with me. I preferred the latter, of course, but I was always happy with the ghost visions too, since I was able to watch over the man who had stolen my heart.
One simple flicker of my eyes and I found myself transported to the world my visions created. The scene adjusted and I smiled. I was in a candlelit ballroom. Harmonious music came from violins and harps. A beautiful, deep red gown replaced my usual jeans and tee.
Curious, I touched my hair. Two side braids met at the back of my head. The rest of my long, light brown hair fell loose in soft curls.
I was here, in the world where Victor existed. I’d made the right choice leaving that psychiatrist’s office. I needed to be with him. Always.
“Is anything wrong with your hair?” His melodic voice came from behind me.
My heart flipped furiously. I turned to face him and took in the perfection of his body clad in his black tuxedo, and his honey hair, gelled back to show his face. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry.
“Hello, my favorite girl.” He flashed one of his award-winning smiles. “How are you?” He came closer and took me in his arms, sweeping me into a dance without asking. He knew he didn’t need to ask.
It was so easy for him to render me breathless. “I’m better now,” I whispered, falling into step with him, letting him guide me through the ballroom.
“I’ve missed you.” Serious now, his eyes bored into mine.
“I’ve missed you too.” I stared up at him, struggling against my own mind so as not to lose myself in his face. He let go of my waist, guiding me through a graceful spin under his arm, then caught me again, pulling me back to press against him.
“Is your grandmother any better?” I asked.
Despite the fact that the world in my visions was not real, he had a life and a history in here. The setting where we found each other—a ballroom, atop a mountain, a classroom, a cruise ship, a bistro—changed often, but his daily life remained the same, in a world of his own, inside my mind.
After nine months having these visions, I didn’t question their authenticity anymore, or why they felt so real and normal. They felt a part of my life, like going to class or work.
However, his world wasn’t quite perfect. His grandma had stomach cancer, and the diagnosis wasn’t good. She was the only family he had left.
His face fell a little, but he kept spinning me across the floor. “She woke up better this morning, but the doctors want to transfer her to a larger hospital. One with a specialized cancer center.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What can I do? If they think the move will be better for her, we’ll go.”
“That scholarship you were offered to join that school’s research team … It was for cancer research, wasn’t it?” He was finishing his second year of medical school. Three months ago he’d grown excited about the scholarship, but had not accepted the offer. He didn’t want to leave his grandmother alone. At his nod, I added, “You could talk to them.”
“I already did. I explained the situation and they agreed to take my grandma. We’ll be moving in about ten days.”
“Good.” I smiled and my breath caught. How could I have thought of leaving? I could never, ever stop having visions with him in them.
He spun me around once more. “Still, I’ve been worrying.”
“About your grandma?”
His brows knitted. “About my purpose,” he said simply, knowing I would understand his words. Since my first vision, Victor had stated his presence had a purpose. He wasn’t here just for my enjoyment. Though, I knew, we barely talked about it. We’d much rather spend quality time together.
“You don’t know what your purpose is yet.”
“That’s what worries me,” he said, slowing the pace. “The fact that we don’t know. I’ve been feeling like I should know it already, like I should be acting on it. And that feeling only grows.” He paused, caressing my face with his smooth fingertips, making me shiver. “I feel like something is going to happen. Soon.”
“Something?” I forced myself to forget his warm, soul-flipping touch and focus on what disquieted him. “You don’t know anything? Not even a clue?”
“Nope.” He stopped dancing, but his grip around my waist tightened. “I have this feeling.” He paused and put his hand over his chest. “This increasing sensation that we should be ready.” He chuckled, startling me. “Though don’t ask me for what. I don’t know.” Lowering his head, my Prince Charming kissed my forehead. “You will be by my side, won’t you?”
“You know I will. Always,” I whispered, closing my eyes and relishing the touch of his warm lips.
“Sing for me?” he asked in a low, husky tone, his warm and fresh breath brushing against my skin. I shivered. “I love it when you sing.”
“I will.” I wanted to do this for him. Give him this gift of music he loved. I wanted him to feel my love for him through my voice, my singing. I inhaled deeply and prepared my throat to voice his favorite song.
“Nadine!” My eyes shot open and I let out a yelp. A furious Adam stood before me.
Oh no, please, I wanted my vision back. I wanted Victor back. I put my hands over my temples and willed my mind to drift away, to go back to my Prince Charming. I tried to force the vision to take over, but I couldn’t control it.
“What is up with you?” Adam asked.
This wasn’t the first time he’d found me during an episode. He could tell our manager I had spaced out during work hours. If I wasn’t fired today, it would be another day if I continued like this.
“Nothing.” I hid my chemistry book behind me. Yeah, like Adam would care about my studies after seeing me completely tuned out. “Did you call me?”
“Yes! These freak shows are getting longer, Nadine. I’ve been calling you for the last ten minutes.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. He didn’t know why I tuned out, but based on past experiences, he knew it wasn’t something he needed to worry about and call for help since he had seen me like this a hundred times.
I stood and took a deep breath. Love and hate were truly only separated by a thin line. I loved having my visions and spending time with Victor, and I hated I couldn’t control when they happened and the inconvenience they caused me.
“Get back to work before I tell the manager you were hiding.”
Why he didn’t rat me out and laugh while I got fired, I’d never know. Perhaps because he knew that, like him, I needed the money.
I left the storage room under his she-is-such-a-freak gaze and went back to waiting tables, planning to study tonight, even if I had to stay awake until morning.
That is, if a vision didn’t rescue me.