Jan hung his apron on the hook and hurried away down the hallway towards the back of the building. It had been a gruelling shift and now he just wanted to be away.
The early rise was a killer and, once he reached the Starbucks, the grind was never-ending. They were short-staffed because of a stomach bug, so they’d all had to chip in, cutting short their breaks to help out at peak times. In this part of town, it was pretty much always peak time – thanks to the suits and nannies, the students and gym bunnies, who frequented it – so the pace was relentless. Still, this would have been fine, he was used to it, were it not for the knot of tension in his stomach, the nagging, debilitating sense of unease he’d had since he’d noticed her.
He’d hardly registered her at first – she was like so many gawky teenagers, staring at her shoes, swaying nervously from side to side, as she awaited her caffeine fix. But when he’d handed her the latte, something had happened. She’d seemed … repelled by him. So much so that she’d dropped the hot coffee and screamed the place down. She had had a fistful of his shirt, seemed intent on shouting at him or talking to him or something … but then Max had come to his rescue, ejecting her from the shop.
Though shaken, Jan had relaxed a little afterwards, assuming she would move on or turn her attention to someone else who crossed her path. A wandering nut job in search of trouble. But to his surprise she had remained outside, banging on the glass and staring directly at him. Eventually a patrol car had pulled up and she’d been forced to depart, haring off before the attending officers could talk to her. But the memory of her intense, horrified reaction lingered.
Which is why he wasn’t taking any chances now. It was quite possible she was lurking outside, so instead of using the main doors he aimed for the fire exit instead. It was strictly forbidden to use it of course, but he was sure he wouldn’t get caught and it would deposit him safe and sound in the back alley behind the store. Pausing by the emergency exit, he peered along the hallway behind him, then eased the door open, slipping out on to the iron stairwell.
The cold immediately bit him – a nice spring day had cooled quickly and it was now spitting with rain, so he didn’t hesitate, quickly descending the stairs. Less than a minute later, he was by the bins in the stinking alley. Pulling his hoodie up, he hurried away. Already his anxiety was starting to dissipate, the knot in his stomach unravelling. He had made it away – now, finally, he could relax.
Only as he reached the far end of the alleyway, head down against the wind and rain, did a figure emerge from her hiding place at the other end of the cut-through. She was a slight young woman in tired, second-hand clothes. Silently, she watched as he disappeared around the corner, before setting off after him, quietly dogging his footsteps.