6 Months Ago

The label “Pennciterry Asylum” declared itself over the dark unwelcoming building. The air was cold and even the sun had resolved not to bless that part of the city with the yellowness of its rays. It was engulfed in darkness. 

There was a loud buzz sound from inside of the building as the front door slowly opened. A white light blaring from the interior of the asylum illuminated the outside where two men stood in thick black suits. 

Out of the ugly asylum, an eerie figure walked out. The shadow of the night couldn't reveal the individual but they favored their right leg as they hobbled out of their building, looking around with fearful curiosity.

The two men in suits made themselves visible, folding their arms emotionlessly and glaring at the person.

“Well well. . .” The voice was sneering and sharp. “It took you long enough.”

“You know why you're here?” one of the men asked.

“Well don't be foolish. Who's it this time? And how messy do you want it?”

The other man in suit handed him a picture of a young pale looking lady, small quiet lips and huge loud eyes. It was Anna.

“Mhm, well she's pretty.”

“We want you to lay low for a while,” they said. “Don't make a move. Don't engage with the target until we've given you a clear go ahead order.”

The individual spat out loudly before saying, “This should be easy enough.”

—

Anna woke up that morning with a stinging pain in her head. She'd had the weirdest nightmare last night but she couldn't bring herself to remember the tiniest details about it.

A groan.

Fuck. Her breath stank. She jumped out of her bed, rummaging through her bedside unit in search of an aspirin. Anna swore again, she could bet she packed one along with her.

When she couldn't find any, Anna got up to her feet and rubbed her face tiredly with her hand. What was going on with her?

A cup of hot coffee. Yes. That was what she needed. Anna scooted into the bathroom, grabbing her towel in the process. And as she forced herself not to start with the overthinking that she usually engaged in every morning, Anna showered herself up, brushed her teeth and did her hair. 

Was she looking her very best? She didn't think so. But she couldn't really bother at that point, her head was wobbly and her eyes drowsy. This was after a seven hour sleep. 

She went through her purse. Frowning at the amount of money she had with her. She was going to get a job if she wanted to survive here. 

She could just call Larry and ask him for some money. Or maybe get a sure job in one of the company's branches there in Los Angeles but Anna's stubbornness always got the better of her and it also did in that moment. She was going to find her own job. Do things her own way. That was what she told Larry she was going to do, was it not?

******************************************************************************************************************

When Alvin had told Anna that he owned a small restaurant, she had paid more attention to the word “small.” And so she depicted the beanery in her analysis of that adjective. But Al's Eats and Bits wasn't a small restaurant at all.

Anna spent a couple seconds looking at the exterior design of the building. It was built like an eatery, yes but it was as huge as a house.

How could Alvin be broke when he owned something as outstanding as this? She peered through the glass windows and noticed a few people sitting on well furnished tables, sharing meals. It looked lucrative too. Anna's eyes narrowed.

Was he lying to her? Did he just take her as an idiot?

Anna rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore her intrusive thoughts. She waltzed into the restaurant and took a seat by one of the empty tables.

“Anna!” Alvin's voice was so recognizable. Mainly because it was quite loud for a guy. Anna turned around to see Alvin approaching her with a wide beam on his face. He seemed excited. She wondered what was so exciting about him lying to her about being bankrupt.

“You made it!” he exclaimed with a smile as he sat opposite to her.

Anna almost smiled back at Alvin. Even she couldn't deny it to herself that Alvin was quite easy on the eye, especially when he smiled.

“Yup,” she replied. “This is uh. . . this is a really nice place.”

Alvin eyed his restaurant boastfully. “It is, right?” ,

“Yeah.”

“I just got the place a few years ago and wasn't serious about it until recently. Still getting the hang of it, you know. . . having an actual business.”

Oh, now she understood.

Anna smiled. “I get what you mean.”

With a nod of the head, Alvin gestured his hand to hers kindly. “So whatchu want?”

“Mhm? Oh yes! Just a coffee.” Anna replied, biting her lip.

“Just a coffee?” Alvin repeated, a flavor of sarcasm and wonder in his tone.

“What?” Anna asked defensively.

Refusing to say anything, Alvin just smiled. “I'll get you a casserole too.”

“You don't have. . .” Her eyes immediately caught them at last. The watching eyes of another man not very far away from her. He didn't seem to pretend that he wasn't staring at her and when he noticed she had caught his gaze, he beamed at her.

“Why is that guy staring at me?” Anna asked Alvin.

“What? Who?” Alvin followed Anna's eyes to a blond blue eyed man, sitting comfortably on one of the customer chairs across from her. His two legs crossed together on top of the table and in his hand, a can of Sprite.

“Oh, that's James,” Alvin announced. “He's my pal.”

“Your pal?”

“Yup, want me to introduce you guys?” Alvin asked softly.

“I think he's coming here,” Anna said, watching from the corner of her eye as James approached  them at the table.

“Alvin?” James acknowledged his friend first, exposing a few of his fine white teeth.

“I thought you were seated over there?” Alvin asked, giving him a taunting look.

“I was,” James replied. “But I'm here now.” His eyes moved to Anna who was doing everything in her power to pretend like she didn't notice him. “Who's this?”

“Well, for your information this is—”

“I'm Anna,” she informed bluntly. “Did you leave your seat and come all the way here because of me?”

James smirked mildly. His perfectly shaped jaw syncing with his lips to create an annoying but beautiful smile. His blue eyes sparkled. “Maybe,” he replied.

Alvin gaped at the two of them humorously and from the corner of her eye, Anna seemed to ask him to hurry up with the coffee. He took note of that and sprung up to his feet.

“Well, I'll leave you two to it,” Alvin said, raising his hands in defeat. “Coffee and a casserole. Black or cream, Anna. I didn't ask.”

“Cream,” she replied, turning around to beg him with her eyes. Who was this guy standing over her?

Seemingly joyed by the empty chair opposite Anna, James hurriedly sat, his hair falling over to his face as he refused to remove eye contact with her.

“Did you just move here?” James asked, raking his hair gently with his palm. “To Los Angeles?”

Anna looked up at him, debating to herself whether she should answer his deliberately discursive question.

“It's not a move,” Anna replied. “I'm just here to stay for a while.”

“Oh, I see. Did you come with anyone?” 

Her eyes lit from the question and so she glared at him, hoping her look of disinterest will tell him everything that he needed to know.

But this man refused to back off. He leaned forward, rubbing his hands together as he spoke. “How do you know Alvin?”

Now, that's a question she could easily answer. “He's an old friend,” she replied hastily. Hoping the questioning would end. “I've known him since high school.”

James raised an eyebrow as though he was impressed. 

“How do you know Alvin?” she found herself asking him. 

“Oh, me? Well might as well say the same thing as you." He shrugged.

“You've known him since high school?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I've known him for five years,” James declared.

“I've known him for fifteen.” Why was she bragging about it? Anna frowned.

“Okay, okay,” James said in between a soft chuckle. “It's not a competition.”

“I didn't say it was,” Anna remarked. 

An uncomfortable silence followed and Anna started to wonder why Alvin was taking so long with her order.

James was gaping sharply at her as though trying to peer through her soft pale skin. He smiled again at her and Anna almost whimpered. Her legs clenched and she started to pout. Unsure of why she felt so uncomfortable, she proceeded to pretend she had something to take out from her bag.

While she fumbled through the contents, a white piece of paper fell to the ground. Neither she or James had noticed. Why would he? When he just sat there, gaping.

He's still staring. Anna thought. She raised her head to ask him why he was staring at her but his bright blue eyes caught her off guard and she fumbled under its demanding glare. Her lips shook.

“Do you have family here?” James asked, his British accent finally coming to light.

Anna didn't reply, she kept her gaze down, pretending to be going through something on her phone. Why did he make her so nervous?

“A casserole and a coffee,” Alvin arrived at last and placed them on top of Anna's table.

Thank Goodness! She exclaimed in her mind or so she thought. She sprung up on her feet and wrapped up the casserole with the plastic foil she always carried in her bag before picking up her coffee cup.

“Are you going already?” James inquired, a disappointed look on his face. 

“Yeah, are you going, Anna?” Alvin also asked.

“Yes,” she replied, glancing at the both of them. “I've got some job hunting to do and I wanna start early.”

“Job hunting?” Alvin said. “Well you can work here if you want.”

“Mhm, sorry guys, hard pass.” She hung her bag over her shoulder, tapped Alvin on his back and proceeded to leave the eatery

“Hey! Hey!”

Oh God. 

Turning around, Anna saw James approach her with a white envelope in his hand. The letter. How did he get it? Her eyes widened.

“This must've dropped from your b—”

Without hesitation, Anna grabbed the envelope, giving him a cold glare as she forced it into her bag. She'd almost forgotten she had taken it with her that morning, unable to bring herself to open it.

James was sure he had seen that signature on the corner of the envelope before. He wished he had observed it more before handing it over. “Wait, where did you get that?” 

“Are you serious?” Anna snapped at him. “You do know it's none of your business, right?”

“Perhaps.” After a moment's hesitation, he started to ask again. “It just feels that I—”

“What is it?” Anna remarked, almost out loud. “Why all these questions? What is it about me? Am I an alien? Why the hell do you find me so interesting that you're bombarding me with this personal questions?”

“I'm sorry,” James instantly said. Maybe he was wrong and just being skeptical. Why would that signature pop up after several years of going missing? He tucked his thoughts at the back of his head and resumed his curiosity about Anna.  

“What?” Anna frowned.

“I said I'm sorry,” he repeated. “The truth is this isn't the first time I'm seeing you. A few days ago by your porch, fighting with your luggage on the wayside.”

Anna's eyes widened as she remembered the feeling of uneasiness she had that day. The feeling she was being watched. By him? James?

“And now I'm seeing you here, so I just felt. . .”

Seeing her here? What if he followed her here? What if he's been following her?

“I'm not usually like this,” he said with a nervous chortle. “I just have a liking for you, that's all.”

A liking for her?

Anna rolled her eyes instinctively and took two steps backwards. “You.” She pointed accusingly at James. “Just stay the hell away from me.” 

Turning her back on him, Anna took off in a blitz, leaving the lovestruck James to watch her from inside of the restaurant.

A smile on his soft face, watching her call for a taxi till she finally got one and jumped into it in a hurry.

“What the hell is going on with you, man?” Alvin asked, hugging James roughly from behind.

“I don’t know but I’ll find out soon. There’s something special about little Miss Anna. ” he said, a dreamy look on his face.