I sighed and bit my lip at the thought of trying to be confident, but nodded in agreement. “Okay. Thank you so much, Ames. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you,” I told her with full sincerity.
Amy just smiled in my direction before giving me a light pinch on the cheeks. “That’s what I’m here for! Anyway, what movie tonight? I was thinking between The Lion King or Now You See Me…” She trailed off in thought. My mind instantly flashed back to the night I stayed at Adrian’s apartment and we watched the movie together, and I began to tease him about Dave Franco being way more attractive than he was. Adrian’s look of disbelief was still imprinted in my mind clearly, and I found myself unconsciously smiling.
I shook myself out of the flashback with wide eyes as the smile on my face disappeared immediately. Why was I even thinking about that? Adrian was not a part of my life anymore. It’s been well over a month, if he wanted to be, he would’ve contacted me by now.
I pushed him out of my mind completely before shaking my head.
“Definitely The Lion King,” I finally responded after clearing my throat, giving her a quick smile and going back to peel the last of the potatoes.
“Yes!” Amy squealed excitedly, breaking into a little dance in her cramped kitchen. “I was chanting in my mind in hopes that you would pick it. I miss Simba!”
***
“I’m really sorry sir, but this is really short notice! Calling me at 12AM is hardly professional, for one, and I’ve already made plans with my family tomorrow. I don’t think coming in to work alone with you is the best idea. I apologise, but I really can’t make it.” I lied smoothly as I unlocked the door to my apartment while struggling to hold my handbag and work clothes in my other hand.
“Are you sure? I could really use your pair of hands to my advantage,” Mr. Cooper responded, and I shuddered as the double meaning behind his creepy words sank into my skin in an unpleasant manner.
I cringed as I stepped into my apartment clumsily. “Absolutely sure. Sorry, Mr. Cooper. Have a nice night.” I tried to sound polite while desperately working to end the conversation. In reality, his heavy breathing coming though the phone was creeping me out more than usual, and I closed my door extra quietly, afraid that he was going to hear the fact that I was just returning home from Amy’s house.
“I guess that’s fine then. I will see you on Monday, yes?” he asked, voice strained. His heavy breathing began to ease.
I locked my door cautiously, looking at the brass lock with wide eyes before swallowing down my nerves. “Yes, Sir. Goodnight,” I tried again, sounding less enthusiastic than before.
“Is everything okay, Emily? Are you sure you don’t want to stay talking on the phone with me?” Mr. Cooper asked, making my eyes widen even more than before.
“Everything is fine. I’m sorry; I have to get some sleep. I have an early start to the family event that is on tomorrow. Goodbye.” I tried to emphasize again, discarding my work clothes on an abandoned chair in the corner of my living room while flicking on the lamp on the table.
“Very well. Until Monday. Goodnight, Emily.”
I hung up before he had the chance to add anything else, and threw my phone onto my sofa in panic, afraid that he’d pop out of the flat, glass screen any second.
I’m definitely quitting on Monday morning, I thought to myself as I took off my shoes beside the door. I would rather be homeless than work for someone that old and creepy, and Amy was right; they were making me do things that I learned in high school. I was better off somewhere where my qualifications actually mattered.
I cautiously picked up my phone after double checking that everything was locked and decided to type a quick text to Amy:
I’m home, and definitely quitting on Monday.
Creepy Cooper called me and asked me to come in and work with him tomorrow. Alone. Crazy man.
Anyway, thanks for the dinner, it’s at my place next time. Goodnight asshole :D
I sent the text message and picked up the book I was currently reading from the coffee table, before making my way to my room. I threw it on the bed and grabbed a random pair of clean underwear and a baggy shirt from my drawers. I was dying to take a long, relaxing shower before bed, to wash off all the fingerprints of my boss.
Once my skin felt raw from scrubbing, I stepped out of the shower and quickly slipped on my clothes before brushing my hair and making my way back to my bedroom. I jumped onto my bed and sighed in contentment once I engulfed myself in the familiar sheets. I wriggled in the soft material to get comfortable.
I checked my phone to see that I had received a text message from Amy telling me that Mr. Cooper was creepy and that I was an idiot. I rolled my eyes at her text and put my phone on the table beside my bed before reaching over and opening the book to the chapter I was up to.
I had only read three words before a loud banging noise erupted throughout my small apartment, making me freeze in fear. I quickly placed my pink bookmark back in between the pages of the thick book and set it aside cautiously, irrationally fearful that putting it down would set off something else in the house. I looked around my bedroom with wide eyes.
The banging noise began again and I jumped out of my bed and grabbed the only weapon I could find - a random shoe with a sharp heel that I had thrown on the floor of my room carelessly. Shoe in hand, I slowly crept out of my room.
The banging noise became louder as I entered the living room, and I realised the source of the noise was coming from the other side of my apartment entrance. I let out a short sigh of relief once I realised that I had locked the door.
“W-Who’s there?” I called out loudly, trying to mask the waver in my voice to hide my fear.
“Emmmmillllllly, hiiiiii…”
A deep, British accent slurred, making me freeze in my tracks once again as the voice sent an all too familiar shiver down my spine. My voice hitched in my throat as I looked over at my white, wooden door in shock, not believing my hearing skills at 1AM after a long day at work.
“Emilllllllly, can you pppppppppplease let me innnn? I alllllwayyyyys l-let youuuuu in…” The loud banging started up once again.
“HEY! WOULD YOU SHUT IT? SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP HERE!” I heard someone else shout. Their voice sounded distant and muffled from inside my apartment, but it was enough to shake me back into reality.
I threw the heel onto the floor hastily before I ran over and unlocked my front door, just as Adrian’s face turned into his all too familiar scowl.