The day after a holiday always felt heavier than other days. To make matters worse, Gene was taking public transit during the night to watch the premiere of a reality TV show with her friends. And she was on the train alone. The man across from Gene stared as he pulled out another piece of chicken from the paper bag while grease collected on his sticky fingers.
Gene never understood how men could stare shamelessly at women. She quickly got off the train at her stop to walk up the steep steps toward the bus stop. The bus schedule was limited because it was Memorial Day, and so she crossed her fingers that she’d make the next one.
After escaping the tunnels beneath the city, she felt like breathing was easier. The peace didn’t last long as someone grabbed her attention from the corner of her eye. Gene remembered watching America’s Most Wanted with her dad when she was younger, and the familiar voice of John Walsh played in her mind.
Out of pure instinct, Gene reached for her bag to feel for the pepper spray. Her dad also got her a pink one when she moved away. While she hadn’t used it yet, she kept it on her at night.
An older gentleman, likely in his early forties, leaned against a wire gate, wearing thick-framed glasses and a scruffy beard that hid the wrinkled skin on his face. An onlooker might think he was a philosophy professor or novelist, and their guesses wouldn’t be too far off.
Without a thought, Gene turned around and took the next train home. She felt a panic in her chest, and she wasn’t sure if she would make it to her friend’s house without having to walk past him.
Gene wished, like a nameless stranger, she could laugh at the price of eggs at the grocery store and go on about her day. But no, instead his calloused hands and tweed blazers flashed in her memory.
Something took over Gene, and she panicked.
Gene: HEY SOMETHING CAME UP, AND I CAN’T MAKE IT TONIGHT. CU NEXT WEEK? <3
The phone weighed heavily in her hands, and she scolded herself. Despite getting rid of her old phone number, he managed to find her.
Alan used to be in her phone as ‘Lawyer Man’, and her friends teased her about the nickname. It all seemed so funny back then when Lara and Tony would ask for updates about her love interest.
That was before he tried to kill her.
–
A notification came up on Gene’s phone and lit up the screen. Her eyes were watering, and she felt out of control. Her worst fear was coming true – he found her new number.
LAWYER MAN IS CALLING.
Gene felt her stomach drop. She felt like everything she tried to block out from the last year was following her. Had she seen Alan just now? Was that her imagination? Why was he calling her? How did he have her new number?
–
The sound of cans banging down the stairs of Gene’s apartment jolted her up from her sleep.
Gene woke up in a pool of sweat. 10 missed calls from her friend Lara. Her throat and lips were so dry, and she felt the urge to scream, but nothing came out.
The time on her phone read 10:58 PM. Shit, she had slept through her plans.
She scrolled through the texts from her friends.
Lara: WHERE RU? IT’S STARTING!
Tony: HEY ARE YOU OKAY??”
Lara: STARTING TO WORRY OK BUT ALSO THIS SEASON IS SO GOOD ALREADY.
And texts from her landlord.
Kelly: Just a reminder to take your trash out, please. It’s pushed back a day. Thank you!
Kelly: Hey, you have ‘til midnight! Please before I have to knock on your door.
“Shit.” Gene pulled her body from sweat-drenched sheets, pulled on her thick glasses, and slid into her slippers. She usually didn’t wear her inside shoes outside, but she grabbed her trash bags and quickly ran out the door.
When she walked back from throwing her measly garbage into the communal trash in the backyard, she threw her sheets into the communal washer and ran back upstairs, and sat on her small Ikea couch.
She sent the text to her group chat with Lena and Lara while trying to keep her eyes open.
Gene: I’m so sorry I missed it. I slept through, and I haven’t had a day off this weekend and it def caught up with me. I also had the craziest dream.
TWO YEARS EARLIER
The old school where her dance classes were held was a part of a renovated school. The classrooms were transformed into spaces for businesses and stores, ranging from local artists to woodworking classes. So Gene was becoming accustomed to seeing different people come and go from space. However, there was one middle-aged man who caught her eye on several occasions.
Gene first noticed him two months ago after her first ballet class. The building had a small cafe on the first floor where her dance classes were held, and she often saw him leaving with a to-go cup in hand. He was at the cafe ordering what Gene guessed to be a tea. He seemed like a tea drinker.
“Do you know who that guy is?” Gene whispered to Lara as they finished their class. “I’m surprised there are people in this building who wear blazers!”
“I thought the same thing! But I do remember someone mentioning a few legal offices and people who do some pro bono work upstairs. So maybe he has something to do with that?” Janelle shrugged her shoulders, packed up her shoes, and got up to leave.
“Huh. Interesting.”
“I guess you’ll have to find out, but we can chat about it next week cuz I have a train to catch. Happy hour at Geno’s! My treat.”
“Okay, bye, Lara!”
Gene sat on the floor of her dance classroom with her small chin resting against her knees. She met Lara on the first day of the beginner ballet class, and they instantly connected. Both of them were rediscovering their love of dance after years of toxic practice and overworking their bodies. They knew the techniques, but ballet allowed them to explore a new environment with less pressure.
Lara stood outside the door, talking to the teacher and waving her arms. She was great at connecting with people, and Gene felt a small pang of envy. Sometimes it was harder for her to communicate with others. Her small frame and boyish haircut often made her feel like an awkward teenager.
The cloud-like socks she got for class kept her warm as her body temperature adjusted to the room. Gene pulled the fuzzy white cardigan she brought over her shoulders and fixed her socks.
“See you next week, Alex!” Gene managed to sound extra bubbly. Their instructor always made her feel supported during class. She walked around with grace and gave essential, yet gentle instructions.
“Great work today, Gene. I loved seeing your personality shine through in the last warm-up.”
Gene had volunteered to show the class a few of the new positions, and she felt proud of how good it felt.
“Thank you, I had a lot of fun.” She blushed and adjusted her bangs, a nervous tick of hers.
“Okay, be safe now!” Alex walked back towards the open studio, and Gene closed the heavy wooden doors behind her.
Slowly, she walked towards the exit of the old building. Gene anxiously pulled up her cloud socks and looked towards the tiled floor as she thought about what Alex had said. For the first time in a while, she felt a wave of satisfaction.
“I’m a big fan of those,” the voice behind her said.
“Excuse me?” Gene pulled her oversized headphones from one side of her head.
“Oh, sorry. I’m never good at remembering that people have headphones on and probably can’t hear me,” He laughed awkwardly to himself. It surprised Gene how gentle and warm his voice was.
“The socks! That’s what I wanted to say. I’m a big fan of comfy things. The blazers and patterned dress socks get old fast.”
Gene smiled and decided to engage in this impromptu conversation with the stranger she had observed over the last few months.
“Well, some of us have to maintain the professional guise in this building.”
The corner of his mouth smirked and revealed a set of nice teeth with a small gap between the front two.
“You’d be surprised, some of the women here think I’m a little off-putting. But I’m glad you see that I’m just a regular guy who likes to look the part.”
They walked out of the building together, and Gene discovered what all the tweed blazers were for. Alan was a lawyer who worked with a small public interest firm consisting of three employees: himself, a part-time paralegal, and one attorney who never came to the office.
“Yeah, it wasn’t quite what I expected after leaving the big city and grind, but it’s kept me closer to my parents, which was the biggest reason.” He finished his drink and threw it in the trash bin. From this angle, she saw the peppermint tea bag poke out from the garbage.
“Well, I have to catch the train back home, but it was lovely chatting with you. What’s your name?
“Gene,” she said, smiling.
“It was lovely chatting with you too… lawyer man?” Gene said playfully. The nickname hung in the air between them for a moment. She waited to see if he would offer up his real name.
“Ha ha. I like that. But if you want to keep it short, it’s Alan.”