The International Writers Magazine - Our Tenth Year: Weird Guys

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It Was Just Another Manic Monday, Monday • Randall W. Pretzer It was just another day at work she thought. A typical Monday. No customers. She had four more hours before her shift ended. It was days like these that she begged for a customer. It was something to do. She had cleaned up everything Sunday and so there was nothing left to do on Monday.

She was the only one working for a few people had quit who were scheduled to work with her. She had a book under the counter and when no one was looking she read. She heard something fall down and she looked up. She someone at the register. It was a man who must have been in his late 20s. He apparently had knocked over one of the cup holders that was on sale. She went up to him.
"Hello, what can I get for you today?"
"I will just take a large coffee."
"Okay. Large coffee. Will that be all for you?"
"Yes."
"Okay." She rang it up.
"That will be 5 dollars even."
"I always wonder why you have to repeat the customers order." He said with a smile.
"Oh it is to confirm."
"Oh okay. I always wondered." He smiled and she smiled. He handed her a ten dollar bill.
"Out of ten." She gave him back a 5 dollar bill.
"I also wondered why you repeat the amount we give you." He laughed a little.
"I don’t know. They just tell us to do it." She said. She didn’t feel like explaining it to him.
"Karate?" He asked. She just realized she brought the book she was reading with her to the counter.
"Oh yeah….just something I always been interested in."
"You know….you don’t want to see any guys see you have that book or see you buy it…."
"Oh?"
"Yeah…you know if the wrong guys see you buying it or something…it will give them a leg up….they will learn karate too and be able to fight you back if they want to try anything against your will…"
"You think a man will do that to me?" She didn’t know why she was continuing the conversation but she was always one for intellectual conversation. The subject always fascinated her.
"Well all women are at risk."
"That is true."
"Well there is one thing a woman can do to paralyze a man." He said.
"Yeah. Kick him in the knee? Dad always told me that." She said.
"Right. That is one way." He just realized he almost stuck his foot in his mouth. He wasn’t referring to the knee when he said there is one thing a woman could do to man to hurt him. He realized he was ahead. He had better end it now he thought.
"Well…where do I pick up the drink?"
"Oh…over here."
"All right thanks."

He walked around to the area she pointed to. She got to work on the drink. It was nice to meet a man who could hold a decent conversation but she had a boyfriend. She couldn’t afford to get close to any man now.
"Oh what is your name…you look familiar?" He asked.
"Martha." She lied and luckily was not wearing her name tag. She had lost it a week ago.
"I am Rensen. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you."
He waited for his drink. She was almost finished.

Rensen finished his coffee and headed to the 'how to' section of the book store. He checked to see if Martha could see him and she was reading her book. He went over and grabbed the same book he saw her reading and briefly put it under his shirt so she would not see it and headed to a register. He brought it out of his shirt. He was surprised no one who worked there thought he was trying to steal it. He bought the book and went home. Rensen read the book from cover to cover and then took some karate classes. He made it to a green belt. He planned to check up on Martha soon.

Martha was talking with her boss at work. It was two months since she last saw Rensen.
"You told him your name was Martha?"
"Yeah…I have a boyfriend….I thought I might let him down easy…"
"Was he hitting on you?"
"No…but he showed an interest….more so than just making conversation…I enjoyed what we talked about but…I have a boyfriend…
"I understand….just thought it was funny….Jeana that you told him your name was Martha…good defense though…"
"Thanks."
"I better get out of here….wife and I are having dinner…just make sure to clean up a bit around here…I am sorry I am so short handed…"
"It is okay I will get to it all…"
"Thanks…see ya." Her boss left. She saw Rensen come in right after her boss left. He was dressed a little bit more formal. He was heading straight for the café.
"Hello." He said.
"Hello. How may I help you?"
"I will take just a coffee."
"Sure."
"How is that book coming….the one about Karate?"
"It is going good. I am learning a lot."
"That is good. It will be the ideal offense against the wrong men."
"Yeah. Five dollars."
"There you go." Rensen handed her a five dollar bill.
"Thank you." She rang it up. A reciept printed out.
"It will be on that side." She pointed to where it was.
"Sure." He went over and waited for his coffee.

It was two hours later. The store was closed and Jeana headed to her car. She was about to stick the key when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She screamed and turned around. It was Rensen.
"What is the big idea? Are you crazy?" Jeana said.
"I am sorry I didn’t mean to scare you…I just wanted to catch you alone…I am private about these things…"
"You could have just told me in the Café…"
"It is too public…."
"What do you want?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime? It can be as friends…."
"I am sorry I have a boyfriend…."
"He doesn’t have to know."
"I would know and I love him."
"It wouldn’t hurt anything…."
"I said no….I am sorry….thank you though it is flattering.."
"You’re welcome…"
Rensen looked around to see if anyone was around and he saw no one. It was just them two.
"How about if we fight for it?"
"What?"
"You and I fight…whoever wins….well they get their way…"
"You are crazy…please leave me alone…"
"That is too bad you feel that way."
Rensen tried to give her a low kick in the knee but she blocked it. He backed away from her car.
"Come on…come on…sugar…"
"Just leave me alone….I am calling the police right now…"
"No you’re not…" Rensen did a somersault towards her and gave her a kick in the mouth. She fell back and attempted to give him a kick and a punch. He blocked them all and got in a few kicks of his own in her stomach and at her cheek.

She fell to the ground and got up immediately. She tried again to attack him but he blocked all of her moves and knocked her on the ground again. She was unable to get up. She screamed as loud as she could and Rensen fled. . She laid on her back and cried.
She never saw him again

© Randall W. Pretzer - May 2009
rpretzer2 at yahoo.com

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