Page 14 of It Started With a Scarf

The guy was still walking toward me. It was a busy section of the city, and I glanced around, noticing a cab on the adjacent corner. I reasoned with myself that I might do better to take a cab since it would be faster than waiting for this bus. I stood up, leaning against the side of the kiosk and putting my bags in front me as a barrier. Preston was coming, and I braced myself.

"Hey, Marley, I thought that was you!" he said, waving and coming toward me at a good pace. "You quit Abercrombie! I didn't know where you went off to."

"Yeah, it's been a few weeks." I glanced longingly at the cab. I didn't want to leave the corner. It was light and open there, and I would have to leave the safety of the kiosk to go to the cab.

"Do you need a ride somewhere?" he asked. "I have a car parked near here, and I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

I let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, no, thank you. I was just about to go over there and get into my ride."

"What ride?"

"I have a car over there."

He laughed. "Then why are you standing at a bus stop?"

"I don't know. Habit. I'm riding with someone, and I thought they were picking me up here."

It was at that moment that it hit me that I had no other choice but to take a cab. I could not wait for this bus. Nothing was stopping Preston from getting on the bus with me, and that was something I could not risk. I had to ride in a private vehicle. I felt flush when I realized I had no other choice but to walk away from him. I would have to cross the street and walk the better part of another block or so to get the cab, but that started with one step.

I turned and forced a smile at him.

"It was good seeing you," I said in a cordial tone since that was how we said goodbye in Texas.

"Marley, come on girl, give me something. You know I like you. Don't make a brother beg."

"I'm sorry?" I said, feeling agitated and pretending not to hear him.

"I said give me something, baby girl. I'm trying here."

He was trying to be cool, and I hated to be mean, but he was too much. I couldn't open the door for more conversation. I had already been subject to extended conversations with him at my old job, and I had learned my lesson. I couldn't give him any sort of opening.

"Happy holidays!" I said with a little smile and wave in his direction.

I knew I needed to just go for it and walk away. There was a break in traffic, and I took a step out from the covering of the bus stop and onto the sidewalk. I had my hands full, and I adjusted my bags, feeling like something had fallen. I took a step but then glanced behind me. I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I looked all around, on the ground, and at the bus stop bench. Preston saw me glance back, and he made a dramatic, swirling motion with one hand and bowed with a flourish.

"Until next time, my queen," he said.

Uhhh, he was smiling at me with an odd, dramatic, screwed-up expression, and he was just too weird.

I was so happy to be headed away from him that I didn't look back—not right away.

I crossed the street, heading to a cab.

As I approached the cab, I glanced back at Preston who was still looking at me. He held out a hand toward me, making a face like he was longing for me. I watched in disbelief as he made a grabbing motion with his hand and then brought it toward himself as if he were clinging to me. The sight of it made me nauseous. I turned and went directly to the cab.

I opened the back door and got in with no hesitation, pushing my bags awkwardly into the backseat with me.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I have a fare coming. I'm waiting for someone."

"How long will they be? Can you possibly take me down the street to another bus stop, just a few blocks from here, and then swing back here to get your person? Please? Or let me just wait in here and ride with them?"

"I guess I can take you up the street. I was a few minutes early."

I smiled thankfully at the driver in the rearview mirror. I must've looked as relieved as I felt.

He said, "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, it's just a weird guy back there, and I'd like to drive away, if possible. It would just help me so much. Even if I could just go to another bus stop a few blocks from here."

---