Jim didn't want to go home to his wife. Instead, he wanted to sneak into a hotel with his new favorite co-worker. Nothing interesting happened during the work hours, and he could only anticipate his next reunion with Grace. At midnight, he had been the last person to stay behind and linger in an empty office filled with unoccupied cubicles. Only the two janitors joined him in the room as they swept the floors with their brooms and collected small debris. Jim checked his smartphone to read the text messages that he had missed all day. He had received one from Grace. She informed him of their next meeting in the elevator once his work had been complete for tonight. With a little smile, the man deleted the text message, knowing full well how his wife could easily find it on his phone.
Jim looked out the window to see the distant highways growing much less congested than rush hour, with only a handful of automobiles moving across the widest pavements available. The skyscrapers that surrounded Jim's workplace had their fluorescent lights minimized, resulting in a relatively blacker exterior from all sides. The manic mechanisms that fueled the city of Los Angeles had finally subsided, resulting in a calmer environment. This would be a good time for Jim and his co-worker to end the night with the same sort of thrills that they had received together.
Jim turned off his computer and collected his belongings. He left the office and reached the elevator in time to see Grace entering the elevator. The two of them stayed silent as the doors closed and the elevator descended to the ground floor. With no one else accompanying them, Jim and Grace would have enough time to share a kiss in secret. And when they did, the twenty-nine-year-old white male complimented her on her recent project.
She brushed her brown hair away from her face. "Thanks. I deserved a little rest from that."
Jim had something else in mind. "Why don't we celebrate with a bottle of wine and a cheap motel?"
Grace laughed. "I can't do that. I've got other things to do at home."
Jim slowly loosened his tie and gave her a little hint with the smooth tone of his voice. "You don't have to go to an empty home tonight. There's always someone who's willing to spruce up your life just a little."
Her smile was adorable. "I'm up for it. I really am. But I'm serious when I say that I've got other things to do. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"Now why would a guy like me be so heartbroken that you can't change your schedule for one night? I'll be waiting for you."
Grace yawned. "I can't wait to go to sleep. I've worked so hard all day."
Jim demonstrated his unbreakable equability by grabbing her hand and giving it a little kiss. "Like I said, I'll be waiting for you."
Grace whispered, "I won't let you down. You'll know when I'm in the mood."
When the doors opened, she exited the elevator. But before she could leave the building and call for a taxi, she winked at her secret lover. "I'll see you soon, Jim."
Jim nodded. "Right back at ya."
The doors closed again. The man pressed the button and waited until he reached the lower level. The parking garage, situated right below the skyscraper, had become absolutely silent. It looked as if it had been abandoned for quite some time. The parking lots were empty, cleaned out after normal work hours. Half of the fluorescent lights had been deactivated, giving the concrete interior a bit of a mysterious vibe that could only have been found in horror movies.
The high temperatures that originated from the outside had left their invisible residue in the parking garage. The warm heat and high humidity made Jim take off his black coat and tie. The first week of summer had started with its emission of heat in the form of a prelude of what was to come in the next few months. Jim unbuttoned his shirt collar. With the evening still engulfed in excessive warmth, he still couldn't recover from Grace's refusal to repeat their confidential motives. He tried to think of something else, something that would diminish his mischievous drive and keep his mental harmony intact. Perhaps a cold bottle of beer would help him forget his readiness for naughty antics behind closed doors. After a few seconds of thought, he decided to go home to his wife instead of the woman who bolstered his ego a little more.
Jim's footsteps became the only thing that created any sound in the parking garage. He had parked his car furthest away from the elevator. He took a casual stroll toward his sedan. He stopped as soon as he heard something in the distance. It sounded like something sliding across one of the concrete walls. He looked around to see if he could spot a complete stranger. He found no one standing in the light, thought he began to suspect that someone hid in the darkness. He shook his head and ignored the sound as he reached his car, which had been parked in front of one of the large circular concrete pillars that stood in a long straight row from one end of the garage to the next. He opened the car door to place his coat and tie in the passenger seat.
That was when he heard the same noise as before. He quickly turned around to see if he caught sight of anyone either in the light or in the darkness. He still couldn't see anyone who would have made that noise.
He called out, "Who's there?! Is someone there?!"
No one responded. The absolute silence started to make him doubt his own safety. Seeing as how he worked in Los Angeles, anything could happen. As he took a deep breath, he opened the door to the driver's seat. He immediately froze once he heard slow distant footsteps coming from behind him. A potential assault would have taken effect. Jim tightened his fists. He could only imagine the incoming stranger as someone who could have preyed upon innocent civilians for a living.
He turned around to see whoever had followed him. Luckily, the stranger revealed himself near the fluorescent lights hanging on the wall. Jim couldn't recognize the African-American man who wore blue jeans and a sleeveless black shirt. He looked to have been just a few years older than Jim. His bald head and muscular arms showed no signs of malevolent manners. His smile, however, immediately made Jim suspicious.
"Hello, Jim. It's nice to see you."
Jim stood his ground. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"
The black man stepped just a little closer. "I've heard your girlfriend say it."
"So you know her?"
"Not exactly, but I've seen how the two of you have grown close, especially when you visit the same hotel a few times this month."
"So you like to spy on us?"
"I have a good reason to do it."
"Please tell me."
The stranger had already stood alongside the parked car. He slowly slid his fingers across the clean blue surface as he moved a little closer to his primary target, like a venomous snake moving in for the kill. "This isn't good for your wife. She loves you, and yet you don't love her back."
Jim held his breath for a moment. "How do you know that I'm married?"
The stranger chuckled. "You have a ring on your finger, and Grace does not. She doesn't seem to care that she loves to play around with a man who already has a wife."
Jim shook his head. "This is none of your business. I think it is best that you leave right now."
The stranger was now just a few feet in front of Jim. He whispered, "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Who are you, anyway?"
"My name is Chester. I'll have a fun time at court if you don't do what I tell you to do."
