Wolves
were growling hungrily while they were staring at their prey. Briana tossed and
turned on the powder blue satin sheets of her large four poster bed as she
drifted off to a deep slumber. There was
a full moon and the moonlight illuminated the bedroom casting shadows on the
walls as the light breeze moved tree branches outside the window. The light
breeze was coming through the windows after they were opened by Briana when she
was sleepwalking. Briana walked from room to room as if she was trying to
locate something she lost. The door in her
kitchen was opened and she walked into the back yard.
Briana thought she
was still in bed and tried to pull the covers up to her chin because she was
feeling a chill. She frowned and continued walking into the woods located at
the back of her yard. The ground was damp and cold. The leaves made a crunching
sound as her bare feet walked upon them.
Her eyes were open wide as she stared at the path leading her further
and further into the woods. She heard a sound behind her and she turned to look
for the cause of the sound. Terror struck
her and she began running as fast as she could.
An embankment took her by surprise and she tumbled down the hill and
landed by a large boulder.
Vivid visions
began to appear in Briana's subconscious mind.
When Briana returned to consciousness, rays of moonlight streamed down
through the tall pine trees in the woods. She was struggling against the ropes
binding her wrists, waist and ankles. Wolves were circling looking hungrily at
her. The alpha male was getting closer
and closer as he circled the tree. The
other wolves were allowing him to get nearer to make the first move. Screams
were emanating silently in her head as she tried desperately to appear
threatening to the predators. The
expression on her face was stern and her eyes were penetrating as she stared at
the wolves.
Animals sense fear. I must hide my fear
thought Briana as she was trying to control her trembling.
Reality set in and
she succumbed to the possibility of her death; hoping for a quick death void of
as much pain as possible. The alpha wolf was getting closer and closer. Drool
could be seen at the corner of his mouth as he made a huffing sound and started
pawing the ground in front of Briana. The other wolves growled loudly awaiting
their turn.
Suddenly
Briana heard the galloping of a horse off in the distance. The wolves turned
their heads toward the intrusion. She
began screaming at the top of her lungs. A rifle was fired and a man’s voice
was heard shouting reassurances to her. A
horse with its rider appeared in the clearing where she was held captive. The
man aimed his rifle towards the wolves and fired. One of the wolves was hit and fell to the
ground. The other wolves ran off into the woods. He jumped off his horse and
ran to her. His black hair, bronze skin, blue eyes and dazzling smile
mesmerized Briana. His black vest
strained against his muscular chest.
Her
rescuer bent down and cut the ropes binding her to the tree. Being tied to the
tree in the sitting position without food and water, along with the fear Briana
faced washed over her. She collapsed on
the ground in a heap at the stranger’s feet.
His
horse was pawing at the ground and whinnied nervously. The wolves were slowly
approaching the horse. Her rescuer aimed
his rifle and shot towards the wolves, only missing the largest wolf by
inches. The wolves ran off into the woods. The horse was spooked and reared on its hind
legs.
Briana
was startled by the gun fire. She sprang
to her feet shakily and planted her feet firmly on the ground to maintain her
balance.
“Who
are you? Where did you come from,” asked Briana as she placed her hands on her
hips trying to hide her fear while looking intently into the stranger’s eyes.
“My
name is Brandon
The
image of the wolves devouring her defenseless body overtook her and she looked
at her rescuer with fearful eyes.
“Don't
worry, you're safe now,” said Brandon as he cradled her in his arms
tightly.
Briana
melted in his embrace.
She
woke to her Scottish Terrier, Buddy, licking her cheek.
She
examined her nightgown. It was tattered
and dirty. Her feet were caked with dirt
and her long thick auburn hair was strewn wildly about her head.
How did I get so dirty? Was I actually tied to that tree with those
wolves circling me? Was that man or
anything else in my dream real?
Briana
quivered and pulled the covers up to her chin watching the shadows dancing
across the ceiling as the trees swayed in the wind outside her bedroom windows.
A strong west wind swished through the open windows and along with it brought
cool air into the bedroom. She began to
shiver. The curtains were blown straight out from the windows.
When did I open the windows?
Briana
heard wolves howling off in the distance.
The air was chilly for a fall day. Briana quickly jumped out of bed and
slammed the windows shut and locked them.
The window frames rattled as she did so.
Briana stood shaking fiercely. She
hugged herself and then found a large sweater to cover her shoulders. Alone and
afraid except for the company of Buddy, she tiptoed out of her bedroom. Even though daylight was breaking through the
clouds she clicked on the lights as she walked from room to room. Buddy tagged closely by her side. She felt even more disturbed when she
discovered that her kitchen door was wide open. When she looked down at the
floor she discovered muddy foot prints that led from the open door to the
living room and into her bedroom.
Briana
stood alongside the footprint and placed her foot aside one of the traces of
evidence of the evening’s escapades. The footprint matched the shape and size
of her foot. Shivers ran down her spine
as she realized she did not spend the entire night in her bed.
Where was I? I can't believe I'm here right now looking at
my own muddy footprints. Look at the
shape I'm in. What's happening to me asked
Briana as she hugged herself again to provide what little comfort afforded her
at the moment?
The
kitchen door was slammed and locked.
Briana collapsed on one of her kitchen chairs and placed her head in her
hands and began crying. The details from her dream were running through her
mind. She remembered running from something or someone and being tied to the
tree. She couldn’t remember who the
culprit was. Briana scratched her head
trying to remember. She was thankful she was saved just in time. Briana
realized her dream may have been a reality and the wolves definitely posed a
threat. Her thoughts quickly switched to the man who saved her.
That man was so handsome. Am I lonely?
Is that my problem? Am I so busy during the day that I'm subconsciously
seeking out a partner in my dreams?
That’s it. I have to provide some insurance that I stay in my home
tonight and not go wandering in the woods again. I think I will put extra locks up high or
maybe my friend Sally can stay with me.
I know I will put things in front of the doors to the outside of my home
tonight to prevent me from leaving my home again. I will have to ensure my
safety, from what I wish I knew. What monster tied me to that tree?
She decided to put
the events of the past evening behind her and get on with her day.
I have to get ready for work. It's French and German cuisine, the cuisines
of choice for this week. Yes, I am in
charge of my life she told herself reassuringly. I can’t wait to see the
expressions on my customers’ faces. The grand opening of Briana's
international cafe' was going to be held in only a few hours.
I wish my parents could see me now and come
to my grand opening. It’s only been
three years since I lost both of them to that car accident. Need to concentrate on getting ready so I
don’t cry again and get my eyes all red and puffy.
She took a leisurely shower and
dressed in a French maître d’ costume which included a black tux complete with
tails. Her crisp white shirt was topped off with a black bowtie. The black,
pointed toe, leather shoes with a two inch heel completed the ensemble. Briana pulled her hair into a bun on the top
of her head. Her oval face and large
almond shaped eyes added to the ambience of her attire. She put on a splash of brown eye shadow on
her eye lids and above her eyes and then looked in the mirror to make sure she
was ready to greet the day. Briana turned around to look at the tux she was
wearing in her full length mirror. She approved
of the way she looked. Briana was known
to pull off wearing clothing designed for men and she looked amazing doing so.
There were a number of men’s neck ties hanging from a bar in her closet.
I do look dapper if I do say so
myself as she tugged at her bow tie to straighten it.
The
day was laced with rays of sunshine peeping through the clouds and the dew was
slowly drying on the grass. Mrs. Harvel
waved at Briana while she was picking up the newspaper that was thrown by her
front porch.
I hope Mrs. Harvel shows up at my open house
today. She said she would. I wonder when Mr. Harvel is going to come
back from his fishing trip with his cousin Morrie. Mrs. Harvel seems a little lonely without her
husband.
“When’s
that husband of yours coming home,” asked Briana.
“Not
until Friday,” replied Mrs. Harvel.
Part
of Briana’s training when she was a child was to refer to people who were older
then her by their salutation and last name.
She always had a lot of respect for the elders she encountered. Her parents managed a retirement home for
elders and when she was a child she spent a lot of time with the elders at the
center.
The
Harvels were in elderly couple who resided next door for the past three
years. Before they moved next door, a
young couple, the Browns, who had two young children, resided at the same
residence. Briana reminisced about those
days. The Browns after the birth of
their third child decided to move to a larger home in a nearby town. Briana and Briana’s husband, Henry, used to
spend countless hours with the Browns.
They would have barbecues together and do other fun activities with the
Browns. Briana was hoping that spending
time with their children would possibly provide encouragement to Henry concerning
starting a family of their own. Instead,
Henry decided one day that he wanted to become a photo journalist in South
America. When Briana recovered from the
shock of the news, she realized that she was really not that upset about Henry
moving so far away. They began the dance
of separation long before he actually moved to South America. Henry was a workaholic and would spend long
hours away from home. Briana often
wondered if he was having an affair because he often seemed so distant like he
was a million miles away.
Briana
returned her attention to the newspaper laid out in front of her on the kitchen
table. She noticed there was a woman found
dead in the woods and it appeared she was attacked by wild animals. The name of
the woman was Savannah Smolinski, the woman Briana thought was having an affair
with Henry.
This is strange. Was I really in the woods or was I dreaming
of Savannah and her plight. I did blame
her for what happened between Henry and me. She was Henry’s secretary and what a knock
out. Part of me doesn’t blame Henry if he did have an affair with her. Did I have something to do with her
demise? I hope not. I could be next. I
have to stop thinking these crazy thoughts and get to work.
********
Briana arrived at the café. She eased her car into the small parking
space behind the café and proceeded to the back door. The door was unlocked she discovered as she
turned the knob. She walked in the back
entrance and discovered Desiree, one of the cooks, kneading dough on a floured
surface of one of the counters. Rock
music was playing quietly in the background.
Briana
got to work with the rest of the staff to prepare for the day. Everything was
in order. The tables were set with deep
crimson vinyl table cloths and black paper napkins were wrapped around
silverware and set on each table. Deep
green ceramic tiles covered the floors and the tiles were sparkling clean. The
surfaces of the counters and glass were polished. The dining area was warm and welcoming with
various themes illustrating the different ethnic foods that were going to be
featured at the café hung on the walls.
Before
the doors to the café were opened for business, all of the staff gathered in a
circle with Briana as part of the circle.
She decided to treat her staff like a team and asked them to put their
fists in a circle with her hand on top of their hands and said “let’s go team.”
Everybody was beaming with excitement and trepidation, which was usually a part
of the first day jitters for any business.
Briana could feel her enthusiasm rising as she walked to the front door
and turned the closed sign to open.
Customers were already leaving their cars and approaching the café.
I am so glad I hired the Blue Point
Advertising Agency to help me promote the grand opening of my new cafe. I saw ads on television and heard them on the
radio. When I read the paper this
morning I saw the big spread in the paper.
I think this business of mine is going to be a success.
The
first two customers to enter the café were the Harvels. Mr. Harvel decided to come home early to join
his wife Henrietta when she came to Briana’s café. Henrietta was beaming as she held her
husband’s arm as he escorted her through the door and pulled out her chair for
her to sit down. He was dressed in his
fishing attire. Briana smiled and brought them menus.
“I
see you decided to cut your trip short Mr. Harvel and by the look on Mrs.
Harvel’s face, she is glad you decided to come home early,” said Briana as she
smiled widely at the couple.
“Yes,
the fishing wasn’t going well and I would rather be in this lady’s company
instead of Morrie’s any day,” retorted Mr. Harvel as he smiled at his wife.
“You
are such a flirt Mr. Harvel,” said Henrietta as she winked at her husband.
“I
tried to talk this beautiful wife of mine into coming with me this year and she
told me that she wasn’t going to miss your grand opening.”
“I
don’t know what to say,” responded Briana.
“You
don’t have to say anything Briana.
Remember you remind us of our daughter Emily. We miss her dearly since she moved to Alaska
with her husband. We have grown so attached to you and we love having you as a
neighbor, so I decided I was not going to miss your grand opening for
anything.”
Briana
sheepishly responded by saying, “I am so glad to have you as neighbors as well.”
While Briana
continued idly chatting with the Harvels about the new siding that was added to
their home, one of the waitresses asked Briana to come back to the kitchen.
When
Briana entered the kitchen, she found Desiree standing holding a spatula with a
grimace on her face.
“What’s
wrong Desiree?” asked Briana with trepidation.
“I
am a little nervous about how busy it may be today. Do you think we have enough cooking staff in
place to handle the rush?”
“If
need be, I can come back and help too. But I think you and the other two cooks
can handle things,” stated Briana.
Mary,
one of the prep cooks, reassured Desiree that they had all the prep work done
and things should run smoothly.
Briana
hugged Desiree and said, “I know this is the first grand opening you have ever
worked at, but you came highly recommended and I am sure you can handle what
the day has in store for you.”
“We
do have two other cooks coming in to help us with the dinner rush. I think we are going to be
fine,” said Helen, one of the other
cooks.
“I
can call in one of the other cooks if things become too hectic and you are
having trouble keeping up,” said Briana reassuringly.
Briana
decided that the hours the café was going to be opened for business each day
was from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., six days a week and closed on Sundays. When her parents ran the home for the elderly
they had to work seven days a week and she felt everybody could use a day off each
week to recharge their batteries. She stood by the front door of the café for
most of the day and greeted customers as they entered. Each customer was given a chance to sign up
for a drawing. One of the businesses she
partnered with provided her, at a reduced cost, a flat screen television and
two desk lamps for the drawing. All the customers signed up for the drawing and
they were told they did not have to be present to win when the drawing was
held.
The crepes,
soufflés and German sausages along with the other entrees were a success. The rich French and German desserts displayed
in the showcase were almost gone. The
steady traffic kept all the staff busy but not overwhelmed. Desiree decided that she worried needlessly.
Dusk
was falling on the horizon. Briana
turned to her staff and thanked them for such a great day of team work.
“I
am so proud of all of you. The food and
service was wonderful. Do you have any
recommendations for me concerning any changes you would like to see us make?”
asked Briana.
“I
think we need to order a little more food to make sure we don’t run out,”
suggested Ellen, one of the prep cooks.
“I
think that is a great idea. I will call
our suppliers first thing in the morning,” responded Briana.
“I
am going to get out of this monkey suit and help with cleaning,” said Briana.
The
staff laughed as they turned to start cleaning and putting things away.
A large red truck
pulled up in front of the café. A man
stepped out of the truck. From a
distance he appeared to be tall and strikingly handsome. Briana and her staff were
staring at the stranger as he neared the door of the café. As he opened the door Briana suddenly
realized she knew this man from somewhere.
Briana extended her hand
to the stranger to welcome him as she introduced herself and told the man the
café was closed for the evening.
He
turned slowly to face Briana and gazed into to her eyes and said, “My name is
Brandon.”
Suddenly
Briana realized this was the man who rescued her in her dream the previous
evening. She began swaying from the
uneasiness she was feeling and collapsed in Brandon’s arms.
Briana
gazed into Brandon
I remember this.
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