After The Storm Read online

After the Storm

  By dcWilson

  SmashWords Edition

  Copyright © dcWilson 2013

  After a fierce wind storm passes through a small town. The local café is swept up into the eye of the storm. Inside the haunted Connection Café, a love triangle develops. Maggie longs for Jeff and Gabby pines for Simon. Who knew?

  PROLOGUE

  MISS PRIM

  She walks alone day and night

  But not in beauty nor in fright

  A mystery she is…left unknown

  Why she wants to be alone

  She walks away if you draw near

  And changes seats when all is clear

  All I’ve seen her do is read

  Walking quietly with elegant speed

  Finally she arrives at her home

  But she is haunted and alone

  She checks the voice mail on the phone

  There is no message just a tone

  This is when she goes to walk;

  When no one’s home who wants to talk

  She leaves again

  In search of friends…

  … Outside it’s night…

  No one’s in sight…

  But strangely though a happy tart —

  That Miss Prim… a restless heart

 

  It was latè November in the desert. The sky darkened and the winds began to howl. The gray clouds seemed innocent from a distance, but as they moved closer, it became apparent that they were wild and destructive. When the funnel clouds seemed to disappear, Jeff closed the curtains and returned to managing the café.

  The café doormat doorbell rang. Maggie walked in and quietly seated at the far corner. She seemed distant and aloof. Her hair tied back in a low ponytail.

  Simon stared from a distance as she removed her fur coat. Maggie stood up when another woman entered the café. She smiled and greeted her warmly,

  “Hi Emma, I’m so glad you made it,” she said as they embraced briefly before they sat.

  Jeff elbowed Simon to take their order. Simon inhaled deeply and walked to the table,

  “Hello ladies. Glad you’re here. We didn’t think we would have any customers today because of the storm outside. Let me know if you are ready to order.”

  “Yes, it looks like it’s just the calm before the storm, we had better order before it hits. Maggie, go ahead I’ll have what you’re having,” Emma said while tapping Maggie’s hand.

  Maggie turned off her phone and spoke while looking past Simon as if she was talking to someone else,

  “What storm? Did you say there was a storm?" She turned and moved the window curtain to look outside; there were sunny skies, a man walking a dog and a couple sitting on a bench waiting for the bus. She decided to ignore the comment and change the subject,

  “Could I order the Café au latè please?”

  Emma was more attentive as she looked directly at Simon and smiled,

  “I’ll have the same, Café au laté.”

  Simon nodded, while scribbling the order on a pad of paper with a pen. As he walked behind the counter to prepare their drinks, Gabby, the cashier, stood in his way,

  “Who is Maggie with? I have never seen her come in with anyone before?”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “What’s the matter? You seem disgruntled?” Simon continued to prepare the drinks without looking at Gabby,

  “Maggie comes here every Sunday and she never says hi or acknowledges that I exist. This is the first time she has ever said anything to me, so I am going to say it is none of my business.”

  Gabby followed Simon to the back room,

  “Don’t worry about Maggie; I heard she is stuck up because her fiancé cancelled their wedding to be with someone else.”

  “Really…? I never heard about that.”

  “I heard it happened earlier this year.”

   “How do you know that it’s true?”

  Gabby raised her eyebrows,

  “Why do you care?  Do you like her?”

   Simon paused to think about his answer,

   “…Maybe…”

  Gabby pouted and frowned, while Simon finished putting the sprinkles on the second Café Au Latè,

  “Do you think I should ask her out?”

  Gabby’s eyes widened and her stare became distant,

  “Ask Jeff,” she said bluntly.

  Simon crossed his eyebrows in confusion of Gabby’s response and touched her arm,

  “I have to deliver this order. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  He picked up the tray of drinks, unaware of Gabby’s pining stare following him as he walked to the corner table,

  “Two Café Au Latè,” He announced in his most professional voice as he placed the drinks on the table.

  Maggie paid no attention and kept typing a message on her phone. Emma flinched as the sound of the coffee mugs "plunked" on the table,

  “Oh sorry, you scared me; I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Thank you.”

  Simon smiled and nodded, then returned to the back room to go on his scheduled break.

  Jeff entered and sat next to Simon,

  “Hey Simon, what’s going on?”

  “Not much. Maggie is here with a friend. Gabby seems bent on finding out who she is. I was thinking about asking out Maggie, but she is still ignoring me...“

  Jeff leaned back in his chair and smiled. The door squeaked open; Gabby entered the room with a laptop computer under her arm and seated herself at the head of the table so she could speak to both Jeff and Simon,

  “So guys, want to see the dirt on mysterious Maggie?”

  Jeff answered quickly,

  “Gabby…did you find anything on Emma?”

  Gabby ignored Jeff’s eagerness as she focused on studying the web page,

  “Oh, you guys have to see this. Take a look.” Gabby turned the computer forward so both Jeff and Simon could see what she was looking at. On the Screen there was a picture of Maggie and Emma with their arms around each other’s shoulders and writing below the picture read ‘Best Friends’.

  Simon pushed the enter button. The computer changed screens and revealed more information,

  “Maggie wrote, ‘I still love you Jeff wherever you are. Emma and I are still friends despite what happened.’ Gabby, you mentioned something about Maggie breaking up with her Fiancé, is that this Jeff guy? I guess Emma is the one who caused the break up? "

  Jeff inhaled,

  “I am the Jeff you are reading about."

  Simon looked up from the computer. His eyes became wide; as he listened to Jeff continue his confession,

  "Trust me Maggie’s not worth it; you are just going to find yourself with a clingy little girl, who can’t make a decision about when to grow up...”

  “Gotcha,” Simon said, maintaining his wide eyed bewilderment.

  The room became silent. Then Jeff finally spoke,

  “You know what guys; we should get back to work.”

  Back at the corner table, Maggie and Emma sat in silence. Finally, Emma spoke,

  “You are right Maggie, Connection Café is definitely haunted, but Simon is not the only Spirit. Gabby and Jeff are here also, I can sense their presence.”

  Suddenly, Maggie froze and was looking up at the ceiling as if she was in a trance. Emma turned her gaze to where Maggie was looking,

  “What is it?”

  Thunder clapped outside and the ground shook. Rain started to pelt the windows. Maggie got up from her chair and walked toward the dusty ceiling mirror. Emma stood up,

  “Maggie, what’s wrong? Do you see something? Maybe we should go, the storm looks like it’s about to hit.”

  Maggie paid no attention and continued to glare at the mirro
r,

  “Simon is back in the room. I think Jeff and Gabby are also with him. I can see them! I can see Jeff!” Maggie giggled as she turned around to greet Jeff, but Jeff was no longer visible and Emma seemed to have disappeared,

  “Emma…?”

  Suddenly, a majestic bright light showered over the room. Maggie followed the light as it moved to the front door of the café. Jeff, Emma, Simon, and Gabby appeared within the light. Jeff and Emma were holding hands. Jeff spoke to Maggie for the first time since the Café became haunted,

  “I am sorry Maggie, I am in love with Emma...” they disappeared into the light.

  The room became silent. Maggie started to think about what happened. She still loved Jeff but it was clear. They were not meant to be,

  “Jeff! Jeff!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. Jealous, angry tears rolled down her cheeks, she felt frightened and dizzy with insanity, trying to discern if what was happening was real,

  “Jeff! Come back!”

  The light appeared again. Maggie gasped between tears. Within the light; Jeff pulled Emma close to his side as she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head into his chest.

  Simon laced his fingers with Gabby’s and waved goodbye.

  The light quickly vanished and the café was silent.

  “No,” Maggie shrieked as she pounded her fist on the table,

  “No, No, No!” Her voice grew louder. She grunted and gasped.

  With shaking hands, she put on her fur coat and walked to the door. When she opened the door, a waft of cool air showered her face. She swallowed the lump in her throat and put her hands in her pockets. Now she could see the storm. The rain had stopped but the winds continued to churn as she walked briskly along the deserted moonlit streets; haunted by the memory of a love that was never to be, forever pondering her restless heart.

  ***

  © All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Other Stories by dcWilson

  The Magical Balloon and The moon

  Smartly Ever After

  Doll Face

  After the Late Bell Rings

  He Loves me He Loves Me Not Series

  Book 1 After the Late Bell Rings

  Book 2 The Stairwell Princess

  Book 3 Chemistry

  Book 4 On Top the Pedestal

  Book 5 Waiting for You to Ask

  Book 6 After the Storm

  facebook.com/pages/Stories&Verse-by-dc-Wilson