My Constant Companion

So now, nearly three weeks after that morning, as I walked down the rain slicked streets, Shannon was in tow. “You don't have to walk so fast, doll.” He called out to me. I ignored him again, it was better that way sometimes. Especially in public.

My relationship, if you can even call it that, with Shannon was odd, to say the least. After the morning when I woke up in bed with him, I wasn't terrified, just accepting of his presence, there was something terribly familiar about him, that I still hadn't put my finger on yet. I still thought he wasn't real, and that I was having some sort of breakdown.

“You're not losing your mind.” Shannon would huff out whenever I said I was, but when I asked him for a better explanation he would provide none.

Even though he still insisted he wasn't just my imaginary friend or a delusion, I had my doubts. I had been trying hard to get him to tell me who or what exactly he was, but he wouldn't budge, he'd only say that he was whatever I wanted him to be, and that he was here for me, whatever that meant. I knew something wasn't right about all of it, but I liked Shannon's company, even though he still frustrated me at times. I knew he might not be real, but there were days when my own loneliness won out and I enjoyed seeing him, having him near, like he was an old friend.

I opened my umbrella, it was drizzling. Great I thought as if my hair wasn't frizzy enough. Shannon was keeping his stride in sync with mine, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, his hood on but not hiding his face completely. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, he was watching me, hazel eyes grinning.

I turned the corner and went to the Servati's bakery, just a few blocks away on 3rd street, to get something for my breakfast and maybe pick up something for my coworkers. Shannon told me I needed to eat breakfast more often, maybe I wouldn't be so moody. But he failed to realize he was the one who made me moody in the first place, not my lack of food in the morning.

I went to the register once I was inside, only two other customers were here. After the cashier greeted me, I ordered. “Can I get a raspberry bagel, toasted with cream cheese? Oh and a-”

“Are you getting me anything?” Shannon asked sweetly with a grin, interrupting my train of thought and standing awfully close. I glanced to my right where he stood. “What? I'm starving.” He said innocently.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Um... sorry,” I said to the cashier. “can I get a bottled water with that as well?”

“Guess that's a no, then.” Shannon muttered to no one in particular.

I also got some donuts, a bunch of butter cookies with sprinkles, and a espresso for Ivy. As the cashier rang me up, Shannon left my side to go and sit at a nearby table. Sitting slightly wide legged, he put his folded hands in front of him, his face tried to look as nonchalant as possible. I didn't join him, instead opting to stand by the counter.

“Come on, doll, sit with me. I wanna look at your pretty face some more.” He teased, I ignored.

I didn't turn around, just closed my eyes. I felt Shannon's hands on my shoulders a few seconds later. I took a deep breath, my eyes still shut and counted in my head, one, two, three... his hands gave me a squeeze, four, five, six, seven... I could still feel him near me even though his hands were off my body, eight, nine, ten. My eyes shot open.

Shannon was nowhere in sight. Where he disappears to I haven't a clue. Don't get me wrong, I liked him hanging around, but I still like my solitude, I was used to it, and this morning I sort of wanted it again. Plus he had made it sort of a ritual to wake me up in naughty ways, as if the lustful dreams weren't enough, not saying that I don't enjoy them, they're just incredibly frustrating at times, and I was just not in the mood for it today.

After I got my bag full of goodies I continued on my way to work. Then an all too familiar tingle down my spine told me he returned. “Go away.” I hissed under my breath.

“You have to try harder than that, doll.” He smirked beside me.

“Ugh.” I exclaimed loudly, causing several people at the crosswalk to turn my way. I put my head down.

Shannon chuckled, clearly amused, he loved when I got embarrassed. My cheeks flamed a nice shade of pink. I pulled my umbrella down and dug in my purse to pull out my iPod, some Bowie would help to distract me. No need to walk around talking to myself like a mad woman, even though I was slowly becoming one.

“You seriously aren't going to drown me out with music, doll.”

“I can try.” I said under my breath as I placed the buds in my ears and turned up Station to Station.

“Stop acting crazy.” I half heard him say.

“Stop making me crazy.” I murmured to my imaginary friend. Hopefully anyone viewing me would think I was singing along to my iPod. Hopefully.

I was now at the next crosswalk and had begun to step out into the street, not really paying attention I'll admit, when I felt Shannon's hands grab me, pulling me back. I saw the busted up blue car zoom by just a split second later, narrowly missing me. Shannon helped me catch my balance. I wasn't sure if anyone else had saw that, and if so how it looked to them, but I gave him a scared look.

“How did you...?” I breathed out, a bit shaken.

“You okay?” His voice was low and heavy and concerned. I nodded frantically. “Good.” He smoothed my jacket out and straightened the umbrella in my right hand, and the espresso in my left, which surprisingly hadn't spilled. Then said with a snort of laughter, “I think you should be nicer to me from now on. You never know when you night need these strong arms of mine again.” He winked and began walking across the street, hands in his pockets. It took me several heartbeats before I follow my saviour.

Ivy and I owned our own record shop called Forty5 on Vine street in the heart of downtown a mere block from it's main attraction Fountain Square. It was a good location, lots of people traveled the street we were on, there were several restaurants, bars and businesses nearby. We got good business, we've only been around for a little over a year and we were still open so to us that was a success.

I walked behind Shannon as I made my way there. He had a smug air to him since he had 'saved my life', he'll never let me live it down. Shannon usually traveled with me to work, he said it was to repel the weirdo's and perverts I attract, but it was more or less that he had to since, I still believed he was a figment of my overactive imagination, he had no say in the matter.

Ivy opened the door of the shop for me. It was an hour before we opened and usually only one of us showed up this early to open, but it was Spring break and we expected lots of customers. She gave me a warm smile as I handed her the coffee cup.

“I love you.” she said as she took the cup in her hands.

I had never told Ivy that my mysterious dream man had a name, let alone he had returned, again, in the flesh no less. He was just the man in a long forgotten dream. I didn't need her thinking I was crazy, even though my sanity was questionable at the moment. I didn't know what she would have said if I told her that I was seeing him again. And that I could also touch him, smell him, taste him. That thought sent other thoughts to my brain. No, bad Nikka, don't go there.

The shop was small, but we loved it. We sold vinyl, CD's and music DVD's, posters and t-shirts. We were both music junkies and this was our dream. So we both decided about three and a half years ago to put our plan into action and now here we were.

“Anyone else here yet?” I asked as I took off my jacket and headed to the back.

“Nah, not yet.” Ivy said from the upfront once I was out of view.

We had only three other employees. Melissa, who was Ivy's cousin, Maurice, and Devon. We were like a family, they had all been here since the beginning. And we're very helpful, hardworking and made work seem like play.

I hung up my jacket and after putting my umbrella and purse away, I began eating some of my sprinkle cookies. Shannon's hand went into the bag, I smacked it away.

“Ow.” he said rubbing his hand as if I'd truly hurt him.

My eyes rolled up to the ceiling. He was being dramatic. I ate another cookie and set the bag down. Shannon dug in. I scowled at him as I went down into the basement to grab a few crates of vinyl that needed to be stocked up front.

“We could have some fun down here.” Shannon said behind me, causing me to jump.

“God,” I exclaimed “stop sneaking up on me. I hate that.”

“You love it, admit it.”

“You'd like that wouldn't you?”

“I'd like a lot of things, actually.” He said with his eyes narrowed, his hand touched my cheek, I tried not to close my eyes and lean into his touch.

“Shan, you ever gonna to tell me who you actually are?” I asked as I walked away to get the crates off the shelf, he joined me and helped.

“You could guess.” He said, his muscles bulging beneath his hoodie as he pulled the crates full of LP's down.

“I have and my guesses have all been wrong, according to you.” A delusion or a ghost were the only logical ones, or a demon. Maybe I wasn't thinking right.

“Try harder, doll face.”

“Shan.” I whined. He only laughed and carrying the two stacked crates, made his way back upstairs. I huffed out a sigh, picked up the other crate and followed.

The others got in, ate their goodies and soon the day began. As suspected the place was packed. I worked the register that morning. It was Devon's day to pick the music we played so we listened to nothing but The Doors that morning. The customers were mostly young, although we got some older one's in once they realized that we sold everything from Beethoven, to The Beatles, to Justin Timberlake. Whatever the customer requested and them some.

Shannon had disappeared, that is until I went to get lunch. The rain had stopped but it was still gloomy outside. I walked a few blocks away to The Red Fox Grill, they have great bacon cheeseburgers, I had already placed our orders. Shannon came out of nowhere to wrap his arm around my waist.

“Hello doll. You're looking gorgeous. The rain suits you well.”

“Hi Shannon.” I fought the smile that was spreading across my face as I half leaned into his body.

“Miss me?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, come on. A little, admit it.”

“I will do no such thing.”

I dig in my pocket and pulled up my phone, pressing it to my ear. I made sure that the ringer was off, I wasn't making that mistake again. Then I talked to Shannon, as if I were having a normal conversation on the my cell as opposed to appearing to be talking to myself.

“What?” I asked as he smirked.

“You owe me.”

“Yeah, yeah, you saved my life, blah, blah, blah.” I waved my free hand around dismissively. “I'll never live that one down.”

“You're right, you never will.” He purred, then his arm around my waist tightened almost possessively as we walked pass a group young men. I never paid any attention but according to Shan I got quite a few stares from the opposite sex. I was oblivious to it all. And today was no exception.

“Jesus, Shan. They can't see you, it doesn't matter how close you walk next to me.”

He scoffed, “Yeah, whatever.”

“They're allowed to look.”

“But not touch. That's my job.” Those words were oozing with sexuality. I felt my stomach do somersaults and warmth crept down below, as he hand moved down to my hip. Stop it, I told myself. I looked down, tying to hide me blush. “Well, that got a reaction.” I could hear the smile in his voice. His breath tickled my ear.

“I hate you.” I murmured.

“Yeah well, you've sure got a funny way of showing it, doll.”