Food Court Jesters

A Story by Marie Harrison

A scary food court story.

Food Court Jesters

Veronica’s hunger was raging as she headed across the street from her marketing job where there was an inter-city mall food court. It was cold outside but very warm inside the food court, so she removed her London Fog trench coat and was holding it folded across her arm.

She perused the food court searching for what she was going to eat that day for lunch. She had to wear her high heel shoes that morning for the early board presentation to a new client this morning. She was a marketing assistant for the office supply chain Charles Stanley, which opened in 1861 even before the civil war.

Veronica decided upon a chicken wrap from Chick-fil-a, a diet soda and a pickle. So she was balancing the tray, her heavy trench coat and Veronica’s feet were killing her now. She could feel a big blister on her right heel from the new shoes, probably from having to run to catch the subway this morning.

Finally she found an empty table. She neatly folded the trench coat over the back of her chair, strapped her purse across her body and around her shoulder, then she sat down to unwrap her chicken wrap to eat. Breakfast wasn’t possible this morning so she was really eager to eat. She could feel the saliva collecting in her mouth as she smelled the food.

All of a sudden this guy with long shaggy, brown hair sat down across from her without asking or saying anything. He had green eyes and an olive complexion. He had a mole on his left cheek below his lower eyelid.

He just started staring at her with a noted intensity. He didn’t have a tray with food on it or anything with him. He just looked her directly in the eyes in this intense manner. Veronica studied his face carefully to see if she recognized him. Maybe this was a blind date that went bad or something like that. He was wearing a trench coat and business attire and a tie underneath the coat.

Veronica was instantly threatened by his presence and his pensive eye contact with her. It was as if he was saying with his eyes, I’m going to beat the holy s**t out of you Lady, I ‘m going to kill you however his mouth never said a word. But both of his fists rested on the table clenched with white knuckles showing.

She sat at the table with him for about five minutes forgetting about the chicken wrap that she was dying to rip into with her teeth minutes before. No longer could she hear her stomach growl. Instead her heart was racing and her mind was saying flee, flee now Veronica! This guy is no good!

She stood up gathered her coat and tray, then walked quickly away. She surveyed the food court area her eyes scoured the room searching for a security guard. Finally she located Officer Arther who was usually on patrol on Wednesday afternoons. He flirted with Veronica almost every Wednesday. She ran over to him like he was a beacon in the night. As Veronica told Officer Arther what happened he put his arm around her and she felt safer instantly.

By that time, the shaggy haired guy had fled. She told Officer Arther all about him. He explained to Veronica it’s a racket that they incur at the food court sometimes. The guys do that to intimidate women into leaving their food or their purse behind. They try to fluster or scare women with their intense and threatening eye contact.

Veronica thanked God that her mother taught her to always strap her purse over her head and around her shoulder while eating in a public place. Her rent for the week was in her purse, that’s about all the money she had right now. What a close call that was Veronica thought. Officer Tim sat with her at a table for a while and ate his own chicken wrap. He was trying to ease Veronica’s mind after her frightful afternoon.

He told her not to let this keep her from coming to the food court to eat. He’s right Veronica thought to herself, if I change my life because of this then the crooks win in the end. Another day, another dollar and another lesson for Veronica in the world of survival for a single working woman; she came out ahead this time!