Traveller 01: The First Meeting

I looked down at my phone. I was a little nervous – I tend to check my phone when I’m nervous. Normally I’m fine in these kinds of situations. I’ve never found meeting new people, or most social situations, to be particularly difficult. At one point in my life that hadn’t been the case, but in my 24 years I’d learned how to adapt.

The reason this was different was the same reason I was intrigued enough to be there in the first place. I know; it’s hard to explain.

I’ll try and write the short version.

First, a bit about me. My name is Hayley. I’m 24, live with my boyfriend, Drew, who’s 23. I’m currently between jobs (unemployed) and working on some writing projects in the meantime. As such, I have a lot of spare time these days.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I saw a flyer up at a small cafe I like to go to. It’s quiet, peaceful, comfortable. The flyer was strange, because normally all you see taped to the windows are posters for upcoming gigs or events. It was one of those requests for volunteers, with a number you could tear off the bottom. A few of the numbers had already been taken.

The main thing that caught my eye its single question: ‘What’s your favourite thing to eat when you’re feeling down?’. That was it. It said to text your answer to this number, and you’ll be paid $20 for your time. I didn’t really believe it was genuine, but it sounded interesting, at the very least. I took one of the numbers and sat with a coffee and my laptop and… completely forgot about it.

Until a couple of days ago. I put on the coat I’d been wearing the day I saw the flyer, and found the number in my pocket. Remembering what it was, I figured I was going to the cafe later that day anyway, so maybe I’d ask them about it.

When I walked in, I saw the flyer was still on the window, despite all the numbers being gone. After I’d ordered and sat in my usual seat, I got out my laptop and waited for my coffee. When the waiter brought it over, I asked her if she had a moment to talk. I think all the staff recognise me, since I’m in there often enough and always try to be friendly. She was happy to oblige, so I asked something like, ‘This might sound kind of weird, but do you know anything about that flyer?’

With a friendly smile, she barely glanced where I was pointing but immediately knew what I meant. ‘The favourite food one? Yeah, we’ve gotten a few questions about it actually. The guy who put it up is a regular here. We all know him pretty well.’

‘So it’s legit? He’s really paying people just to text him their answers?’

‘Yep. His grandpa is working on some study or something. A couple of other customers have come back and said it was the easiest money they ever made. Just a shame there was only so few numbers to take.’

‘Why is the flyer still up if the numbers are all gone?’

‘He actually asked that we’d leave it up. Bit strange, but he’s nice enough to all of us, so we said we would.’

I thanked her for her time and got back to my laptop, writing some garbage no one will ever read. Started to, at least, before pulling the number back out of my pocket. Well, at that point, it seemed harmless enough. If I was one of the lucky few who’d gotten a number, why not make some easy cash?

I texted my guilty-pleasure-when-in-a-bad-mood food (Fettuccini in napoletana sauce with extra coriander and chilli, plus some garlic bread to soak up the sauce—may as well try to give a $20 answer, right? Don’t judge me) to the number and waited. Would I have to give my bank details over the phone? I didn’t know if I could take the waiter’s word alone on how trustworthy this guy was supposed to be.

It didn’t take long before my phone buzzed with a response. ‘Thank you for participating. You will be contacted shortly regarding payment.’

An automated response, I guessed, which made sense. A minute later, the number I’d just texted called me.

‘Hello?’ I answered.

‘Hi.’ A man’s voice, friendly. ‘My name is John. I’m sorry to bother you, but are you able to speak for a few moments?’

I looked at my laptop screen, the same document I’d been staring at since I came in. ‘Sure,’ I said, a little amused.

‘Great. The answer you just sent us is for a study being conducted by my grandfather. I’ve just spoken to him, and he really liked your answer. It’s the last one we’ve gotten from the flyer, you see, and he’s been waiting for someone to answer in a specific way—don’t ask me what was different about yours. He’s the expert.

‘The point is, he’d like to ask you if you’d be willing to participate further. He’s looking for very specific candidates, like I said, and somehow, you seem to fit the bill. Now, you don’t have to answer right away, but here’s an easier request: would you be willing to meet with me in person, at the cafe where the flyer was left, to discuss the study further, and of course, arrange your payment?’

John talked with confidence without being cocky, friendly enough to sound trustworthy but not forced enough to be creepy, and with such an even speed I couldn’t say anything until he stopped. It was like he was reading from a script, but it sounded too natural for that to be the case.

‘Well, uh,’ I managed to mumble, taking everything he’d said in, ‘that definitely sounds interesting.’ I couldn’t think of an answer. ‘I might have to think about it, if that’s okay.’

‘Of course; take all the time you need. When you have an answer, use this number to get back into contact with us. Thanks, goodbye.’

I almost felt bad for not immediately accepting, but I wanted to be careful. It was a lot to suddenly ask of a complete stranger. I also noticed he hadn’t asked me anything else – my name, age, anything – all he had was my phone number and the important detail of my favourite depressed meal.

I tried to get a little more work done, but not much changed on the screen in front of me; I had a few things running through my mind to distract me. Eventually, I gave up and left, but not before approaching the counter and the same waiter I’d spoken to earlier.

‘How was everything?’ she asked.

‘Perfect, as usual. Thanks. Hey, I have another weird thing to ask you, about the flyer guy.’

She smiled and nodded. ‘I’ll help if I can.’

‘He asked to meet me here so he could pay me and talk to me a little more. Has he… met with anyone else from the, uh… ‘study’?’

She gave it some thought. ‘I don’t think so. Not that I’ve seen on my shifts, at least. And I feel like I’d have heard about it if anyone else had.’

I asked her a few more questions, just wanting to know if I could trust John or not, and the waiter seemed to think I could. The only red flag I received was that apparently no one had ever seen his grandpa; he never left the house, and John only ever picked up orders to take back home for the both of them. As far as she or anyone else knew, this was the first time he was supposed to actually sit in on the cafe. Because of that, she seemed enthusiastic about me accepting the invitation.

I left, heading out into the rain. When I got home that night, still unsure about the whole thing, I explained the situation to Drew.

He said it was weird but hey, why not make some easy money. There’s a reason we’re good together; we think alike. He assumed if I was meeting this guy at the cafe in front of all the staff there would be very little danger to worry about. He just told me to make sure I called him if anything felt weird – weirder than it already was – or unsafe, even the slightest bit.

So, I texted John back, accepting his offer to meet. He replied quickly, and we agreed on a time.

Fast forward to the next day, afternoon. It was dark, raining, cold. I walked into the cafe, and all the tables were empty; only a couple of people waiting in line for to-go orders. About normal for that time of day. I took a seat at a corner table, a little early, and tried to ignore the excited looks a couple of the staff gave me by pulling out my phone.

As I’ve said, I’m not typically the nervous type in a social setting, but this whole thing was starting to get to me. It didn’t help that the waiters kept looking over at me as if I was some sort of test dummy they were waiting to record results from. When one brought me the coffee I’d ordered, he nodded as if we both knew some exciting secret.

After maybe ten minutes, at exactly the time we’d agreed on, the entrance door swung open, and in strode a man about as plain as you could imagine. Impossibly average in appearance. Not ugly or beautiful, fat or skinny, young or old – probably in his 30s. It’s hard to describe, and it’s also not an insult, nor a compliment. He was just… a man.

The only thing that stuck out was his air of absolute confidence. His walk, his posture, his demeanour, everything about the way he carried himself said ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks, and even if I did, it wouldn’t matter.’

After giving the staff a friendly greeting, he turned to me and approached my table. I stood up and stuck out my hand, feeling a little awkward in his presence, despite myself.

‘Hi. John, right?’ I asked. ‘We spoke yesterday. I’m Hayley.’

He shook my hand, his grip perfectly neutral, his smile friendly, almost unbearably so, but just shy of the point of appearing insincere or annoying, just like his voice. ‘It’s nice to meet you in person, Hayley. We have some things to discuss.’

We both took our seats. He watched me, smirking, like he knew something I didn’t. Again, not in an annoying way.

‘So… what’s this all about?’ I finally said.

‘I’m glad you asked. I’ve already told you about my grandfather and the study he’s conducting, so I won’t go over that again. I will tell you that your answers have been just about everything we’re looking for, and my grandfather would love to meet you to talk about continuing the research further.’

I opened my mouth to ask a question, but he continued before I could.

‘Yes, I did mean answers, plural. It’s not easy to explain, but you’ve been answering questions for us for a long time, and your answers are always the same. It’s made us certain you’re the one we’ve been looking for. And no, before you ask, we haven’t been stalking you, or following you, or prying into your life without your knowledge in any way. Like I said, it’s hard to explain.’

He stopped, looking at me again, his eye contact, his smile, everything about him so calming… disarming.

‘What is this ‘study’ actually for?’

He didn’t skip a beat before launching into his answer – a regular occurrence I’d have to get used to. ‘Unfortunately, I can’t give you any details before knowing you’re fully committed. It’s a sensitive subject, to say the least, and we don’t like to go around talking about all the important details with just anyone.’

‘Right. Makes sense… I guess.’ This whole proposal was intriguing, but I was still trying to figure him out, though I wasn’t sure such a task was even possible.

Before either of us could speak again, a waiter approached and set down a mug of tea in front of John. He hadn’t even ordered anything, as far as I knew.

‘The usual for you, John?’ the waiter asked. He smiled like they were old friends.

‘Thanks, Ben.’ John looked back at me and sipped his tea as the waiter left. I likewise took a sip of my coffee.

I sighed and looked at him. ‘Why has no one ever seen your grandpa? The staff here said you always take orders back home for him.’

‘The simple answer is that he’s very invested in his work. He doesn’t leave the house very often – at all, really – because his entire life basically consists of eating, sleeping, and working. He doesn’t have time to be social, not with anyone except me. He’s… a little eccentric, as you can imagine. But he’s a sweetheart.’ He grinned with pride.

‘I have another question.’ John nodded, waiting. ‘On the phone you made it sound like there are other ‘candidates’. Can I talk to them?’

‘There is potential for other candidates, yes, but you’re the first that my grandfather has decided he wants to continue with. And if there were others already, you wouldn’t be able to speak with them until you agree to continue with us.’

‘I have to ask,’ I said, ‘what the hell was so good about my stupid answer? I wasn’t even taking it seriously. And, I mean, the question was kind of stupid in the first place. No offence.’

He laughed. I couldn’t imagine what it would look like if he were offended. ‘It wasn’t just your answer. It’s the way you answer, and… well, I can’t really get into it. My grandfather explains it better, anyway.’

‘The way I answer? Okay, seriously, what did you mean I’ve been answering for a long time? You know how strange and, well… creepy that sounds right?’

‘I know how it sounds, and I’m sorry I can’t be more descriptive, but again, I can’t tell you much without knowing you’re on board.’

‘Great. So what can you tell me, now, before I agree to anything?’

‘I can tell you that it has to be you. My grandpa is absolutely certain of that. I can also tell you that none of this will ever make sense unless, again, you continue with us. At that point, you’ll be told absolutely everything.’

‘And if I do agree? What happens next?’

‘I’ll ask you to meet my grandfather. We live a few blocks from here, on Harper Street, a busy road.’

‘You want me to go to your house?’ This was the first time I felt any hesitance – I know, it somehow took this long.

‘I know how it sounds, but yes. It probably doesn’t mean much coming from me, but you’ll be absolutely safe. The meeting will just be another conversation, like this one, but in the privacy of our home we can discuss everything at length and answer every question you have.’

He stopped and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his wallet. He took a $20 bill and slid it across the table. ‘That’s yours, as promised.’ I looked down at the money, unsure if I should take it, as if it was booby trapped. ‘I know how strange this whole thing is. But I also know you’re a little intrigued. It goes without saying that whether or not you agree to continue with us is entirely up to you. You can take this money and forget all about the flyer, the study, me. Continue living your life $20 richer… but I think we both know your curiosity won’t let that happen.’ He spoke so confidently I almost agreed with him right there, but I stopped myself. ‘In any case, there isn’t much more I can say now, here. When you make your decision, give me a call.’

We said our goodbyes and he left. I stayed for a few minutes, wondering what I’d gotten myself into, and also knowing I wouldn’t find out unless I agreed to go to John’s house. I left pretty quickly when I could focus again, not wanting to deal with the staff questioning what had happened; I wasn’t really sure myself.

I texted Drew a few times, mostly not wanting him to worry, telling him the meeting had been fine, interesting, I was okay, and that it would be easier to talk about in person.

When he returned home from work that night, we’d barely said hello before we were on the couch discussing what had happened.

I told him everything, just as I’ve written here.

‘It’s a little weird,’ he said, an understandable reaction. ‘What if he’s just some creep trying to lure you to his house?’

‘Well, that’s definitely what he wants, but I don’t think he’s a creep. It’s hard to explain, but talking to him… he’s just so friendly, and trustworthy. He kind of brought things up about it being creepy before I could even say them.’

‘Maybe that’s his tactic. Maybe he’s a sociopath, and this is how he gets people.’

‘All the cafe staff seemed to vouch for him. It’s not like he’s some nobody off the streets.’

‘But he’s never met with anyone in the cafe before, only taken to-go orders? And no one’s seen this ‘grandpa’; what if it’s all bullshit? Some elaborate setup to kidnap you? Plus, there’s that thing about your ‘answers’, plural. That’s weird. Either he is a stalker, and knows more about you than he should, or he’s just… not all there.’

‘I know what you’re saying. I just don’t think I can explain it. Talking to him, it’s just… I don’t know.’

‘So… you’re in love with him?’ Drew said, pretending to exaggeratedly cry. ‘Is that it?’

‘Oh, without question.’ I put a hand on his shoulder. ‘You just can’t compete with a mysterious older man who’s potentially been obsessed with me for a long time.’

We both laughed, and continued to go back and forth over whether it was a good idea or not while we made dinner. Eventually, we settled on an agreement.

‘All that matters, Hayley, is this: do you want to meet his grandpa, and do this study thing?’

I thought for a few moments. ‘I think so. I mean, I definitely want to meet the grandpa, at least. Maybe get a few more answers.’

‘Okay. Then when you call him, you tell him I’m going with you, and that’s the only way this is going to work.’

It was a fair request. Drew could make sure it was safe, and if John really wasn’t a creep he wouldn’t have a problem with it.

Okay. That’s probably the quickest I can sum all of that up. It’s going to get weird – weirder than it already is – and you might start thinking I’m crazy or something. I’m still not entirely convinced that I’m not, but I’m just trying to type out everything as it happened, exactly as I remember it.

At this point, I’m about 90% sure those two things are the same.