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A Strange Encounter - Part 2

     "How do you know my name?" I asked sitting down, my hands on the table. She had returned to her seat, sipping her coffee. Hearing the question she smirked curiously. It didn't do anything for my anxiety.
     "I know a lot of things about you," she said, setting the coffee down. "I know where you live. I know where you work. I know where the girl lives. The one you followed home." She smiled in a satisfied way and lit a cigarette to replace the one I guess she had lost when she lunged at me. I felt myself blushing furiously.
     "I didn't-"
     "Sure you did," she finished for me.
     "I did... once!" I said jabbing the table with my finger for emphasis.
     "Why? What were you planning?" she asked. My mouth hung open a bit in confusion.
     "What?" I finally asked.
     "You followed her home. Why?"
     "Why? I just wanted to see something about her!" I blurted. I looked around a moment, embarrassed by my outburst.
     "What did you want to see?" she asked slowly, still grinning.
     "Anything," I said, looking down. I sipped my tea and took a breath to get my composure back. "I don't know who you are. I don't know why you're here, and I don't know who you think I am. I liked her. I didn't know much about her and I wanted to see where she lived. I drove by her house and then left. That's all."
     "Why didn't you ask her?" she asked with a puff of smoke.
     "I can't," I said quietly.
     "Really?"
     "Yeah," I said, taking another sip of my tea.
     "You 'liked' her? What happened?" she asked.
     "You should know," I said snidely.
     "Humor me," she said blowing smoke.
     "There was another car there. A friend of mine," I said, the last words muted in my cup of tea.
     "That's all?"
     "That's enough to remind me to stop wanting things I can't have," I said after swallowing the tea and clearing my throat.
     "I see what all that sarcasm is protecting," she said.
     "What's that supposed ot mean?" I asked.
     "Nothing, please go on," she said smiling.
     "I think it's your turn to explain a few things now," I said carefully.
     "Fair enough," she said.
     "So, how in the hell do you know all of this? I don't exactly lead a life worth spying on."
     "On the contray, that's exactly why I've watched you," she said looking serious. She sat back and took a puff from her cigarette. Her brief answers were beginning to annoy me.
     "Care to elaborate, or are we finished?" I said irritably.
     "If I elaborate too much, too quickly, Grant, I'll just scare you." She tapped the ashes off of her cigarette on the edge of the ashtray.
     "Well, it's been fabulous talking with you, Miss... whatever your name is-"
     "My name-"
     "Nope, don't wanna know," I said standing up and putting my hands to my ears.
     "Sit down," she commanded.
     "Sorry, I don't respond well to orders, see, I'm the kind who likes to be asked nicely," I said turning to walk away.
     "Please. Please sit down," she said. I turned and looked at her. She was smiling indulgently.
     "You gonna tell me what's going on?" I asked, still standing.
     "Of course. That's half of the fun," she pointed her hand at my chair. Looking a little incredulous, I sat back down.
     "So, how do you know these things about me?" I asked, pulling a cigarette out of the pack.
     "I've watched you, of course."
     "Yeah. But why?" I lit my cigarette.
     "Because you intrigue me," she said, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward slightly.
     "That's funny," I said smiling and gesturing with my hand, "cause, you know, I'm not intriguing to anyone." My fake smile slid away.
     "Always so sarcastic," she said, still grinning.
     "You'd know," I said with venom. She just laughed loudly at that.
     "I watched you because you're not part of the herd."
     "Herd?" I asked.
     "The human cattle roaming about with nothing more in thier heads than making sure to follow someone else who seems to know where they're all going."
     "And you said I was sarcastic," I let out a short laugh.
     "There is a difference between sarcasm and cynicism," she said flatly.
     "So I'm not part of the herd, tell me something else I was unaware of."
     "Now that was sarcasm," she said smiling.
     "Old habit. Talk," I bit my words off at her.
     "Now you're just being surly," she said. If I didn't know better I'd think she was almost pouting.
     "Another bad habit of mine, continue," I said as mannerly as I could manage.
     "Some like to pick from the herd for whatever reason. I don't. I like the fringes. I find them much more entertaining. You see there are some who think the herd itself is the standard for sanity and anyone deviating from it must be deviating from the standard definition of sanity. I happen to think differently. I think the individuals who exist apart from the herd are the sane ones. I prefer thier company," she said in a semi-lecturing tone.
     "Right," I said mockingly, "and who is "Some?" She looked up with a playful grin. She looked to the left and to the right then leaned in close to me.
     "Do you believe in monsters, Grant?"