Creep

A man walked into the restaurant and stood behind my children. I stared at him quizzically for a few seconds, then with annoyance, and finally with anger. He looked as if he wanted to say something but couldn't quite get it out. After a short but uncomfortable time, he retreated to the pizza counter.

Did the guy order pizza like every other normal patron in the place? No. He ordered a beer. I didn't even know they sold beer. He ordered himself a beer and sat down.

Right. Across. From. Us.

I nervously attended to the children as the man watched us. He looked at me as if I were something good to eat and he looked at the children with the sort of odd fascination that grown men should not have. There were plenty of other children in the place making messes and playfully screaming but the difference was that they were with their mommies AND daddies. Two attractive young couples with four children between them blocked off the section we usually sat in, actually. The man paid no mind to those families. He wouldn't dare because there was daddy.

Julian sat on his knees backwards on his chair silently watching the other children in the restaurant. His brother wiggled out of his seat and in the process, managed to tip Julian's chair over.

The whole restaurant went silent; not because of the screaming child but because the man that had been carefully watching us jumped up and shouted, "I knew that was going to happen! I just knew it!"

He said the words with such disgust and hatred; as if he had been evaluating my parenting and had finally come to a decision.

I was horrified but of course, I rushed to help the child up and figure out if he was okay. He cried loudly and passionately for a good twenty seconds, refused to let me hold him or examine him, then went on munching a rice cake as if nothing had ever happened.

The man was still watching us. He had an evil look on his face. I ignored him.

He finished his beer, threw it away, then stood in front of our table. He stared at the baby for several uncomfortable seconds then said, "Someday you're gonna work for me!"

He gave me the scariest smile I'd ever seen then marched right out the door.