him. Indignation only went so far. And so, blood boiling, I just stood there, ignoring the way his beady eyes bored into me and the smug look on his face.
Finally the man sighed, stood up straight and started to walk towards me again. "I'm getting bored, little mouse. How about a little entertainment while we wait?"
"No," I said lightly, even as my hands shook. "It's time for you to go."
"Now why would I do that?" He grinned again, revealing a mouth full of mismatched teeth, shape and color varying widely.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I curled my fingers into fists, trying to prepare for whatever came next.
The man sniffed the air as if he could smell my fear. He lowered his head and continued his strange, slow walk forward.
My hand reached back and grabbed the still filling coffee pot without looking away from him.
Our eyes met, intent translating wordlessly from one to the other and back again. The time for playing was over.
But just as I braced to defend myself from an inevitable attack of some kind, the door slammed open and a pair of young men strode inside. I gasped with relief, amazed that the bike-riding slackers were, for the first time ever, a truly welcome sight.
"What's up," asked Braden, tall and skinny with sandy hair that was always falling in his eyes.
"Boss man bail again?" This was from Darius, Braden's opposite in appearance. He was small and dark with a shaved head and, from what I'd seen since he started, an empty one too.
"Yes," I replied, voice a lot steadier than I felt. "This gentleman was looking for Mr. Douglas but I explained I don't know when he’ll be back."
"Sorry, man," Darius said, clapping the stranger on the shoulder, oblivious as usual. "Ole Mitch never tells us shit. Just comes and goes like a fart in the wind."
I watched the stranger's eyes widen in confusion, unsure what to do in the face of the pair of men. In their work gear, t-shirts and shorts that displayed their lean but well-muscled bodies, either one was more than a match for him physically. Together they could do a lot of damage. I saw every stage of his thought-process happen, and sighed a little when he clearly gave up.
"Tell Mitchell I'll be back and he better be here."
"Of course, sir."
He clomped over to the door, glaring at all three of us. "Fucking bullshit."
Once he was gone I took a deep breath and sagged against the wall, relieved but shivering as adrenaline drained from my bloodstream.
"Nice guy, huh?" Braden shrugged and walked around me to grab a cup. "This fresh coffee? We're just in time."
I nodded. He had no idea how right he was. "You guys need something?"
"Nah, we just left our stuff in the back. Take a load off."
"Okay." I sat down at her desk and dialed Anna's number.
"Carly, thank goodness. I thought you were going to have to actually do some work."
"Sorry about hanging up like that. Something came up."
"No worries. Hey…are you okay?"
"Uh huh." I twirled a lock of hair around my finger nervously, not wanting talk about it yet.
"You're the worst liar ever. What happened?"
"Nothing. Um…I'll tell you all about it later. I need to get out of here."
"You sound weird."
"I feel weird."
"Carly, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
"There was just a creepy guy here. He just spooked me a little."
"More than a little I'd say."
The familiar sound of my friend's worried voice was soothing.
"It wasn't a big deal. Just another asshole."
"Look, I don't like how you sound. Why don't I come over to your place?"
"Don’t you have to work tonight?"
"I'll call in. Tell Angelo it's a female problem."
I smiled. "Does that still work?"
"Every time. Say yes."
I didn't want to admit how much I needed just that, a night of fun with the person who knew me best in the world. "Okay."
"Excellent. I'll meet you there."
"We can order something and watch a movie or whatever."
"Or whatever. Don't you worry about that, I have the perfect evening planned."
"Planned? You just thought
Finally the man sighed, stood up straight and started to walk towards me again. "I'm getting bored, little mouse. How about a little entertainment while we wait?"
"No," I said lightly, even as my hands shook. "It's time for you to go."
"Now why would I do that?" He grinned again, revealing a mouth full of mismatched teeth, shape and color varying widely.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I curled my fingers into fists, trying to prepare for whatever came next.
The man sniffed the air as if he could smell my fear. He lowered his head and continued his strange, slow walk forward.
My hand reached back and grabbed the still filling coffee pot without looking away from him.
Our eyes met, intent translating wordlessly from one to the other and back again. The time for playing was over.
But just as I braced to defend myself from an inevitable attack of some kind, the door slammed open and a pair of young men strode inside. I gasped with relief, amazed that the bike-riding slackers were, for the first time ever, a truly welcome sight.
"What's up," asked Braden, tall and skinny with sandy hair that was always falling in his eyes.
"Boss man bail again?" This was from Darius, Braden's opposite in appearance. He was small and dark with a shaved head and, from what I'd seen since he started, an empty one too.
"Yes," I replied, voice a lot steadier than I felt. "This gentleman was looking for Mr. Douglas but I explained I don't know when he’ll be back."
"Sorry, man," Darius said, clapping the stranger on the shoulder, oblivious as usual. "Ole Mitch never tells us shit. Just comes and goes like a fart in the wind."
I watched the stranger's eyes widen in confusion, unsure what to do in the face of the pair of men. In their work gear, t-shirts and shorts that displayed their lean but well-muscled bodies, either one was more than a match for him physically. Together they could do a lot of damage. I saw every stage of his thought-process happen, and sighed a little when he clearly gave up.
"Tell Mitchell I'll be back and he better be here."
"Of course, sir."
He clomped over to the door, glaring at all three of us. "Fucking bullshit."
Once he was gone I took a deep breath and sagged against the wall, relieved but shivering as adrenaline drained from my bloodstream.
"Nice guy, huh?" Braden shrugged and walked around me to grab a cup. "This fresh coffee? We're just in time."
I nodded. He had no idea how right he was. "You guys need something?"
"Nah, we just left our stuff in the back. Take a load off."
"Okay." I sat down at her desk and dialed Anna's number.
"Carly, thank goodness. I thought you were going to have to actually do some work."
"Sorry about hanging up like that. Something came up."
"No worries. Hey…are you okay?"
"Uh huh." I twirled a lock of hair around my finger nervously, not wanting talk about it yet.
"You're the worst liar ever. What happened?"
"Nothing. Um…I'll tell you all about it later. I need to get out of here."
"You sound weird."
"I feel weird."
"Carly, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
"There was just a creepy guy here. He just spooked me a little."
"More than a little I'd say."
The familiar sound of my friend's worried voice was soothing.
"It wasn't a big deal. Just another asshole."
"Look, I don't like how you sound. Why don't I come over to your place?"
"Don’t you have to work tonight?"
"I'll call in. Tell Angelo it's a female problem."
I smiled. "Does that still work?"
"Every time. Say yes."
I didn't want to admit how much I needed just that, a night of fun with the person who knew me best in the world. "Okay."
"Excellent. I'll meet you there."
"We can order something and watch a movie or whatever."
"Or whatever. Don't you worry about that, I have the perfect evening planned."
"Planned? You just thought
Similar Books
