Blush for Me

by Kristen Proby

  “I’m great, but I dropped my phone—”

  “You won’t need it,” the other guy says with a smirk.

  “What the fuck is this?” I demand.

  “Listen, Kat,” Preston says. They’re not restraining me, but they have me caged in, as if they’re just two guys having a conversation with a girl, and my fight-or-flight instincts are on high alert. I can’t get away from them without them catching me.

  But I can make a lot of fucking noise.

  “You’ll want to stay calm and quiet,” Preston continues, as if he can read my damn mind. “If you make this difficult, we’ll go find your parents and your four hot-as-fuck friends, and make life very, very hard for them.”

  “He means we’ll kill them,” the other guy says. “One at a time, in a horrible, painful way.”

  “What do you want?” I ask. Why did I drop my phone? I need to get a message to Mac. Jesus, what the fuck is happening?

  “Just you,” Preston says. “And not forever, just until our boss gets paid. But that’s a conversation for another time. Now, we’re going to walk out of here, with you, and you’re going to be nice and calm about it. No screaming, no drawing attention.”

  “I don’t believe that you’d hurt my family,” I reply. “You don’t even know who my parents are.”

  “Sue and Stu are a nice-looking couple,” Preston replies with a cold smile. “Your mama sure looked pretty in her blue dress today. What was the occasion?”

  “You don’t even know where they are.”

  Wordlessly, Preston taps on his phone, then shows me a photo of my parents walking into their condo.

  “This was about thirty minutes ago,” he says.

  I glare at him and don’t say a word as they flank me on either side, grabbing my arms, and walk me toward the exit.

  I know the rules: never leave with your captor. Ever. Make noise. Run away.

  Don’t be stupid.

  But they have threatened to hurt my parents. My friends. I can’t let them do that. I have to stay calm and outsmart them.

  We’re walking fast out to the garage, which is now full of cars, but empty of people because everyone is inside for the concert.

  “Don’t be stupid,” Preston warns. “You won’t be able to outrun us, and if you did manage to get away, it’ll take two minutes for our guy to get into your parents’ place to make quite the mess.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” I snarl. “You didn’t find me at the side of the road by accident that day.”

  He doesn’t reply, and his partner smirks.

  “You’ve been following me.”

  Again, they stay silent. Holy shit, they’ve been following me! For how long? And why?

  “Tell me what’s going on,” I demand, but they both just clench their jaws and ignore me.

  I hate being ignored.

  “You know, I don’t know what your plan is, but I bet it’s not a great one. If you can just tell me what’s going on, I may be able to help you.”

  “God, she’s a pain in the ass,” Thug Two says in exasperation.

  “Shut up, Kat,” Preston says. “Just shut the fuck up.”

  Not in this lifetime, asshole.

  “I’m a pretty smart girl,” I reply. “And I’m not unreasonable.”

  “For Christ sake,” Preston whispers. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but damn it, Kat, you just won’t shut the fuck up.”

  He rears his hand back, and I’m terrified to see a handgun in his grip.

  “No, don’t—”

  But everything goes black.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ~Mac~

  I check my phone for the fiftieth time since Kat left for the restroom. She’s been gone for almost thirty minutes, and the concert is going to start at any moment.

  Is the line that long?

  I decide to text her.

  The line must be nuts up there.

  Do people not use the restroom before they leave the house? The lights flicker, and still no Kat, so I stand and climb the stairs to see if I can find her. Surprisingly, the hallway outside the gate entrances is pretty empty now, as people have gone in to find their seats for the show. There’s a restroom just opposite from our gate entrance, with just a few women left in line.

  Kat isn’t one of them.

  I frown and glance up and down the hall on each side, but I still don’t see her. Maybe she’s in the bathroom?

  “Excuse me,” I say to a woman just exiting the restroom. “Can you tell me if you saw this woman inside?” I pull up a photo of Kat on my phone. She shakes her head slowly.

  “No, I don’t think I saw her.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  I peek around the cement wall to the restroom door, and there on the floor in the corner is a phone.

  Kat’s phone.

  “Excuse me,” I say, easing my way between the women and retrieving it. Did it fall out of her pocket or purse? I glance up at the next woman in line. “Do you mind going in and yelling out for Kat? She’s been gone awhile, and I can’t find her.”

  “You’re not some stalker, are you?” she asks, narrowing her eyes.

  “No. I’m her boyfriend.”

  “Okay.” She steps in and shouts, “Kat? Are you in here?”

  But there’s no response.

  “Sorry, I don’t think she’s in there.”

  I nod and walk farther down the hallway to the next bathroom, and ask another woman to do the same.

  Still no answer.

  What the fuck is going on?

  I wake Kat’s phone up and check it, to find not just my last text, but about ten others from the girls. I don’t like invading Kat’s privacy, but hell, maybe she bailed.

  Unlikely, but possible.

  The first message is from Kat to the girls.

  You guys! Mac had my parents fly in for my bday. We spent the afternoon with them. And you won’t even guess where we are now! We’re at the Ad

  She didn’t finish the message before it was sent. Next comes a bunch of questions from Mia and Riley.

  Where are you?

  Have you been drinking? Your message cut off.

  And then they get worried.

  Seriously, what’s going on? You can’t leave us hanging like that.

  As I’m scrolling through, the phone starts to ring, Mia’s name lighting up the caller ID.

  “Hello, Mia.”

  “Mac? What’s going on? We got a weird text from Kat, and now we can’t reach her.”

  “I don’t know,” I reply, and scrub my hand over my face. I’m starting to panic, but I have to stay calm. “I brought Kat to the Adele concert tonight, and she said she had to use the bathroom. She didn’t come back, so I went to find her. I found her phone on the ground by the bathroom, but I can’t find her anywhere. Do you know where she might be?”

  “She’d be with you, Mac,” Mia replies, worry heavy in her voice. “She’s crazy about you, and Adele is her favorite. She’d go right back to her seat.”

  “Fuck,” I mutter, and keep my eyes on the people around me, looking for her. The concert has started, so there are few people walking about now. “I’m not sure what to do.”

  “Go back to your seat to see if she came back. If not, ask an employee if they can send people into the restrooms to yell for her. It’s faster than you doing it yourself.”

  “Good idea. And if she’s not here?”

  She pauses. “We find her.”

  I nod and set off toward our seats. “Thanks Mia.”

  I click off and make my way down to our seats as Adele sings “Someone Like You.” The crowd is happy and energetic, soaking up every note, every word.

  But all I can focus on is Kat, and finding her. Holding her. Making sure she’s safe.

  She’s not in her seat as I’d hoped. So I climb the stairs again and find a member of security.

  “Excuse me.”

  The tall man turns to me. His name tag says tibble
. “Yes?”

  “I’m trying to find my girlfriend.” I explain the situation, amazed that I’m as calm as I am because inside I’m screaming.

  Where the fuck is she?

  “Do you have a photo of her?” he asks.

  “Yes.” I show him the photo on my phone. “Do you want me to text it to you?”

  “That would be great. I’ll send it to my guys and we’ll search the bathrooms to make sure she didn’t have to go in search of a shorter line.”

  “Perfect,” I reply in relief, and send him the photo. “Can I stick with you while we wait to hear?”

  “Of course.” He sends out a message on his phone, then speaks into the radio on his shoulder. “Attention. I just sent a photo of a woman who is missing. Her boyfriend is looking for her. Her name is Kat. Please check all restrooms and food service lines and report back ASAP.”

  We stand here for what seems forever as one by one reports come in that she’s not here.

  She’s not here.

  The hair stands on end all over my body as I realize that Kat is nowhere to be found.

  “Where could she be?” I mutter, and pace back and forth. “I’m going to call the cops.”

  “They won’t do much,” Tibble replies. “She hasn’t been gone for twenty-four hours, and we have no evidence of foul play.”

  “She wouldn’t walk away,” I reply in frustration.

  “You can try, but I used to be a cop, and I’m telling you, they won’t be able to do much.”

  I dial 911 and speak to the operator, repeating the story.

  “I’m sorry, sir, if she hasn’t been gone for twenty-four hours, there’s nothing we can do.”

  “Shit.” I sigh and drag my hand down my face. “Thanks anyway.”

  “I suggest you go home,” Tibble says. “We’ll keep looking here, and if we find her I’ll call you right away. In the meantime, you should call her family and friends to find out if they’ve heard from her.”

  “I have her phone,” I remind him. “She must have dropped it.”

  “We have this covered,” he repeats. “You’ll do better to go have friends and family help you. She’ll turn up. Are you sure you didn’t say something to piss her off and she split? Women can be sensitive.”

  I shake my head. I know he’s trying to lighten the mood, but it’s not working.

  “She was fine. It’s her birthday. We were having a great day.”

  “Damn.” Tibble shakes his head. “She’s around here somewhere. We’ll find her.”

  I nod and walk away, torn. Part of me wants to stay and continue to look for her here. This is where I last saw her. But Tibble’s right, he and his team can keep searching here, and I can see what I can find at home.

  Please, God, let her be at home.

  Rather than head back to my place, I go to Kat’s. If she’s going to go home, this is where she’ll be. Just as I walk through the door, my phone rings. My heart jumps, hoping it’s Tibble to say they found her, but it’s not him. It’s my dad.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hey buddy. Is this a bad time?”

  “Actually, yes. I’m sorry, I don’t have time to chat. Can I call you back tomorrow?”

  “Sure, sure. I was just checking to make sure you and your mother are okay.”

  I frown at the phone. “We’re all okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

  I end the call and shake my head. I have enough to worry about, I don’t need to worry about my dad too.

  Who do I call first?

  Mia will have my head if I don’t update her right away, so I call her back.

  “Tell me you found her,” she says.

  “I didn’t.” I fill her in on what happened at the Moda Center. “I’m at her place now. I don’t know where to go to find her.”

  “Stay there,” Mia replies. “We’re all on our way. We’ll figure this out.”

  “Thanks, Mia.”

  I hang up with her and immediately call my brother.

  “Yello,” he says. “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be romancing it up at the concert?”

  “Chase, I need your help.”

  “She’s been gone for almost three hours,” I say in aggravation as I pace Kat’s condo and push my hands through my hair. “Where the fuck is she?”

  “I have calls out to some people who can help,” Jake says as he rubs circles on Addie’s back. “They did some security for me in my touring days, and one of the guys lives here. He’s making some calls.”

  “Thanks,” I reply.

  “I hate that she doesn’t have her phone,” Cami says. She’s sitting next to Landon, her knees pulled up to her chest, and she wipes a tear from her cheek. “She can’t call us if she’s in trouble.”

  “Why was it on the floor?” Riley asks.

  “I assume it fell out of her pocket when she was in line,” I reply. “Besides, Kat’s made it no secret that she’s not attached to her phone like the rest of the world.”

  “Not when she’s at work or with one of us, but when she’s alone, she would never be careless with it. She knows how to be safe, Mac.” Riley stands to also pace the room. Kat’s parents are in the kitchen talking with Mia, my mom, and Chase. Everyone in our circle is in this room, worried out of our minds.

  And to be honest, I’m a bit pissed too. Maybe it’s just because it’s easier to be angry than scared, but damn it, where the fuck is she?

  “How are you holding up?” Jake asks as he joins me at the window.

  “I’m all over the place,” I reply honestly. “Where could she be, man?”

  “I don’t know.” He shakes his head and sighs. “This isn’t like her at all. She’s not the type of woman to just run off for the hell of it, and she’s pretty crazy about you.”

  “I’m in love with her.” I don’t even care that tears are threatening. “She’s my life, Jake. It’s like I was just walking through life in a fog until her, and now I see everything crystal clear. She’s put everything into focus for me. My life doesn’t work without her.”

  “Have you told her this?” he asks.

  “No.” Disgusted with myself, I shake my head and pace away, then back again. “I’ve wanted to tell her I love her over and over again.”

  “Why haven’t you, then?” Addie asks as she joins us.

  “Because I’m fucked up. Because being in something for the long haul scares me, but thinking of anything but forever with her makes me . . . panic.”

  “That’s sweet,” Addie says, and rests her head on Jake’s shoulder, her hands over her belly. “She’s always been the same way, sort of. Or, she never met anyone worth being in love with before you. I have to tell you, I’ve seen a change in Kat since she’s been with you.”

  “I’ve seen it too,” Mia says. I look up to realize that everyone is watching us, listening. “She’s softened a bit. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still a badass. She’s still Kat. I don’t know how to describe it.”

  “She’s in love,” Cami says. “She’s not so cynical anymore. She’s happy and content. You make her happy.”

  “We were just saying that this afternoon on our way home from lunch,” Sue says with a sad smile. “She’s finally found someone she can truly talk to, who isn’t afraid of her intelligence or intimidated by her success.”

  “She’s fucking amazing,” I reply, my throat hoarse. I swallow hard and rub my fingers roughly over my lips. “She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I swear a part of me knew it the minute she sat next to me on that plane. She was so damn scared, but she held it together. I didn’t even know her, but I was so proud of her.”

  “She’s an amazing woman,” Riley says with a nod. “And we’re going to find her, Mac. She’s going to be fine, and you can tell her all of those things yourself.”

  “I pray you’re right.”

  “Of course I’m right.” She rests her fists on her hips. “I’m used to getting my way, and I’m not about to lose my best friend now. She must be lost, or hurt,
or . . . something.”

  “That’s it!” Cami exclaims. “Maybe she couldn’t find her way back to your seats, and she ended up sitting somewhere else to watch the show. She lost her phone, so she couldn’t call you.”

  “The show was over an hour ago,” I reply.

  “Maybe she’s waiting for a cab,” Landon suggests. “I once went to a concert up in Tacoma, and after the show, it took me two hours to get a cab home. And let me tell you, that’s a sketchy neighborhood. I thought for sure I’d end up killed in a drive-by.”

  “That has to be it,” Addie says with a nod. “And she lost her phone, so she can’t call or text anyone. She’s probably just as worried as we are.”

  “Maybe,” I reply, hope finally starting to bloom in my gut. I take a deep breath and nod. “That does make sense. The show was sold out, so it could take her quite a while to hail a cab.”

  “Not to mention,” Cami adds, “if she spent time searching through the crowds for you, she may still be waiting for a ride.”

  “Maybe we should drive over there and look for her,” Stu suggests. “I can go, and if she turns up here, just call me and I’ll come back.”

  “I can go with you,” Mia offers. “I know that place inside out. I love to go to shows there.”

  Could it be this simple? She just got lost, and couldn’t find me? Jesus, all of this worry could have been for nothing.

  “If you don’t mind going to look, I’d appreciate it,” I reply. “I’ll stay here in case she comes home.”

  “We’ll all wait with you,” Riley says. “We won’t leave you alone.”

  “Kat has an amazing family.” I look around at everyone and feel immense gratitude and love. “Thank you, everyone.”

  “Sounds like we’re your family now too,” Addie says with a wink. “That can be both a blessing and a curse with this crazy group.”

  “Run while you can,” Jake says with a smile, then sobers as he takes Addie’s hand in his. “Seriously, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have at my back if something were to happen to Addie. We’re going to figure this out.”

  Just then, Jake’s phone rings. “Here’s my guy. Hello?”

  He steps away to talk, then comes back with a frown. “He said until we actually hear from her, there’s not much they can do to trace her, especially since she doesn’t have her phone on her. But if she calls, they can trace it.”