Obsession (Stalker #1)

by Alice C. Hart

  My eyes were no doubt bugged out of my head when he showed me the first floor apartment. He told me it was mine if I wanted it, and I moved in that weekend. We’ve also been friends ever since. He charges me one thousand dollars a month for rent, which is cheap for an apartment like mine, in downtown Toronto. It includes all utilities, laundry and WIFI. How could I turn that down, right?! Plus, he’s a cop so I feel safe knowing that he’s near.

  I put my iPod on and find my cleaning playlist. I have a playlist for just about everything. It’s just how I roll. I love to dance while I clean, but I know I have to save some energy for tonight. My mind starts swirling about all things Jake. Nobody has ever made me feel the way he made me feel in one night. How can that be? Am I living a loveless life? I didn’t think I was, but he made me feel like a treasure and he just made me FEEL. Dammit.

  I’m not so good with feelings and not sure how to process this. I mean, we work together, he supervises me on occasion, has an ex-wife and a kid. I have never dated anyone with an ex-wife and a kid before, and I don’t know if I can handle that. I smoke, I drink, I smoke some pot here and there, how can I possibly be allowed near children? Do I have to quit my life and how I’m currently living it? How does he seem so sure anyway?

  I’m sure his ex-wife (I cringe even saying it) won’t be down with having another woman anywhere near her kid. I’ve seen movies and shit and know how these things play out. It’s never good, that’s for damn sure. Will this relationship earn me the title of Step-Mother? (I wince) Nobody likes step-mothers, and I’m positive Disney put a bad rap on step-moms ever since Cinderella. “Step” is such an ugly word, too, and I don’t like it.

  But, I’ve always liked Jake…How could I not? He’s fuckin’ deliciously hot, has a good heart, loves his kid, has a job, has a car, and has a house. Most likely, he’s all responsible and shit. It’s like he’s a grown up and not a man child. There are pros and cons to this situation, and quite frankly, thinking about it too much hurts my head. FUCK IT. I’m going to bounce this shit off my girls and see what they have to say. This ought to be good.

  In the end, my girls and I all support each other in our decisions. It’s how we roll. None of us judges anyone’s life or how they choose to live it, even if the decisions aren’t always the right ones. But shit. That’s life, isn’t it? I’m over thinking this and I know it. I don’t want to miss out on a possibly amazing man. This is why I never look before I leap. I can’t predict the future or what I’d prefer to happen so I suppose my best option is to be open and communicate. I still need to bounce this shit off my girls for good measure.

  I wonder what Jake and Isabelle are doing?

  Jake

  “Ozzy! Ozzy, stop lickin’ me, buddy!”

  I crack an eye open and his nose is right in my face, the biggest black nose you’ve ever seen is nearing my eyeball. I scratch his head and he takes it as a sign to jump up on the couch to lay on me. My German shepherd thinks he’s a lap dog and doesn’t really understand how big he is. He thinks he is a puppy and most of the time it’s funny. He stretches right out on me and I rub his belly.

  I hear the padding of little feet heading in my direction. Izzy is in front of the couch looking at the dog on top of me and she is smiling.

  “Hi, Daddy! I come, too?” She also climbs up and I now have the two of them on top of me and it feels great, except I can’t breathe.

  “Hey, are you two ready to go to the dog park?” They both look up at me and smile. Yes, dogs smile. “Ok guys, let’s go get ready.” Izzy climbs down and runs to her room while Ozzy hops off. We can go to the park for an hour or so and then come home for dinner. “Ok you two, are you ready to go?” I holler. They both come barrelling out of Izzy’s room and Izzy is screaming, “Let’s go guys, come on!”

  Into the Jeep we go. I strap Izzy in her car seat and Oz sits in the back with her, of course. It’s only a five minute drive there, but it’s a bit cold and I know that Izzy will be tired after her romp at the park. We arrive and it looks pretty empty. It is nearing dinner time, but I do see a few regular dog walkers with their packs. All the dogs and owners have been friendly. It’s been a great place to hang out with Izzy and Ozzy.

  We get inside the fenced grounds and I let Oz off his leash. I give his ball to Izzy to throw for him. It doesn’t go very far and he’s got some pent up energy.

  “Izzy, can Daddy throw, too?”

  She hands me the ball and I give it a good one. Ozzy starts running and Izzy goes chasing after him. I can’t help but chuckle and shake my head at how cute my kid is. I smile so hard because it kills me how much she looks like me. No paternity test needed with this one, folks! She’s all me and I love it. I’m almost positive that her mother hates it and that makes me smile, too.

  Ozzy is going all over the place and my girl is still trying to keep up, but falls on her butt. Oz comes over to make sure she’s ok and starts licking her face. She starts laughing her head off. The sweet sound of Izzy’s laughing is a sound that warms my soul and I’ll never get enough of it. She laughs with her whole heart and body. It reminds me of Abby.

  I hope this shit with Abby goes down smooth and she doesn’t freak out, because to be honest, she did look a little freaked out. I suppose I would, too, if the shoe were on the other foot. I don’t know what it is exactly about her; it’s just all of her. I don’t want to change a thing about Abby. People are how they are and you either accept them or don’t.

  “Excuse me, sir, but would you like a wet nap to wipe off that kid’s face?”

  I whip around and see a petite blonde girl with big brown eyes and her pack of dogs. She scrunches up her face in disgust as Ozzy kisses Izzy.

  “Actually, Miss, I have my own wet naps, but thank you. That kid is my daughter and her name is Isabelle.” She is looking at me like I’ve lost my ever-loving-mind. “It’s just doggy kisses.” She stares at me.

  “Do you have any idea where dogs put their mouths, sir?”

  Sir? I look like a sir? “Please, call me Jake.”

  I stretch out my hand to shake her hand. She offers me hers and says her name is Amanda. Izzy and Ozzy come over to see what’s going. They are nosy. I introduce Izzy and Ozzy to Amanda and her eyes shine when they land on Izzy.

  “Jake, you have a beautiful daughter and Ozzy is most certainly handsome, but please don’t let him lick her face like that. It’s gross, dude.”

  Like I’m going to let some chick I don’t even know tell me what to do with my kid and dog.

  “Thanks for the advice, Amanda, but these two are always rolling around in dirt, or Ozzy is kissing her, or whatever else they get into. They really are best friends and I’m fine with it. Rest assured I do wipe her face off. And hey, she’s still alive so it can’t be all that bad.” The look on her face says she’s not convinced. “Look, Amanda, I realize people are weird about germs, but I’ve been working at a homeless shelter for quite some time now and I’m surrounded by the worst germs on the planet. That’s why I’m not all that concerned about my dog’s mouth.” Her eyes bug out of her head and it looks like the wheels are turning in her brain. She’s deep in thought.

  “Jake, do you mind if I ask which shelter you work at?”

  “Not at all. I work at The Shelter, the big one downtown. I have for about five years now.” Ok, I’m pretty sure her head might spin off right now. What is her problem?

  “Your last name isn’t Jackson, is it?”

  “Yeah, it is, why? And how do you know that?”

  “Well, Jake Jackson, I’m Amanda Morrison. We may have even spoken on the phone a few times. I’ve called there for one of my best friends, Abby Osborne.” Now my eyes bug out of my head and I feel weird.

  “Oh my shit.” The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them.

  “Daddy, you said a bad word,” says Izzy. I look down at Izzy and apologize.

  “Uh, yeah. I, uh, Abby and I work together, yup. I really should get going now.” I start to gather Izzy and Oz
zy to go home because I’m not sure if Abby is ready for our worlds to collide yet.

  “I’m actually going over to Abby’s tonight. It’s girls’ night.”

  And without even thinking, I blurt out, “Yeah, I heard.” Amanda is looking at me suspiciously like she knows something’s up. I’m not sure what to do.

  “So, I’ll just tell Abby, I finally met THE Jake Jackson at the dog park.”

  “Uh, sure. Look Amanda, we got to get going because it’s almost dinner time. I’m sure these two are probably hungry by now, so have a fun girls’ night.”

  “Jake, something feels weird and I feel like you aren’t telling me something. Is Abby ok?”

  “I think so. I really can’t talk about this right now.” I wiggle my eyes towards Izzy. Amanda nods her understanding.

  “Hey Izzy, it was super nice to meet you and Ozzy today. Maybe we’ll see you around another day. I work at a doggie daycare and I’m here a lot.” Izzy looks thrilled and her face lights up with one of her biggest smiles. I’m positive Amanda’s heart just melted. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can resist my kid’s smile.

  “That sounds great, Amanda,” I say. “We’ll see you around. Have a great time tonight.”

  I gather up my kid and dog and book it back to the Jeep to go home. It’s getting late and I need to feed Izzy. That was so awkward.

  “Nice to meet you guys,” Amanda hollers and I give a backwards wave.

  Well, shit. What in the fuck am I supposed to do with that? I’ve talked to quite a few of Abby’s friends when they’ve called The Shelter, but I’ve never met any of them. What are the odds that I run into one of them? THE Jake Jackson, huh. She’s talked about me with her friends.

  We make it back home and I cook up pasta with red sauce and make some garlic bread. Isabelle loves pasta, but she needs a super amount of Parmesan cheese on it. After we finish, her face is all red and full of sauce. She needs a bath. Big time. I get the tub ready for her. Ozzy is right beside the tub trying to get in there with her. This shit is just too fuckin’ cute for words and I smile at how much I love my little family. I can’t help but wonder how it would be if Abby was here with us.

  I get Izzy dried off and into her jams. I let her watch a few cartoons before bed. At bedtime, I tuck her in and read her one story of her choosing. After story time, I kiss her little face all over while she squeals. I tell her I love her. “I wuv you too, Daddy.”

  “Goodnight, baby girl.” I leave her room and leave the door open a crack because I know Ozzy will sneak in there later on.

  It’s been a long ass day and I need a drink. I make a Rye and Coke and plop on the couch in front of the TV. I turn on the Leaf game. I know, they suck, but I’ve been a fan since I was a kid and I hope one day they won’t suck anymore. Hockey is my vice, my Kryptonite if you will. I am Canadian after all and it’s the only religion I follow. Yes, hockey is a religion in Canada. I have a have a hard time concentrating on the game because I’m positive Amanda is going to tell Abby about meeting me, my kid, and my dog today. I don’t know how Abby is going to take that. I want to text her, but not sure I should. It’s probably too late at this point now, anyway

  .

  Let the chips

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  l

  l

  where

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  may.

  Abby

  “Yo, twat waffle!” Dallas calls out as she barges into my apartment. This is our standard greeting. She always shows up about half an hour before the other girls so we can catch up. Just the two of us.

  “Hey whore, what’s up?”

  “Tell me it’s ready because I’m fucking starving.” Dallas is all decked out in her club gear with four inch heels to boot. She kicks them off and throws all her shit on my couch.

  “Yes, Dallas, it’s ready. Hey, where’s Justin?” I ask as she steamrolls towards the dip.

  “He dropped me off and split, but said he’ll pick us up whenever.” Justin always picks us up.

  “Ok, cool.” She starts eating the buffalo dip right out of the pot with a spoon.

  “So, I fucked Jake last night,” I say, getting bowls of chips ready for everyone.

  “You fuckin’ whore!!! It’s about time!” she screams, almost choking on the dip. Dallas is grinning from ear to ear. She knows I’ve been eyeing him for quite some time and has always encouraged me to go for it. Dallas supports every decision I make and it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. I do the same for her and all my girls because it’s just how we are, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Tell me everything, you SLUT!!!” Dallas squeals. She doesn’t really have an indoor voice, or head to mouth filter. So, I proceed to tell her about me being yelled at by a homeless dude and Jake checking on me, which lead to a ride to the bar to have a drink. I continue with where I pounced on him and had the most incredible orgasms of my life. Dallas is staring at me wide eyed, still eating the dip with a spoon. I tell her I need to get ready. While I get dressed, I stick her on the task of saving some dip for everyone else.

  What to wear? I decide on a short jean skirt, a fitted white button down over a black tank top that amplifies my cleavage, and knee high black boots with a two inch heel. I hate heels and I hate dressing fancy. It does not suit me and I’ll avoid it all costs. I do my makeup and make sure my eyes look all smoky with some dark brown shadow, liner and mascara, and I curl my lashes. Always curl your lashes. Then I add a nice sparkling nude lip gloss to my lips. I make sure my long brown hair is straight and I’m good to go. It really doesn’t take me long to get ready. I put on my party playlist and confirm Oreo has enough food and water. I love my fat cat! It was the black heart on his nose that got me.

  Dallas has set everything up. We have a few minutes before the girls start piling in so we go outside to smoke a joint and get our buzz on. This is typical for the two of us. We are passing the joint back and forth when Kevin makes his way outside.

  “Ladies, you look fuckin’ HOT tonight! Those poor bastards won’t even know what hit them when you walk in. Where y’all going anyway?” Kev asks.

  Dallas pipes in, “I think we’re going to Club 279 at the Hard Rock downtown.” Dallas passes him the joint, which he takes a few hits from and passes it back to me.

  Kev asks, “So, is your new boyfriend going, Abby?”

  I’m puffing away, but I freeze at the mention of a boyfriend.

  “Abby has a boyfriend?” Nikki and Nat echo, walking up to our porch. They still say shit at the same time, even though they aren’t down with the “typical twin thing.”

  “I fucked Jake last night,” I blurt. I puff the joint and hand it to them, even though Dallas is sure it’s her turn again. She always thinks it’s her turn. Nikki and Nat both look at each other and grin and then turn to me, smiling.

  “It’s about time, hooker!!!” Nikki says, with Nat nodding her head in agreement. Nikki and Nat say their hellos to Dallas and Kevin before lighting up their cigarettes. The joint is almost gone so Dallas grabs hers from her bra. For safekeeping, the important stuff always goes in the bra. I know everyone has their bras stuffed with shit.

  Amanda and Kim walk up and, finally, everyone is here. I scream, “Hey, bitches! FYI, I fucked Jake last night!” Amanda is grinning from ear to ear. Kim is adjusting her boobs and not really paying attention.

  While staring at me, Amanda says, “You know he has a kid, right? And a dog to boot!”

  How the fuck does she know he has a dog? Everyone is staring at me while I inhale my cigarette. “I know he has a kid, Amanda, but how do you know he has a dog?”

  She squeals, “You won’t even believe it! Guess who I ran into today at the dog park? Yeah, that’s right! Jake, Izzy and Ozzy! Abby, you won’t even believe how cute Izzy is. She is adorable and so sweet.”

  Oh my shit. Worlds are colliding a lot fucking faster than I thought they would.

  “Where is the fuckin’ joint?” And it magically appears in my
hand, and I’m not sure from where. I take a few more puffs and exhale trying to calm my nerves.

  “You guys know I’m weird around kids, and have issues and shit, and I don’t know how to handle this. Do I like him? Fuck yeah, I do! Am I ready for all that comes with him? Fuck me, I’m not sure.” I put the joint out only to have Kim grab it.

  While looking at me, Kim says, “Look bitch, you are twenty-nine years old. If you think you are going to find a man in our age bracket that doesn’t have some sort of past, then you will probably be waiting a long time to find someone.”

  Well, shit. She’s right. “Shit, Kim, you’re right. Look, is everyone finished here? We can all go inside. I made dip.”

  Kev starts the line off, going right into my apartment making a beeline for the dip. Everyone gathers and we pile in. I grab the wine and glasses and set them out on the coffee table. My friends know that my house is their house and to help themselves to whatever they want. Kevin takes the liberty of pouring the wine for us.

  “Abby, Jake is so hot and so nice. I wish you could have seen him with Izzy today. Although, he was letting that beast of a dog lick her face, and it was gross.” I start to laugh because Amanda works in a doggie daycare and you would figure she wouldn’t mind.

  “It’s not funny, Abby. Dogs lick their own asses, you know!” I start laughing even harder, and so does everyone else.

  “You do know that I work at a homeless shelter, right? I’m surrounded by germs constantly and think dog kisses are the least of my worries or Jake’s.”

  Amanda looks me dead in the eyes. “Oh my shit. That’s almost exactly what Jake said. It’s meant to be. And, I for one am happy for you.”

  “Look guys, I’m not sure if I can do this. I mean he has an ex-wife and shit, who I’m positive will hate me. What if his kid hates me?”

  I see Dallas laughing. “How old is the kid anyway?”