Alluring

by Curtis, Sarah

  Alexis awoke the next morning to the smell of breakfast. She walked downstairs in one of Jack's T-shirts and found him in the kitchen making French toast. It looked yummy. He looked yummier with bare feet in low-rise blue jeans and no shirt.

  She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and peeked around his arm. "What did I do to deserve this?" He hadn't cooked since making her dinner that one time.

  Jack did one last flip with the spatula then turned off the heat. He turned resting his butt again the stove and drew Alexis between his legs. "No reason. Just woke up and felt like cooking for you. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed, but I guess that idea's shot."

  Alexis smiled up at him. "I can always go climb back in."

  "You climb back in bed, I don't think a whole lot of eating will be going on." He gave her grin. "Of French toast at least."

  Alexis stepped out of his embrace and took down some plates. "Then I guess we'd better eat down here." She set the plates on the breakfast bar and grabbed some forks from a drawer.

  Jack got the syrup from the pantry and the warming, plate of French toast from the oven.

  Eating commenced and when Alexis was too full to take another bite she set her fork down on her plate. "I'm stuffed, but it was delicious."

  Jack put down his fork. "So I thought we'd go off-roading today. What do you think?"

  "I think that sounds fun. I'll do the dishes then pack us a lunch."

  "Okay, I just have a few phone calls to make then we can hit the road."

  Alexis checked the weather app on her phone before deciding what to wear. Unfortunately, when you lived in a hotel, you couldn't open the front door to check the weather. The app said 80 degrees with a breeze. She changed into jean shorts and a yellow tank with sneakers in case they went hiking. She grabbed a yellow hoodie (that had mysteriously appeared in the closet) and went in search of Jack.

  He was in the living room, sitting on the couch, finishing a call. "Okay, call me if you learn anything." He stood and put the phone in his back pocket. "Ready?"

  "Yep. Who was that?" Alexis asked, pointing to his butt.

  "Private investigator I hired to look into that note you received."

  Alexis was taken aback by his response. "Do you really think it warrants all that?"

  "I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances."

  Jack kept his SUV parked in an area accessed from a side exit in the lobby. Alexis started parking there, as well, when she moved in with Jack. She liked that it wasn't as long of a walk as from the employee parking area. They'd stepped off the elevator and were about to cross the lobby when a clerk flagged them down.

  "Miss Taft had a package delivered," the woman said, holding out a manila envelope.

  Alexis looked at Jack and frowned. "On a Sunday?"

  Jack took the envelope. "Did you see who dropped it off?"

  The clerk (her name tag read Cathy) shook her head. "No, sir, it was just laying on the counter. I saw it and picked it up."

  Alexis nodded, "Thank you, Cathy."

  "You're welcome." She walked away to go help a patron.

  "Are you going to open it?" Alexis asked.

  Jack flipped the envelope over and pinched the metal doohickey to open the flap. He pulled out a square piece of newspaper. He scanned, noticed nothing of interest and turned the paper over. Alexis sucked in a deep breath as what she looked at started to make sense. A picture of them at the woman charity gala, but there was a big red bulls-eye covering her face. At the bottom of the picture was the single word 'MINE' written in the same red, block letters as the previous note.

  Alexis felt Jack tense beside her. "Change of plans. We need to give this to Stan."

  Alexis was still in a daze. "Stan?" she asked, not totally comprehending Jack's words.

  "He's the PI. He'll have the resources to check this for fingerprints."

  "Should we go to the police?"

  "Let's see what Stan says first."

  Jack called Stan and told him to meet them at the hotel. They went to Jacks office to wait for him. Alexis flopped down on the couch as Jack paced the length of the office. He reminded Alexis of a caged tiger.

  She got up and stepped into his path. When he got near, she hugged him about the waist. "Jack, calm down."

  He rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm always in control. I need to be in control. But this is out of my control."

  "Come sit with me while we wait for Stan. After he gets here, you'll feel better, knowing something's being done."

  Jack reluctantly let Alexis pull him to the couch and push him down. She crawled onto his lap. He enfolded her in his arms, and she rested her head on his chest under his chin as they waited for Stan to arrive.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Stan was a nondescript man in his late forties. He was of average height and average build and had light-brown hair and brown eyes. He probably got lost in a crowd, which was perfect for his line of work.

  He was meticulous in his dress. His brown slacks and long sleeve, white, button-down shirt were wrinkle free. His shoes were polished to a high shine, and his tie was perfectly knotted. The only thing that seemed out of place was his watch. The accessory was black, big and clunky. It looked like something out of a spy movie. Did it take pictures? Did it have a recording device? Could it teleport him from one room to the next?

  Alexis and Jack still sat on the couch. Stan had pulled a chair over and sat across the coffee table from them. Jack went over the latest events, retrieved the note and newspaper clipping, and handed them to Stan.

  "We need to take this to the police. Open a case file. That way if something violent happens, there's evidence to back it up." Stan looked once more at the newspaper photo.

  "How hard is it going to be to find this person?" Jack's expression hardened when he asked the question.

  "I don't know yet. It could be anyone. You know a lot of people, Mr. Cole. You're also a celebrity, so it could even be someone you don't know. At this point, I'm not even sure if we're dealing with a man or a woman."

  "That's not very reassuring," Jack said, through gritted teeth.

  "I understand your anger, Mr. Cole. I can assure you, I take my job very seriously. I will find this person, and I'll keep you updated on any new developments." He turned his eyes to Alexis. "Ms. Taft, you need to keep me informed of any unusual occurrences even if you think it's unrelated to this case. Any information you give me will assist me in finding this person."

  He stood, picked his briefcase off the floor, and set it on the chair. He opened it and pulled out a large plastic baggie (the kind for food storage) and placed the note, newspaper clipping, and both envelopes into the bag. "If you get any more notes, put them in these bags." He placed a stack of baggies on the table, tossed the evidence bag in his case, then shut it. "Meet me at the police station. The one on Cameron. They'll have questions for both of you."

  Jack stood from the couch. "We'll head over now."

  They all shook hands then left Jacks office, going separate ways to their vehicles.

  Jack reached for Alexis's hand, as they sat in his SUV, after leaving the station. Filing the police report didn't take long. They asked a few questions and made copies of the evidence. Stan said it was more, getting it on record than asking them for help. He said investigating was his job, and he once again stressed how seriously he took it.

  "What's going through your head?" Jack asked, rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

  Alexis looked over and gave him a weak smile. "I could ask you the same thing."

  Jack chuckled, "You don't want to kn
ow what's going through my head."

  She gave him a genuine smile. "Oh yeah, and why's that?"

  "Because right about now, I'm thinking of locking you in our bedroom until this whole thing blows over."

  "I'll be careful, Jack, I promise, but I won't hide in fear. That gives them too much power."

  He gave her hand a squeeze. "Let's go home and watch TV. I feel like holding you all afternoon. We can go off-roading another day."

  "Okay," she nodded. She knew this was his way of keeping her close and safe, tucked away from the outside world. She would give him that, for today, but she wasn't going to stop living her life. She wasn't going to let whoever was doing this have that satisfaction.

  Three days later the phone calls started.

  Alexis was jarred awake by the ringing of her phone. Getting up on an elbow, she cracked open her eyes and noticed it was still dark out. Worry for her sister made her heart speed. Nothing good ever came from late-night phone calls. She fumbled around on the nightstand until she felt her phone.

  Unknown flashed on her screen. She put the phone to her ear. "Hello." She looked over at Jack. He was awake, up on an elbow, beside her.

  "He's mine, bitch." A scratchy female voice said over the line.

  "Who is this?" Jack must have heard the tremor in her voice. He took the phone from her and put it to his ear.

  He listened for a moment. "Don't fucking call this phone again," he growled, then hung up. He put her phone down and picked up his.

  Alexis looked over at the clock. Five a.m..

  Jack spoke rapidly into his phone. When he hung up, he tuned to Alexis, pulled her into his arms, and laid down. "Stan's gonna trace the call. He said he'll call us when he knows something."

  Alexis nodded her head. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in his scent.

  He ran his fingers through her curls. "Will you be able to go back to sleep?"

  "Yeah."

  "Good" He kissed the top of her head. "Sleep, baby.

  * * * * *

  Jack listened to Alexis's even breaths and watched the ceiling lighten as the sun rose. His brain worked a mile a minute, but he couldn't produce any solutions. He had no idea who was doing this. He felt impotent. A feeling he wasn't used to, and it made him angry. He struggled to compose his rage. Rage for an unknown person and unpredictable situation.

  Stan had looked into Janet as the suspect, but after over a week of following her, he'd pretty much ruled her out. Said she didn't fit the pattern of a stalker. Jack wasn't so sure, but, then again, he'd seen her brand of crazy first hand.

  He liked the idea that it was Janet, because if it wasn't, that left way too many other possibilities. His list of friends and acquaintances was long. His list of women longer. It could even be a stranger fixated on the two of them.

  Alexis mumbled something in her sleep and he laid a soothing hand on her back. The need to protect the woman in his arms was a compulsion he had no desire to halt. He would protect her from all harm. She would stay safe because the alternative was unacceptable.

  * * * * *

  Alexis stood in the middle of the dealership parking lot when her phone rang. She almost didn't look at the screen. The unknown number had called three more times throughout the day. Alexis didn't answer them, but there were messages left. She felt it best not to listen to them, either.

  But now, her screen flashed Steph's name. "Hey," she answered cheerfully, happy to hear from her.

  "Girl, I have not seen you in weeks. I have given you time to play with your new toy, but it's now time to come out of hibernation. We're having a girls' night, this Friday. I will not take no for an answer."

  Alexis giggled. She really missed her friend.

  "Steph and I planned a girls' night Friday. I thought you might want to go out with some of your friends. I would hate to think I'm keeping you from them." Alexis was in the middle of making dinner. Jack had just come down from changing out of his work clothes and into a pair of black basketball shorts and a gray T-shirt.

  "Where are you going?" Jack asked, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer.

  "I'm not sure. We haven't set anything up yet."

  "If I asked you to stay in the hotel would you have a problem with that?"

  Alexis put down the spoon she used to stir the noodles and turned to face Jack. "I don't know. I guess it depends on why you're asking."

  "With everything that's going on right now, I'm worried about you. If you stay in the hotel, I can have security keep an eye on you. You guys can go to the spa, out to dinner, hell I don't care what you do, just so I know you're safe doing it."

  "That sounds fair. I'm sure Steph won't have a problem with that. She's always wanted to eat at Temptation, but we could never afford it."

  Jack put his beer on the counter and scooped her into his arms. "I'll make a reservation. And before dinner, you can go to the spa and do whatever girly shit, you guys do there. I'll let them know you're coming."

  Alexis smiled up at him. "I've never been to a spa, so I don't know what girly shit goes on in one, either."

  "Well then, I think it's about time you found out."

  "Thank you."

  Jack gave her a squeeze. "Don't thank me. Kiss me. Then feed me. I'm hungry."

  Alexis got up on her toes and gave him a kiss. Then Jack took over, deepening it. He lifted his head. "Now you can feed me."

  "Oh my God, this his heaven," Steph groaned.

  They sat in big, massage chairs, sipping champagne while technicians gave them pedicures and facials. Alexis had to admit, it felt heavenly.

  "Have I told you, how much I love Jack?"

  Alexis giggled. "Only about five times in the last hour."

  "Yeah well, probably not as much as you love him." Steph cracked open an eye and looked over at her friend.

  "Yeah, probably not."

  "But, it seems, he loves you more," Steph said, indicating the security guard standing behind them. "What, he can't stand you being out of his sight, so he's having security follow you around?"

  Alexis grimaced at her friend. "Not exactly. I've had some trouble."

  Steph sat up straight in her chair. "What sort of trouble?"

  Alexis explained, in detail, everything that had happened.

  "Why am I only now hearing about this?" Steph asked (rather indignantly Alexis thought).

  "At first, we thought it might have been just a prank. It didn't start getting really serious until recently. And, I was planning on telling you at dinner."

  "Yeah well," Steph laid back in her chair with a huff, "you'd better have."

  "Come on. Let's go get our hair and make-up done and get this show on the road."

  "You're on. And, just because you kept things from me, I'm ordering the most expensive item on the menu."

  "We look too fabulous to call it a night." Steph took Alexis arm as they left the restaurant. "I say we cruise over to Pulled, get a drink, and shimmy a little on the dance floor."

  With the amount of alcohol Alexis consumed at dinner, Steph's plan sounded like a brilliant idea. "I even bet, Mr. Security, over there," Alexis pointed her thumb at her guard, "could sneak us to the front of the line."

  Steph looked over at the guard and gave him a wink and a smile. "I bet he could. Let's find out."

  They slowly made their way to the nightclub, laughing and giggling while looking in store windows and stopping once so Alexis could fix her shoe.

  "The strap is too tight. It's cutting into my ankle." She sat on a bench to adjust it.

  "They
're really cute though," Steph said, eyeing the strappy, black sandals with envy.

  "I found them in my closet one day. Along with this." Alexis gestured to the black sleeveless jersey knit dress she wore.

  "What do you mean found them?"

  "Jack's always adding clothes to my wardrobe, behind my back."

  "Must be nice to have a rich boyfriend," Steph said, as they resumed walking.

  "I must admit, sometimes it doesn't suck. But, most of the time, I wish he wasn't so wealthy."

  Steph stopped walking in the middle of the walkway, tugging on Alexis's arm so she would face her. "Why on earth would you wish that?"

  "Because if he were just a guy, I wouldn't worry so much about where this relationship is going. If he were just a guy, I would know I was good enough for him."

  "Alexis Rose Taft," Steph said, sternly, "you are good enough for anybody. Even the bloody prince of England. Do you hear me?" Steph gave Alexis's arm another little tug to bring her closer. "You're sweet, caring, funny, smart, and a fuckin' knockout all in one package. Jack is lucky to have you. Not the other way around."

  "Steph, you're my best friend. You're supposed to think that, but it doesn't necessarily make it true."

  "Jack thinks it is. Why do you think he snatched you up so fast? Pursued you so hard? Had you living with him in less than two months? Because, he knew what you were and didn't want to take the chance of someone else finding out, snatching you up instead."

  Alexis linked her arm in Steph's and started walking again. "Listen, I'm not trying to sabotage our relationship. What I was attempting to say is, if Jack were a regular guy, right now I would be dreaming about us growing old together. But, because Jack is who he is, though he says he loves me, I still think he'll get bored with me, eventually. There's nothing exciting about me, and once the newness fades, someone else will catch his eye, and he won't be able to stop himself from going after her as he did me. And, I've got to tell you Steph, it's gonna devastate me when he does." She pulled her friend closer and laid her head on her shoulder. "I try not to think about that. Like, if I don't think it, it won't happen. But, sometimes, when I look at him, and I see how beautiful he is, how charming he can be, and I know there's a long line of women waiting, and I worry he's gonna take notice.