My heart stuttered and then pounded so hard I felt it in my throat. “You’re making me really uncomfortable right now. How is it possible you know all that?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I have my ways. But please don’t feel uncomfortable. I would never hurt you. You’re my entire world, and I would do anything to make you see we’re meant to be together.”
Panic slid upwards from my stomach to my chest, clamping down and vibrating and twisting until I couldn’t speak. Could barely breathe.
“Don’t worry.” He held a hand up as if to reassure me. “I know your feelings haven’t caught up with mine. We can take it slow.”
Somehow, I found my voice because I had to put an end to this before it went any further. “Barry, I don’t like hurting anyone’s feelings, but I need you to understand: I’m not interested in being more than friends and I never will be.”
He stared at me for a few seconds, and then his eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. “It’s because of my appearance, isn’t it? You’re just as shallow as all the rest.”
My aversion to him was less about physical appearance and more about his awkward behavior. Maybe physical attraction did play into this, but it was more than that. Attraction had never been all about the external for me. Yes, I noticed good-looking men, and it even affected me to a degree, but I would never truly care for a man unless I admired his personality and character as well. I didn’t like that Barry accused me of being shallow, but my gut told me I needed to keep this guy at a distance. Based on his admission, a lot of the puzzle pieces began to fit together.
“I’ve been getting crank calls. Was that you?”
He was quiet for a long moment. “They weren’t crank calls.” He stared down at his hands and wouldn’t make eye contact. “I kept trying to get up the courage to ask you out.”
“That’s an excuse, Barry. You’ve asked me out a couple times in person so it wasn’t about courage. Why were you breathing into the phone like that? Do you know how freaked out that made me?”
He continued to stare at his hands and didn’t respond. He blew out a harsh breath and let out an aggravated growl as if I was being uncooperative and difficult.
“I’ve been patient with you, Allison. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Not ready to let up, I kept going because I needed answers, and I needed them now. “Someone told me they saw you hanging around my car the night before I had a flat. What were you doing?”
His head snapped up. “Who told you that?”
“That’s confidential. But please, answer my question. Was it you?”
He stood to his feet. “Look, forget all this. None of it’s important. Just give me one night to prove the two of us are meant to be together. Come to my home tomorrow night. I’ll make dinner.”
I shook my head. “No. I want you to back off. Stop calling and don’t come around my house anymore.”
He slammed his fist on the table. “You don’t appreciate anything I do. You even threw away the plant, and you won’t give me a chance!”
He hovered over me, his face red and blotchy, eyebrows creased into slashes on his forehead. He smelled of sweat and a hint of cigarette smoke, and as he leaned in closer, his body vibrated with rage.
“You’re making a huge mistake.” His voice trembled, and he shook his finger in my face. “You will fall in love with me. It’s just a matter of time.” He pulled back a little. “And then you’re going to be ashamed of how you’re acting now.”
I scooted away from him. “You can’t make someone love you. I’m done with this discussion, and I want you to leave.”
He looked like he was about to explode. “You. Will. Love. Me.”
One of the male restaurant staff members came to the table. “Is everything okay, Miss?”
Barry straightened and then took off, ramming into the man’s shoulder as he pushed past him. He turned over a table on his way out and slammed his hands on the exit door, barreling out like an angry bull. My body started to tremble, and I turned to the staff member in disbelief. “I’m so sorry. Can I please get my order to go?”
The man nodded sympathetically and stared in the direction Barry left. “Yes, of course. I’ll walk you to your car once we wrap up your food.”
That night, I fell asleep reciting Isaiah 41:10. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
* * *
The next day as I drove to work, I felt shaken and a little lost. How was I supposed to deal with this situation? Barry had said he would never hurt me, but he’d gone completely crazy at the end. Did he really think he could force me to love him? Screaming in someone’s face wasn’t exactly the way to accomplish that, but I was starting to believe he might be unbalanced.
A call flashed across my dashboard in my car, and I pressed the accept button.
“Hey, Allycat.” Emily’s voice rang through the loudspeaker. “How’s it going?”
“Could be better. Just driving to work.” My voice sounded weak.
“Bronson mentioned to Ethan he’ll be speaking at the conference today.”
“Yeah, it was nice of him to volunteer his time.”
“He also mentioned you two have a date after,” she said with a singsong tone to her voice. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“Sorry. I’ve had other things on my mind.”
“Well, I hope it goes well. If the two of you end up married, you can take me out to lunch.”
I smiled at that. Her upbeat personality always had a way of lifting me up. “I doubt it’ll go that far. I don’t get the sense he’s the commitment type.”
“Don’t underestimate him. He’s a great guy.”
“Well, Greg’s a great guy as well, but he didn’t want to commit.”
“But aren’t you glad he didn’t?”
“You got me there.”
“God has someone for you. It’ll all work out.” She hesitated. “Speaking of admirers, I ran into someone you know at the grocery store last night.”
“Really? Who?”
“Some guy named Barry. Said he’s your neighbor, and he’s seen me at your house before.”
My stomach dropped, and I gripped the steering wheel. “He just happened to run into you?”
“Yeah. It was about seven in the evening, and I stopped by the store to get a few things. He seemed a little strange.”
“What did he do?”
“He didn’t really do anything. He asked me to put in a good word for him. Said you weren’t listening to him and maybe you’d listen to me.”
My blood ran cold. “Emily, I think he’s stalking me, and I don’t believe he accidentally ran into you.” I told her everything that had happened recently.
“Allison, listen to me. You need to call the police. He might be dangerous.”
“I would but he hasn’t threatened me. I’m not sure he’s committed a crime.”
“Talk to Bronson about it later. He’ll know what to do.”
“I will. Gotta go. Just pulled into a parking space at work.”
“Okay, keep me up to date. And Allison . . . please be careful.”
7
Officer Dreamy Eyes sure knew how to capture the attention of all the women in the auditorium. And judging from the rapt attention of all the men, he appeared to have their respect as well.
Two other law enforcement officers had already given their presentations and gone back to work, and Bronson was the last to speak. With ten minutes left to go, my boss, Lori, approached and tapped me on the elbow, whispering, “I still don’t understand how you were able to get him to share with the students today. Last semester, I contacted the K-9 Unit, and they said they didn’t have any available officers willing to present.”
I shrugged. “Maybe the timing was wrong when you called.”
Glancing around the room, she smiled. “Look at everyone. They’re watching
him with bated breath.”
“Yeah, you’d think he does this kind of thing all the time.”
Bronson paced back and forth on the stage with Ace at his side, and his loud, booming voice carried throughout the auditorium. He’d just finished demonstrating how Ace sniffed out shell casings, which Bronson had hidden under an empty front row seat. Earlier, he’d asked for a volunteer to wear “the suit” so Ace could show off his attack skills. That had gone over really well when the poor student didn’t remain on her feet and kept toppling over like an unbalanced toddler. But I figured the same would have happened to me if I’d worn that enormous marshmallow suit.
Lori leaned over and brought her mouth to my ear. “Make sure you schedule him for the conference next year.”
I nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Well, it’s time to wrap up the presentation.” Bronson glanced at his watch. “I have time for about three questions.”
A guy in the front row stood to his feet and one of the helpers carried over a microphone. “How much training did Ace have to go through in order to become a police dog?”
“He went through three and a half months of Basic Canine Training five days a week,” Bronson said. “And we keep his skills fresh with regular practice.”
A woman raised her hand while standing to her feet. “I’ve heard some dogs wear bullet-proof vests. Is that true?”
Bronson nodded. “He doesn’t wear it for extended periods of time because it’s too hot for him. But yes, he does use a vest when we know ahead of time we’re likely to enter a precarious situation. I’d rather he wear it and not need it than to be injured in the line of duty.” He glanced around the room. “There’s time for one more.”
Another woman stood near the front of the auditorium. “I only have one question.” She paused. “Are you married?”
The crowd erupted in laughter, and I bit down on my bottom lip. She’d voiced what every single woman in the room wanted to know.
Bronson’s head dropped forward, and he chuckled for a few seconds. “No, I’m not.” He made eye contact with me, and I tried to still the fluttering of my heart. He nodded in my direction. “But I do happen to have a lunch date this afternoon with the delightful Miss Allison McBride.”
The students turned in their seats to glance at me. A few shouted out, “Ooooohhhh,” like we’d all been transported back to the seventh grade. I felt my face heat and gave everyone a little wave.
Lori nudged me in the ribs. “So that’s how you got him to agree to present.” She flashed a knowing smile.
“No, I’m sure it’s because he’s just doing his job.”
Her smile grew wider. “Uh huh.”
Bronson thanked everyone for their attention and ended the session, and then students swarmed him with more questions. I took the back exit and walked outside, almost running over Walter in the process.
“Oh, my goodness! I’m so sorry. I nearly slammed into you.”
Walter chuckled and turned red. “Any time. Do it as often as you like.”
I stepped back and decided to ignore his comment. “Where are you off to?”
“Actually,” he said, giving me a once over, “I knew you’d be here and thought I’d see how you’re doing.”
“Oh, well I’m fine. All the presentations were a success.”
“I wanted to talk to you for a minute—assure you I had nothing to do with the Psychotria elata plant you received. Melissa asked if I’d been the one behind it, and while it does seem like a fun gag gift, it wasn’t me.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“I make it a practice of sending a dozen red roses after a third date.” He smiled at me knowingly. “Maybe you’d like to go out sometime.”
“Oh, I—”
“I know a great place with a gorgeous view of the city.”
“Walter, I don’t think—”
“Hey, I know!” He touched my arm. “Come back to my apartment and I’ll make sandwiches. I’d love to show you my dissertation on the potato famine in Ireland.”
Oh, boy. Ever since I’d mentioned I had an Irish heritage on my dad’s side, Walter had brought up the socio-political reasons behind the famine and spoke about it constantly. While I found it interesting for a few minutes, he didn’t know when to stop. “I’m sorry, but I have other plans.”
Bronson walked up with Ace, and relief flooded over me.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
I smiled, thankful for the timing. “You were awesome in there. My boss, Lori, says I need to schedule you for next year.”
He laughed. “We’ll see. That’s a long time from now, but I can probably work something out.”
Ace barked, and I leaned down to rub behind his ears. “You were pretty awesome, too.”
He appeared to soak up the attention, and I could have sworn he tilted his head so I would pet him in a new spot.
Walter stared at us with an inquisitive expression as if looking for a connection. “Are the two of you . . .?”
I felt bad and hated hurting his feelings. But better to rip off the Band-Aid now than end up with another Barry. “Bronson and I have lunch plans.”
Walter nodded, a look of disappointment falling over his features. “Well, enjoy your date.”
“Thanks, Walter.”
He walked away, and I glanced over to see him running up to a female professor striding in the other direction with a briefcase in one hand. The man moved fast—didn’t seem too broken up over being turned down.
“I’m in guest parking,” Bronson said. “How about if I drive you to your car, and you can follow me over to the restaurant? I need to drive separately in case I get called out.”
“That would be great. I have flex time accumulated, so I get the rest of the day off.”
He nodded and led the way to his vehicle, Ace trotting along beside us. We had a short walk to guest parking, and as we strolled together, I noticed him glancing at me a few times. I shyly looked up at him. “What?”
“You look different today.”
“Different how?”
He grinned. “I don’t know . . . you have a very professional look: pencil skirt . . . blazer.
I glanced down at my dark green skirt and jacket. “Well, I am on the job.”
“It’s nice. Brings out the green in your hazel eyes.”
I smiled and batted my eyelashes in a playful manner. “Well, I declare. Are you giving me a compliment, Officer Murphy?”
“Yes, I think I am.”
“Do you give them out often?”
“To be honest, no. But I don’t get the sense you’ll read too much into it. You know . . . start planning our wedding or something crazy like that.”
I burst out laughing. “And I take it that’s the worst-case scenario in your mind?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“A man like you could have any woman he wants. If you wanted to get married, you’d have settled down ages ago. That leads me to believe you’re a man who likes to keep his options open—maybe even has an issue with commitment.”
He caught my eye and smiled. “Already analyzing me, Allison? Think you can pigeonhole me?”
“I call it like I see it.”
“Don’t forget, everyone has layers.” Once we reached his police SUV, he clicked his key fob, and the alarm beeped. He opened a door for the backseat and Ace jumped into his kennel, and then he walked over to the passenger side and opened the door for me. “It’s all about uncovering those layers—if you care to see what’s beneath the surface.”
I hadn’t expected him to say something so . . . wise. Struck speechless, I stared at him for a few seconds before realizing he was waiting for me to get into the car. “Thank you. It’s been a while since I’ve gone out with a man who opens the door even though he has power locks. That’s true chivalry.”
“I do my best.”
He grinned as I slid into the car, and he walked around the back of the vehicle to the drive
r’s side and got in. I gave him directions to employee parking on the other side of the college.
Bronson backed out of the parking space and glanced at me. “I’m not as against marriage as you apparently think.”
My eyebrows lifted, and I bit back a smile. “Is that so?”
“It’s not that it isn’t on my radar, I just haven’t found the right woman.”
I nodded slowly. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“Girl next door meets Superwoman.”
“Well, that’s a hard standard to meet.”
He chuckled. “Just kidding about Superwoman. I really only have two requirements.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What are they?”
“I want a woman who loves the Lord.”
“Okay, and number two?”
“She needs to be secure in who she is—I’m done dealing with women who center their whole world around me. You can’t make someone happy when they base their entire happiness on you.”
That response hit home considering Barry had recently told me I was his entire world. The statement had left me feeling uneasy. But I had to acknowledge I’d also been guilty of doing the same thing with Greg at one time in my life.
“I would have to agree with you there. Sometimes we idolize people, put them on a pedestal, think they’ll fill the void when only God can satisfy our hearts.”
“You sound like you speak from experience.”
“I’ll admit, I’ve done that. I dated a guy for four years hoping he’d eventually pop the question, thinking it would make me happy. In the beginning, I let it consume me. All my friends had gotten married, and I wanted what they had. But then I wised-up and realized God had a unique plan for me and it didn’t have to be the same path all my friends took. I concentrated on my relationship with Him and decided to enjoy the life He’s given me.”
Bronson looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. “That’s really what it comes down to, isn’t it? The innate longing of the human heart to find unconditional love. We all want it. But sometimes we forget the Lord has already offered it to us, and the only way to gain it is through Him.”
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