Laura plodded back to her office to shut everything down early. Being up all night and stressed all day had caught up with her. It was all she could do to keep her limbs moving.
She slipped on her coat and grabbed her purse. With one more backwards glance at the nefarious contents of her trashcan, she locked the door behind her and contemplated calling in sick the next day.
On the subway ride home, her mind was fuzzy, but she kept her eyes peeled for anyone that looked sketchy. She felt silly, because like a typical New York subway ride everybody on board was totally engrossed in their own lives, either on their phones or working on their laptops.
Her stop couldn’t come fast enough. Laura peeled herself off of the vinyl seat and staggered from the car. The two-block walk to her apartment may as well have been a hike up Mount Saint Helen, for all the energy she had left.
***
There she was again. Her perfect beauty marred by the dark smudges under her eyes. Was that fucker hurting her or keeping her awake at odd hours? The man twitched at the thought of that blue blood’s hands on his woman.
He snapped a picture of her through the smudged subway window before the train pulled away. He stroked his index finger over the image on his screen. “Soon, my love, we’ll be together,” he whispered to the photo.
It was time to plan his next move. There was another poem he’d found, but he thought maybe he could skew the direction a bit. Doing something different would keep her guessing and excited.
He found a beautiful ermine stole that had belonged to his mother in his attic. Maybe Laura would enjoy the softness of the fur around her neck. Then she would look like the queen she was. That was it. He would send her that as a gift, a Christmas gift for his love.
Chapter Twenty
As the elevator doors opened up to the sterile white of the hallway, Laura cautiously stepped out and closed her eyes. She even held her breath so she could hear for certain wheher somebody was walking around.
The long hallway was blessedly quiet as she turned and moved toward her door. As she approached she slowed, dread settling on her shoulders. Would she find anything waiting for her?
There was nothing taped to the door, but she was still unsettled. She had been so tired on the slog home, but the stress of approaching her home, the place meant to be her haven, had keyed her back up.
She unlocked the door and slipped inside, quickly locking the door behind her. Again she strained her eyes and ears for the slightest clue that someone had even been near her apartment. Nothing. No alarm bells went off in her head, no sense that things were out of place, just the serenity of being home.
Laura blew out her breath and slid down the wall to the floor and put her head on her knees. “Just breathe, girl,” she told herself. “You’re home now, and nobody is here. You’re safe.”
As she counted her breaths the anxiety began to dissipate, and her body reminded her just how exhausted she was. Maybe it would be a night for a long bath and trashy gossip rags. That should be enough to soothe her nerves and distract her mind.
She yelped as her phone went off. Normally, hearing “I Touch Myself” playing from her purse would have made her smile, but lately the slightest interruption freaked her out. “Hey, Mase. What’s going on?”
“I’m just calling to check on you. Are you home?”
“Yeah. I just got in a few minutes ago.” And nearly had a nervous breakdown in the process.
“Good. I won’t keep you. I know you need your sleep, since you didn’t get any last night.”
“Thanks. It didn’t really catch up with me until just a few minutes ago. So I’m gonna order out and take a nice long soak. Hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight.” She really meant she’d open a can of soup and hope for the best.
“All right, darling. Well, if you need me then don’t hesitate to call. I love you.” Mason’s voice sounded almost unsure, like if he said the words, Laura might not say them back.
“I will. I love you too.” Laura disconnected the call.
She knew she didn’t have to bear this all on her own. Mason was aware of poems from a couple of months before, but had no idea that Laura’s admirer was reaching out again.
She felt like this wasn’t his problem; maybe she could handle this on her own. She’d managed to live eight years without out him, and her entire life before she had met him, and had done just fine. She would get through this too.
She climbed to her feet and kicked her heels off into a corner as she moseyed into the kitchen. She quickly scanned her almost barren cabinets and grimaced. The ancient can of butternut squash soup tucked in the back did not seem appealing at all. Frankly, nothing sounded too tempting. Her appetite was nonexistent. So she put a kettle on and decided to just have some breakfast tea instead.
Laura thought maybe she could call one of her friends. She hadn’t seen much of them since she and Mason got back together, but then she considered the allure of her giant claw foot tub. It was a tough choice to be sure. In the end, she chose both, a phone call and a soak.
The kettle whistled, and she poured the steaming water out over the mesh bag into her chipped Westfield State mug and went to draw a bath as the tea brewed. She would try her hardest not to think about her situation so she could wind down and get some sleep. She stripped off her work clothes and bundle them up throwing them in the corner.
Laura grabbed her mug and settled in to the soothing heat of the tub. She closed her eyes for a moment and simply enjoyed the untangling of her muscles.
Her phone rang again; this time it was her friend Jill. “Hey! I was just about to call you. How have you been?”
“Hi, stranger! I hadn’t heard from you in a few weeks, so I figured if you didn’t answer this call I’d send a search party out.” Jill’s cheery voice echoed through the phone. She was a cheery brunette to Laura’s quieter blonde. She was buxom and bubbly, and so friendly that Laura found herself a little envious at times of just how easy Jill could be around people.
“I’m doing great. I’m just taking a night to relax. I’m glad you called. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Aw, thanks, girl. When do you think we can meet up again?”
“Not until January. Mason is taking me on vacation for the entire month of December.” Laura quickly jerked the phone away from her ear as Jill let out a high-pitched squeal.
“A whole month? You are so lucky! Where are you going? I have to know!”
So Laura filled her in on the whole European plan.
“Ugh. I’m so jealous! I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. The food, the architecture, the men, oh, it’s all so beautiful!” Jill’s enthusiasm was infectious, but still couldn’t silence the awful nagging in the back of Laura’s mind.
“Yeah,” Laura answered. “It’s going to be fun, I hope. I’ve never been to Europe, so I’m not sure about it yet.” Or about spending the entire month alone with Mason.
Jill gasped. “What if he proposes…you know, again? Oh, it will be so amazing! Would you say yes?”
Laura bit her lip. “That’s what I’m afraid of, actually. Mason’s made no mention of marriage or even moving in together, but with it being Christmas and the romance and being alone with him for a month! Oh my god, this could be a disaster!” Laura clasped her hand around her throat to try and tamp down the rising panic.
“Well, if he hasn’t brought up the idea of going there in your relationship, have you?”
Laura thought back to find if she might have let something slip anywhere. “No. I’ve been super careful about not mentioning anything like that since the first go ‘round ended up a disaster.”
“Well then, I think if he did it would be amazing, but if nothing has been discussed in any capacity then don’t worry about it. It’s just a vacation then. Go enjoy your sexy man for the month. You sound like you need it.”
Laura squeezed the bridge of her nose. A stress headache was brewing. “You have no idea.”
“Do you need to t
alk about it? You sound like you might cry.”
One hot tear rolled down Laura’s cheek. She dashed it away; she didn’t want to dissolve into a blubbering mess. “No. I’m okay. Just a lot of stress at work.” Another lie to another person she loved.
“Well, I know you’ve said Daniel was a slave driver in the past. Just tell him to back off your ass,” Jill advised. She giggled in amusement.
“I have been close to telling him that for the last year now. Every time I go to lay into him he suddenly becomes all charming and understanding. It’s disgusting how he’s able to do that.”
The women chatted on for a few more minutes about Jill’s job and making plans for after the new year before Jill needed to go. “I have to go pick up Mom from JFK. Her flight from Phoenix lands in an hour. If you find time before you leave, come on by and say hi. Mom would be happy to see you. Of course, so would I.”
“I’ll call if I can. Give your mom hugs for me.”
“Will do. Later, girl.”
Laura dropped he phone on the fluffy white towel folded on the floor near the tub and slipped deeper into the water. The temperature had begun to cool and the bubbles had flattened into a thin layer of scum on the water’s surface. Time to get out.
***
The man had walked up and down her street several times to stare at the light in her bathroom window. He cursed the shade that obstructed the view of his beloved.
His heart leapt as he watched a figure rise up and appear silhouetted against the shade. His eyes studied every curve and movement; it was seduction, a tease. He was rapt as she unpinned her hair and it fell, a gorgeous waterfall down her back.
Oh, to run his fingers through those beautiful waves, to be able to cup his hands over her perky breasts. Only then would his life be complete.
He raised his phone to snap off a few more photos before disappearing back into the shadows of the alleyway. The image of her lithe silhouette had been burned into his memory, a delicious picture for him to savor on the train ride home.
Chapter Twenty One
The clock on Laura’s stove only read 9:00, but her body didn’t care. She was dressed in her rattiest sweatpants and Mason’s Aerosmith t-shirt and crawled into bed. She flipped the TV on across the room and set the sleep timer. She didn’t want to allow her mind to wander and keep her awake again. Oxygen was running a Grace Under Fire marathon, and, happily, she left it there.
She pulled the white cotton duvet up under her chin and sank deeper into her mattress. For a moment she wished Mason was with her so she could cuddle up, but this alone time was her idea. She smirked as she realized she’d said nothing about sending text messages.
I miss you tonight. I’m going to bed now. I just wanted to tell you I love you <3
Mason’s response was fast. Laura had leaned over to put her phone on the black charging pad when it pinged.
I love and miss you too. Go to sleep. You need it.
Laura scoffed. Was he implying she looked bad or worn out? It didn’t matter, because she knew he was right and was too exhausted to bicker about it.
Her hand had hardly set the phone down when she had completely passed out.
***
Laura woke the next morning with the sun beaming directly in her face. She groaned and clamped a pillow over her head to block out the offending light. Every muscle in her body was sore, and her head swam. She peeped around the edge of the pillow and immediately regretted it.
The light hit her eyes so hard as to send a searing pain tearing around the inside of her skull. Oh, goody. A migraine. For five minutes she lay with the pillow over her face, trying to will away the pain, with zero luck. For the first time in a year, she decided to take a sick day.
When she unlocked her phone her eyes bugged out. It was already 10am, and she had at least a dozen missed calls from the office. Laura swore at the thought of having to deal with a Daniel temper tantrum, but she had to be a good little worker bee and account for herself, so she called him.
“Small Business Ink. This is Michelle.”
“Hey, Michelle, it’s Laura–”
“Oh my god, where are you?” Michelle’s voice became hushed. “Daniel is on the war path.”
Laura made a sound of dismissal. “I’m sure. Is he around?”
“No. He’s in a meeting with an advertiser.”
Laura sighed. At least that was a small blessing. “Could you let him know I’m staying home today? I have a killer migraine and can barely open my eyes.”
“Oh shit, Laura.” Michelle sighed. “Fine, but you owe me one.”
“I’ll bring you a coffee and something pretty when I get back.”
“Feel better and enjoy your trip. You leave in a couple of days, right?”
“Yeah, Monday morning. I’ll owe you when I get back.”
“Okay. I look forward to it. Later.”
Laura flopped back down on the bed and burrowed under the covers. She badly wanted a painkiller, but even blinking hurt.
“I Touch Myself” blared next to her head. Laura let out a cry of frustration before picking up. “Good morning,” she said, in an attempt to be sweet.
“Good – wow, you sound worse than last night. Did you sleep at all?”
“I slept for thirteen hours, Mason,” Laura snapped. “I just feel like my brain is trying to tear itself out of my skull through my eye sockets.”
“So you feel worse then? I can come by this afternoon if you’d like?”
For a split second she wanted to say no because she felt so shitty. But the idea of having someone come over to at least cuddle with her sounded better in her head. “If you could? I’ll probably be locked in my bedroom for the day, so just text or call when you get here.”
“I will. Feel better. I have to get going, I have a development meeting in a few minutes. Love you.”
“I love you too.”
She wasn’t at work. Why wasn’t she at work when she was supposed to be? The man casually walked past her office again, and still the lights were off. He glanced at his watch – nearly noon. How was he going to give her his present if she wasn’t where she was supposed to be?
Chapter Twenty Two
A knock at the front door roused Laura out of bed. Well, that and the promise of food. She shuffled to the foyer and peeked through the eyehole. “Hallelujah!” she murmured before letting the delivery boy in.
“Just set the bag on the counter, please.” Laura pointed to the kitchen.
“That’ll be seventeen fifty,” said the delivery boy in a nasally voice.
Laura shied away as she handed him a twenty-dollar bill. She did not need to get a cold on top of her headache. “Keep it.”
The delivery boy gave her a wave and left.
Her stomach rumbled as the smell of tomato soup and pastrami drifted under her nose. Any hint of nausea her swimming head had caused was immediately dashed by the fragrant aroma. Laura nearly ripped the bag in half as she savagely went for her food.
The first bite of her sandwich was ambrosia. She would swear she had never eaten anything so amazing in her entire life. She made quick work of the pastrami and scarfed her pickle down in three bites. She brought her cup of soup into the bedroom and hunkered back down in her bed. Already she felt better for just having some food in her belly.
A part of her felt strange, almost guilty, for having called out sick. The throbbing in her head had subsided to the point of being bearable, but was still very much present.
Laura hadn’t missed a day of work in over a year. The last time was because of some tainted sushi from a restaurant she had been told was reputable. She had been laid out for three days with salmonella poisoning and the lingering side effects.
Another part of her relished the quiet and the time alone. Life had been all go for months. She had barely a moment to breathe with all of the deadlines, expectations, and more recently, her second go ‘round with Mason. If Jill hadn’t called the night before, Laura could swear her friend
s had forgotten she existed. She made a mental note to plan a girls’ night for when she came home from Europe.
She sipped her sweet and salty tomato soup out of the Styrofoam takeout cup and zoned out watching The Real Housewives of New York. “The shit they’ll put on TV,” she commented to herself as she shook her head. Despite the disgust she felt, she settled in for an afternoon marathon of the brainless reality show.
***
Around 4:00 a knock came from her front door. Excitedly, she dashed to the foyer to let Mason in, but when she opened the door nobody was there. She poked her head out into the hallway and anxiously checked up and down each side. There was nobody to be found.
She looked down at her feet to find a box wrapped in brown butcher paper with another ominous-looking white envelope taped to the top. With shaking hands she picked up the box, then slammed and locked the door behind her.
He could hardly contain himself. Even the brief glimpse of her with her hair tied up on top of her head and a ratty t-shirt made his heart flutter. She looked much better and more rested than she had the day before, and there was no sign of Decker. He doubted that was a coincidence.
The man had always watched her sleep soundly. It was only lately that she looked rundown and ragged. If she was with me she could sleep for as long as she wanted. I would make sure she always took care of herself.
The man ducked back around the corner with a huff when he spied Decker making his way down the hall towards Laura’s apartment. The man’s blood boiled with rage and jealousy. How dare he show up when his Laura was sick? It’s Decker’s fault she was in that state to begin with!
The man’s mind began working. It was time to take Decker out before his poor, sweet Laura was ruined for good. Decker didn’t deserve her.
SEAN: A Mafia Romance (The Callahans Book 3) Page 99