These lunch meetings were about building trust. That was it.
“I have to say, Natalie,” Stephanie began, “the blouse you’re wearing is just lovely. Maxwell, right?”
Startled by her accuracy, it took Natalie several seconds to put together a response. “Uh, yeah. How did you know?”
“I love Maxwell. I make sure Sabine or Leila take me to his shows every year. I simply adore his work. What other designers do you like?” Stephanie smiled, and this time it seemed less edgy. She clearly expected an answer, as well.
“Um, well, I really like Paul Lucien. His stuff is more businessy, but I don’t have much of a reason to buy anything else.” As the words left her mouth, she realized how lame that sounded. Heat rushed to her cheeks, but Stephanie gave her no chance to linger in her embarrassment.
“Paul Lucien is pretty amazing, but I prefer Niko if I’m looking for business casual. Now, for evening causal, you have to check out Franky Gibs. He’s fairly new on the scene, but Sabine turned me on to him and he’s absolutely to die for!”
Vance cleared his throat, leaving Stephanie’s mouth open as she prepared to launch into another string of words Natalie was barely able to follow. Her mouth snapped shut at his quiet insistence. She didn’t seem to mind being interrupted, as though she was fairly used to it, and sat back with an easy smile.
“Before we get into the pros and cons of every designer in Chicago, we need to take care of some paperwork, first.” Vance reached into his briefcase and withdrew several documents. He handed one to Stephanie and one to Natalie.
While Natalie wasn’t surprised by the forms, Stephanie certainly was. “What’s all this?”
“A confidentiality agreement,” Vance explained. “These meetings are fully protected therapy sessions. Natalie has agreed to your being here, Steph, but I still have to have you sign. You can’t tell anyone what we discuss, no matter how mundane it might seem, okay?”
She frowned for a moment, but then shrugged. “Yeah, of course.” Her gaze darted down and she started signing next to all the little sticky arrows. Natalie did the same.
When they handed both sets of paperwork back to Vance, everyone seemed relieved. Natalie wasn’t sure why Stephanie seemed less stressed, but Natalie felt like someone had just offered her a lifeline. Talking to Vance scared her to death, despite the fact that he didn’t frighten her nearly as much as most everyone else did. She didn’t want to dig up what she had tried so hard to bury, but she didn’t want to go through life hiding from everyone and everything anymore. It was time, and as terrifying as that was, she wanted to take this step.
Vance put the paperwork back into his briefcase, and when he looked up, he had a strangely interested, yet not too interested, expression on his face. No one said anything at first. Natalie almost wished Stephanie would start talking again. Natalie wasn’t big on fashion, in general, but she did want to look nice. It was kind of pleasant listening to her speed-talk about what she seemed to love, because it meant Natalie could sit back and say nothing. In fact, she had begun to suspect that was why Vance invited her, in part.
Before Stephanie could start back in on the season’s colors and patterns, Vance said, “How is Gypsy doing?”
“Gypsy?” Stephanie asked. “Who’s that?”
The intense way Stephanie regarded her was a little much to handle. Natalie felt confident that she wasn’t trying to be hostile, but having that much focused attention on her caused her heart to speed up. Natalie looked away, seeking refuge in Vance. She only half-looked at him, but she said, “She’s my dog.”
“A dog! I love puppies, but Vance won’t let me get one.”
Natalie risked turning just enough to see Stephanie frown at Vance, though it was edged with warmth.
“I won’t let you get one?” Vance said with an amused laugh. “You’re the one who’s allergic to dogs. You can’t blame me if I don’t want you walking around sneezing and wheezing while you’re home.”
Stephanie huffed, but a smile slipped onto her lips anyway. “I still want a puppy.”
“I told you, we can get a fish or a bird or something if you really want a pet.”
“I don’t want a pet. I want a dog. Fish smell gross and birds are annoying.” She wrinkled her nose and shook herself. Her attention shifted back to Natalie. “What kind of dog do you have?”
“A pug.”
“Oh! Pugs are so adorable!” She turned back toward Vance, but before she could say anything, he started shaking his head again. Stephanie pointed a finger at Vance, but looked at Natalie. “He pretends it’s just because I’m allergic, but I think he secretly hates dogs or something.”
Vance rolled his eyes. Natalie almost laughed. She couldn’t think of the last time she had listened to two people talk and tease and laugh with each other. Even before…that wasn’t the kind of home she grew up in. She never really had any friends either. Her dad had made sure of that. Even if someone had been inclined to sit with her at lunch or invite her to a movie, they were all too scared of her dad to attempt it. That had only made her wish for something different even more, and that desire had only been growing lately.
“Do you?” Natalie asked quietly. “Hate dogs?”
Natalie didn’t realize she had interrupted something Stephanie was saying until the quiet made her look up. Stephanie’s open mouth closed and pulled into a patient smile. Vance, on the other hand, looked as though he wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard her.
“I don’t hate them,” he grumbled. “I just can’t stand having them lick me. It’s disgusting.”
Stephanie narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. “I knew there was something.” She pretended to be mad at him, but Natalie could see how much they loved each other. Watching them broke her heart. Vance’s fingers curled around hers, and Stephanie leaned against him, but if someone tried to do that to Natalie…it wouldn’t have ended well. Even just watching them touch was difficult. It stirred an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Natalie?” Vance’s firm tone interrupted her squeamish thoughts. “Are you okay? You look like you’re going to be sick.”
Her mouth twitched. Could she really answer him honestly? It would mean explaining…maybe. Not answering would mean staying where she was instead of moving forward. “I have a hard time seeing people touch each other.” Shame for her weakness made her cringe, but she forced herself to keep talking. “I’m sorry. I’m usually…I can handle other people touching, most of the time. It’s just…I don’t know, too close, I guess.”
Vance let go of Stephanie’s hand and leaned away from her before focusing on Natalie. “I didn’t realize that would have an effect on you. I apologize.”
His apology only made her more miserable. She waited for Vance to tell her she was overreacting, or for his expression to reveal how pathetic he thought she was. Instead, she only saw compassion in his eyes.
“Natalie, I really am sorry. I didn’t realize physical contact between Steph and I would have such a profound effect on you. It won’t happen again.” His voice was patient and reassuring, but that made it so much worse.
“No, I…” She wanted to tell him it was okay, that she had to figure out how to see other people touching and not associate it with her own experiences…or lack of experience. It was a normal part of life, touching each other. For normal people, anyway. She desperately wanted to say he could touch his girlfriend whenever he wanted, but she couldn’t. Just the thought of seeing it again made her stomach roll. “I’m sorry,” she said tearfully.
Vance sighed. “Natalie, you don’t have to be sorry. We’re here for you, not the other way around. If you need us to keep our distance from each other, that’s what we’ll do. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“There is,” Natalie argued. “It’s normal, right? People touch all the time.”
“You don’t,” Vance countered. “You’re not ready for that, and we’ll respect your limits.”
Tears slid down her alread
y puffy face. “Why?”
“Because that’s what people do for each other,” Vance said. “You’ve come to me for help. How can I expect you to trust me if I can’t provide you with a safe environment?”
“But…holding hands…”
Vance shook his head. “That may be normal for Steph and me, but it’s not for you, and that’s okay.” Sitting back, Vance relaxed, but his eyes stayed focused on Natalie. “As we get to know each other, I need you to tell me what you’re comfortable with, and what you’re not. Trust me enough to respect your limits, and I’ll trust you to be honest with me. That’s the only way this is going to work.”
What he said made sense, but she knew there was so much more to it than that. Trust was the first step, but it felt like it was miles away from solving the real problem. Vance promised she didn’t have to talk about why people terrified her, but she knew nothing would really change until she did. As she held Vance’s gaze, she understood that he knew it too. He was simply patient enough to take it one step at a time. The way to facing what terrified her most was through him. Natalie knew that with more surety than she could even understand.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
Vance smiled. “Okay.”
Chapter 4
The Pounding
Saying it had been a long day by the time Natalie made it to her apartment was not even close to being adequate. The moment she had returned from her lunch appointment, her boss, Donald, had knocked on her office door to pull her into a last minute meeting for one of her accounts. Normally she would have just called in to answer questions, but her recommendation against the project in question demanded an in-person meeting. Being forced to sit in a room with three men all hounding her for answers had taken what little strength she’d had remaining after lunch. She nearly fell against her door when she reached it.
“Natalie, right?” a voice called out, making her spin around and nearly fall into a dead faint.
She stared at the vaguely familiar face as panic crept up her spine. What did he want? She pressed herself against the door when he dared to take a step closer. Her frenzied movements halted him. Frowning, he stopped trying to get any closer, but he held something out to her. She didn’t take it.
“You’re Natalie Price, right?”
Somehow, she convinced herself to nod. In the back of her mind, recollection that this man was her new neighbor gave her the tiniest bit of confidence. His balding head and baggy clothes didn’t seem to fit with the way he carried himself. He seemed confident, if not unsure of why she was acting so bizarrely.
“The mail carrier, he put some of your mail in my box again,” the man said. “I didn’t realize until I started going through it once I got home, and I just thought I’d give it to you myself when I saw you walk by.”
Still breathing heavily, Natalie had to focus in order to respond. “Oh. Uh, thank you.” Only after she’d said that did she wonder exactly how he had happened to see her walking by. The peephole in the door didn’t really provide a good view of passersby.
Unaware of her internal thoughts, he held out the mail again. The normal thing to do would be to take it from him. Natalie wasn’t sure she could. The poor man seemed locked in indecision. Obviously, she didn’t want to approach him, but she didn’t want him approaching her either. They were at a stalemate.
One, two, three, four, five, Natalie began counting as she pulled in a deep breath. Slowly, she pushed away from the door. Seeming encouraged, the man took a step forward as well. Natalie had to bite back a yelp, but she took another step. When she was close enough to reach him, just barely, she extended her hand for the letters. He met her the rest of the way, stopping when the corner of the envelope reached her fingertips. Natalie snatched them away quickly and stepped back.
“Sorry again for scaring you like that.”
“It’s…it’s okay.”
He looked as though he might say something else, but Natalie spun around before he could and darted into her apartment. She fell against the closed door and locked it without looking. Leaning there, panting, she didn’t think she could stay on her feet much longer, but moving seemed like a monumental task. At least, until panting from another source joined hers.
Natalie slid down the door and sighed when Gypsy jumped into her lap. Her squat little body jumped and turned, trying to get at her face. She giggled at her efforts as she gently pushed her little friend’s face away from hers. “I’m so glad to see you,” Natalie said as she rubbed her head.
Gypsy barked twice before leaping off her lap and heading straight for the kitchen. Mostly recovered from the experience in the hallway, Natalie pushed herself back up to her feet. The mundane tasks of preparing Gypsy’s dinner, as well as her own, were soothing. She worked quietly. The only sounds in the apartment were Gypsy’s claws clicking against the tile and the hum of the heater. It was enough to let her know she wasn’t alone, but not so much that she couldn’t hear if someone tried to get in.
No one had ever tried to break into her apartment in the three years she’d been there. No one even knocked on her door. There wasn’t a single other person in the complex she conversed with on a regular basis. No one was going to ask her to borrow an egg or cup of sugar. Somehow, they all seemed to know she wanted to be left alone.
That guy in the hall—whoever he was—was the first person in months who had even spoken to her. Natalie wasn’t even sure how he knew her name. He had a familiar face only because she’d seen him moving boxes into his apartment earlier in the week. It was still a mystery how he knew her name. Even her mailbox only had her apartment number on it.
Unsettled by the thought, Natalie stopped stirring the tomatoes and spinach she was sautéing. She couldn’t explain the man’s familiarity, but she also couldn’t see how it might be a threat. Her name wasn’t a secret. Someone in the complex must have remembered it and mentioned it to him at some point. It was often difficult for Natalie to remember that others lived differently than her. Not everyone ran away when they were accidentally bumped into.
Natalie put the encounter out of her mind and went back to cooking. Twenty minutes later, she had a bowl of noodles drenched in veggies balanced on her lap as she and Gypsy watched TV. Slowly, the stressful day melted away and her body began to unwind. Natalie was normally a bit of a night owl, but she found herself nodding off hours before she would usually turn in.
After the third time of being woken back up by a lick from Gypsy, Natalie gave in. She carried her dishes to the sink while calling for her little friend to follow. The pair made their way to the bedroom. Natalie had brushed her own teeth, and was just about to start on Gypsy’s, when banging erupted on her front door.
The toothbrush dropped from her hands and she crumbled to the floor seconds later. Gypsy’s animated barking only frightened her even more, not because she feared the dog, but because she seemed to sense something wasn’t right. Huddled under the bathroom sink, tears of terror streamed down Natalie’s face as she frantically searched for her phone.
Adrenaline and panic spiked as the pounding stopped abruptly. Gypsy barked twice more, then quieted and pressed her head into her leg as she whimpered. Natalie couldn’t breathe. Her head was pounding as she strained to hear even the smallest sound. She almost yelped when she finally felt her phone beneath her fingers. Pressing it to her chest, she held her breath.
The pounding started up again, clanging through the apartment and sending Natalie into a spiral. Somehow she managed to pull up her contacts list and hit her only recent call. Whoever was pounding on the door began screaming obscenities. Gypsy answered with another round of barking while Natalie sobbed in fear.
“This is Vance.”
“There’s someone…the door…pounding.” Crying broke up her words. She could barely think enough to form them. She was terrified and had no idea what else to do.
“Natalie?” Vance asked. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“He’s trying…to get…in.�
� She broke down, the phone slipping from her fingers as she shut everything else out.
Chapter 5
The Line
Vance sprang up from the couch, racing over to his desk and yanking a paper out of Natalie’s file as Stephanie tried to ask him what was wrong. He shoved the contact information sheet into her hands. “Call the police. Send them to this address. Someone’s trying to break into Natalie’s apartment.”
“What?”
He didn’t have time to explain. He could hear the banging on the door through the phone. The call was still live, but Natalie wasn’t talking anymore. Vance ran for the door, but Stephanie grabbed his arm and held him back.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to get to her apartment and make sure she’s okay,” Vance said quickly.
Startled, it took Steph a half-second to respond. “Then I’m going with you.”
“No, it could be dangerous!”
“No kidding!” she snapped. “You’re going, though, aren’t you?”
Vance pulled her hand from his arm and said, “Please stay here where I know you’re safe. I’ll call you as soon as I make sure Natalie’s all right.”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond. He was bounding out the door and down the stairs a moment later. All he could hear was Natalie crying and the pounding as he jumped into his car and raced toward her apartment. He wasn’t that far from where Natalie lived, but the drive seemed to take forever. No matter what Vance said to Natalie as he drove, she didn’t respond. He was scared for her, terrified her secrets had somehow caught up to her.
Relief shot through him when he pulled up to the apartment and saw two police cruisers already there. Vance swung sloppily into the first spot he saw and was running a moment later. He was so focused, he very nearly crashed right into an officer at the bottom of the stairs who was trying to keep anyone from going up.
The Only Shark In The Sea (The Date Shark Series Book 3) Page 3