Mr. Big Shot

by S. E. Lund

  As soon as Molly was done, I went back to the house and found my mother was on the phone.

  "Here she is now," my mom said and handed me the phone. "It's Sheriff Dawson. Tell him about Blaine."

  "Mom," I said and frowned, taking the phone and covering the receiver. "What did you do? You called the police?"

  "Yes, I did. Blaine's stalking you and they need to know. Tell Sheriff Dawson what's going on."

  I spent the next half hour on the phone talking to the Sheriff, who was a friend of my dad. I told him about Blaine and how I'd noticed him following me since we broke up.

  "Has he said anything threatening to you? Has he actually touched you at any time?"

  "No," I said, for he hadn't come within fifteen feet of me in the past month since we broke up.

  "Has he contacted you on social media? Has he sent you any threatening emails or texts? Made any threatening posts on your Facebook?"

  "No, he hasn't. He's just following me around. He stays far enough away, but it's scaring me."

  "It's a small town, Alexa. You two are going to run into each other now and then. Are you sure it's stalking and not just accidental?"

  "I'm pretty sure," I said, chewing a fingernail and feeling stupid all of a sudden.

  "Pretty sure isn't good enough. I can't arrest him unless he's threatened you or touched you. There's nothing we can do except get a temporary restraining order against him, force him to stay a certain distance away. Do you want to do that?"

  "I don't know," I said and turned to my mother. "He wants to know if we want to get a restraining order against Blaine."

  "Yes," she said and took the phone from me, putting it on the speakerphone. "He's got to get over this and leave her alone. He's got to move on with his life. Maybe if he has a restraining order on him, he'll think twice."

  We talked about the process for getting a restraining order and I promised to follow through the next day. When I hung up, I felt more unnerved because that might make him even more angry at me.

  Things had gone way too far if I had to get a restraining order against Blaine.

  "I'm scared," I said to my mom. "He's going to get really mad now."

  She put her arms around me and squeezed me.

  "I know you're scared," she said, kissing my forehead. "So am I. This is necessary to protect you. When your dad gets back from Phoenix, we'll talk about getting a better security system. You'll be going back to school soon, and he'll be as well. Maybe he'll get over this obsession with you."

  I sighed and held onto my mom, hoping that would be the case, but there was a part of me that felt an increasing sense of threat from Blaine.

  I hoped I was just imagining things…

  I hadn't been.

  Blaine found out that I talked to the Sheriff about getting a restraining order. Someone close to his family who worked at the Sheriff's office squealed and told them what we were doing.

  The next day, he found me. I was afraid he'd kill me if someone hadn't come along and found us.

  I'd been in the back yard, sun tanning, trying to catch a few rays before school started and I'd be back inside all day.

  He showed up, coming in through the rear gate off the alley. I had my eyes closed and my earphones in when I felt the sun blocked. I opened my eyes and before I could say anything, he had his hands around my neck, his face an inch from mine.

  "What the fuck were you thinking, Alexa? Getting a restraining order against me?" he hissed.

  I tried to fight back, grabbing his hands, which were definitely too tight around my throat.

  "Stop!" I cried out, trying to wrestle away from him. "You’re hurting me!"

  "You're lucky I don't really hurt you," he said and finally let go. He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him towards the back gate. “I can’t believe you even considered getting a restraining order."

  “Let go,” I said, fighting with him, hitting his arm, trying to wrest my hand out of his. He fought me, pulling me into the back alley. I saw his car was parked at the end of the alley. I knew enough that I couldn’t let him take me. Once you got in a car with an abductor, it was usually game over.

  Luckily, my neighbour Mr. Scott shouted over the fence. “Hey! What are you doing?”

  Blaine startled, like he was waking up from a dream. Then he looked at me, stepping closer. ”You're mine," he said and held his finger in front of my face. "You can't hide from me."

  Then, he let go and I ran back to the yard, trying to catch my breath and recover.

  Mr. Scott came over, his face white as a ghost.

  “Are you okay?”

  I nodded, my legs like rubber. “I’m okay. Thanks for yelling at him.”

  “He was going to abduct you. Do you want me to call the police?”

  “No, I will. But thanks.”

  “If you’re sure…”

  “I’m sure.”

  When Mr. Scott left, I went into the house to the bathroom and checked in the mirror. There were red marks around my throat where Blaine had grabbed me and my wrist was red as well. The skin was sore and I was sure there'd be a bruise the next day.

  He could have abducted me and if he had, he might have killed me.

  It was then I realized I wasn’t safe anymore. I’d been alone at the house. My mom was at work and my dad was still in Phoenix. Only Molly was there and she was in the house, deaf and almost blind with cataracts.

  Blaine could have choked me to death and there was nothing I could have done about it. He could have hauled me into his car and there was nothing I could do about it.

  He was too strong.

  Thank God for Mr. Scott.

  I went to the phone, my hands shaking, and called Sheriff Dawson.

  "What happened?" he asked when I told him Blaine had attacked me.

  I relayed everything from start to finish and he sighed audibly on the other end of the line.

  "I was afraid of that," he said. "Sometimes, when women do something to fight back against an abuser, the man becomes more unreasonable, unhinged and lashes out. You're at your most vulnerable right after you break up with someone like that, and most at risk. You really shouldn't be alone if you're going to go through with this."

  "I can't even be alone?" I said, feeling like I'd just made everything worse by even considering a restraining order. "What kind of life is that?"

  "I'm real sorry, Alexa, but it's a fact. You and your mom better come down to the office and talk with us about what you can do. When is your dad back from Phoenix?"

  "Later in the week," I replied, going around the house and locking the windows and doors.

  "I'll make sure to have the boys drive by your place when they can, keep an eye out. You don't hesitate to call me if he comes back or if you see him following you."

  I agreed and then we said goodbye. I sat at the island in the kitchen, the phone in my hand, and waited for my mother to come home from work, jumping at every noise and every time Molly barked.

  It was a very long and nerve-wracked afternoon…

  * * *

  Now, here I was in Manhattan, far far away from all that, and I finally met someone I could imagine being with for a longer term but he was leaving. He would never be a long-term boyfriend.

  I felt sad that the next couple of weeks would be all we had, and was still torn between wanting to protect myself from being hurt when he said goodbye, and not wanting to miss out on any time with him.

  It was a hard choice, but I'd enjoyed him so much, that I decided that I only had one life. I didn't want to waste it always trying to protect myself from being hurt.

  A broken heart meant that you loved someone once. That was better than always being alone…

  * * *

  The next day, I spent my time lounging around the apartment, watching news coverage, and reading the papers. My stomach was all butterflies as I thought about having dinner with Luke and what would happen afterward. As a result, I went around a little aroused, my body responding to
memories of our time together, and looking forward to more of it later that night.

  "Quit pacing like a caged lion," Candace said when I walked past her for the third time, moving from the kitchen to my desk and back because I couldn't focus and kept forgetting things. "Go out for a run or something. Do some yoga for God's sake, girl. You need to chill."

  "I'm excited about tonight," I said and plopped down on my chair across from her. "Now that I've decided to live dangerously, I can't stand the wait."

  "Go for a run, like I said."

  "Don't want to exhaust myself, just in case we get busy," I said and wagged my eyebrows.

  "In case?" she said in mock horror. "You damn well better get busy tonight or I'll kick your butt. You don’t have access to a man as fine looking as Luke and not get as busy as you possibly can. Do you hear me?"

  I laughed and nodded. "Loud and clear."

  * * *

  At seven, I took a shower and got ready for my date, shaving and waxing and brushing and doing everything to make myself as desirable as possible in case – for when – we got busy later that night. When I was done, I looked in the mirror and even I had to admit I looked good, dressed in a strappy little black number that hugged my curves. I figured I had to play up my best features and make Luke glad that he invited me to his place for supper.

  "How do I look?" I asked Candace, who stood beside me at the mirror in the bathroom, her critical eye giving me the once over.

  "You look fabulous. He'll drool when he sees you and he'll probably want to strip off that dress and make you the main course instead of supper."

  "Oh, you," I said and hip-checked her one. "That's all you can think of. You should get yourself some."

  "I know, I know," she said with a laugh. "I'm working on it."

  "Oh, yeah?" I said and turned to face her, wondering what she meant.

  "Yeah," she said and looked all coy. "I may have met someone when I was out today at the bagel shop. He may have been smiling at me for the past few weeks when I've gone there. We may have agreed to meet for coffee there tomorrow after he’s done work."

  "Oh, my God, Candace! That's great. What does he look like?"

  "He looks like Thor, with shorter hair." She wagged her eyebrows and I knew what she meant. She'd been in love with the actor who played Thor for several years and was always looking to meet a guy who looked as much like him as possible.

  "You go, girl," I said and playfully punched her shoulder.

  "I know, right? Who would have thought the two of us nerd girls would find two hunks and both be getting some at the same time? The stars must all be aligned just right or something."

  Right on cue, my cell dinged and I checked it to see if it was Luke.

  LUKE: Your ride awaits, m'Lady.

  "He's here," I said with a grin. "I'm off. I don't know if I'll be back or whether I'll be staying at his place tonight."

  Candace gave me a little hug and smiled. "I'm a big girl. I can stay by myself."

  "You won't be lonely?" I asked, feeling slightly guilty that I was leaving her alone.

  "I have popcorn and the latest Thor movie on Netflix. I'm fine," she said and waved at me dismissively. "Go. Have a wonderful time."

  "Okay, this is me going." I took in a deep breath and then I left the apartment, taking the stairs to the main floor.

  Outside, double parked, was Luke standing beside his very expensive SUV. I smiled when our eyes met and then he opened the passenger door and I got in, excited for what the night would bring.

  Chapter 18

  Luke

  * * *

  Alexa looked … amazing.

  I had to pinch myself that she was mine for the night when I saw her in that dress that hugged her very delicious curves. She was built, and she was beautiful. I wondered why she was single and had been for so long. I knew she had recently escaped a bad relationship and didn't feel able to go back to her small-town home, but could that bad relationship have turned her sour on men?

  I hoped not. She seemed to enjoy being with me, but to go for a whole year without sex?

  I couldn’t imagine it…

  "Hello," I said and leaned over, kissing her softly on the lips. "I'm so glad you decided not to throw me over."

  She smiled, her expression softening. "I'm glad you asked. I was feeling bad that I'd probably never see you again. In fact," she said when we drove off. "I decided to ignore your text and delete your contact info from my cell so I wouldn't."

  "You were really going to delete me?" I said, and made a face of mock horror, although I really did feel badly that she considered it. "I'm crushed."

  She glanced away, a smile on her face. "Self-defense. Who needs a broken heart?"

  "No one," I said, pulling out into traffic. "We won't break our hearts. We'll just enjoy each other while we can. How does that sound?"

  She shrugged. "I'm going to try."

  I took her hand. "Look," I said, trying to find the right words. "We've both got plans. You're starting your PhD. I'm planning to sail around the world. We should consider ourselves lucky that we met at all, considering everything. It was fate, I tell you."

  "Fate?" she said with a laugh. "It was an accident. A slip of the fingers on your keyboard."

  I maneuvered through traffic and drove down Broadway to 8th Avenue and my apartment in Hell's Kitchen.

  "Thank God for that slip of my fingers." I turned to her and squeezed her hand. "I'm glad I met you instead of the real Lexxi911."

  "But your plans to teach Eric a lesson fell through."

  "No, I don't think so. I think we gave enough hints that I knew about his use of Lexxi911 that he got the message, even if it wasn't you. Besides, she's not nearly as pretty as you. Or as smart."

  "You flatter me, sir," she said, a hint of protest in her voice but she smiled, hiding it behind her hand.

  "I speak the truth," I replied. “After that first night, when I discovered you weren’t Lexxi911, John spent some time searching through his recycling for the piece of paper with Lexxi911's contact info. When he found it, John sent her a PM asking for a pic. She sent him one so I actually saw her. There's no competition. Not in looks and I'm sure not in brains either."

  "Plus, I don't sell it." She grinned at me and I felt a surge of affection for her. I liked her. Really liked her…

  We arrived at my building and drove into the parking garage. I slipped into my parking spot and hopped out, helping her out of her door. I took her hand and led her up into my building, which was an entire brownstone owned by my family. It had been renovated with top of the line fixtures and had been featured once in the Times real estate section.

  "This is amazing…"

  I could see the awe in her eyes as we took in the entry, which retained the original dark wood paneling, crown molding and plaster, but which now included all new hardwood flooring, new electrical and pretty much new everything else.

  "When I'm with you, I forget how rich your family is. How even more rich you're going to be."

  I smiled and closed the door behind me. "It means nothing to me except a way to do what I want. I'm not into possessions as much as what money can free me from – being forced to do work I hate. I'm very lucky and I know it."

  We walked through the living room to the great room at the back, complete with a gas fireplace and huge modern chef's kitchen. I was used to the elegance, but I knew Alexa wasn't.

  In truth, at that moment, I could be happy being anywhere with Alexa – eating a hotdog in Central Park, getting a pizza slice from a storefront, eating fresh crab cakes at the beach. She was fun, she was smart, and she was real.

  She'd be someone I could imagine getting involved with on a more long-term basis – if I was into that kind of thing. Which I wasn't.

  Not any longer, anyway.

  But if I was, Alexa would be it.

  "What do I smell?"

  "Dinner, my lady. Prepared especially for you."

  She entered the kitchen and glan
ced at the pots on the stove.

  "Fresh asparagus, steamed and almost ready. In the fridge is a fresh spinach salad and my grill on the rooftop patio will cook the two New York Strip steaks I got from my neighborhood butcher. In the oven is a fresh baguette heating up."

  "I didn't realize you're a chef," she said with a smile.

  "I enjoy cooking. My mother took a course from one of Julia Child's students when she was young and she and I used to cook together."

  She glanced at me, an expression of sympathy on her pretty face. "You were young when she died."

  "I was," I said, "but I had enough time with her to pick up her love of cooking and her appreciation for space. She was a maverick for her time, studying astronomy in school instead of how to find a husband."

  "I doubt a rich woman with a fortune would have a hard time finding a husband…"

  I laughed. "She didn't," I replied, thinking of my mother and father. "My mother was an heiress to a fortune and had all the money in their marriage. My father was a banker, but he wasn't wealthy in his own right."

  "Your family is pretty convoluted," she said. "You and Dana are orphans."

  "We are," I said with a sigh. "Neither one of us likes our adoptive parents. They're tolerable, but only. We have each other."

  "It must have been hard to find out that Eric was cheating on Dana.”

  "I wanted to kill him," I replied and leaned against the counter. "Honestly, it was the closest I've ever come to violence. John had to hold me back from driving right over to their house and punching him in the face."

  Alexa nodded and smiled softly. "John is a good friend if he kept you from doing it. That would have done no one any good. You'd be charged with assault. Your sister would be angry with you, and would probably side with Eric."

  "I know, I know," I said, the thought still making my heart race, my blood pressure rise. "Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and I went to talk to a marriage counselor instead. She told me to let Eric know I knew about his infidelity and that if he didn’t stop, I'd tell my sister."