“Hi, how are you?” he answered.
“I’m okay. I just wanted to follow up with you like I promised.”
“Thanks for checking in. How do you feel?”
“Antsy, but I’ve been here before. It will work out. I’ll be fine.”
“Can I do anything for you? Take you to get something to eat?” He was asking her all these questions, but he really wanted to know where she was.
“No, thanks. I think it would be best if I dealt with this on my own. This isn’t your problem.”
“Fine. I’ll give you your space, but Chella, please don’t shut me out. I want to help.”
“I won’t. Thanks for being so supportive.”
The rest of the weekend went by and Mitch had not heard from Chella. He wondered if she would ever take the initiative and call on her own. Time would tell. By Tuesday the following week, it took every ounce of control he had to stop him from calling her. He was thankful he had a business meeting to distract him that evening.
As he drove to the meeting at a hotel near Shelter Island, he could not help but think about Chella. The route had been so similar to her old living quarters. He kept hoping his phone would ring, and he would hear from her that night.
As the taxi drove Chella home, she found herself constantly looking over her shoulder. Earlier during the day, she devised a plan to alter her appearance until Aaron could be found: sunglasses, scarves, hats and colored contact lenses. She would work from home and keep a low profile over the next few days, but for a couple of meetings she would have to go into the office. She called different drivers to take her where she needed to go and changed the route each time.
She had not had much of an appetite or eaten anything substantial since breakfast Saturday morning, but as she walked through the lobby, she felt hungry. She stopped by the restaurant to get something to eat. Mitch sat alone near the window overlooking the marina. He had a folder along with his ipad, and it appeared he might be there for a meeting. She could have left before she saw him, but she was happy to see him. She approached his table. He was reading from his folder and never saw her coming.
“What brings you over here?”
“Chella,” he said as he stood up and pulled her in a warm embrace. “It’s great to see you. I have a meeting with a client. He called to say he’s running late. Would you like to sit down?”
“For a minute. Are you having dinner?”
“No, just drinks.”
“Why don’t I order us some dinner from the room service menu? Technically, I owe you a meal. We never got around to lunch on Saturday.”
“That sounds great…”
“I’m in room 758. I’ll see you when you’re done?”
“See you soon, Chell.”
“Have the police made any progress?” Mitch asked as they sat on the patio eating dinner.
“Nothing. They can’t find him. He hasn’t lived at home in years, and he and his father have a bad relationship. Detective Carter told me his father hasn’t spoken to him in five years.”
“What about his mother or other family?”
“Apparently, she died. They used to be close. He had an older brother, but I never met him.”
“So what’s next?”
“I guess we play the waiting game. I just have to be really careful.”
“Where does he work?” Mitch asked as they cleared the plates together then sat on the living room sofa drinking coffee.
“I don’t know. He could be living off his trust fund—his father is loaded. Or maybe he gambles. I have no clue what career path he might have chosen, if any. He used to be good at graphics, but I don’t know if it’s something he ever pursued.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Be careful. I’m afraid to have you in my life. I don’t want you to become a target.”
“I’ve been doing a lot of research. Do you know he’s more likely to target you if he knows you’re alone?”
“And he’s also likely to target the people in my life and people he knows I care about. I’m almost certain he saw me getting into your car, Mitch. He knows what you drive. It’s possible he saw you at my place on Friday night. Let’s face it, your car isn’t common, which makes you easy to find.”
“I’ll change my vehicle if that would make you happy.”
“Stop being ridiculous. This is not a joking matter.”
“Who says I’m joking? I want to be in your life. Your concern seems legitimate, so why not change my car.”
“That’s absurd. You just bought that car; I’m not going to ask you to do that.”
“Chella, you didn’t ask me. I volunteered. I have access to other vehicles. I may not sell my car, but I can park it for now until he’s arrested.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I’m falling in like with you and I want to spend time with you and I want to get to know you and I want you in my life.”
“I want that, too, but I’m afraid, for so many different reasons,” she whispered, closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, trying hard to control her emotions. She felt his warm hands on her face, brushing aside her hair, and he kissed her softly of her cheek.
“Chella, look at me.” he murmured. “Please.”
“What?”
“Open your eyes.”
She did. A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to do this alone. Not anymore. You’ve done it that way long enough.”
She wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace. “I’m not used to this. You’ll have to be patient.”
“Trust me, I know that,” he replied, and kissed her tenderly on her lips.
In the coming weeks, Chella and Mitch took things slow. They spent time together almost daily, either having lunch together, or meeting up for dinner or drinks after work. He had cooked her dinner a few more times, and they discovered how much they enjoyed spending time together. His uniform when he was at home and wanted to relax was grey sweatpants and nothing else. If he had to wear a shirt, it was linen and long-sleeved, usually rolled to his elbows.
They developed habits with each other as well. He would take her to work and home when she needed to go to the office. She would call him before going to bed. A game of tennis at the athletic club a couple of times a week became a routine. They even went grocery shopping together sometimes, and he’d always make it a point to get her a couple of bottles of her favorite beverage, Moët champagne. They reserved Dom for special occasions.
Despite of the amount of time they had spent together, they had not had sex. Mitch told her he wanted her to be sure she was ready and it was what she wanted, even though their kissing got hot and heavy at times.
Chella had some of the same concerns as well. After being out of commission for at least two years, she had her own insecurities and fears to deal with that had nothing to do with Mitch. Would she be good enough? Would she be able to please him? Would it be uncomfortable, both emotionally and physically this time around?
One night, a make-out session started to get a little out of control in the car when Mitch dropped her at home, causing these insecurities to surface. Once in her suite, she immediately called Kacy. Chella’s fears were put to ease after talking to her psychologist friend about it. Evidently, she had been doing the right thing. Kacy advised her to take her time with Mitch.
As time passed, she felt more comfortable with him and the insecurities and fears dissipated. She appreciated how patient he had been with her. Not once had he ever pushed her, not even in the slightest. She was more comfortable with him, and the last time things got a little too heavy between them, they managed to joke about his arousal and subsequent cold shower without being completely humiliated.
Therefore, in the eyes of everyone, especially their mischievous friends who had set them up, a blooming romance had developed between the two. It was only a matter of time before they took things to the next level.
One We
dnesday evening, after not seeing each other for two days, Mitch invited Chella to attend a client’s evening cocktail party with him. It wasn’t a huge gathering, so she agreed to go.
After cocktails, they returned to Mitch’s penthouse to watch a movie. An intense love scene played out on the screen. Chella found herself completely aroused and wondered what it would be like if Mitch were doing what was taking place on the screen to her.
Mitch was already close by, spooning her on the couch. She tilted her body slightly toward him. She knew he was having the same thoughts. He pulled her to him, devouring her mouth, caressing her soft skin, and sinking his hand into her hair as he plunged his tongue into her mouth.
He moved on top of her. She felt his firm erection. He slipped the strap of her dress down her shoulders, kissing her neck then her throat. He released the buttons that covered her breasts, cleared away the fabric between his hands and her breasts then kissed and sucked her nipples.
Chella had just started to pull away his shirt when his cell phone rang. They ignored it. After a second, the vibrations stopped and she continued by completely removing his shirt. His phone rang again. This time Chella found it hard to disregard. By the time Mitch answered, whomever it was had hung up to call his land line.
“Somebody’s trying to reach you,” Chella said.
“It’s Rusty from the office. His timing couldn’t be worse.” Mitch snatched the phone off the nearby end table and answered it. “Hey Rusty, what’s up?”
He was still on top of Chella, kissing her gently on her cheek, when his face turned serious. He pulled away and stood up.
Something was wrong.
Chapter Three
“Hi Mitch. We have a problem,” said Rusty at the other end of the line.
“What’s wrong?”
“The office has been vandalized. Someone threw bricks through the front entry doors.”
“Did you see anyone?”
“No. The building was locked, and I was upstairs in my office working when I heard the glass shatter. The alarm went straight to the monitoring site and the police. They’re here now.”
“See if it’s possible to get the glass replaced tonight. If not, get it boarded up until tomorrow.”
“Repair men have already taken measurements. Mitch, I think you have a bigger problem. The police asked me who Chella was.”
Mitch already suspected this had something to do with Aaron, but when he heard the words from Rusty’s mouth, it confirmed his suspicions. He was afraid to tell Chella what had happened because she might push him away again. This was the exact reason she was apprehensive about getting involved with him. Now everything she anticipated was happening.
“Why?”
“They didn’t tell me, but I saw them remove a sheet of paper from around one of the bricks.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I was honest with them. Told them she was a woman you were seeing.”
“Okay. Tell them I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
He hung up the phone, trying to figure out how he was going to explain things to Chella. He didn’t want to risk losing her. Neither did he want to lie.
“What’s wrong?” She asked as he ended the call.
“There’s been an accident at the office. I have to go there.”
“What kind of accident?”
He sighed. Trying to cover this up wouldn’t work.
“Please don’t get upset, Chella.”
“What did he do?”
“He threw a few bricks through the entry doors.”
“To your place of business? Are you kidding me?”
“The police are there. Stay here while I handle this.”
“Over my dead body. I’m coming with you. This is happening to you because of me.”
“I knew this was a possibility. This was a chance I was willing to take.”
“I can’t let you put yourself, your business and your family at risk because of me.”
“You have no control over what this man does. You can’t allow him to continue to manipulate and control you. This is exactly what he wants. You keep playing right into his hands.”
“Well if playing into his hands means the people I care about will be safe, then so be it.”
“Damn it, Chella. Are you always this stubborn?”
“Yes, especially since this is not your war.”
“I chose to make it my war. If he’s messing with you, he’s messing with me. I refuse to let him bully you anymore. Now, I have to get to the office. Please stay here ‘til I return.”
“Mitch, we can do this one of two ways. Either you take me with you now, or I’ll tell you I’ll wait here and as soon as you leave, I’ll take a taxi to your office. You choose.”
“God, you can be such a pain in the ass when you make up your mind. Fine.”
Chella called Detective Carter and told him what had happened. He was at Mitch’s office upon their arrival.
The damage was much worse than Rusty implied on the phone. The bricks had damaged the drywall and company logo on the back wall opposite the entrance. Glass covered everything.
The sight of the damage infuriated Chella.
“Why is this taking so long? How much damage and hurt is he going to cause before he’s arrested?” Chella asked.
“We’re doing everything we can,” said Detective Carter. “His bank accounts have been inactive for two months. As a matter of fact, he withdrew all the money about two months ago and sold his car on Craigslist.”
“Why would he do that?” Mitch asked.
“He’s trying to drop off the grid. He doesn’t want to be found. He’s maxed out all his credit cards as well.”
“And what happens to Chella in the meantime?” Mitch asked.
“I understand your frustration, but I promise you that we’re doing the best we can. This makes him more dangerous, though. With no credit cards, vehicle or phone to trace, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Let’s hope we’ll be able to get some new information from your security cameras.”
Another police officer handed the detective an evidence bag with a sheet of paper inside.
“What’s that?” Chella asked.
Detective Carter flipped the bag over so they could read the paper,
STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM CHELLA.
THIS IS JUST A SMALL DOSE OF WHAT I’M CAPABLE OF.
THIS IS A GENTLE WARNING.
“It was wrapped around one of the bricks he sent through the doors.”
“This is completely out of hand.” Chella said, her voice edged with frustration.
“Mr. Mariani, I’ll give you the same advice I gave Ms. Noon. Be careful. Watch your back. He’s doing this because he’s having a hard time getting to Ms. Noon. ”
“I’m concerned about Chella’s safety. I can take care of myself.”
“Ms. Noon, I’m not telling you this to scare you, but this man is very, very dangerous. I really don’t think you should be alone.”
She looked at both Mitch and the detective but didn’t respond.
The situation was quickly becoming more complicated than it had in the past. Before, Chella would move and she’d be okay for a few months to a year. But within a space of two weeks, there had already been two incidents. If the police were having a hard time finding Aaron, no one could tell how many more of these incidents there would be.
They left Mitch’s office and took a drive to make sure they weren’t being followed. For the first ten minutes they drove in complete silence.
Chella broke the silence by saying, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m tired of always looking over my shoulder. I’m tired of worrying about people I care about. I’ve had enough.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Maybe I should go back home or maybe another country. I can’t do it anymore.”
“Chella, what’s this about?”
“Mitch, it’s about everything. I’m starting to understand why all
these men ended things. I can’t believe you’re even driving me home. I’m sure there was at least $10,000.00 worth of damage at your office tonight because I’m in your life.”
“Those are just things. They’re replaceable.”
“And how long do you think it will be before he starts moving on to things that aren’t replaceable? Like you or your family or your employees. He obviously knows where you work now.”
“I can put measures in place to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“You can’t always plan for what you don’t expect. Right now, that man is a ticking time bomb. Nobody knows when, where, or how he’ll strike next.”
“Running away isn’t going to solve anything. What if he follows you?”
“Then at least he’ll be away from the people I care about. Right now that’s more important to me than anything else.”
“Including your own safety?”
“Yes.”
They arrived at the hotel.
“I’m going to park the vehicle and come with you to make sure your room is safe.”
“Okay,” she said. She was deflated. On the elevator ride up to her room, neither said anything, despite the fact that they were alone.
“Give me your card key,” Mitch said as they arrived at her suite.
She handed it to him, and he opened the door. “Wait here.”
He thoroughly checked the suite, including the bathroom and closets. When he was done he told her to come in.
“Double-check that these are your bags and nothing was slipped into your room.”
She glanced around. “Everything appears to be fine.”
He’d become so worried about her as they drove home. The adamant, stubborn woman at his penthouse a few hours earlier was completely gone, replaced by a completely dejected woman.
“Chella, I’m worried about you.”
Chella pulled something from her drawer and headed into the bathroom, “Yeah, I’m worried about me too, and about all the people in my life. Mitch, just forget about me. Go home, get up tomorrow morning and pretend you never met me.”
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