Stalking for Dummies ~ Part 2

by A. Sylvur

“I’m fine. Honest. It’s great to have friends on the police force.” She recognized the heavy breathing and growled playfully, “Tell me you are not touching him in public!”

Dwayne laughed in the background as Jennifer replied, “But I’d be lying.”

“Give the phone back to Dwayne,” Charlotte demanded.

“I just now emailed you some information on stalkers as well as links to blog sites where victims post their stories. You should read those to start.”

“Isn’t there a book?”

“Stories from victims.”

She sighed. “That figures. Well, thanks. I guess I’ll not see you later?”

“No. Yes. Don’t confuse me and be careful.” He hung up.

As she came out of the stall, she saw Samantha. “Sam, what are you doing here?”

“I’m wondering what you’re up to. Come on. Is there anything between you and our boss? The two of you look great together.”

“There’s nothing between us. I’m sorry to disappoint you.” She washed her hands. “I really should get back to work and you need to stop spreading rumors.”

“It’s not a rumor. It’s true. Perhaps you should look at our boss more often and you’ll notice how much he watches you.”

“I don’t need this, Sam.” Charlotte wiped her hands then rushed to get away from the implications and nearly knocked down her boss just outside the door.

Zephaniah wrapped his arms around her and steadied them both.

“Are you alright?”

Her eyes were caught by his deep green ones and she forced herself to remain professional. The rumors had sunk in, but she fought it. “I’m fine. Didn’t see you there. Oh, I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”

“Exhilarated. But I was preoccupied myself.” Reluctantly, he released her. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Really? Because, it feels like something’s changed.”

Confused, she wanted to kick Samantha for planting the seeds of doubt. “Mr. Langshore, would you mind if I left work early today?”

“No. But is it something I can help you with?”

She shook her head. “If I ask for help it might make things worse.”

With a hand, he restrained her. “Miss Shortle, are you in trouble? I would be more than willing to help.”

Warily, she shook her head and knew she saw what her troubled mind wanted to see, but forced herself to remember that he was only being polite. “No. I need to get a few things from my desk.”

He followed her. “Should I call the police?”

“No.” She smiled. “Thank you. It’s nothing like that. I’ll see you bright and early Monday morning?”

“I’ll be here.” He pulled a business card from the inside of his suit jacket. “This has my home number. It gets routed to my cell phone when I’m not home to pick up. Please call me if you need anything. I know it’ll be the weekend, but don’t hesitate to call.”

With a nod, she took the card and his warm hand caressed hers. Confused, she looked into his entreating eyes then pulled away. Promptly, she retrieved her purse and some papers from her desk then left the corporate building. As she got into her car she looked up to see Mr. Langshore in his window watching her. And she realized her car was in the secluded section of the parking lot reserved for executive officers.

“OMG. I’m a secretary.”

Her boss touched a hand to the glass window as he watched her leave and she started to cry. An emotional tie at work was not on her itinerary or in her future. And Zephaniah was an entangled emotional tie that would leave her with a broken heart.

Sometime later, she laid her keys on the table near her door then turned on the computer before she changed into jeans and a t-shirt.

Once she returned to her computer, she quickly browsed through her emails. Several of them left her with chills then she clicked the links to read a few stories Dwayne sent.

Halfway through the fourth victim’s story, she rushed to lock the doors, checked all the window locks and then closed the curtains throughout her three-story home. Exhausted, she still guardedly checked her phone messages. As she listened, she noted several were hang-ups. But even freakier was that the stranger’s number was blocked from the Caller ID. The chilling emails came back to haunt her and she wondered if they were really meant for her and not sent by mistake. The hair on her neck stood out. Calmly, she took a deep breath and told herself, “Lottie, you are overreacting because you read a few stories.”

Her cell phone rang and she jumped. Slowly, she pulled it out of her pocket and answered, “Hello?”

“You left work early. Why? Who’s with you?”

The voice was muffled, but she knew it was a man’s. “Dwayne? You scared the hell out of me.” The connection died. “Hello?” She redialed her best friend’s number. “Okay. I get your point. Stop. I quit.”

“Lottie, what are you talking about?” Jennifer answered.

Angrily, Charlotte growled, “Stop trying to scare me. I have enough to deal with at work. Actually, I no longer have a job. It’s Mitch all over again.”

“Dwayne and I didn’t do anything yet. But what happened?”

“Just stop, please. With seeds of doubt and old desires mixed with stories have me high strung.” She paced the carpet in her living room. “I think I’ll close my eyes for a few hours. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Lylas, Jenn, and hugs for Dwayne. I’ll talk to you later.” Before her best friends could ask more questions, she hung up.

In a matter of minutes she turned off all the lights and gadgets not in use as she made her way up stairs to her bedroom. Seconds later she started to cry herself to sleep as she realized she really did need to find another job. It was easiest to leave than to go through the same ordeal she had with Mitch, who only wanted a mistress as he lied about leaving his wife. Zephaniah Langshore wasn’t married, but men with entanglements were bad news. In Charlotte’s opinion, all men were bad news. Sex was all they wanted and a one night stand was all she’d give to any man and never to a man in a relationship ever again. Sleep took over.

A sound on her bedroom window woke her up. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she glanced at her clock and noticed it was two in the morning. “What the hell?” Slowly, she walked down stairs and turned on the terrace light. Still the individual did not go away, but moved to knock on her front door. She peeked out the peep hole and was stunned. Reluctantly, she opened the door. “Mr. Langshore?”

“I know it’s late and a weekend.”

She closed and locked the door. “Try two in the morning. What could my boss possibly want at this hour?”

“You don’t have to be impolite. I need to know what’s going on with you.”

“Need to know what’s going on with me? Well, I,” she noticed a faint scent of liquor. “Have you been drinking?”

He chuckled. “I may have had one or two.”

“Maybe three, but no more than ten?” Charlotte lifted a brow.

“That’s what I love about you, Charlotte.”

When he didn’t elaborate, she sighed.

“Do you mind if I call you by your first name?”

“Why are you here, Mr. Langshore? And where is your fiancée?”

He growled, “Forget about Lori.”

“How easy is it for you to forget about her? What . . . do all women mean nothing to you? Just a night of pleasure? Because if that’s the case, I want to be very clear right now. I only have one night stands with men who are not in a relationship, engaged, or married. I use single men only.”

“You’re twisting my words. And I’m not engaged to a married woman.”

“She’s married?!”