"I'm not."
"I should have shown you how to remove the safety on this gun, how to shoot, before I brought you back here, dammit."
"I don't want the gun. I'll be fine. He's never really hurt me before."
"Maybe he's hired someone to do his dirty work."
"Thanks for scaring me even more than I already am." I nudge his arm. "Are we still meeting tomorrow at noon to set up your account?"
"I need to think about that a little more. I'll text you. Anytime I text or call, you delete it, though, okay?"
"Got it."
The car slows. "I'm letting you out here." He turns and gazes at me. "Be careful. Watch your back, watch your front, watch your sides. If someone tries something, beat the everloving shit out of them. Bite them, kick them in the balls, whatever you have to do. Just fight until I can get to you. And the no public displays of affection rule is in play here, but if it wasn't, I'd lean across this seat and kiss you like it was the last time I'd get the chance."
"Geez, you sound like I'm dying or something, or maybe like you think I'm going to die."
He shakes his head. "No. But that's how you should be kissed at the end of a date."
I laugh. "This was a date?"
"Wasn't it? Even if it was unconventional. But you have to go. There's a car coming up behind me. Be safe, agapemèni."
Taking a cleansing breath, I close my eyes. "Goodnight, Mr. T."
He chuckles and shakes his head as I unbuckle my seat belt, grab my purse, and open the door. My stomach clenches as I start to walk briskly toward our building. The roar of the motor fights against the whooshing in my ears. He speeds up a little bit, gets in front of me, and I am practically running to the front door of the building. When I'm almost there, my phone rings again. My body startles. "Fuck." But I remember Theo saying he was going to call me. I can see him holding a phone to his ear. Pulling my phone from my purse, I glance down. MG is displayed on my screen, and it makes me smile. "Hello."
"Turn your volume down so you can't hear me. Don't mute me, though. I need to be able to hear you." Theo telling me what to do gives me this calm sense of relief, like he's not going to let me screw this up, but I'm still not confident in my abilities to pull this off.
Pressing the button to lower the volume, I lock my phone so it doesn't accidentally disconnect, then shove it back into my purse. What if Charlie is waiting in the lobby for me? Of course, for as much as he cares, what if he's not even here, and I'm blowing everything out of proportion? My little devil on my shoulder whispers, Or he's waiting at your house with his own gun. Should have taken Theo's.
No. No guns. Definitely no guns before I learn how to shoot one. You can do this, Jules. You have to.
Opening the door to the main entrance, I breathe a sigh of relief when the only person I see is Calvin, the night security guard. I think he's probably in his fifties. He's a handsome guy who kind of reminds me of Richard Gere before his hair went completely gray. I have this hidden talent of being able to see the celebrity in everyone.
That's when it hits me that Theo looks like a really tall, super buff Theo James. No wonder he has me in a tizzy every time I'm near him. What girl wouldn't drool over Theo James? Funny they have the same first name.
Charlie is like Jonah Hill, but not nearly as funny. Scratch that. Not funny at all.
Calvin interrupts my thoughts. "Ms. Hemingway. Did Charlie find you?"
Shit. Fuck. Shit. I smile the fakest smile. "Charlie's looking for me? I left my phone in the office earlier when I left in a hurry."
"Yes, ma'am."
Leaning over the counter as I carefully pull my wallet from my purse without disturbing my phone, I do my best to show a little cleavage. This is totally not me. But then again, most everything I've done today has been out of character. "Will you do me a favor, Calvin?"
His eyes drift to exactly where I want them to. Men are so predictable. "Sure."
"Would you please not give Charlie information about me if you see him? I'm working on a surprise for him, and I don't want to spoil it."
He grins. "Funny, he asked me not to tell you he was looking for you, either."
I scrunch my face together. "But you did?" Son of a bitch. So much for being able to trust Calvin. I'm so screwed. I suck at this.
"Yeah, but see, Ms. Hemingway, if I'm honest, I don't particularly care for your fiancé."
"Is that so?" Join the crowd.
"Yeah, and I'm a pretty good judge of character. You seem like a sweet girl. I'm overstepping my bounds here, but you two have involved me in whatever the hell you're both up to, so I'm just going to speak my mind."
"Please do by all means. You are definitely out of place, but you're right about the position we've put you in, and I want to hear what you have to say." I almost say I respect my elders, but that is probably not smart considering the situation.
"I've seen him with other women in this building. You deserve better than that."
Trying to look as shocked as I can, even though nothing surprises me about Charlie, I try to will tears to seep from my eyes. It doesn't work. I'm not an actress or a liar apparently. "So, can I trust you, Calvin? It's important. My surprise."
He nods. "Go on. I don't need to see your ID. I am not sure why you still show me that."
"Thank you, Calvin."
"I don't like a guy who cheats, Ms. Hemingway. Especially on a fine young lady like yourself. You're engaged. You don't need to be marrying into that."
"Got it. I really have to go, though."
"Yes, ma'am."
Once I'm out of his earshot and view, I grumble, "Great." I'm already missing Theo. It's like this day went from awful, to spectacular, to hellish. It doesn't get worse than hell. It's not even survivable. And I'm beginning to wonder if this day is.
The last time I walked this path, Theo was waiting for me, and I was dreading that. Little did I know hours later, it'd be Charlie I'd be dreading. Please don't let him be here. Please don't let him be here.
Pushing through the door to the parking garage, I glance behind me, then to both sides, remembering Theo's instructions. My hearing is heightened. If someone tries to attack me tonight, they were either waiting this entire time, knowing I didn't take my car, or they were following me. Either scenario sucks.
When my car comes into view, there's no one there, and I breathe out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank you, Jesus." Pulling my keys from my purse, I keep my finger on the panic button just in case some boogey man paid by my fucking fiancé jumps out at me. Of course, I giggle thinking of Theo doing that. I can't believe I thought he was the bad guy. When will that sink in about how wrong I was about him?
Headlights break the horizon, followed by the thunder of his familiar motor. Immediately, my body relaxes knowing I'm almost to my car, that he's connected to my phone, and he's also watching me like he said he would. But I don't look at him. I pretend I've never heard that car, that I don't know a thing about the sexy seat belts, and that I don't recognize the sex god driving it. I just stay focused on my car. A few more steps.
Theo's car turns to go up the next ramp. I wonder if he'll follow me home. Once I'm in the car, can I put him on hands-free and talk to him? Because I already miss him telling me what to do, guiding me through this, his flirty banter. My stomach flips, my heart flutters. I'm so screwed.
"There you are," a raspy, familiar voice calls out.
Except, I have no idea where it's coming from. Theo's right. My self-defense is crap. Looking back over my shoulder, I see Charlie walking out of the stairwell. I hope he didn't see Theo. Please don't let him see Theo.
"Why does that sound like you're surprised?" I ask, turning around to face him. His hands are in his pockets, his sandy blond hair is disheveled, and his blue eyes are bloodshot.
"Where the fuck have you been?"
I can do this. It's all the truth. Stick to the truth. "I told you I was having dinner with a potential client."
He narrows his eyes. "That was a long fucking dinner."
"Yeah, it was. I think the better question, Charlie, is what are you doing here?"
He continues to saunter toward me. "Looking for my fiancée. Why were you not answering my calls or texts?"
"You called? You texted?"
He continues to give me this evil, appraising look. "A few times."
"Well, I was caught off guard with this meeting." Truth. "I completely forgot to take my phone." Another truth. I just forgot to take it out of Theo's car.
"Guess that explains why when I tracked your phone it showed you were here the entire time."
I gasp. Son of a bitch. Arching a single eyebrow, I let the blood boil a second before I respond to try to get the most genuine reaction. I am not surprised by this. It explains how he always knows when I'm with Tracy, my best friend who he seems to block me from. "Wait. You trace my phone? You keep dibs on me?"
He steps closer. The stench of alcohol smothers me. "Fuck yeah, I do. You're mine, Jules. I keep up with my possessions."
I sigh, roll my eyes, and press the unlock button before pivoting on my heel.