“It was my idea.” Alix kissed my cheek. “Sayonara.”
“Bye.”
I lifted my hand to signal the bar maid, thinking to have one more, then I ought to head home, too. Alix lived further away from the bar than I did, thus she risked drinking too much and being busted for a DWI. Me, I walked here. The cops around here tended to focus on drunk drivers, not drunk walkers.
“Might I join you?”
The older dude.Crap. I want one more drink, by myself, no stalkers invited.“Thanks for the drink, but I’ll be leaving soon.”
And, of course, he pulled out Alix’s chair and sat down with a tiny smirk. “I just want to compliment you on your exquisite, good looks.”
He himself was just average looking, salt and pepper hair, brown eyes, not much of a chin. The barmaid brought my drink, then asked him what he’d have.
“Another scotch and soda, thanks.”
She left the table, and me in an annoyed dither.
“Look, man, if you’ve come for a one night stand you can forget it.”
“Why does everything have to be about sex?” he asked. “I happen to be a photographer, and think you’d be wonderfully photogenic.”
“I hate having my picture taken,” I said. “So, no go.”
“That’s a shame. I can pay you a lot of money.”
“Still a no go. Why don’t you run along and bother someone else?”
“Pity about your extraordinary good looks,” he commented. “You have such an abrasive personality.”
“That happens when folks get in my face without asking and judge me.”
His drink arrived as did mine, yet I didn’t pick it up. He made no effort to get up and leave, and if I wanted rid of him, I’d have to be the one to depart. Past his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Creepy GQ model watching me, us, with a slight frown. Did he have some hero complex that would send him hurtling over the tables to rescue the damsel in distress?
“As your company is less than desirable,” I said, picking up my drink, my coat and my purse, “I’ll take mine elsewhere.”
“Think about my offer,” he said as I stalked through the tables to the bar. “A lot of money.”
“Bite me,” I muttered under my breath, and sat on a stool.
From this angle I couldn’t see either Mr. Think About It or Creepy GQ model unless I turned fully around. Sipping my drink, I beckoned the bartender over to pay my tab, then gave him my card. High time I left this joint, went home to watchsome television, before nodding off on my sofa. The rum rose from my stomach straight to my head, but I still knew exactly what went on around me and walked with confidence. If either of those bozos thought I was drunk enough to roll, they’d get a nasty surprise.
I kept a police tactical baton in my right-hand jacket pocket.
The chilly northeast wind bit into my flesh as I zipped my coat up and stuffed my hands into the pockets. My residential neighborhood was two blocks down, then a right turn, then another three blocks. Easy peasy. I enjoyed walking home, the area wasn’t criminal alley, nor was it posh. Just ordinary people going about their ordinary lives, even as I did.
I made my right turn and as I did, I shot a glance back the way I’d come.
Creepy GQ model strode along the well-lit street behind me.
This just bites.I gripped my baton, kept my head down and walked on. If he made the right turn, then he was following me. If he kept straight on, I’d relax.
He turned right.
Great. Another fucking stalker.I considered shifting, getting away from him that way, and maybe scare him into shitting himself in the process. Except there was a problem with that notion. One, too many cars drove past me on the rather busy avenue. And two, I’m not allowed to reveal what I am.
The baton then. It’d turn him into a pile of quivering, busted bone, bloody excuse for a GQ model. I didn’t necessarily want to hurt him or anyone else. I’d only bust his chops if he got froggy.So just keep on walking, GQ, just walk on. You really don’t want to know what I can do with this thing.
I risked a quick glance over my shoulder. He continued to follow, his hands in his pockets, his head down as though hemerely strolled through the autumn evening, going in the same direction I was. No big deal. No cause for alarm.
