“O.M.G. That’s adorable. Can I pet it at the next red light?” Petunia asks eagerly, looking at him through the rearview mirror.
“I can do better.” I move toward the front, pat her shoulder, and Noodle quickly climbs the seat headrest and stops on her shoulder.
“I could die!” Her excited voice reaches a high decibel. “I need to take a selfie. My sisters are going to love this.” She then starts to talk to Noodle in a baby voice.
I move back to my seat, thinking that at least this is distracting me from the agitation and dread I keep feeling. Lori has openedhis stalking kit and is now changing into more suitable clothes. His arm hits me on the face as he takes off his sweater, and as I slide away from more attacks, I almost strangle myself with the seatbelt.
“Be careful back there. Proper seat belt usage is very important,” she tells me.
“You’re wise beyond your years,” Lori teases her.
“Utter tosh,” Petunia imitates a perfect Lori, and I laugh at him.
“Oh, Sully, you are handsome when you smile, and your eyes. Freakishly beautiful.”
Is that a compliment? I blush anyway.
Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” plays next.
“Ohhh, not good. Baby Jesus take the wheel!” Petunia suddenly exclaims, before pushing her torso down on the passenger seat. Noodle jumps back on the back seat and slides quickly inside my hoodie, scratching my neck.
“What’s happening?” I look at Lori with a wince.
“The fuzz.” He points his thumb toward a police car parked near a hotdog stand. “She just hates them.”
“I really do.” She comes back up, checking the review mirror. “We are almost there.”
Lori looks at his phone before saying, “You can stop right here.” He rummages in his kit before taking out a pair of binoculars.
The car stops, and Petunia turns off the engine. I look around. Is Nine hiding in one of these buildings? They don’t look like agood place to hide, too visible. But what do I know? I’m just a student, not an experienced killer.
“What do you see?” I ask Lori after a few seconds.
“Your boo, wearing a black hoodie and looking all gloomy and intimidating. Sexy.”
Ezra is fine, thank gods.
“Stop drooling over my boyfriend,” I whisper-scold him.
“Can I check the level of hotness?” Petunia asks.
“Sure!” Lori passes her the binoculars as I raise my hands in the air with exasperation.
“Totally a babe from what I can see. Good catch, Sully. But why is he wearing a white mask?” Petunia gives the binoculars back to Lori while I’m fuming.
“He’s into very disturbing kinky shit.”
What the fuck?I pinch Lori’s hand, enjoying his gasp of pain.
I feel a headache building in the back of my head, and I grab the bottle of water I see sticking out from the stalker kit and chug it to try and stave off the pain.
“Ezra is talking to someone. Uri, I recognize the pattern of his sweater. They are at the entrance of an alley. It’s too dark there. The others must be inside.”
He passes me the binoculars, and I finally look through them. And there he is, my masked man. A rush of pure relief runs from my chest…to my balls. He is so sexy. Maybe I’m the one with the disturbing kink.
“I took a video, I almost forgot how fun this is.” I hear Lori’s voice as I remember we have to activate the earbuds now that we have eyes on them.
“Lori.” I point at our ears.
