“Of course,” Kelsey said with an earnest head nod. “Us girls have to stick together and look out for one another, right?”
That was the truth. “We really do.”
A nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach bloomed to life then and I tried to tamp it down. I’m not sure what my problem was, but I couldn’t shake this terrible feeling that I needed to stay away from these men at all costs. It must just be the story Kelsey had shared. Her poor friend could have been injured, or much worse, by simply partying with these guys.
Swallowing down my fear, I reminded myself that nothing was going to happen. They weren’t even at the drive-in; they were across the dang street! Besides, even if they did come to Krammer’s, it’s not like they gave one shit about my ass.
I laughed, feeling some of the tension ease from my shoulders. When had I become so conceited that I was worried bikers couldn’t keep their hands off me? I guess Ace’s compliments and good looks had really gone to my head. Skating off toward one of the cars who was waving me over, I got busy serving.
The night slowed down some as people began to settle in for the second film. I should have been exhausted. I’d been running around for over five hours straight, but I still had so much energy. It must be that new multivitamin I’d been taking, because I felt great. Better than great, actually. It was like an electrical current was streaming through my body and giving me boundless amounts of strength and vitality.
As I was picking up some food, Harry told me I needed to take my break with a complimentary side of fries and a coke. He appreciated that I never complained about staying on for a second shift, so he gave me the snack as a “thank you” for being a team player.
When we took our breaks, we always made sure to stay out of sight of the public. If we didn’t, they’d assume we were on theclock and ask us for napkins, food, or general questions about the menu. It NEVER failed.
My hiding spot was on the hillside that was perpendicular to the movie screen. Behind me were woods and a hiking trail where waitresses who smoked could have a quick puff before returning to work. Harry, understandably, didn’t allow the staff to smoke in view of the public. He said customers were more likely to complain about food “tasting like an ashtray” when they knew the waitress smoked.
Unlacing my skates, I trekked up the steep hillside barefooted and sat at the top affectionately termed the “crow’s nest”. The popular spot was worn from years of foot traffic from both staff and teenagers alike, sneaking a free movie. I popped a squat a few feet back from the edge as I devoured my fries while I listened to the film. Enjoying the cool breeze drifting by, I reveled in how perfect a summer night it was. Man, it was beautiful up here. It was almost the full moon, and the sky was clear and bright.
As I was sipping my coke, something caught my attention. A peculiar smell, mixed with an inner alarm bell, made me pause and glance around. I didn’t see anything, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Getting to my feet, I dusted off my rear end. I had ten minutes left to my break, but I no longer wanted to be here alone. Just as I was about to go back to work, someone stepped out of the trees and blocked my exit.
He was a big man. Massive, actually. I recognized him from the other night at Chubs. Kane, Ace had called him. I also remembered how concerned the president of the Night Stalkers had been when he’d turned up with his friends. Combinedwith what Kelsey had said earlier, this “chance” second meeting didn’t bode well for me.
Icy fingers of dread skittered down my spine as my primitive brain, the one we all had left over from when the world was nothing but fear and danger, registered him as a threat.
There was no way I could just run around him either. The hillside was too steep, and he was too big, easily blocking my path. What were they feeding these insanely large bikers, by the way? Whole sides of beef? Geez, he must have been six-three and two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle. His blond hair was knotted at the top in some intricate braids while the rest was shaved to the skin on the sides like a Viking from a bygone era. Needless to say, this imposing man gave me the shivers. And not in the good kind of way, either.
“Hey there, Kitty Cat,” Kane greeted, his deep voice passing over me like an oily residue. “Where do you think you’re going?”
His cold blue stare held me in thrall as I willed myself to run. However, I knew if I ran, this apex predator would give chase, and he would catch me. Of that, I had no doubt.
Staying still, I tried to compose myself before I fibbed and said, “I’m going back to work. My boss is texting me that they’re swamped with customers and need me back from my break early.” I hoped my lie carried a note of truth alongside my obvious fear.
“I bet you’re a terrible poker player,” Kane accused in a roundabout way, taking several steps forward before I’d even realized he’d moved.
There was something so unnaturally stealthy about the man that it made me horribly uneasy. He gave me the impression of acreature out of a dark fairy tale that lurked under your bed at night, just waiting for the lights to go out to finally show himself.
Without his hard aura, he might have been an attractive man. But because of how predatory he was, Kane came off more creepy than anything.
“I’m not lying,” I stammered, forcing some steel into my words as well as my spine. “He’s going to come looking for me if I don’t show back up or respond to his texts. I’ve got to go.”
Kane made a tutting sound as he maneuvered even closer. “I’ve been watching you for a while, Cat. You haven’t touched your phone. You’ve been intently watching the movie. Your boss isn’t looking for you. You’re just looking for an excuse to leave.”
Could you blame me? This man was straight-up nightmare fuel. He really couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to stick around and chat after he’d been lurking in the woods and spying on me? If all that wasn’t bad enough, the first time we’d met hadn’t gone any better.
Deciding that acting like a scared little animal wasn’t helping me any, I changed tack then. I might have to fake being brave, but you know what they say: fake it till you make it. I was willing to give it a try, if it meant coming out of this sketchy situation unscathed.
“Look, Kane, that’s your name, right?” I checked, trying to do the unthinkable and speak reason to the insane.
The man’s face lit up for a second and he almost looked human. Almost. “So, you do remember me. Good, because I can’t stop thinking about you, Cat. Or the way you smell.”
He did the equivalent of scenting the air, like a hound might do to track his quarry. The act was somehow both unsettling and vulgar at the same time. It had a note of sensuality to it. Not just like he was smelling my perfume or my shampoo. It was like he was smellingme. The most intimate part of me. My inner essence.
Suddenly, I remembered he’d said something about my smell that night outside the bar, too. I’d had a few drinks, so I thought I’d misheard him. But now I knew I hadn’t. To put some much needed distance between us, I took a tentative step back. I had to be careful though, because if I went much further, I could tumble down this steep hill and really injure myself.
“Look, Kane, I don’t know what you want out of this conversation, but it’s not happening,” I carefully warned.
