When we pull up to the diner near the motel, my heart drops in my chest. This is it. Phase one of the plan to find Eli and kill him.
“You know the plan?” Travis stops the car and looks at me, his eyebrow raised as he studies my face.
“Check in online and wait. I’ll order a drink. It’s quick and inconspicuous. When he shows up, lure him away.” I take a deep breath and steel myself for what I’m about to do.
“I’ll be waiting around the restaurant.” He stares at me as I hesitate to open the door and leave. “Everything is going to be okay. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you.”
I smile at him and leave the car. Travis drives away, leaving me standing in front of the diner alone. I take a picture of the bright neonsign, making sure it’s aesthetic and good enough to match the rest of my grid.
I check out the pictures.Okay, if I die tonight, at least this lighting is insane.
The LakeHouse is adorable, which makes this an obvious hot spot for tourists and travel influencers alike. I head inside and take a seat at the bar, ordering a watermelon mojito from the server.
While I wait, I take a couple of cute selfies, ignoring the people glaring at me while I do. Nobody likes people taking selfies in public, something I am all too aware of as an influencer.
When I’m done, both pictures are on my Instagram story. I refresh it constantly, looking for any sign of Eli liking the images, as he usually does. This time, instead of messaging me about them right away, I notice that he sees the Instagram story but does not comment.
A few minutes after my mojito arrives, I start sipping on it and stare straight ahead while I wait. Soon enough, someone sits down beside me, and I look to my left to see Eli.
My heart beats rapidly in my chest. It’s really him.
This whole plan actually worked, and he saw the picture and came to the diner.
I force myself to look away because Eli doesn’t know I know who he is. He has a faceless Instagram account, and if I make it known that I recognize him, it’s bound to raise his suspicions. So I do what most women probably do when they see him—I ignore him.
And byignore, I mean act like I’m deep in thought about solving climate change via TikTok dances. Convincing, I know.
“Excuse me,” Eli says as he leans on the counter and stares at me nervously. “Do I know you?”
I do my best to paint a clueless look on my face as I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I don’t think so.” I pause, then shrug. “Well, I have a YouTube channel, so maybe you’ve seen some of my videos?”
Eli snaps his fingers and nods. “That’s exactly right. I follow you on Instagram, actually.”
“Oh really? That’s so cool. This is kind of funny. I’ve never been recognized in public before.” I laugh and do my best to sound flirty. I force a wide smile on my face as I turn the barstool, letting my entire body face him. He looks down at me with a smile, raising an eyebrow at my outfit.
“I have to say, I’m a little more used to seeing you in the dresses and bikinis.” He laughs and blushes, looking down at the menu in front of him. “It looks like you’re about to do a heist or something.”
“Well, maybe I am.” I lean forward and smile, biting my lip softly. “There are some priceless artifacts around here that my little fingers need to grab. But you have to promise not to tell on me.”
“Of course, you have my word,” Eli says, crossing his heart. “And if you’re ever looking for any extra crew members, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
As much as I don’t want to do this, I look him up and down with a hungry smile as I reach out to squeeze his arm. His mouth hangs open as he flexes his muscles under my grip.
“I am always looking for some muscle,” I say with the most annoying giggle I have ever made. “I might just have to take you up on that offer.”
Eli is clearly at a loss for words, because he doesn’t say anything right away. The tips of his ears turn red, and I look down to see his dick straining against his pants. He quickly readjusts himself, but not before he sees me noticing. He laughs nervously, and I scoot even closer to him.
My hand lands on his thigh, and a shiver runs down my spine. I lean in to whisper in his ear, letting my breath graze against his neck, “It would be a shame to let that go to waste.”
He backs away and widens his eyes as he looks me up and down. “Are you serious?”
I nod, biting my lip with a coy smile. “What can I say? I kind of have a thing for strangers.”
Eli clears his throat and readjusts himself once more in the seat, looking over his shoulder at the door. “I’m staying at the motel right down the street.”
“Then what are we still doing here?” I stand up and grab a twenty-dollar bill from my pocket and slam it down on the counter. Eli jumps to his feet and follows me to the door.
When we’re outside, we walk around the building to where I know Travis is waiting. I turn around and walk backward with an eager smile on my face, my eyes falling to the bulge in his pants.
