Page 29 of Zombie

I met her at a small bistro a couple of blocks from the office. Darcy waved at me when I arrived, as if I could miss her. Lime-green lowlights peeked out from her straight black hair, and she was dressed in an extravagant goth ensemble.

“Lennie! Finally! I thought you might blow me off again,” she said as I sat down. “Seriously, what has been going on with you?”

“Sorry. There’s a lot happening at work right now.” I shrugged noncommittally.

She continued to pester me as I ordered a coffee, but soon realized I wasn’t going to give her any more information and changed the subject to a dark stalker romance she was reading.

“Have you ever wondered why authors never talk about the penguin waddle you have to do to the bathroom after your ass and pussy are filled with cum?” she asked just as the waitress arrived at our table.

The poor thing looked mortified, but Darcy appeared unperturbed.

“Probably because it isn’t sexy,” I answered once we’d ordered our food and the waitress had left.

She hummed in agreement. “Or like, how unrealistic stalking books are. Like there’s no way the stalker could just stand there for hours without having to go to the bathroom. Yet you don’t hear about that.”

For some reason, I felt like there were eyes on me at that moment. I chalked it up to paranoia and shook it off before refocusing my attention on my friend.

I let out a laugh before wincing as my rib throbbed with pain. “Girl, you have way too much time on your hands.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Well, if someone had actually hung out with me and given me some attention, I wouldn’t be thinking about the logistics of stalking.”

I let out another giggle as I took a sip from my coffee, attempting to focus on my friend as my mind started to wander. I still hadn’t heard from Dante, and I was trying to not let it bother me. I was staying at his house, and yet he wasn’t talking to me.

His denial last night still plagued my thoughts, along with the words that lit my insides on fire. “I want nothing more than to rip all of your clothes off and take my time wringing every shred of pleasure out of your body.”

I squirmed in my seat thinking about his piercing gaze and the strong fingers that had dug into my sides.

“Earth to Lennie!” Darcy said while waving a hand in my face. “Girl, what is up with you? You need to spill.”

And so I did—or at least I told her part of it. I told her about my hook-up attempt with Bohdi and how I was staying with a “work friend” because of “renovations to my condo”. I told her about the chemistry with said work friend and how I was slowly going out of my mind because I wanted him so bad.

Darcy took in the information like a sponge and seemed delighted that I was actually giving her juicy gossip. She loved a good story, especially if it had lots of spice and desire.

“So why haven’t you boned him yet?” she asked before taking a bite of her turkey club.

I put my head in my hands and groaned. “I tried last night, but he turned me down.”

That detail caught Darcy’s attention. “Are we sure he’s not gay?”

That almost made me choke on my own sandwich before I shook my head. “No, he’s definitely not.”

My mind began to spin, and thoughts about why he hadn’t hooked up with me began to rear their ugly heads.

Was I not pretty enough? Did he pity me?

I wanted him. I wanted him badly. And tonight, I was determined to fulfill my desires.

TWENTY

ZOMBIE

I had just come from the medical examiner's office when I got a text from Lennie. For once I had slept in, and then watched from afar as Lennie had lunch with some goth chick that I didn’t recognize. Thankfully, the spitfire didn’t realize I’d put a tracker in her phone so I could see where she was at all times. Maybe some people would call me a stalker, but I didn’t care. I needed to make sure she was safe and that history didn’t repeat itself.

KITTEN:

Come upstairs

I took the stairs two at a time and checked Lennie’s room to find it empty. She wasn’t in the playroom either. I knew she wouldn’t be in Arrow’s space, which only left my room. My heart began to quicken as I stalked toward my door.