Inferno (8 page)

Very content, I quiet my mind, enjoying the feel of the strong arms wrapped around me.  With my head on his chest, I listen to the rhythmic thump of his heart and soak in the heat seeping from his body.  Fingertips leisurely dance up and down my bare spine, and I relax further into my man.  My thoughts wonder back to Sophia’s insistent words earlier in the day and my quick denial.  But, right here, right now, I begin to understand that my heart already belongs to the man beside me. 

“You completely charmed my family today.  My mother absolutely adores you.”  I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

“I like them too, and your mother is very proud of her little boy,” I teased. “Have you really never introduced your family to any of your girlfriends?”

“I don’t do girlfriends,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh come on, you weren’t celibate before we met.  If you don’t do girlfriends, what were they?”

“Distractions, I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with the drama that a girlfriend brings.  I don’t want that crap leaking into my club, causing me problems.”

I let his words sink in and felt my heart splinter into a million jagged pieces.  Moving to the edge of the bed, I wrapped the sheet around my naked body as if it could somehow shield me from the painful truth.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore.  I’m sorry,” I calmly said, turning away as the first tear threatened to fall. 

He reached for my arm, preventing my escape.  “What the hell are you talking about?  You can’t do what anymore?”

“I can’t be what you want.  I’m not the type of girl who has casual relationships.  I get attached, I can’t help it.”

“I never thought you were.  And you are exactly what I want.”

“But you just admitted that you don’t
do
girlfriends.”

“Yeah, so?”

I let out a frustrated sob and attempted to move away, but Ethan had other plans.  He pulled me gently, but forcefully back into bed.  Lying on my back, his hands trapped my face.  “Sweetheart, look at me,” he said gently while his thumbs swept away the moisture.  “Alexis, open your eyes.”  This time his words held a hint of a command, and I complied.  “I’ve never had a girlfriend, and I never will.”  Another tear spilled down my cheek.  “Girlfriends come and go, you’re more than that.  You are
mine
.  You will always be
mine
.  Even if you wanted to leave me, I wouldn’t let you.   You and I, we’re in it for life.  Do you understand me?”

I think it was a mixture of my muddled brain and the shock of what I thought he was saying that stole my ability to speak. It wasn’t exactly a declaration of undying love, but it’s close enough, for now.  I just lay there, staring up into his beautiful face and those earnest eyes, while he waited for a response.

“Lex?”  His eyes searched mine for any indication that I heard what he said.

I reached up and cupped the side of his face.  “You need to shave,” I sniffled.

Chapter Ten

I blindly slapped in the direction of the blaring sound that told me it was time to get up.  I never actually made contact, but thankfully, that awful noise stopped.  A hand skated across my stomach.  Groaning, I rolled over onto my belly and buried my head in the pillows.  Smiling lips touched my shoulder, and I still felt the tingling kiss as they pulled away.

“You gotta get up or you’re gonna be late for work,” he whispered.

“I just want to stay in bed with you all day,” was my muffled whine.

The warm, toasty blankets were ripped away from my body, dousing it in a thick layer of chilly air.  Lightly smacking my ass, Ethan playfully ordered, “woman, get up, and go make me some money!”

“Fine,” I snarled, reaching for my robe.  “You should know there’s a fine line between love, and hate and you’re walking it right now.”

As I made my way to the kitchen, I yelled over my shoulder.  “Check the machine.  Someone must have called while we were in the shower last night.  I’ll start the coffee.”

I heard Ethan rummaging around in his bag for something to throw on while I filled the coffee pot with water.  I was measuring out grounds when my hand froze in midair at what I heard.

I THOUGHT YOU UNDERSTOOD.  I THOUGHT THAT YOU FINALLY CAME TO YOUR SENSES AND GOT RID OF THAT OTHER GUY.  I SENT YOU FLOWERS SO YOU WOULD KNOW I FORGAVE YOU, BUT YOU PLAYED ME FOR A FOOL DIDN’T YOU.  YOU’RE AN UNGRATEFUL BITCH.  I KNOW YOU’RE WITH HIM RIGHT NOW.  I WATCHED YOU…

A loud crash stirred me from my paralysis.  The answering machine lay in pieces near the wall it had just collided with.  I looked to Ethan and my breath caught.  He was livid.  His face was a mix between purple and red.  Veins visibly pulsed up the sides of his neck and along his temple, but his eyes frightened me most.  They held an uncontrolled blaze of searing hate, clearly stating how he felt about someone threatening me.          

I cautiously walked to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, and leaning my head against his chest.  After a few tense moments, his breathing began to calm, and he encircled me in the safety of his arms.  We stood, each of us silently offering the comfort we both desperately needed. 

“Get ready for work babe.  Then I want you to pack enough stuff to last the week.  I have some phone calls to make.”  His voice was rough, colored by raw emotion.

I numbly went through the motions of my morning routine, and Ethan carried my large suitcase when we left for work.  The ride to Bridgestone is filled with a tense silence.   More than once, I noticed Ethan’s knuckles turn white clenching the wheel.  We pull into the no parking zone directly in front of the door.  Without looking at me, Ethan began to speak in a low, controlled voice.

“I need you to do something for me.  You have to promise me that you won’t go anywhere alone.  If you leave, I want you to call me.  I also want to know when you arrive at your destination.  I’ll be here at five o’clock to pick you up.  Do not step outside that building until you see me.”

“Ethan, everything’s going to be ok,” I whispered softly, touching him lightly on the forearm.

“Promise me Lex,” he demanded.

“I promise.”

Ethan waited until I was safely inside the building before pulling back out into traffic.  As I walked through the lobby, I sent out my own S.O.S.

********************

Group Message

Lex – ER meeting needed. 1:00 at Dog’s?

Bella – I’m there

Makayla – Jack & I’ll be there

Lex – See y’all then

********************

“Morning Sara.”

“Hey Lex,” Sara responds as she turns her head to look at me.  “Oh my, someone hasn’t had enough coffee this morning, have they?”

“Har, har , har, very funny.  Are you ready for your first economic production meeting?”

“Absolutely, I can’t wait to be dazzled by numbers,” she deadpanned.

“Just sit quietly and pretend you’re paying attention.  You’ll be fine,” I offered.  “Afterwards, I’m meeting some friends for lunch.   Would you like to join us?”

“I would love to, thanks,” she said sincerely.

Sara and I are the first to arrive at
The Hair of the Dog Café,
and we are ushered over to a round table. 
Dog’s
is a great little greasy spoon that we stumbled into during college.  And yes, we literally stumbled in the door.  It’s one of those twenty-four hour places that serve a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu regardless of the time of day.  They have the best comfort and hangover food in the entire city.

My three friends walked through the door moments after Sara and I sat.  As they took their seats, I made introductions and flagged the server to take our orders.  With all the preliminaries out of the way, I got straight to the meat of why I called a meeting.  I quickly recapped the first phone message for Sara’s benefit, glossed over the hang up calls and the prickling, hair-raising feelings of paranoia I’ve been experiencing, before detailing the appearance of the mystery flowers and latest message.

“Holy shit, Lex, this is serious,” Bella whispered.

“I’m calling dad,” Makayla announced, and she got up from the table.

“Are you sure it’s not David?” Jack asked.

“Initially, I thought it could be him.  I mean this is totally the kind of crap he would pull trying to scare me into running back to him.”

“It’s not him,” Sara said decisively, triggering three sets of eyes to swivel in her direction.

“How do you know that?” Jack asked suspiciously.

Sara shrugged, “I only met him a few times, but he didn’t strike me as the type of guy who would spend that kind of money on flowers.  Four dozen roses, that had to cost a mint.  He’s too selfish to throw that kind of cash down for someone else.”  Sara’s epiphany was greeted by approving nods from Bella and Jack.

“Was I the only one who didn’t see what a douche he was?” I asked as Makayla rejoined the table.  A chorus of yeses answered me. 

“Expect a call from Daddy later.”

“Makayla,” I said exasperatedly.

“What? I talked him out of hopping in the truck and driving down immediately.  And FYI, he is now under the impression that Ethan is Rambo.”  I gave her a,
thanks a lot,
look and was rewarded with a,
what did you expect,
expression in return.  Non-verbal communication is our second language.  We have had a lot of practice over the years. 

“Alright, we can rule out David.  Who else do we have on the list?” Jack asked.

“That’s just it,” I laughed humorlessly.  “There is no one else.  Ethan is the first guy I’ve dated since David.  I didn’t even have anyone interested enough to ask me out so I could turn them down.  I’m at a complete loss.”

“And you didn’t recognize the voice this time either?” Bella asked.

“It was the same as the first message.  The voice was altered somehow.”

The five of us spent the next hour playing detective, but no one could come up with a plausible culprit.  When we couldn’t put off heading back to work any longer, my entourage trailed me to the office and tucked me safely behind closed doors before leaving.   

With only a few hours left in the workday and a deadline looming around the corner, Sara headed off to Scott’s office to put the final changes on their assignment.  I began riffling through portfolios Jerry dropped off during lunch.  Unfortunately, my concentration was shot.  I found my mind wondering constantly, replaying the past year, and coming up empty.  Everything at work remained status quo.   I hadn’t made any life altering changes, unless you count kicking that lying, cheating bastard to the curb or starting a relationship with Ethan.  The more I thought about it, the less likely David as my stalker became.  Sara was right.  He is too damn selfish to put this kind of energy into someone else.  

I was wracking my brain and grasping at straws trying to come up with someone plausible.  I decided to take a different approach to the problem.  The first message didn’t occur until that night at
Inferno
when Makayla stun gunned me.  Whoever this is watched Ethan carry me out.  I don’t remember seeing anyone I knew that night, not that I was actually looking.  I wonder if Makayla saw anyone.  I’ll have to remember to ask her.  Hmmm, maybe it’s not someone I know.  Maybe it’s one of those jaded, ex, non-girlfriends Ethan had.  It was obvious that the voice on the recorder was altered so it’s really not that farfetched that it could be a girl.  Maybe she is trying to warn me off Ethan, or make him believe I am more trouble than I’m worth.  Either way, we split.  This idea has merit. 

However, if it’s a scorned lover who wanted more, how would she have known who I was or gotten my phone number.  It’s not like Ethan and I had gone out previously.  The only conversation I even had with him before that night was the one time I saw him at
Ardor
, and it was strictly professional.  People would have been more likely to think I was seeing Sebastian than Ethan.  The more I mulled over this scenario, the bigger the holes in my theory got.  Well shit.

I am pulled out of my reverie by the vibration of my cell phone against the desk.  It was a text from Ethan letting me know he was out front.  I packed up my things and hurried towards the front of the building.  My mind was in a continuous loop, replaying every detail of all of the times something just felt off.  I was looking for any kind of clue that would help put an end to this mystery.  Amid all of this distraction, I failed to notice Jerry walking towards me until I crashed into him, sending his pile of papers scattering to the floor and knocking us both on our bottoms.

Jerry is short for a guy, maybe around my height.  I’d guess that we weigh about the same too.  His receding, strawberry blonde hair makes him appear much older than he really is, and the fact that he chooses to dress every day in khakis and one of those four-button, cardigan style sweaters does not help.  He is painfully introverted, and I could probably count on one hand the amount of words he has spoken to me since I’ve worked here.   

I took a fleeting look around at the mess I caused before swinging my eyes to Jerry.  I couldn’t help it.  I totally blame it on the stress I’ve been under with all of this stalker crap, but when I caught sight of the shocked, deer in the headlights look on his face, I burst out laughing. 

“Oh Jerry, I am
so
sorry.  I wasn’t paying attention.  Please let me help you clean this up.” 

We both scuttled around on our hands and knees attempting to gather the loose documents before our co-workers trampled them. Standing, I straightened the stack in my hand and held them out to him.

“Do you need help getting them back in order?”

“N-n-no,” Jerry stammered.  “Thank, thank you for helping me.”

“It was no problem at all.  I mean, after all, I was the klutz that ran into you,” I said with a sincere smile.  “Have a good night Jerry.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jerry gave me a timid smile and hurried past.  I think I may have heard him murmur good night, but I can’t be sure. 

I finally made my way out to Ethan’s Escalade and hopped in with a smile still playing on my lips.  I leaned across the seat, grabbing his face with both hands to pull him towards me, and smacked him with a big wet one right on the lips. 

“Hi ya, hot stuff, what’s shakin’.”

The corners of his mouth tugged upward and he replied, “You were taking so long I thought I might have to conduct a search and rescue to bust you out.”

“I ran into one of the clerks on my way out and got held up.”  At Ethan’s raised eyebrow, I continued my explanation while he eased into traffic.  “No seriously, I literally ran into Jerry, papers flew everywhere.  The look on his face was priceless.”

“You’re a walking calamity.  How you’ve managed not to seriously hurt yourself is beyond me.”

“Hey!” I yelled with mock outrage, smacking him on the shoulder.  The asshat had the nerve to laugh. 

We walked into Ethan’s apartment to the smell of something mouthwatering.  I left my things in a pile on the floor and all but ran into the kitchen.  I removed the lid from a large crockpot on the counter to reveal a beef roast with all of the trimmings.  Ethan, and his characteristic smirk, was leaning against the island when I turned around.  The twinkle in his eyes told me how amused he was by my actions.

“You have a crockpot,” I stated.

“Apparently so,” he grinned.

“It smells amazing.  I didn’t know you cooked.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he said with a wink and handed me a plate.

I heaped piles of meat, potatoes, and carrots onto the dish and exchanged it for the empty one he was still holding.  After filling my own plate, which did not even put a dent in the amount of food prepared, I joined Ethan and a waiting bottle of wine at the table.

“Are you sure you made enough?” I quipped.

“You forget, I have seen how much you eat,” was his somber reply.

I’m sure I would have had a witty comeback, but I had chosen that moment to pop a bite of the roast into my mouth.  It was delectable.  Seasoned to perfection, melt in your mouth good.  I was in heaven.  I opened my eyes and noticed Ethan, fork halted half way to his mouth, staring at me.