He smiles while his eyes are still closed, like he knows I’m checking him out. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, yourself.” I like this. I want this. After eighteen months of feeling lost and unsettled, I am craving routine, a sense of nesting.
“The day is yours. I assumed you are out of commission for a while, so I took today off.”
“You are very full of yourself, mister. Assuming I will spend the day with you just because one night you are the perfect boyfriend.” The B word comes out before I can stop it. My eyes squeeze together, to help me bear the embarrassment, but when I open them he is still smiling at me, eyes lit with amusement.
“You got me! That was exactly my goal. No, what are we going to do? Let’s have the best day and try to erase the nightmare of last night.” He looks at me solemnly and in a whisper adds, “I need to know that in some way I am helping you past this.” In that moment, I know he will be the one to steer my heart back in the right direction. I kiss him deeply, because my heart is full.
He sits up, stretching his arms like a cat. I admire his back, strong and sexy with the exception of some scratch marks by his right shoulder blade. I reach up to run my fingertips along the welts, cringing at the thought that maybe this was from the neighbor… I’m immediately irritated and grossed out.
“Nice touch, you should tell your pussycat to cut her claws before the next time.” I turn my back to him.
Jack looks over his shoulder and smiles, “I’ll tell myself. This isn’t from another woman, Mia, but I’m glad to see you care.” Smacking my bottom, he turns me over and hovers over me kissing my ear. I have a nagging feeling there is more to that story, but Jack is clearly trying to distract me, and it’s working. His kisses on my neck are currently sending chills down my spine, in a good way, but I needed a few days to heal from head trauma and knew my limit. Anyone acting like he cares so much is here to help me rest and feel better, not trying to get lucky.
“God, you are so soft,” Jack says while brushing his lips across my collarbone. “I could honestly spend hours just touching your body.” His words are speaking to a part of me that has nothing to do with logic or self-preservation. Sooner or later I had to stop him.
“Pace yourself, stud. I won’t break, but this box is still fragile. Let’s not forget I’m trying to recover, here.” I feel bad using my injuries as an excuse, but even appreciating his attention and affection last night and now, this doesn’t feel quite right to me.
“Oh! I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine. I just need to take it easy. Jack, do you mind if we invite Alex along with us today? After last night, I can’t imagine she wants to be alone right now.” I’m worried about my friend. Alex typically faces challenge with a can-do attitude, but this is a whole different can of worms. I don’t want her to internalize her fear and retreat. Nothing good comes from that, I am living proof.
“Of course Alex can come with us today, the more the merrier.” Jack’s eyes shine with sweetness. The old me would want to rip his clothes off and throw him back down on the bed. Maybe the thought alone is a good sign that the old me still exists.
Alex agrees happily to spend the day with us, and we all go out to breakfast, then stroll an open marketplace looking at shitty Rolex knock-offs and fake Louis Vuitton bags. It is exactly the kind of afternoon I need, spontaneous and relaxed. My body aches, and in truth I was supposed to stay off my feet, but Jack is being the perfect host. He can see I am tiring, and recommends finding a bench. Alex picks up a paper as we settled onto a bench in the park, and begins to read available apartment listings out loud. I wonder for a moment if our break-in might have made the papers, but not in New York City—maybe in a small town.
“Here’s one on the Upper East Side, pricey, but it has a doorman. I mean, I think a doorman should be on our list, because people can’t stalk you when other people are being paid to watch you.” I nod in agreement and half laugh, only it is the kind of chuckle that spurs from hysteria rather something being truly funny.
Jack tenses when he hears this last bit. “Wait, what?? I thought there was a mugging and a break-in, what are you saying about a stalker?” He looks pointedly in my direction. It is all I can do not to kick Alex in the shin.
“One of you better start explaining, and I have a feeling I would rather hear it from Alex, since she isn’t immune to the truth.”Ouch!I simply didn’t want to burden Jack with the added fear of a theory. Indignantly, I sit and look at Alex with raised eyebrows. She rolls her eyes and tells Jack about the intruder only leaving through the window, possibly having entered through the door, and about the cigarettes found on the terrace indicating they’d been watching us (or me) for a while before the incident. By the end of the story, Jack has his head in his hands and is leaning his elbows on his knees. “Maaann.”
Ikeep trying to read Jack’s face. Is he angry? Is he in shock? I decide to try a little levity.
“Are you feeling a little buyer’s remorse? Dating a girl with a stalker can be intense.” I smile a crooked smile.
His answering glare lets me know I probably should have gone with a different tone. Whoops.
“Jack, it’s something that the cops were talking about last night, definitely not the only theory, and I don’t think we should jump to conclusions. Let’s let the police run their investigation before we speculate.”I almost believe myself.
I make sure to glare at Alex, so she knows her two cents are seriously unappreciated! Jack places his hands on both sides of my face. “I can’t force you to open up to me, but I’m not going anywhere.”Jesus.I would pay for some humor right now. I’m emotionally and physically spent, and now he’s allI’m here to stay… give a girl a minute!
As if on cue, Alex says, “Not to break up a moment between you two, but I think I found a great place!” I smile at her and she gives me a wink. I love this girl.
We start back toward the hotel to relax and make a game plan. I feel uneasy, uncertain about everything, but happy in this moment. I desperately want to hold onto it, mainly because I don’t believe it will last.
As we walked into the lobby, the Front Desk Manager, Tim? Tony? comes rushing over. “Miss West! The police are here to see you, they are there on the other side of the lobby, seated by the fireplaces.” I follow his finger to see two detectives waiting for me. I nod at Tim/Tony and give a reassuring smile, as if to say,No, Tim/Tony I am not a criminal and your hotel will not be embarrassed.
Jack squeezes my hand, and when I look over at Alex, she looks grim.
“A, you don’t need to sit in on this one, go back to the room and I promise I will only be a minute. I’ll fill you in when I come upstairs.” She doesn’t even hesitate. With a swift wave and a hug, Alex high tails it back to the room.
As Jack and I approach the detectives, they greet me with their badges and the requiem official business statements. Everything they are saying feels like a movie—from their shitty suits, to being questioned in the grandeur of the Four Seasons lobby, it feels like an out of body experience, only to be zapped back each time they need an answer from me.
“Have you seen any strange activity outside or in and around your apartments? For example, the same truck parked for a number of days, or the same faces outside your residence?”
I shake my head side to side, no.
