Poppy: First, yesterday was Sunday, and who in their right mind would work on a Sunday? Second, I find that highly unlikely coming from a man that’s following a woman around and laying claim to her.
I chuckle and shake my head.
Me: You’re right. You’ve caught me. I was trying to give you time to cool off from everything that happened Saturday.
Poppy: By leaving me in the dark?
Me: No, by not overwhelming you with information.
My computer alerts me of an incoming email, but I ignore it, not willing to take my eyes off Poppy.
Poppy: Well, it’s stupid. Now, tell me how you knew who my date was, and how long you’ve been following me.
This is the part where I have to be careful. I recline back in my chair, rub my hand across my jaw and think of how much to tell her. I don’t want to lie to her… well, you know what I mean, but revealing too much at one time could be damaging.
Instead of doing what I should do and reply to her through text, I pick up my phone and push the phone icon right by her name. I watch my computer screen with satisfaction as her phone begins to ring. Her body jerks when she notices the number, and her chest rises as she pulls in a deep breath. It’s plain to see she’s nervous to talk to me. It takes five rings on my end before she swipes her finger across the screen and brings the phone to her ear.
“Hello,” she answers hesitantly. I close my eyes for a brief second as I hear her angelic voice. Every time I hear it, it does crazy shit to my body.
“Hello, Poppy,” I reply, lowering my voice and changing my accent so she doesn’t recognize me. I perfected several different accents in drama club bac
k in high school.
It takes her several seconds to answer, but then she breathes out, “Wow. I don’t…” She stops, then starts again. “I wasn’t expecting you to call me.”
“Are you bothered that I did?” I silently pray she isn’t.
“No, of course not. I’m just surprised.”
We’re both silent. I don’t like the quiet from her end. I want to hear her talk.
“Say something else,” I demand. I not only want it, but I need her to keep talking. I feel like a druggy getting his fix after days without.
On the screen, Poppy adjusts in her seat so she’s more on her side. She picks up her wine glass and takes a sip of the clear liquid.
“Why?” she asks, setting her wine glass back down and pulling her legs up to get more comfortable.
“Because I like hearing your voice.”
She hesitates before she responds, and it’s not the response I was hoping for. I was hoping to put this off for a little while longer, but apparently, moving from texting to talking wasn’t as much of a distraction as I was hoping it would be.
“How about you talk by answering the questions I asked you.”
I have to hand it to her. She knows what she wants and is going after it. I respect that and can’t fault her for it.
I take in a deep breath and let it out while I think of what all I want her to know. I know I have to give her something, but I won’t reveal all my secrets yet. A person can only handle so much, and Poppy’s handled a lot so far. I won’t take the chance of pushing her over the edge and making her too leery of me.
“You want to know how I knew who your date was?”
“Yes, and how long you’ve been following me.”
“Okay.” I recline back in my chair and get comfortable. “I have the means to gain certain… information.” Before she has a chance to ask how, and I know she is because I see her open her mouth on the video feed, I stop her when I continue. “How I gained that information is not something I feel comfortable discussing with you yet, but I will. Just not right now.”
I barely hold in my chuckle when I hear her huff on the other end of the line.
“That’s kind of unfair, don’t you think? How would you feel if someone was interfering in your life?”
She has a good point, but it doesn’t matter. First, no one would dare interfere with my life. That would be a mistake they would learn quickly as being the wrong one. Second, my end goal, and the only thing that matters, is making Poppy mine. I’ll do whatever is necessary to make that happen, even if that means withholding information from her, for now.