It was Friday night, and I found myself at the gym, nothing else going on in my life. Which sounded lame, but after the week I’d had, I was looking forward to a quiet evening, even if alone. Jude was at a school lock-in to fundraise for a club he was interested in. They were doing a game-a-thon, a modern twist on the dance-a-thon to raise money. He’d been excited about it, and I hadn’t wanted to admit how lonely I felt with him gone. Monroe hadn’t been able to do anything either since he had to work late. We were finally able to make plans for dinner tomorrow night at least, so it gave me something to look forward to.
The music stopped as the instructor finished her cool-down instructions, and I exhaled a breath, rising up from the stretch. Barre class was nice today. I still preferred kickboxing, but I’d learned to appreciate the mindfulness I could enter in these classes. Picking up my gear, I sanitized everything and waved to Katie.
“See ya at the next class.”
“Have a nice night, Loren.”
“You too.”
Walking out, I opted to toss on my sweatshirt and shoes instead of changing today. It was a lovely night for walking, and I didn’t feel like putting my work clothes back on, or more importantly, my high heels. I smiled at the front desk girl, my new commitment not to judge other women unbiasedly and win people over one smile at a time. She ignored me as usual, but I felt better knowing I wasn’t falling into the mean girl category.
The cool air greeted me as I walked outside, and I took a deep breath in. Something about the spring always brought a sense of rejuvenation with it. The trees were budding, and when April greeted us in a week, I imagined we’d finally start to see flowers. I was so focused on the trees and enjoying the scenery, I didn’t notice the man leaning against the wall.
His voice called out, and I stopped, apprehension building in me as I turned my head to look at him.
“Gorgeous, we meet again.”
The man was just as attractive as I remembered, his cocky swagger on full display now that he wasn’t sitting. He looked me over from head to toe, his eyes taking in every detail, and I regretted not changing. Not because I wanted to look nice for him, but both times I’d met him, I’d looked like I’d just run a marathon, the sweat thick on my skin, my hair frazzled and askew, my face still red from exertion.
But honestly, I think it had more to do with my mask being harder to project in this state. The bedraggled state of my outside for once matched my inside, and I didn’t feel as strong.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?”
I decided if I couldn’t be professional Loren, I’d go with dismissive. He thrived on dominance and control, something I’d clocked about him from our first meeting, so perhaps I could turn the tables. The advantage being, I wasn’t trapped on a train with him this time.
Crossing my arms, I jutted my hip out as I hardened my features. Maybe if I went all basic bitch on him, he’d lose interest?
“I highly doubt that, gorgeous. I’m not the type of man one forgets. Especially when a woman holds my nuts in her hands.”
I didn’t miss the way his nostrils flared or the heated look that crossed his eyes. He both hated and loved what I’d done last time we’d met.
“Yeah, sorry, dude. I think I’d remember that. You’ve got the wrong girl.”
Turning to leave, he volleyed his following statement, freezing me in fear.
“Well, that’s too bad, Loren Carter, foster mom to Jude Franklin and partial owner of New Horizons.”
My breath hitched, my back to him as I focused on keeping my breathing steady, my racing heart and rising panic threatening to take over. Shit, shit, shit. How did he know so much about me? Was he stalking me? What was I supposed to do in this situation? Quit panicking and think Loren!
First, calm your breathing so you can think clearly.
Almost as if I was out of my body, I could hear my own voice when I spoke to clients, and I listened to myself, following the steps. Slowing down my breaths, I counted in my head to stay focused. Once I felt the fear recede, I thought through how to best deal with someone like him. I needed to perceive him like a client—a narcissistic, entitled one who thought they were the smartest person in the room. When I had this mindset, I felt better.
Spinning on the balls of my feet, I hardened my features as I met his eyes, finding a strong thread within me. Clapping, I threw him off as I watched his face change from smug to confused to a quick rage before he locked it away. My guess had worked.
“Congrats, you can Google. You’ve successfully developed the skills of an eight-year-old. Is this supposed to scare me? Or are you a misguided asshole who thinks this counts as flirty?” Scoffing, I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms to hide my shaking. Keep it together, girl!
His jaw clenched, and he took a step forward, his hand reaching out for me. My window of surprise was running out, and it was time to get myself out of this situation.
“You know what? I take it back. Your skills are more like a five-year-old that can’t spell because you didn’t dive deep enough, it seems. I have the chief of police on speed dial, approach me again, and I’ll have you arrested for harassment. I don’t know you or have any interest in knowing you. So, do us both a favor and leave me the fuck alone.”
Turning swiftly, I took off in the other direction, needing to get away before I broke out in tears, the adrenaline leaving me as my entire body began to shake. I needed to find someplace to stop and gather myself. I didn’t think I’d make it home in this state. I turned the corner, but I heard him make a final statement, chilling me even more to the bone.
“Tell your boyfriend my next threat won’t be as subtle as a bomb.”
I sucked in a breath, the implication clear. He’d been the one to set it. Or at least he’d been the one to give the order. It was clear he was some sort of leader, and I doubted he got his hands dirty. But what did he mean about my boyfriend? Nicco? He’d been the one I was with that night. Did he have something to do with it? Was that why he hadn’t sought me out? Had I been thinking about it all wrong this entire time?
My thoughts spun out of control, the fear finally taking over as I barreled through throngs of people, not caring if I ran into them. I took a corner, no clue where I was anymore. My only focus was on escaping and putting space between me and him.