Bethany let out an indelicate snort. “Rich men can afford to be quirky. Working girls like us have to be down-to-earth,” she said with a shake of her head.
Lorelei thought back to her last meeting with Daniel. He hadn’t thrown his weight around or been obnoxious. Matter of fact, he’d been incredibly humble and real. “To be fair, he didn’t radiate that rich guy vibe. I’ve met a few over the past few years and I didn’t get that feeling from him.”
Bethany sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. She grinned at Lorelei. “Sounds like you like him.” Bethany wiggled her eyebrows.
Heat stained Lorelei’s cheeks. “That’s ridiculous. I barely know him.”
“I think my best friend doth protest too much,” Bethany said, making a funny face. “From the pictures I’ve seen, he’s pretty easy on the eyes. I don’t blame you one little bit.”
This was typical Bethany, Lorelei realized. Her best friend was a champion teaser. She liked to put Lorelei on the spot and bring her out of her shell. It had always been this way between them. Normally, she didn’t let it bother her. For some reason, Lorelei didn’t even want to acknowledge Bethany’s suggestion that she liked Daniel. She wasn’t sure why but she felt self-conscious about Bethany’s teasing her about Daniel. Butterflies were fluttering around in her stomach. It was a crazy kind of feeling since she didn’t even know him.
She cast a surprised look at Bethany. “Enough already. He’s my boss. I don’t cross those lines, Bethany. You know that.” She couldn’t keep the irritation from her tone.
Bethany’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry. You know I’m teasing, honey.” She frowned at Lorelei. “What’s wrong? Is it the flowers? Do they make you uncomfortable?”
“No,” Lorelei admitted, glancing around at the profusion of flowers sitting in her living room. “You know I love flowers. And even though I don’t really know Daniel very well, he’s Micah’s brother. I know he’s coming from a good place.”
“So, what’s going on? You don’t seem like yourself.”
Lorelei shrugged. “I guess I’m just a little bit unsettled these days.”
Bethany reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I know you’ve been worried about the parole hearing. Have you gotten an update?”
Lorelei shook her head. “It’s coming up in a few months. Every day it becomes more real to me that they might actually grant him parole. They’ve asked me to appear at the hearing but I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Can’t you provide a written statement?” Bethany asked. “You shouldn’t have to be there in person.”
“They did give me that option, but they said it wouldn’t be as impactful. In other words, they want me to be there in person.” Waves of nausea washed over her at the thought of facing her stalker in person. “I’ve tried so hard to put it all behind me, but it hasn’t been easy. Just knowing he might be released from jail is raisi
ng all of my hackles. I feel a little bit numb.”
“Oh Lorelei,” Bethany said, tears pooling in her eyes, “I’m so sorry I haven’t been aware of how deeply this has been affecting you. I’ve been so wrapped up in caring for my mother that I lost sight of how frightening this must be.”
“Please don’t worry about it, Bethany. You’ve always been a wonderful, supportive friend. You have no idea how much it’s meant to me over the years. I know things have been really stressful for you with your mother’s lupus diagnosis. I know it’s been tearing you apart.”
Tears slid down Bethany’s face. She put a hand over her mouth. “Mom is tough, but this disease is really bringing her to her knees. She can barely get out of bed sometimes or climb the stairs at night.”
“I’m so sorry she’s going through all of that. Your family as well. I know how close you all are. Please don’t hesitate if you need anything. I know medical costs are high. I’ve socked away quite a bit of money the last few years. You know you’re like family to me.”
Lorelei had always admired the closeness among Bethany’s family members. They had always embraced Lorelei and treated her as if she were one of their own. Since Lorelei’s own family was fractured, it had always meant the world to her to be so accepted into the Turner family fold.
Bethany swiped her face with the back of her hand. “Mom is tough. She has great insurance thanks to her job, but I appreciate the offer. We’ll get through this. And so will you, Lorelei. If you don’t want to face him at the hearing, let’s write letters. Deep, impactful letters that will make it so he doesn’t see the light of day for a hundred years.”
“I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be if he gets out,” Lorelei said, her body quivering with anxiety.
“Don’t torture yourself with those kinds of thoughts. He won’t get out. We’ll make sure of it!”
Lorelei didn’t bother telling Bethany that the legal system wasn’t always fair or based on justice. James Ellis had stalked and terrorized her for two years before he had been arrested. His attorney had gotten him out on bail and he’d only been jailed again after he had broken into her home and held her at knife point. The trial had been agonizing and stressful. Over the course of it, Lorelei’s hair had fallen out in chunks due to the stress and she’d lost twenty pounds. With her lithe frame it had made her look sickly and not in the slightest bit healthy. Her career had been in freefall. Even showing up to a photo shoot would cause Lorelei to break out in hives. A guilty verdict had given her peace of mind. Over time she had slowly gotten her life back and a small measure of peace. Now, with the notion of his release from jail, Lorelei was a nervous wreck. Even though she tried to shove it to the back of her mind and focus on her life, the reality of the hearing loomed large in her life.
She shook off the terrifying memories. Sometimes they took her to a dark and sad place. Lorelei focused on the glorious flowers inhabiting her home. There were hydrangeas and roses and stargazer lilies. A profusion of flowers. A nice distraction from the ugliness of her past.
Please Lord, don’t let James Ellis be released from prison. I’ve finally managed to get back a semblance of my life. I refuse to live in fear and every day will be full of terror if he’s walking the streets. I’ll always be looking over my shoulder. I’ll never be able to achieve peace. And I truly believe I’ll be in danger again. Lord, grant me strength.
**
Daniel didn’t know why he was nervous. He found himself pacing in his office back and forth as his stomach bunched up with nerves. Lorelei was coming to DD Studios today for some costume fittings and a photography session for promotional materials. She was also meeting with a team of make-up artists who would create a look for her as Rhiannon. Daniel had a hands-on approach to these matters so he would be seeing Lorelei up close and personal today. He’d cleared his schedule so he could oversee things. Daniel had also asked Nash to do the photography session since he was part of his staff, and in Daniel’s opinion, one of the best up and coming photographers in the country. He was determined to do anything and everything he could to give Nash a leg up in the business. That’s what big brothers were for.
When he’d told Micah about sending Lorelei the flowers, his younger brother had been a bit perplexed by the gesture. He had asked Daniel a bunch of questions and made him second guess himself. Had Lorelei thought the flowers were strange or over-the-top? Daniel hadn’t sent the flowers to Lorelei because he was interested in her romantically. It had been a gesture of goodwill since she’d agreed to be Rhiannon and she had mentioned wanting flowers. Sometimes he did things impulsively rather than thinking them through.