Stalking His Claim - Lucy Darling Page 0,5

her hands and does an adorable hop that makes her tits bounce under the thin white fabric that is going to star in my nightly jacking off session tonight.

“Okay. I’ll plan it.” She looks like she’s about to hug me. I go stiff, not sure how I’m going to handle having her pressed up against me in only a thin shirt. She stops, though, changing her mind or thinking better of it. “I’ll text you tomorrow.” She steps back. “Let you know where to be or whatever.” She takes another step back. I start to reach for her when she trips over her own foot. She catches herself before I need to help her. “Night.” She turns, racing down the hallway as fast as she did this afternoon and leaving me alone. Again.

4

Tinsley

I stand in the middle of the department store feeling more lost than ever. I look over my shoulder. A man in a suit jerks around, pretending he wasn't looking at me. You’re being paranoid. No one is stalking you. I look over my shoulder again and he’s gone. I let out a long breath and go back to cruising the men’s section.

“Can I help you with something?” I turn to the saleslady, who looks like she ate something gross.

“No.” I shake my head, looking back at the tie that I’d picked up. I know it’s a completely lame gift. You get your dad a tie. Not the man you’re secretly in love with.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine, but thank you.” I look back at her. She rolls her eyes and walks away. Lovely customer service. I think I’m spoiled with my stylist, Karma, who Reed has come to the house. I don’t even know how to shop without irritating the salespeople. This is a total bust. I have to come up with something else and I’m running out of time. I should try somewhere else.

I yelp when I run right into someone, dropping my phone. “Sorry.” I reach down to pick it up off the ground. The screen looks fine. “Are you okay?” I ask. My eyes meet the same man in the suit from earlier.

“Fine,” he says. I step back. He gives me a funny look. I turn, half running from the store. I tell myself that everything is okay. That it was only a coincidence that he bumped into me. That what happened before isn’t happening again as I pick up my pace. My phone rings in my hand. When I make it out to the sidewalk I answer.

“Hey,” I breathe.

“Tin. Are you okay?”

“Reed?” I pull the phone away to see if it is really him calling me. I thought it was Carly. She’s the only one that ever calls me except for my parents from time to time.

“Are you okay? You're out of breath.”

“I’m fine. Really. I scared myself.” I roll my eyes, knowing I’m being silly with my irrational fears.

“How did you scare yourself?” he asks. I move down the sidewalk, keeping up with everyone else. It’s the one nice thing about a big city. You never feel alone. There is always someone around and I’ve found that comforting after everything that happened before.

“I thought someone was following me.” I cross the road when the light changes, spotting a grocery store that gives me an idea.

“If you think someone is following you it is always better to be cautious. There is no harm in that.” He always makes me feel less crazy about some of my fears.

“Thanks.” The phone goes quiet as I enter into the grocery store. “Wait. Did you need something?” He never calls. It’s me that reaches out to him, and I normally do that in text.

“I wanted to thank you for breakfast.”

“You’re very welcome. Everyone should have French toast with bacon on their birthday.” I’d gotten up early to make sure Reed’s birthday started off good. No gross powder stuff he mixes in with water. “Now if I only could have talked you into not going to work.”

“What else would I do all day?”

“I don’t know. Be lazy like a normal person.” I laugh, grabbing a basket from the front of the store.

“It would have been boring.”

“I would have made it not boring.”

“You never said you would be staying home. You had class.”

“Right. I could have ditched. Played hooky. Is that what the kids call it these days?” I laugh.

“You’ve never ditched a class and I think you’re one of those kids.”

“I haven’t been a kid in a long time,