Rason & Eliza - Cee Bowerman Page 0,8

sort of crazy drama did you bring into the neighborhood?”

Jazmyne

RASON

“She’s on the phone again,” Daughtry yelled from his office. “I’m about done with this chick, Rason.”

I stood up and just fumed for a second, so pissed off that I couldn’t think straight. I’d told Robin in no uncertain terms that we were finished. No more hanging out as friends, no more phone calls, no more popping up at my house or job, no more contact at all.

She’d taken that as a personal challenge and had been waiting at my house when I got home from my parents’, almost 10 hours after I’d dropped her off at her house and reiterated our non-relationship status to her. I’d managed to get inside and lock the door, but she’d tried her hardest to get me to let her in. When I’d refused, she’d sat there on the porch for hours. I’d gone to bed, hoping she’d give up and leave. At about 3:00 in the morning, I’d finally heard her car start up and drive away.

But that’s when the phone calls started. The garage opened at 7:30 every day, and she’d started the week off by calling to talk to me at 7:31 Monday morning. I’d told her to stop, and she’d called again nine more times.

Daughtry had fielded her calls all day long.

And then she started again on Tuesday, calling 15 times before lunch. Daughtry finally called the phone company and had them block her cell phone number. There was silence all afternoon, but she was on my porch when I got off work. I’d threatened to call the police, and she’d finally left. Or so I’d thought. When I went outside to mow the lawn, I saw that she was parked four doors down from my house, sitting in her car watching me.

On Wednesday the phone calls started again, but this time Robin was calling from work. The caller ID was a different number almost every time since it was being routed through the hospital switchboard. Daughtry couldn’t block the hospital numbers, so he’d dealt with answering the phone calls. Again. All day.

I was pissed because I couldn’t find my phone and was waiting on the replacement. And the damn card Eliza had given me had disappeared. I didn’t have a home phone and I didn’t want to call her from work. I’d gone by her bookstore and the young clerk at the front said she’d already gone home for the day.

She was probably thinking I’d blown her off, when in reality, I was dying to talk to the woman.

This was bullshit.

“Are you done with this crazy bitch?” Daughtry asked me as I walked into his office to apologize.

“Done. I don’t know what to do, man. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything to be sorry for. Fuck this. She’s making me crazy. I can’t imagine what your life is like.” Daughtry leaned back in his chair. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this. It goes against everything inside me.”

“What?”

“Let’s call the cops and make a report.”

I barked out a laugh at the thought and then tried to cover it with a loud cough as I put my hand over my face to hide my smile.

“This is what I’ve become,” Daughtry said sadly. “Brought down by a woman in the prime of my life.”

“I’m pretty sure Jamie did that ages ago.” I laughed. “Let’s make a report that she’s harassing you on the business line and that you blocked her cell so she’s calling from the hospital.”

“Is she supposed to be working? She’s called more than 20 times today.”

“I think so,” I answered. “Her usual shift is 6am to 2pm, so that fits the time frame.”

“I’ll call the hospital administration when the cops leave and tell them she’s harassing me from their phone numbers. Maybe they can do something about it.”

“Thanks for going against your beliefs to call the cops for me, man. It means a lot.”

“You’re a good guy, Rason. Nobody deserves this shit. When it’s over, it’s over. Damn.”

“I’ll start calling the cops when she comes to my house too.”

“She’s showing up at your house?”

“Yeah. I lost my cell phone and I’m waiting on the replacement so at least she can’t call me night and day away from here. I’ll probably have the same number when I get the new phone, so I’ll have to block her.” I sat down with a sigh. “She’s been at my house when I get home every night since I told her I didn’t