pretty damn swanky. And it beat spending the night at home—alone.
It wasn’t so much that she was lonely. She was scared.
During the last week, some strange, disturbing things had happened to her. While undressing for bed Wednesday night, she’d caught a man peeking through her window. Olivia didn’t get a good look at his face. By the time she’d thrown on her robe and come to the window, all she saw was a tall, shadowy figure sprinting away from the townhouse. The next night, Olivia saw someone dart by her kitchen window. It scared the hell out of her. She immediately called the police. Two cops came by, asked a lot of questions, and then gave her some tops on home security and how to start up a neighborhood watch. Useless.
Then, two nights ago, she woke up from a sound sleep and immediately knew someone was in the house. She reached for the light on her nightstand, but hesitated. She didn’t want him to know she was awake. So she lay there in the darkness, afraid to move. She listened to the floorboards creak and told herself it was the house settling or the wind or something else totally harmless. After a while, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She focused on the bedroom door, which she’d left open a crack. If she stared at it too long, the shadows played tricks, and the door seemed to move on its own, ever so slightly. Still, she couldn’t close her eyes or look away.
Olivia remained paralyzed under the covers until dawn, when she heard the
She desperately needed some coffee and put some water on to boil. When she wandered back to the living room, she noticed something. Her photo album was in its usual spot on the coffee table, but it was open. She’d had a couple of drinks before going to bed, and couldn’t remember whether or not she’d looked at any pictures.
The kettle’s shrill whistle sounded, and she hurried back into the kitchen. It wasn’t until after she’d had a few sips of coffee that Olivia thought to glance through the album. Three photos were missing, pulled out of their clear plastic sleeves. If someone had actually broken into her home last night, it didn’t make sense that he’d steal a few photographs of her and nothing else. She thought about calling the police again, but what good would that do?
Olivia wondered if she might actually know this stalker. Was he someone from the gym or the supermarket? Maybe he was a customer at the chiropractor’s office where she worked. A lot of creeps came through there.
Whoever he was, she had a feeling he’d just gotten started in some kind of weird courtship of her. And it would only get worse.
That afternoon, Olivia bought a package of bullets for an empty gun, which she’d been keeping in the back of her closet for years.
The loaded gun was now in the glove compartment of her car, parked in the underground garage at the Grand Towers Hotel. She liked having it around for insurance.
Funny, it took this stalker to make her realize how alone she was. She’d lived with several different men over the years, but since moving to Seattle a year ago, there hadn’t been anyone who lasted beyond a few dates. It had been pretty lonely. Hell, she couldn’t even keep a cat; she was allergic.
If she went home alone tonight, she probably wouldn’t sleep a wink. Her prospects didn’t look so hot either. The bar would be closing within the hour. Frowning, Olivia planted an elbow on the bar and sipped her cosmopolitan.
“Hey there, honey. Why so glum?”
Olivia stared own at her drink for another moment. Part of her clung to the impossible hope that the smoky- whiskey voice belonged to a tall, handsome hunk. Maybe he’d spend the night with her and this would be the start of something terrific.
When Olivia looked up from her near-empty glass, she couldn’t hide her disappointment. He was a short, balding ape of a man. He wore a red Izod short-sleeve shirt that looked painted on. He was very muscular, with a coat of black hair on his arms. He had hair coming out of his ears, too. In fact, he looked as if he had hair everywhere except on the top of his head.
He leaned against the bar and gave her a smug smile. “Whaddya say, honey? Can I buy you a drink?”
“I’m not your
“There’s no last call at my place,” he said. “I have a bottle of scotch there.”
“Well, go home and drink it,” she replied, fishing for some cash in her purse. “Try some other woman in the bar, okay?”
He laughed. “Feisty. I like that. Are you feisty in bed too?”
Olivia waved at the bartender, then slapped two twenties on the counter top. She didn’t look at the creepy little man. “I’ll ask you nicely,” she said, staring straight ahead. “Would you do me a big favor, and leave me the hell alone?”
“Oh, c’mon, honey,” he purred. “You can’t mean that.”
“I sure do. So go haunt somebody else. Okay?” She continued to avoid eye contact with him.
“Fucking bitch,” she heard him growl. She caught his reflection in a mirror behind the bar as he walked away. He had the meanest, most hateful look on that ugly ape face of his.
The bartender came by and took her money. Then, a few moments later, he returned with her change.
Olivia defeatedly slid off the bar stool, and stared toward the elevator. She saw the creepy, little ape of a guy waiting there. Olivia stopped dead.
She didn’t want to ride down to the lobby with him, not alone. But she was saved. A handsome, well-dressed black couple stepped out of the bar area right after her. They headed toward the elevators.
Olivia followed them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the obnoxious man glaring at her. She refused to look in his direction. The elevator door opened, and she stepped aboard.
The couple got in after her, and then the ape-faced man followed. He squeezed past the twosome and stood next to her.
Olivia kept ignoring him. She figured he wouldn’t say anything rude to her in front of the couple. The handsome black man was a head taller than him and looked as if he could tear him apart.
“Oh, God, I left my cellphone in the bar!” the woman exclaimed.
Her boyfriend grabbed the elevator door before it shut, and she ran out of the elevator. He tailed after her. The door began closing right behind him.
Olivia made a run for it.
The little man grabbed her arm. She recoiled, but he had a very strong grip.
The door shut. The elevator started its descent.
He was grinning at her. His eyes had a crazy, intense look. Olivia noticed a squiggly vein on the side of his forehead.
“Let go of me!” she snapped.
He chuckled, then released her. “I just didn’t want the door to slam on you, honey.”
Olivia backed away, until she bumped against the polished brass wall.
“I was afraid it would smash in that cute, fat little face of yours,” he said, touching her cheek.
Olivia shrank into the corner. She eyed the lighted buttons on the panel by the elevator door. They still had another thirty floors to go. She thought about pressing the alarm button.
Just then, he stepped between her and the door. He glanced up and down at her. Grinning, he brushed his fingertips against her blonde hair.
“Stop that.” Olivia shuddered. “Get the hell away from me. I mean it.” She looked up toward the ceiling. Where was the camera? Didn’t most hotel elevators have cameras in them?
The little man was still stroking her hair. “Whether you like it or not,” he whispered, “I’m going to fuck you.”
Just then, the elevator stopped, and the door opened.
The man backed away from her. He frowned at the tall, handsome stranger who stepped on at the eighteenth floor. The tall man wore a brown leather aviator jacket. He nodded politely at Olivia.
She felt such utter relief. As the door shut, she cleared her throat. “Excuse me, sir?” she said, her voice a little shaky.
The handsome stranger turned to smile at her.
Olivia shot a look in the direction of the crude little man. “This guy has been bothering me,” she said. “Would you mind staying with me until the valet gets my car?”
