Chapter Six #2
“Is it weird that I’m almost hoping we run into this guy tomorrow?” Celeste said. “Part of me wants to come across him so we can beat the snot out of him. Part of me just wants to get a feel for what kind of a creep he is.”
“Not weird at all,” Mike answered. “I’m hoping the same thing.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you again for being here and for caring about us.”
“It is my pleasure.”
***
By the end of the next day, Mike was exhausted. He and Celeste had spent the time during Kristina’s finals talking with the administration, the campus police, and Kristina’s roommates, getting a better idea of what exactly had been happening the last few weeks.
According to the administration, Kristina was not the first woman on campus to report unwanted attention from this Jim guy.
The campus police told them that Jim had been cited more than once in the past for loitering outside of other women’s apartments— women who had reported his behavior to the police just like Kristina had.
Kristina’s roommates said Jim hadn’t made any appearances in their complex or at Kristina’s work.
Mike had silently tacked a “yet” onto the end of that.
A guy who had harassed more than one woman, who had been approached by the police for more than one incident of borderline stalking, and who was following that same pattern again was likely to repeat the entire scenario.
He hadn’t shown up at her apartment or work yet.
Still, there was a small sliver of relief along with these discoveries.
The administration and police both reported that Jim was in his final semester and was graduating in only four days, and that he was headed to Florida to start a new job.
Florida was multiple states away. That was at least a little reassuring.
They shared all they’d learned with Kristina as they walked with her from her last final of the day, across campus to the parking lot. She, they discovered, knew a lot of it already.
“I hadn’t heard that he was moving to Florida,” Kristina said. “That actually makes me feel a lot better. Except, I feel bad for the women of Florida. He’ll probably harass a lot of them, too.”
“Probably.” Celeste’s tone was more tired than surprised. “Let’s hope the company he’ll be working for has a good HR department.”
“Let’s hope Jim decides to quit being a creep,” Mike said.
Kristina took hold of his coat sleeve with her gloved hand. She motioned ahead of them with her head. “That’s him.”
Mike looked in the direction she’d indicated.
A guy about the right age stood a few yards ahead of them.
Mike had been picturing a football player, someone enormous.
This guy was tall, but slender, the kind of person most other guys probably didn’t give a second thought.
If not for a little arthritis in his shoulder, Mike wouldn’t even wonder if he could physically take on this guy.
But of course Kristina would have doubts about her ability to defend herself. Size was, after all, relative.
It was a different world for women in so many ways.
He pulled his car keys from his pocket and handed them to Celeste. “You and Kristina head to the car. I’ll meet you there.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m just going to talk to the guy.” As much as he’d like to pound the guy a little, he suspected it wouldn’t actually help. “I think he needs to know she has more allies than he realizes. Allies who are watching him.”
Without warning, Kristina gave him a hug. “I love you, Mike.”
He hugged her fiercely in return. “And I love you, kiddo. Always have.”
“Always will.”
He nudged her over toward her mother. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
He fully expected them to take up the journey to the parking lot once more, but Celeste stepped up to him. She pressed a kiss to his cheek. Before pulling back, she whispered, “We all love you, Mike.”
He’d imagined many times hearing her say that she loved him, but that seemed the closest she ever got: a general sentiment about her whole family loving him in a general way. While he appreciated that, he wanted something more personal from her. He wanted her to love him.
He watched them a moment longer as they walked away, then turned his attention to the matter of Jim. The guy realized once Mike was almost at his side that he was being approached. A look of worry flitted over his features, replaced very quickly by a pointed show of confidence.
“You’re Jim?” Mike asked, keeping his tone calm but firm.
“Yeah. Who’re you?”
“My name isn’t necessary.” Mike assumed his most steely glare, the one that had sent any number of would-be bullies running away during his school years and had put a few would-be career saboteurs in their places in more recent years.
Mike wasn’t the most threatening-looking guy— he knew that about himself— but he also knew how to give people a moment’s pause when need be.
“You’ve been making a nuisance of yourself, bothering a young woman who is family to me. ”
“I don’t—”
“Don’t play stupid. I know you’ve been contacted recently regarding this matter, and I know you know exactly who I’m talking about.”
Jim didn’t make anymore objections, so he must have understood.
“You’ve seen people who’ve been looking out for her: her friends and roommates, the police. But you haven’t seen me, have you?”
That clearly confused him.
“Think about that. There are people watching you who you don’t even see.
” He stepped in the tiniest bit closer and lowered his voice to what he knew was a sinister whisper.
“Cause any further trouble for her, and I’ll know it.
I’ll see you, Jim, even though you don’t see me.
” He offered a knowing smile. “Enjoy Florida.”
Jim’s eyes pulled wide. “How did you know—”
“I always know.” Mike left it at that.
He glanced back only once and spotted Jim moving very swiftly in the other direction.
The implied threat likely wouldn’t be enough in and of itself to send the kid packing for good, but combined with the police’s earlier visits, it might make him think twice before continuing to follow Kristina around campus, or anywhere else.
It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was something.