Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Matt
“Keep doing what I showed you, Olivia, and you’ll be dancing within a few weeks.”
She smiled, huge dimples forming on her face. “Thank you, Matt.”
Her mom thanked me as well, and I gathered my things.
“So, how’s she looking?” Camie, my boss, walked over. She was also a physical therapist, but she owned the business. Her blond hair was up in a ponytail, her leggings were so tight my eyes saw things I didn’t want to see, and her tank top left a lot to be desired. She hated me, and I wasn’t a huge fan of hers either.
“Great. She should have strength back in her leg in a couple of weeks.”
“Great. And Jaxon Porter?” She was referring to JJ, which was weird because I didn’t hear his real name often.
“Coming along. I think next month, I’ll cut him to two days a week.”
She nodded. “They pay a lot, so whatever you do, don’t slow down for me.”
She was a money-hungry bitch. Where I did it for the love of the job, and the people, she wanted to afford her lifestyle.
“I’m sure he’ll be all set within the next few months.”
“Okay.” She walked away, and Darnell sidled up beside me.
“What did the dragon lady want?”
“Client updates.”
He nodded. “Wanna get lunch?”
“Sure.”
We went to a local diner. I got a burger and fries. There was something about diner fries—they were the best out there.
“How are things going with your stalker?”
“They’re still out there, and the police have hit a dead end.”
He popped a fry into his mouth. “That sucks. You okay?”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “Nick Saint has been staying with me at night.”
Darnell paused, fry mid-bite. “Like every night?”
“Yep.”
“Damn, that’s serious. Kind of fast, no?”
I lifted one shoulder. “It’s weird. We click. Maybe better than anyone I’ve ever been with.” I peered up at Darnell. “No hard feelings.”
“None taken, I get it. My mama always said you’ll know when to stop lookin’.”
I chuckled. “Well, I can’t say it’s forever, but it’s a hell of a right now.”
He grinned, and we finished our lunch. Darnell was telling me about this guy he was interested in but trying to get the nerve to go ask him out. Darnell was always one who had trouble being the go-getter in a relationship.
“Buy him a drink or something when you see him next time. Subtle.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
I drove back to Rybelt with Darnell. He had another client, but I was done for the day. I decided I was going to make Nick something special for dinner, so I drove to store for the ingredients I’d need.
He’d texted me throughout the day, and it wasn’t in what he was saying but what he wasn’t: something had happened or he’d discovered something, and he didn’t want to tell me through text. I trusted he would once we were together, so I focused on making dinner.
Nick liked seafood, so I was trying a recipe I’d found on a romantic dinner site. It was called Tuscan butter scallops. I was also making mushroom soup and some fresh bread. I had hours before he’d be done at Saintly Sweets, so I’d be able to get it done.
I was just putting the finishing touches on the meal when there was a knock on the door and my Ring melodically called out.
I saw that it was Nick, and I opened it with a smile. “Why didn’t you use your key?”
He leaned in, kissed me, and entered my apartment. “You let me borrow it, Matt. I’m not going to come and go as I please.”
“Well, I give you permission to use it, Nick. You did the other night.”
“True.” He beamed and sniffed. “It smells incredible in here. What are you up to, Chef Ramsay?”
I chuckled and followed him to the table. “We have mushroom soup, Tuscan butter scallops, and fresh bread.”
“Holy shit! What’s the special occasion?”
It was cheesy, but I answered, “You.”
He bunched up the front of my shirt in his fist and pulled me close. “I’d rather celebrate you.”
“We can celebrate each other.”
He kissed me, like really kissed me. His tongue slid into my mouth, and my body came alight.
“No, no, no.” I pushed him away. “I worked my ass off on this dinner; you’re eating it.”
He grinned. “Okay…and, I’ll eat you for dessert.”
It appeared I’d be eating dinner with a hard-on.
We were halfway through our food when I asked him. “What aren’t you telling me, Nick?”
He sighed, put his fork on his plate, and looked at me. I couldn’t decipher the expression on his face—worried, maybe?
“When I went down to my car this morning, your stalker left me a note.”
I hadn’t expected that. “What did it say?”
“Told me to back off and that you were theirs.”
I wiped my mouth and dropped the napkin on my plate, my appetite well and truly gone. “They’re going after you now?”
“According to Four, yeah. He said I’m an obstacle and that getting rid of me would leave you vulnerable for the taking. He also said he thinks your stalker is a woman.”
I shook my head. “What, how would he know that?”
“He said it was the handwriting. It’s not an exact science, and I’m not putting all my chips on that hypothesis.”
“Should I tell Officer Mendez?”
He held his hands up. “I don’t really want to be on the cops’ radar. We have ideas.”
“Do those ideas have anything to do with why Noel asked me for my social media information yesterday?”
“Possibly. He thinks whoever is doing this may have commented on your sites. What sort of stuff do you post?”
I thought about it. I wasn’t a huge poster, certainly not in influencer territory. “I do some training things. Workout videos and pictures. Sometimes when my friends go out, we take pics and I post them.”
He nodded. “Your relationships? Trinity, Tony, Darnell?”
“Maybe. It would all be a ways back. Honestly, I don’t even know how they knew who my exes were.”
“They’re not stupid.”
“No, I suppose if they were, we’d have caught them by now. I’m finding it hard to believe it’s a woman. When I was in the parking lot, they were strong—like able to almost pick me up and slam me, strong.”
Nick chuckled. “Never underestimate a woman and getting what she wants. It’s sexist to think they couldn’t have beat you up.”
I lifted my napkin off my plate and threw it at him. “I’m not sexist, just I swear they had some heft to them, is all.”
“I discount nobody until I have solid proof.”
“Anything on Beth from Belle’s Beanery?”
“Nothing yet. I’m doing a dive on the landlords, but I have feelers out for a few others. Beth’s one of them.”
“Okay.”
Nick stood and walked over to me. “Now, let’s clean up, so I can have my dessert in bed.”
I smiled, and never had I cleaned up faster in my life.