by Liza Brown
I looked at Millard immediately and I wanted to cry.
“Ok, now what?”
“Well, we looked at the window to the fire escape and we are certain someone came in that way. Not sure if he exited that way. Your neighbor said she watered the plant on Monday and we think it was after that because she did not notice any damage to the plant at that time.”
“So sometime on Monday because the picture of Elsu and I that he sent me was from Monday night.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“But that doesn’t explain my Elsu doll.”
“Your Elsu what now, ma’am?”
“The reason you were called! Remember? The pillow that was wearing his shirt and the basketball head?”
“I didn’t even notice the pillow was wearing a shirt.”
“Well, it was. When I came home on Tuesday night it was on my bed with a basketball I won and a picture of Elsu’s face taped to it. I thought Magdalena did it but it turns out she didn’t. It was set back up on Wednesday when I came home. That’s when I figured out that she didn’t do it.”
“So someone entered your apartment at least two times.”
“Yes.” I looked at Millard and whispered: “He’s an idiot!”
“Two or more times,” he repeated. “Is there anything else you may have forgotten to mention?”
“I haven’t forgotten anything.” Millard swatted at me. “Not that I can think of.”
“You said he attached this picture of Elsu’s face to the basketball?”
“Yes.”
“The basketball that is sitting on your night stand in your bedroom?”
“Yes.”
“We’re going to take it in as evidence, ma’am. Along with the pillow and shirt.”
“Ok. So what’s the good news?” I hesitated to ask.
“The elevator is working again.”
“Really? That’s your good news? I’d happily walk up those steps every day for the rest of my life if you could tell me who did this,” I said.
“I understand, ma’am, I was just trying to give you something positive.”
“Is that all?” I asked.
“For now ma’am.”
I sat staring blindly into the water that filled the base of the chair. “Why?” I finally asked the officer.
“That is my job to find out, ma’am. We could be looking at a federal offense with the pictures, ma’am.”
“He sent me three today,” I said.
“I know, ma’am.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
“We’re monitoring your messages, ma’am.”
“What? All of my messages?”
There was a long silence on the phone. “Yes. Ma’am.”
“You can’t monitor all of my text messages! Can you? That’s…that has to be against the law.”
“It’s a fine line, ma’am. If we feel your life is being threatened, we can.”
I couldn’t believe it, but didn’t know if he was right or not. “Can’t you find him with a GPS or something?” I asked.
“We’re trying, but it seems to be a throw away phone. We can’t track those very well. We just don’t have the equipment here for that.”
“Why don’t you have the equipment? They all have that equipment on TV.”
“That’s TV, ma’am. We have a call out to surrounding cities to see if they can help.”
“Unbelievable. Should I be sending him messages?”
“I can’t tell you no, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” he said. “But remember, everything you send to him also comes to us. So no threatening him, that is a federal offense.”
“Ok, well, I’ll be back tomorrow. Is my apartment ok to come back into? Have you gotten all of them?” I asked.
“Ma’am, you’re going to need to clean this place up before you move back in.”
“Clean it up?” I asked. “Isn’t that your job?”
“No ma’am, my guys’ job was to search for the cameras. Not repair damage.”
“Repair damage?” I yelled. “What did you do to my apartment?”
“April took pictures and said she’d send them to you if you wanted.”
“Where am I supposed to live?” I asked.
“I’m sorry ma’am,” he said. There was not a drop of sincerity in that apology. “Ma’am, how many people have a copy of your key?”
“Three,” I said. “Colette, Arnold, and my brother, Max. Oh, wait! And Elsu, but that’s only been within the last week.”
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, we’re just trying to cover all possibilities here. How much do you trust Colette?” he asked.
My blood began boiling. “With every ounce of my being. You’re definitely barking up the wrong tree if you’re looking at her.”
“Ok, ma’am. Like I said, we’re trying to cover all the bases.”
I closed my eyes and wanted the world to disappear. “Is that all?” I asked again.
“Yes ma’am.”
I just hung up the phone. I wasn’t in the mood to be cordial. I handed the phone to Millard. “I officially have a stalker, Millard.”
CHAPTER 14
The rest of my mani-pedi was ruined. The girls returned and finished their jobs. I now had fake nails with owls and basketballs drawn on them. They looked good, but I didn’t feel good. My toes were now French tipped and my heels felt like a baby’s bottom. If only I gave a shit. I tipped them all well for putting up with my sour mood and to promise them I wasn’t angry for their comments about Elsu. They insisted I keep the robe. I draped it over my arm, but doubted it would fit in my suitcase.
Millard and I walked toward the elevator and passed the front desk on the way. The manager who had taken me to my room originally was at the counter and he hailed us down.
“Miss Rogers, a package arrived for you,” he said as he pulled an orange gift bag with black tissue paper sticking out of it from behind the counter.
I smiled and took it. I said ‘thanks’ but no matter how hard I tried, my heart was just not in it.
Millard took the bag and we climbed the five flights of steps to our floor. At least this phobia might get me in shape. We arrived at my room where I tossed my new robe on the bed. “I am beat,” I said as he started poking around in the gift bag. “This is my life now, isn’t it? You or April opening my packages?”
“Until we catch the bastard, yes.” He pulled a small card out and handed it to me with a smile. “I think this bag is safe.”
I saw my name written on the envelope, the card inside was simple. A yellow smiley face.
Thought you might like these for tonight. Will be there shortly, missing you.–Elsu xoxo
I pulled the tissue paper out of the bag, then found an orange Whoopsters baseball-jersey style shirt with the number 11 on the back and ‘Benjamin’ above it. The front had a picture of the Whoopster’s owl mascot on one side of the buttons peeking out from the middle divide. The bag also contained a pair of black leggings. I was pretty sure he had a thing for me in leggings. I smiled and held the shirt up to my body as I looked in the mirror.
“He really does like me, doesn’t he?” I said rhetorically.
“Is the Pope Catholic?” said Millard mindlessly as he sat at the small table by the window and plugged his phone into the wall.
“I don’t know how anyone could. Especially someone like him. I’m still waiting for someone to wake me up. Take me back to last Saturday and start my day all over again. Brandon wouldn’t have gotten hurt, the whole day would have gone as planned,” I said as I opened my suitcase to get my shampoo and conditioner. “Help yourself to the TV, I’m going to go take a shower.”
“No problem, Miss Mae,” he said as he reached across to grab the remote.
I looked at my watch. “I think Maury’s on,” I tried to smile. I only knew because I had spent so much time watching it with Arnold.
The shower felt wonderfully awful. The hot steam opened my pores, the staccato of the water on my bo
dy relaxed me and my mind went to everything I had to tell Elsu. I couldn’t believe he still wanted to be with me after all this.
I finally finished and turned off the water. I dried off while I stood in the shower, wrapped my hair in a towel, and then wrapped my body with a second towel. Being the only person in a hotel room was nice, I got to use all the towels! As I mindlessly lifted my leg over the edge of the tub, my foot got caught on the shower curtain, the foot that was still in the tub slipped and I went face first into the spigot that was mounted on the wall for the tub. I screamed on the way down and made some other sort of sound upon impact. I landed in the tub on my side and I just laid there in disbelief. “Mae?” I heard Millard from outside the door.
“Yes, Millard,” I said, trying to fake that I hadn’t just been my ditzy self.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
“Not really, no. But I’ll be ok, once I figure out how to get my fat ass out of the bathtub,” I said with a sigh.
“Most people put one foot over the edge of the tub at a time.”
“You are SO lucky I like you, Millard,” I said as I stood back up. I had forgotten to turn the fan on and the mirror was a foggy blur.
“What’s not to like, ma’am?”
“Milly…” I said. He was trying to lighten my mood and I was trying so hard to not be lightened. His teasing was winning.
“Elsu just texted, he said they just pulled in so he’ll be up here soon.”
I smiled. “Thanks,” I said as I started to comb out my hair and blow it dry. Once it was dry, the mirror had finally started to clear and I got a look at my face. I looked like I had been punched in the eye. It was fitting, since that’s what my gut felt like.
I went to get dressed and realized I had forgotten my clothes in the other room. “Millard?” I said as I wrapped myself in my towel.
“Yes, Miss Mae?” he said.
“Close your eyes, I’m coming out to get my clothes.”
“Eyes closed, back turned,” he said.
I stepped out into the room to find Millard AND Elsu standing with their backs to me. “Elsu!” I said excitedly.
“Do you want me to turn around?” he asked over his shoulder. Boy did I ever!
“No, just hold on.” I grabbed my stuff and quickly ran to change. I had never gotten dressed so fast in my life. I returned to the room and rushed to Elsu. He stepped back with a startled look on his face.
“What the hell happened to you?” he asked as he put his thumb near my eye. I cringed at the pain and looked in the mirror above the dresser.
“Wow, I didn’t realize I hit it that bad!” I said as I stupidly touched it myself. “Your idiot girlfriend slipped in the shower.”
“I don’t have an idiot girlfriend. I have you, and you’re definitely not an idiot. You’ve got a shiner, that’s for sure! You need some ice!”
Millard grabbed the ice bucket and left the room. “Did he talk to you about my conversation with Detective Graven?” I asked.
“He was just about to when you came out, so no.” He bent down and gently kissed me around my eye. “Wow, are you sure you’re ok?”
“I’ll be fine. I’m a klutz, that’s all.” I grabbed the makeup bag that Colette packed and found some powder. I started to apply it and looked in the mirror, Elsu’s reflection was looking at me. “What?” I asked.
“Come here,” he said.
I dropped the makeup and turned and walked toward him. “Demanding, aren’t we?” I smiled.
He kissed me hard and passionately. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I vaguely heard Millard return with the ice but didn’t care. I kept kissing Elsu. I heard the door that joined my room to Elsu’s open and close. Millard had taken the hint. Elsu pulled back and looked at me. “Damn I missed you this week,” he said as he bent to kiss me again.
I closed my eyes and let the heat from his lips and tongue warm my entire body. He finally pulled back again and looked at my eye. “You don’t have to cover it up for me,” he said.
“I’d never want people thinking you beat me up,” I said as I covered my eye with my hand.
“You know I’d never ever do that, right? I want you to know you’re always safe with me.”
I smiled at him. “I know. But I’ve had a lot of practice covering up black eyes with makeup. It’s nice to know my skills can continue to be useful,” I said with a smirk as I looked in the mirror again to make sure I had gotten the best application I could.
Elsu walked to the bathroom and returned with a wash cloth. He tucked some ice into it and walked to me. “Here, get on the bed,” he said and my insides turned to putty.
I got on the bed, and sat up against the headboard as he gently placed the washcloth on my eye. “What am I going to do with you Mae-Belle Rogers?” he asked.
“Mae-Belle?”
“That’s your name, isn’t it?”
“There are only two people I let call me that. Arnold, and my grandpa. And my grandpa’s dead,” I said as I glared at him.
“I like it. The more I’m getting to know you, the more I’m thinking it fits you,” he smiled.
“You’re treading on thin ice, mister,” I said as I looked at my toenails. “What do you think of my toes and fingernails?” I asked as I wiggled them at him.
He looked at the owls and basketballs on my fingers. “These are fake nails?” he asked.
“Yes, why?” I asked.
“Because they weren’t this long the last time I saw you,” he said. “Basketballs? Was this your request?”
“No, but by the time I was done talking to Detective Graven, they could have put Pistons on them and I wouldn’t have cared nor noticed,” I said.
“Them’s fightin’ words, little girl,” he said with a smile.
He scooted down to my feet as I held onto the washcloth and ice at my eye. “Those are called ‘French Tips,’” I said proudly. “I’ve never had a mani nor a pedi before.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever paid attention to your feet before, Sweet Mae. They’re cute little things, aren’t they?”
“Cute?” I said. “I think you’ve run out of adjectives, sir.”
He got himself to his knees at the end of the bed, never losing the stare he had on my feet. “Nope, these are the cutest damn feet I’ve ever seen, Mae-Belle.”
I growled at him but instead of replying, he leaned forward and kissed my left big toe. I wanted to say it tickled, but it didn’t. It felt surprisingly good. He continued to lick and then suck each toe into his mouth one at a time. He licked the soles of my feet and rubbed them on his face. He still hadn’t shaved and the whiskers on my arches made me giggle. “They’re so soft,” he said.
“You can thank the pedicure girl,” I said through a moan. “She thinks you’re hot.”
“Does she, now?”
“Yeah, all those ladies said you were hot. One swore you were the hottest guy in the league.”
“Not to sound conceited, but I’ve heard that before.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t sound conceited at all,” I giggled.
“What else did they say?”
“Well, the lady who was holding Millard’s cucumbers said the things she wants to do to you are probably illegal. I think I need to go back down there and get some pointers.”
“Pointers? What do you want to do to me?”
“I don’t know, but she seemed to have a plan,” I laughed.
He returned his concentration to my feet and started inspecting each toe with his fingers. Every touch he dished out went straight through my body. I moaned again and put my head back as he sucked both of my big toes into his mouth together.
He let a low growl out between my toes and I giggled. “You better be careful, sir. A girl could really learn to like having her toes sucked,” I said as I leaned back.
“Well I already know I like sucking them,” he said.
My phone vibrated on the bedside table that was furthest from me and I reluctantly ro
lled to my stomach so I could reach it. “Shit,” said Elsu and I felt him move up onto the bed beside me and gently slide his hand over the curve of my rear. I looked at my phone and saw a text from Bonnie.
“She wants to know if I’m coming in tomorrow, I completely forgot she was scheduled off,” I said as I put my head down on the bed between my arms. I quickly replied that I’d be back eventually and Steve could take over the front counter until I returned.
I felt Elsu’s hand slide over my other butt cheek. “I like this outfit, Mae-Belle. Look what it does to this ass of yours,” he said as he slipped his hand under my shirt.
I lifted my head and looked at him over my shoulder. “You sure are randy today, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Who’s Randy?” he giggled as he bent over and kissed my legging-covered butt.
“He’s going to get in trouble if he does too much more of this,” I said as I put my head back down, enjoying his hands on me.
“Hmm,” I heard him hum into the top of my thigh. “What kind of trouble are we talking about?”
“The kind where we’re not going to be able to stop what gets started,” I said as I felt his hand slip back up my shirt and over the back of my bra. His fingers lingered near the clasp and I froze. How far was he planning to go? How far was I planning to let him?
He laid down with his head next to mine. “Tell me what the officer said,” he moaned as he looked at me and kissed my elbow.
“You really know how to kill a mood,” I said as I turned to face him.
“Is it bad?” he asked.
“I think it is,” I said as I turned all the way to lay on my back. “There were five more cameras in my apartment,” I said.
“Five?” he said.
“Five,” I repeated.
“Where?” he asked.
“A second in the bedroom, two in the bathroom, two in the great room, one in the kitchen and one in the living area,” I said.
“Wow,” he said.
“They’re taking my prize basketball and your pillow in for questioning.”
