Stalk Me

But then I think about that. Brooklyn wouldn’t like those parties. He’d get really pissed at me if he saw me dancing on the bar. My mind flashes back to doing shots off Cush’s abs. How he loved to watch me dance. How he told me I needed to be seen in the dress I wore to RiA

RiA

Vanessa doesn’t nod her head in agreement, but she says, “You need to go to the party with Cush.”

“A lot could have happened over the summer. His dad took his phone and his Facebook away. He could’ve met someone there. He could have a new girlfriend. And even though Brooklyn isn’t coming to the party, he’ll be at the after-party.”

“That’s perfect,” Vanessa says. “Leave him at home. Listen to me, and listen closely. While you’ve been off playing all summer, I’ve been safeguarding our future.”

“I know. I’m sorry that I didn’t appreciate that. Really, what you did to Mandy was pretty fucking brilliant. It upset me this summer—made me feel like a mean girl—but now I think she deserved it.”

Vanessa gives me a brilliant smile. “Thank you. I thought so myself. I know people always talk shit about me hooking up with a guy that has a girlfriend, but if I’m single, I can do whatever I want. They shouldn’t get mad at me. They should be mad at the guy. He’s the one who cheated. And what she did was pretty sick. I would never, ever stoop so low as to drug a guy. Who would want a guy that didn’t want them? Hell, all I usually have to do is smile at them.”

RiA

“You need to text Cush. Find out if he’s coming.”

“You think?”

“Hell, yeah.”

Our waiter interrupts us when he sets three bottles of beer on the little table between our chaises.

“Beer, gross,” Vanessa says haughtily. “Do I look like I drink beer?”

Vanessa prefers champagne.

“They aren’t really for you, miss,” he says to Vanessa. He leans down and says discreetly, “From the gentleman at the bar.”

I glance over at the bar and see Vincent holding up a beer and gri

“Excuse me,” I say to the girls. “I need to go thank someone for the drinks.”

 I don’t bother to put on my cover-up. I mean, we’re at a pool, and he’s seen me in a bikini before.

“Long time no see,” he says, then he tilts his head and gives me a sexy grin.

“What, are you stalking me?” I laugh.

He leans forward and gives me one of those long cheek kisses. “Is it that obvious?” he says in a teasing voice.

“Seriously, it’s great to see you,” I say. Because it really, really is. Vincent looks gorgeous. “So, what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Actually, what I should really ask is where the hell you’ve been? I haven’t seen you on the beach all summer.”

“I was in Europe.”

“You look good. And to answer your question from before, I’m here because I just finished up a lunch meeting. It went well, so I decided to take the rest of the day off. I walked out here to get a beer”—his eyes gaze out at all the women in bikinis—“and enjoy the scenery. Little did I know, you’d be the best part of it.”

I tilt my head at him. “Do you have a room here?”

His eyes trail down my bikini and he puts his hand on my hip. “Why, Miss Douglas, you’re being awfully forward.”

I roll my eyes. “I didn’t mean for me. I meant that’s why you’re really here, isn’t it? You’re looking to get lucky.”

“Like I said. I wanted to celebrate. I also have big news for you.”

“What’s that?”

“The script is done.”

“Really? That’s awesome! When do I get to read it? Can you, like, messenger it to my house? Have you started auditions yet?”

“Not yet. I want to get you locked in first.”

“You wa

A look crosses his face. I’m pretty sure he just pictured me in handcuffs. And after reading that hot S&M novel on the plane ride home, I have to admit that thought kinda turns me on. I could play the young, naive girl, and he could play the older, dominant man.

He’s still staring at me, but then he finally chuckles. “I’ve missed you.”

“You’re just saying that because you want me to do your movie.”

“Well, maybe. What did you say before? I need to seduce you?” The words roll off his tongue like silk.

I visibly melt and look at him dreamily.

“The way you said that was pretty sexy. I bet you won’t have any trouble finding company this afternoon. So, hey, thanks for the beers. I better get back to my friends.” Then I remember the house he was trying to buy. “Did you get the house yet?”

“That’s my other good news. We signed a deal and I close next month.”

“Very cool.”

He pulls me into his arms. “Why don’t you come to my room for a little while? We can celebrate, and I can tell you all about the script,” he says in a velvety voice.

“I’m already here celebrating with my friends.”

“And just what are you celebrating?”

“My birthday is this week.”

“Well, happy birthday.”

“Thanks.” I tease him before I walk away. “You know, I’m totally going to be watching you in action. Good luck with finding a uh, roommate.”

When I lie back in my chaise, RiA

Vanessa says, “He is hot, but isn’t he a bit old for you?”

“You dated that twenty-six year old. He’s not that much older. Um, I never asked you at the time, but was it, like, good with him? Was his being older, like, a benefit in any way?”

She laughs. “If that’s your way of asking if the sex was good, the answer is yes. It was amazing. He knew way more than any high school boy and a lot more than the college guy. Plus, he had way more stamina.”

“Stamina?”

“Yeah, like he could do it for a really long time. Sometimes, he’d go so long, I’d almost get bored. Almost,” she says with a pleased smirk.

“He’s going to be my neighbor,” I tell her with a grin.

“Let me know when he moves in.” She arches a perfect eyebrow at me. “I’d like to give him a special housewarming gift.” Then she nudges me. “Or maybe we can share. He looks like he’d be into that.”

“You’re naughty,” I say with a laugh. Then I take a drink of beer and let my eyes wander back to the bar.

I’ve moved on.

9:30pm

We hung by the pool, had some drinks, had di

I’m looking forward to taking a long, hot bath and going to sleep early.

I wander into the kitchen to see who’s home. James and my mom are sitting at the kitchen table shaking their heads at each other.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing, honey,” Mom says, but I know she’s lying.

“Abby, I think she needs to know about this. We don’t know what this guy is doing, and this doesn’t make sense. She needs to be on alert too.”

“On alert about what? Is this about the creeper again?”

“Yes,” James says grimly. “Your mom found a letter in her purse. It happened while we were at a cocktail party tonight.”

“Weren’t you there, James? Aren’t you supposed to be watching out for stuff like that?”

“I was there. I don’t know how it happened. She only spoke to people she knew.”

“So does that mean the stalker is someone she knows?” I ask. “I thought it was that weird pale guy?”

“We’ve pretty much ruled him out,” James says.

“Okay, so where were you tonight?”

“We were at an industry cocktail party. We spoke to a ton of people, from actors, to producers, to investors, to agents, to the guys that work the cameras. It was a fundraiser,” Mom tells me.

“And I lowered my guard because of it. I can’t do that again,” James says.