Rita was right when she said Theo would be on her back. She could feel his eyes on her when she left the hall.
When she left the office, he was behind her. He was not even being stealthy about it. One minute he was behind her the next he was infront of her.
She had to abruptly stop in her tracks if she did not want her face to collide with his chest.
She had had enough stress this week and it was not even over yet. She was so grateful that none of her coworkers had the time or state of mind to trouble her, she would enjoy that while it lasted.
She just needed to get home without any problems and loosing it. Of course her luck had to run out now.
“What is it Theo?”
By the way he was gripping the sash of his satchel it was clear that his mind focused on trying to persuade her from telling on him but he said something else entirely.
“Nothing much really, it’s just with all the commotion and the crazy week we’ve had it almost completely slipped my mind.
I’m inviting you to my sister’s engagement party on Saturday.”
She looked at him quizzically and then with suspicion. Did he really not get the memo that his quote on quote steady girlfriend hated her. And since when did he invite her out? Talk less of family functions. “Why?”
“I kinda feel guilty for what Talia did to your arm. I noticed how she looked at you when I carried you down the stairs, I’ll try to get her to quit that.
So I thought maybe I could apologize with this specially since you could not go for your friend’s bachelorette party. So do you accept the invitation?”
To anyone that was passing or watching their exchange, they would just see one colleague simply inviting his colleague out and apologizing on behalf of his girlfriend.
They both knew the truth however, he was trying to get her someplace they could talk in private, away from the company on his terms.
He wanted to ascertain her silence and his safety on her part. And he was prepared to throw Talia under the proverbial bus to save his pale hide.
The real question here was how he knew about the bachelorette party.
She did not have friends in her department or any others in the company, just acquaintances and people who she helped out here and there. She liked to keep buisness and personal life in two different bowls, on two different tables.
She never once uttered a word about the bachelorette to anyone so she would not jinx it or have to tell a story of what that did not happen. So how had he known about it?
There were an array of options as to his knowledge of that event and none of them she liked. The two that stuck out the most were him being able to read minds or he had actually been stalking her outside of work.
Her brain was plastering neon danger signs all over his face. She felt numb too. This guy was a creepy ass manwhore of a vampire and a stalker.
How long had he been doing it? Had he already been in her apartment? Watching her sleep or setting cameras everywhere?
‘Relax. You’re getting ahead of yourself. Just breathe in. Breathe out. Step away from creepy ass manwhore. Now repeat.’ She told herself. She took her own advice, taking a step back. “Sorry Theo I can’t come. As you know your girlfriend hates my guts and right now I’m enjoying not being in her line of fire.”
“She’s going to her cousin’s place Friday evening for some two day spa getaway.” He said.
Oh great. While Talia’s getting pampered and relaxed, she will be working her ass off at the bakery and deep in paperwork.
Somehow that just did not sound fair. Or real. With the way Theo put it she was going over there for more than just a spa getaway.
These two were a match made in heaven.
“So will you come?” He pushed on, practically pleading, making eye contact with her.
Too bad she was not falling for it. She knew a trap and a bad decision when she saw it and right now this one practically had a Las Vegas type billboard waving at her.
No freaking way.
“Still sorry Theo. I can’t make it. This week Saturday I’ve got work to do and I seriously need to de-stress okay. Hope your sister’s engagement party goes great, thanks for the invite though.” She said with a tired smile before sidestepping him and going for the exit.
She walked to the parking lot and got to her car, a silver mercedes benz, something she had saved up for for the past two years. Putting her hand in her purse to retrieve her keys. She was not kidding with Theo back there, she seriously needed to de-stress.
If she had something fun to look forward to like Talia did maybe she could power through the week with a reward in mind. But sadly she did not. Her weekend was completely booked.
She found her car keys, opened her car and got in. She dropped her bag on the passenger seat beside her, put the keys into ignition and drove out but not before catching Theo from where he was standing beside his own car in her review mirror looking straight at her with a determined expression she did not like and had cold sweat dripping down her back.
Her urge to step on the accelerator going full throttle.
He did not stop looking even as he was lost to her review mirror and she drove out of the parking lot.
She was going to check her entire apartment for bugs and have her phone checked too. That was precaution one. Option one, she hoped it would not come to, was calling the police. And if it did, he had it coming.
She knew he already did.