Darien

He was about to slide from the tree when he heard her heart beat increase. She was awake. He watched as she got up from the bed and flicked on the light. She was wearing a white cotton chemise that fit snugly to her small frame and she now walked unsteadily to the bathroom, leaning against the wall for support. He waited there until she returned. She sat on the edge of her bed and checked the time on her bedside clock. Her hair was dark and wavy and perfectly blended with her cappuccino looking skin. She suddenly turned towards the tree and he sunk into the darkness, hoping she hadn’t made him out. She got up then and walked to the window. The slight wind that was blowing ruffled her hair and he caught wind of her scent. She smelled like honeydew and he closed his eyes as he drank her in. She pulled the windows to her and he heard a click as she closed them. The lights went out just as he fell to the ground. He looked up at the window once more and disappeared into the night.

He had seen her many times before, and he had developed an instant attraction to her. He had even made it his duty to know all he could about her. She was called Rose and was an interior decorator. She mainly worked independently, but consulted with some of the larger firms in the area. He had seen her jogging many times and had sat on the park bench as she ran by him on several occasions, oblivious to his presence. He knew his actions bordered on sociopath, but he had to take advantage of every opportunity he got to see her. Once, he felt her heart race as she glanced at him, but she instantly averted her eyes. She had an attraction for him too, and that knowledge spurred him to make contact.

On this particular morning, he was leaning against the post outside the local park as she jogged by. She hadn’t gone far when he saw her stop. He became anxious as she retreated and stood directly in front of him.

“Are you following me?” she asked.

He let out a laugh so long she started to get angry. He then lowered his gaze and pierced her own. She shuddered. “What if I were?” he asked her.

She glanced around her nervously. “Look, there are some cops down the street and I will alert them if you try to make trouble,” she said, turning around and resuming her jogging. He saw her look back once as if to ascertain whether or not he was following her. He wasn’t.

For a week this continued and she would see him every morning regardless of the path she took. “This is getting serious you know,” he said to her one of those times. “You need to stop following me.”

She stopped and looked at him incredulously. “Following you? I would think it is the other way around. How do you know where I will be every time if you aren’t stalking me?” she asked.

“I think, and correct me if I am wrong, but aren’t stalkers usually behind their victims and not in front? If I recall, I am always in front, so maybe it is you who are stalking me.” He gave her the coyest smile and he could feel her heart rate increase. He was having an effect and she could only deny it to herself, but he knew better.  He made a sweeping bow and motioned for her to pass, but she just stood there with her arms folded.

“What do you want? This many days cannot be a coincidence. Did someone ask you to follow me?” she asked.

“Is there reason for someone to hire me to watch you?” he asked curiously, his eyebrows now twitching.

“Don’t play games,” she said. “Does this have to do with Ethan?” she quizzed.

“Who is Ethan?” he asked.

“My stupid ex who refuses to leave me alone. I know how sick he is and he is the only person I can think of who would do something like this. Other than that, I don’t get why you would be following me, because you are following me.”

“If I was following you, I would go with a simpler assumption” he said teasingly.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why would you be following me?” she asked him, folding her hands and leaning against a nearby tree.

“Maybe I just like you,” he said.

For the first time since they spoke, she didn’t have anything to say.

“Cat got your tongue?” he asked.

“I am just surprised, that’s all. This isn’t typically what someone would do when they have affections for someone else.”

Just then the sun starting peeping from beyond the horizon. He slid behind some trees. “Maybe I will tell you why at another time.”

It seemed as if he literally vanished into thin air. Rose walked around the bushes, but he was nowhere in sight. She rubbed her eyes in confusion, hoping maybe that she had hallucinated all of what had just happened.  She turned on her heels and jogged in the opposite direction, this time heading for home. She has had enough weird for one morning.