Page 7 of Hunted Obsession
“An espresso and a bowl of berries with granola and Greek yogurt. Also, a side of honey, please,” I say, never taking my eyes off the gallery door.
The waiter thanks me, then walks away, leaving me to my watching, to my spying. Sliding my tongue along my bottom lip, I bring my glass of water to my lips and take a sip. I can’t look away from that door.
I wait.
Emmie has to eat, right? If she doesn’t, there is no way she will go without a coffee, at least. A girl cannot live off nothing; she will at least need an iced coffee treat if nothing else.
My fruit and yogurt are delivered along with my coffee. Thanking the waiter, I lean back and enjoy the show. And by show, I mean the fact three hours pass and not a single person goes in or out of the gallery.
It’s enthralling, and by the time the fourth hour passes, I decide to pay my bill and leave the café. I don’t go far. Instead of leaving, I walk down to the alleyway that is kitty-corner to the entrance of the gallery and continue my watching.
Minute after minute passes. She does not leave for lunch. She doesn’t even leave for a coffee.
Nothing.
When five o’clock strikes, I wait for her to open the front door, and she does. I watch as she slips out, locking the door behind her, and then walks down the sidewalk.
I should just let her go, but I don’t. Instead, I follow her from across the street. I know that her car is parked in the opposite direction of where she’s walking, so I’m beyond curious. She swiftly moves down the street toward the clubs and bars.
Watching and moving right behind her, attempting to keep pace, I stop before she does, noticing that she’s slowing. Then she turns into a building. A club. The Willow Club. I’ve never heard of it, but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s not like I ever go out and do anything.
I’m usually working at night. My job is tedious and boring. I love it, but there will be a time when it’s obsolete. I’m a medicaldigitizer. It’s my job to take everything that is on paper and enter it into the computer. I don’t have to work with other people, and my days are usually free to do what I wish… like this.
I can’t tear my eyes from the front of the club as Emmie slips inside. I stay on the sidewalk, checking the time, knowing that I’m going to have to leave soon for the job that I love so much. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I pull up my notes app and type in the club’s name so I don’t forget and can do some research on it later.
I’m going to look into this place. It doesn’t have anything to do with Theron, so I’m not sure why she would be visiting it. Unless it has something to do with her life or her family, and that is very interesting because I can’t imagine a girl working at a pretentious art gallery having ties to a nightclub.
Granted, I don’t know a lot about nightclubs, but I can’t imagine they’re all on the up and up. And while Theron isn’t perfect, he is indeed always on the up and up. Even when he’s walking on the edge, walking that fine line, it’s always technically legal.
He’s a good man—the best. However, I know his demons need to be fed. They need to be assuaged, and I know I’m the only woman for the job. Nobody else can do it the way I can. There is nobody else but me.
Checking the time, I frown when I realize she’s been in the building for over an hour. I need to get going. As much as I want to stay here, I need to save my personal time off for other things.
Like… emergencies.
Like needing to expose Emmie to Theron because I will need to do that, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Turning away from the club, I head back to my car. I’ve spent all day downtown, and I need to get back to my life. Well, at least to my paycheck. Right now, without a paycheck, I won’t be able to pay my monthly bills, so that is a need and not a want.
Hopefully, soon, it won’t matter because I’ll be curled up in Theron’s bed. Moved into his home. At his side forever. Right now, that only seems like a dream, but I will get there eventually.
It’s where I’m meant to be, whether he realizes it or not right now—but he will. I know he will. I’ll make sure of it.
It doesn’t matter how many years we spend apart—nothing changes for me when it comes to Theron. It’s always been him, and it will always be him. I will be damned if someone else has him. Especially someone who I know without a doubt does not deserve him.
Climbing into my car, I start the engine. I think about going home and showering before my shift, but then I decide against it. If I leave right now, I have just enough time to go to Theron’s office and see what he’s doing today.
Just a little glimpse, that’s all I want. I already know everything I need to know about him. Sure, there are no doubt things I’m unaware of, but I don’t care about them. I’ve known the man since I was a girl. If he has secrets, then those are his to keep.
Everything I need, I know.
Everything I desire, I know.
I know what I need to know about Theron, and that is that I need him.
Pulling up across from Securus, I shift my car intoPark, and I watch the back of the building. Unlike the gallery, I know these men use the back entrance to come and go. The front is for customers only. And front or back, you have to be buzzed in to gain entrance.
I only have an hour before I need to be at my own office to start the night shift, so I lean back in my seat and watch.Waiting. The moments pass by, and just when I think I’m going to have to leave without getting a glimpse of him, the door opens, and Theron walks out of the building.