“Yeah, I think—”
Leo jerked up. “What the hell? Someone’s out there!” He pointed to the window across the room from the foot of the bed.
Aud rolled to look as something on the porch crashed.
13
“YOU HEAR about it all the time, but you never actually expect it to be something you have to deal with.” Leo fidgeted in his seat while Felix and Julie watched him from across the booth at Village Inn.
“This is more than a little bit scary,” Julie said. “I mean, yeah, Aud has a stalker. How crazy is this guy? Is he going to come after you?”
Leo had sat up all night, asking himself the same question. After seeing the face, which might or might not have been Randal’s—he just wasn’t sure—it proved impossible for him to relax. Even after the police left and Aud took him for a late-night ice cream, he’d been wound too tight. It had been one of the scariest things that had ever happened to him. The spoon in his iced tea clinked against the glass until he took it out. He couldn’t get himself to stop shaking. “I don’t know. I hope not. I wish I’d been able to get a better look at the guy. That might’ve helped.”
“How’s Aud dealing with it?” Felix asked. He’d been unusually quiet since meeting the other two at the restaurant. A dark, drawn look made it appear that he hadn’t gotten much sleep.
“I think he’s more mad than scared,” Leo poured additional sugar into his tea and picked up his spoon again. “He’s sure it’s Randal, particularly after the scene he made at the opening last night.”
Julie put her fork down on her plate. “Wait a second. You didn’t say anything about Randal being at the gallery last night. What happened?”
“Not much. He showed up, made a little bit of a disruption, and Aud escorted him out. People stared at the whole thing, and then it was over.” Thinking back on the event, Leo could see where it might’ve been the catalyst for Randal showing up at Aud’s, if the face in the window had been his.
“If he’s crazy, I bet that set him off big time.” Julie took a drink of her orange juice. “I’m just wondering if Aud is worth all this. Leo, you don’t need this kind of crap in your life.”
Leo shook his head. “Sorry, I think Aud is worth this. He’s fucking incredible. Randal won’t be a problem for long. Either he’ll screw up and get arrested or get bored. Who knows? Maybe he’ll find another hottie at the gym and chase him long enough that he forgets about Aud.”
She reached across the table and patted his hand. “Sweetie, I hope you’re right. If anything happens to you because of this fool, I’ll be really pissed off. You know, I might be a little on the dumpy side and not look at all dangerous, but you better warn Aud I can be all over his ass like white on rice. It’ll be enough to make him sorry he ever thought about teaching that art class he met us at.”
The idea of Julie getting all mama-lion protective over him made Leo smile slightly. “I hope I don’t get hurt either. Not emotionally, and especially not physically. I’m not into pain.” His phone rang. He glanced at the screen. “It’s Aud. I need to take it.” Without waiting for a response, he tapped the Send button.
“Hey, Aud. How are you this morning?” After their Peeping Tom, dealing with the police, and going for ice cream, Leo had dropped Aud off at his car at the gallery and gone home alone.
“Okay. I wanted to check on you. You were still pretty shaken up.” Concern was clear in Aud’s voice. “I hope you were able to get a little sleep.”
“No. Not a wink. You?”
“A little, but I went to the spare bedroom and pulled the shades. I still can’t believe anyone would be watching us. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this. What can I do to make it up to you?”
That wasn’t a question Leo had prepared for. “I don’t know. What do you have in mind?”
“Maybe we can escape to the mountains next weekend. I can check with Heather and make sure she can handle things for me. We haven’t had enough snow yet for ski season to start, so even with short notice, the resorts will be reasonable.”
Leo didn’t want to admit that other than driving through the ski towns, he’d never actually been to the mountain resorts. “I can’t afford much.”
“That’s not an issue. It’s my life that’s suddenly weird. I can pay for it. Don’t worry about that. Particularly after last night’s opening. Things are okay on my end. So what do you say?”
“It sounds like fun.”
“Good. I’ll call and make reservations as soon as I talk to Heather. Do you want to do dinner tonight? Afterward, if you want, we can go over to your place. I would be surprised if Randal knows where you live.”