Page 82 of Always Salty

Me:

Strange man is following me around the store and making me feel uncomfortable. I’m sorry that I made Dima leave.

My phone immediately started to vibrate and I answered Dima’s call.

“What’s going on?” he questioned in a deathly calm voice.

I explained quietly, knowing the man wasn’t far from earshot.

Dima’s growl was ferocious as he said, “I’ll be there in five.”

“I thought you said that you were ten minutes away?” I asked.

“I’ll be there in five,” he promised as his engine revved. “It’s gonna switch to my helmet and may sound weird, but don’t hang up.”

I didn’t, and then I heard the sound of his bike going full throttle.

My phone continued to vibrate the five minutes it took Dima to get there.

“Where are you?” he asked.

I swallowed hard and said, “I’m gonna meet you in the parking lot.”

Before he could reply, I stuffed my phone, still connected, into my purse and headed to the counter.

I smiled at the teen and said, “Thanks!”

She didn’t reply, already checking out another customer.

I glanced over my shoulder to see the man following me, but the nerves didn’t hit me as they did earlier because I could hear the whine of the bike heading toward me.

It was coming fast, and the smile couldn’t be helped as I started into the parking lot.

The bike came up from my left and then pulled in directly behind me.

I kept walking, even though I knew that the bike had stopped.

I put the cans of food into the trunk and only then looked over my shoulder to see Dima off his bike, helmet still in place, poking the man in the chest.

I got into my car to wait.

It took ten whole minutes, but then Dima joined me at my car.

I got out and looked around, then practically buried my face into Dima’s chest.

His very hard, very broad, very yummy chest.

He wrapped his arms around me and said, “You know who that guy was?”

“Actually, I have no idea,” I admitted. “Other than I know that he was a patient at the sleep center a few weeks ago.”

He stilled. “What?”

I explained everything, ending with, “That’s the first time I’ve seen him outside of the sleep center, though.”

“That’s the same guy that cleaned your windows that one time we…” he hesitated, but he didn’t need to say. “You told me his name was Cornelius Stone, though.”

I understood without him needing to go into detail.

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