Page 4 of Jurassic Measures
He shook his head. “That’s ridiculous. I can meet you here at closing.”
“But you see I’m saying no soooo…”
He held up his palms and stepped back. “I respect your answer, but I won’t stop asking you out until you say yes.”
“Are you threatening to stalk me until I agree to make your suits?”
He jerked his head back as if I’d slapped him. “No, I’m saying I’ll stalk you until you agree to dinner.”
“Oh…so much better. You have to leave now. Amber, if he’s not gone in a minute call the police.”
“Yes, Mr. McPherson.” She lifted her cellphone and quirked a brow at Landry. “I’ve started counting in my head.”
Landry narrowed his eyes, and he was clenching his jaw. “For now, Jason, I will go.”
He turned on his heels and left the shop.
“What the fuck was that?” Amber placed her phone back on the counter.
“The world gets crazier every day.”
With that, I left Amber in the front of the store and went back to my alterations.
CHAPTER TWO
I letAmber go ten minutes before closing. She bitched and complained about Landry possibly lying in wait but after I walked her out and she saw the coast was clear, she drove off.
Once five o’clock struck, I locked the doors and decided to work on some projects in the back room. Usually, I was ready to get home at the end of a long day but my skin was buzzing so I decided to work it off.
The sewing room in my house would have sufficed but I was here so it only made sense.
My mind was immersed in the repetitive sewing of crystals on Milly Conner’s spring gala dress when the sound of scraping against the building jolted me back, causing the needle to prick my skin.
“Shit.” I dropped the baby blue dress before I got blood on it and stuck my finger in my mouth.
I was halfway to the bathroom where there was a first aid kit when the scraping sound stopped me.
“What the hell is that?” Could squirrels on the roof make that noise?
There was no way I was walking outside to investigate. I’d seen enough horror movies to know that was a stupid idea, but Ihad windows all around the shop; I could look out of them and see if maybe an animal was lingering around.
I kept the lights low so the glare wouldn’t inhibit my view. The front seemed fine as did the left side of the building. I was halfway across the shop when I heard it again. It was definitely coming from the back.
I was probably being paranoid, and the wind was rubbing something along the building but there was an almost methodical rhythm to it, like someone or something was purposely doing it.
From the back windows I still saw nothing. I was going craz?—
A loud crash sounded from the roof and yeah, that was enough for me. I slipped my phone out from my pocket and dialed 9-1-1. Maybe this was overkill, but I’d rather not look back on this from the grave and tell dead me I should’ve called.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
“Hello, my name is Jason McPherson. I’m calling from McPherson’s Tailor and Designs on Cherry Blossom Lane. I believe someone is trying to break into my shop or maybe vandalize the property.”
“Hi, Jason, my name is Cara. Are you currently in a safe area?”
“I think so, they haven’t actively come inside but it’s like they’re taunting me.”
“So they’re still outside? Do you hear them now?”
