Page 5 of Stalked for Christmas

“Sorry. The kid called.” I climb down from my truck and head toward her porch. “She’s got some big news to tell me or something.”

Mae holds the door open and stares at me with a crooked expression I can’t define. “It’s so weird to hear you talk about a kid.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I just can’t imagine you raising a daughter that still wants to talk to you.”

“Wow. We’re going to have to work on your communication skills if this is going to work.” I close the door behind me and step into the cozy little cabin, dragging in the scent of cinnamon and sugar that fills the house. She’s been baking. I missed the show tonight.

“I made sugar cookies if you want one. Josh decorated them, though, so they’re… imaginative. I think there’s an upside down Santa's head that’s decorated as a transformer.”

“I don’t eat sugar cookies.” I stand in the doorway, suit and tie still in place.

She looks at me as though I’ve said the wrong thing.“You don’t eat sugar cookies?”

“No. Sorry. I didn’t come to eat. I came to get to know you and give you some information about me.”

Mae drags in a deep breath and pinches her lips to the side. “Should I get you some tea or coffee, or are we going right at it?”

“Nothing, thank you. Can I sit?”

She nods and takes down a mug from the kitchen cabinet, pouring hot water onto a bag of tea before grabbing a cookie off the cooling rack. “Why don’t you send me a spreadsheet of things I should know, and I’ll memorize it. That would be a lot easier than this awkward exchange.” Her eyes roll as she sips her tea.

“What are you talking about? A spreadsheet won’t work. We need to get comfortable with each other.”

She laughs. “Yeah, we’ve worked together for how long? If we haven’t gotten comfortable yet, I don’t think we’re going to. This might be as good as it gets.”

“Not true. Our distance, for instance. We’re too far away from each other.”

Another laugh follows. This time, she nearly spits out her cookie. “Yeah, I think our conversation needs to be more comfortable before we worry about how we’re sitting next to each other.”

“Or… we’ll get more comfortable with each other once we loosen up a little.”

“Loosen up? There’s a version of you that’s loose? What’s that like?”

I relax my shoulders and sit back on the couch. “I’m loose.”

“You’re not loose. You’re tense. You’re always tense.”

“How so? I’m sitting back. I’m uncrossing my legs. I’m clearly relaxed.”

“Yeah, no. Is this how you are around your daughter? Suit and tie, all buttoned up?”

“Yes. She needs to see me as an authority figure. Someone she can trust in, rather than some slob.”

She glances down at her outfit. “Oh, so my son gave me trouble getting to bed tonight because I wasn’t wearing a suit and tie? What was I thinking?”

“No. You look great. It’s different for moms. You’re allowed to be sof—”

She laughs. “So, it’s a sexist thing then. I’m a woman, so I can wear a hoodie?”

“No.” I sigh. “Never mind. Why don’t you tell me why you’re alone up here? What happened to your ex? You said he still comes around a little, right?”

“You’re crazy!” She stands from the chair and turns back toward the kitchen. “This was a mistake. You’re literally insane, and this is never going to work.”

“We haven’t even tried. What did I do? Why am I insane?”

“It’s not what you did. It’s what you’renotdoing. You’re so… not for me.”

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