Tik Tok Stalker

Chapter 3- Testify

***SEVERAL MONTHS LATER****
____________________________________
PROSECUTOR: Please state your name for the court.

COLE: Cole Axel Thatcher.

PROSECUTOR: Mr. Thatcher can you describe your relationship to the defendant, Ms. Mary Rooney?

DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Objection. My client legally changed her name to 'Malia Rhodes' and calling her otherwise is the prosecution's attempt to discredit my client.

JUDGE: Sustained. The defendant will only be referred to as 'Malia Rhodes' as it is her legal name. Witness may answer the question.

COLE: She was my wife.

PROSECUTOR: Was?

COLE: The marriage was annulled.

PROSECUTOR: Who initiated the annulment, Mr. Thatcher?

COLE: *clears throat* Um, I did. After her true identity was revealed, my manager thought it was best.

PROSECUTOR: Thank you, Mr. Thatcher. Before we get into all that, I'd like to take a step back to the first time you spoke to Ms. Rhodes. Can you describe your encounter to the jury?

COLE: It was August 14th, in the Sydney airport. I stepped into the security line and there she was. She was quite a bit ahead of me and I tried to edge my way forward but it didn't really work and I lost her when I looked down at my phone.

PROSECUTOR: So, that wasn't the end of the interaction?

COLE: It was just the beginning.

PROSECUTOR: Is there anything that stands out to you about that first meeting?

COLE: Yeah... (*looks off wistfully*) She told me: "Love is messy"...

*He trails off. Flashback to Cole approaching a small, cozy bar near his gate at the airport.*

Visions of my dream girl from the security line danced in my mind as I neared my gate. Of all the women I'd seen and been with in my twenty-four years, none of them held a candle to her. With her long, wavy, midnight brown hair, sun-kissed skin, impossibly full lips, and hips for days, it was as if God Himself had crafted her for me. Even right down to her little up-turned nose and high cheek-bones, hers was the look that drove me wild. Picturing her helped keep my focus off the pounding hangover until I spotted the small bar situated between two gates across from mine. The ambient lighting and soft music drew me in. It was the perfect place to relax and grab a pint.

My hangover cure had been perfected over the years: a pint of beer, first thing, followed by a black coffee and the greasiest hash browns I could find. It might be weird but it worked like a charm. Being an Influencer gave me plenty of opportunities to get the morning after formula down. When you're obligated to attend parties several times a week and need liquid courage to overcome a mild case of social anxiety, you needed to learn how to rebound quickly.

But the girl. Those hips had been swaying in my mind under that orange tropical printed skirt. Back and forth. Back and forth. I should find her. No, I should send this hangover packing. I scanned the bar, looking for the perfect spot until my eyes landed on the back of the angel from the security line. Maybe I could do both. Talking to an airport crush couldn't hurt, could it?

PROSECUTOR: So, you approached Ms. Rhodes?

COLE: I did.

PROSECUTOR: How did your initial interaction go?

COLE: *smirks* Pretty bad.

PROSECUTOR: Why is that?

COLE: She ignored me.

*scattered chuckles from the jury. Fade back to flashback.*

Fifteen minutes. No, eighteen minutes and she still wouldn't even look at me. My confidence went down the drain ten minutes ago and now I just felt stupid. And she was even more beautiful up close, as if it was possible. At least from the side. The corners of her grin, amused by whatever she was journaling, pulled toward her sharp jawline. Light glinted off her white-tipped nails as she flicked a pen between her fingers, carefully considering her next word.

Her long, slender fingers gripped her champagne glass and she tipped her head back, nearly draining the flute. Here was my opportunity. I couldn't walk away without at least trying.

I cleared my throat. "Can I get your next?"