To the Ends of the Earth

Chapter Four: Targeted

I was suffocating, and I was doing it intentionally. Who was the maniac that invented the concept of being enclosed in a box, with a temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit, as a form of self-care?

Athena and I were wrapped in towels as we leaned back on the wooden bench of the sauna, passing the time until our scheduled massages. I was counting down the minutes until I could make my escape —without looking too soft—when an elderly lady entered the sauna, butt naked.

Whoa!

I could only wish I'd reach that level of confidence sooner rather than later. At what age do people normally become that comfortable in their own skin? Forty? Fifty? Seventy?

The minute the heat became overwhelming and unbearable, Athena finally opened her eyes and nodded at me. "Are you ready to get out of here?" she asked.

"Girl, I was ready ten minutes ago," I grunted. Then, I rushed out of there like the place was on fire which, technically, was what it felt like.

We grabbed our robes from the outside hook and walked to the lounge area to wait for our masseuses. When my therapist arrived and led me to the private room, I was thrilled to finally relax after a tough week. Which is most likely why I fell asleep ten minutes into the massage. By the time my sweet masseuse woke me up, I had drool all over my chin, but my body felt well rested and refreshed.

After quickly getting dressed, I met Athena at the entrance of the spa and we made our way to my favorite burger spot for lunch. I was chewing my delicious bite of cheeseburger when Athena cleared her throat.

"Lottie," she mumbled. "I don't want to bring up bad memories for you, but something has been on my mind since last night."

I swallowed down my food and took a sip of my drink as I looked up at her. "That's okay, Athena," I reassured. "What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering about a few things. Do you remember how many drinks you had that night... that night of...you know?"

I bit down on my lip and stared into space, taking my time remembering the events of that night. "I think it was just two."

"Only two?"

I nodded at her. "Yeah, and maybe a bottle of water."

"Do you remember who gave you the drinks?" she asked, cautiously.

"Umm, I know this guy named Martin gave me a can of beer when I first arrived. He was the one who had invited me to the party."

"Okay, anyone else?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Vivi..."

"Wait," she said, interrupting me. "Was Vivi at this party?"

"Yes, we went to Columbia University together. At the time, she was a sophomore."

"Okay," she nodded. "So, Vivi was at this party. Then, what happened?"

"She was making some fancy looking fruity shots and asked me to try one. But, I hated the taste and only had one. Then, not long after that, I wasn't feeling well. So, I went upstairs to look for a bathroom and that was when I was attacked."

"But, you didn't recognize your attacker. Right?"

"No," I mumbled, shaking my head.

"Okay, thank you for clarifying that. It was weighing heavily on my mind. But, there seems to be a lot of things that are tied to one person."

I didn't respond to that because she was right. It was becoming more and more obvious that what happened to me wasn't an unfortunate incident. I always thought I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I had the misfortune of bumping into a monster. But, that wasn't the case. It seemed I was intentionally targeted.

The following morning, I hugged Athena good bye and wished her a safe journey. She was taking a cab to the airport. I had offered to go with her, but she refused. 'There is no point for you to make two trips, Lottie. I promise I'll text you the minute I land in LA,' she'd insisted. So, we said our farewells before she grabbed her bags and left for JFK. I was disappointed to see her leave but, hopefully, I could quickly get things settled in New York and move to LA for good.

Once I was alone, I had a million thoughts running through my head. I tried to relax, but I couldn't do it. So, I made myself a cup of coffee, took a seat on my barstool, and spent half an hour contemplating who to ask for help. When I finally made my decision, I grabbed my phone and dialed the number.

"Hi Theo," I greeted my brother's best friend when he answered my call.

"Hey Lottie, how's it going?" he asked.

"Pretty good, how's everything with you?"

"Great, Alex and I settled everything with your new place. It's ready for you whenever you'd like to move in."

"That's great, Theo. But, that's not the reason for my call."

"Oh, what's up?"

"I need your help," I admitted. Then, I proceeded to explain to Theo what I needed from him.