The Only Exception

Six

~Lainey~

The guy clearly has a need to be in total control of something and I was not about to sit there and let him think he could just storm into the party, drag me away from my friends, physically THROW me over his shoulder and force me to go home like I'm a fucking child. Call it dramatic, too much, whatever, I really don't care. 

I'd text Noah, gotten Spencer's number and was about to have some fun with this because I had no doubt this man was now going mental trying to track me down. 

I sipped on the coffee I'd grabbed on the outskirts of town, stood at the look out on the far edge of town. It was freezing up here but honestly, the adrenaline of this whole thing was too much. 

The phone buzzed against my ear, probably flashing on his phone screen as an unknown caller. God how I'd love him to ignore it. Let me leave him a voicemail. It'd be hilarious to know he had what he needed right there and probably wouldn't find it for a few hours. 

"Lainey." I smiled, big and bright because of course he knew it was me. "Care to tell me where you are or am I gonna have to track your phone?" 

"Oh you can try but I'm gonna keep this short. I have a deal to make with you." 

"A deal?" 

"Yep. If you can find me before midnight I'll comply with all your shitty little rules because I can't be as good at keeping myself safe as I think I am." 

"And if I don't?" 

"You leave me the hell alone. I tell my dad you're stalking me or whatever you're being paid to do, you live in the apartment but the attempts to tell me what I can or can't do stops." I could see him now, tracking my phone up here. That's why I specifically stood here. Coffee cup with my lipstick on, pretty note on the top telling him that I wasn't going to make it that easy, lipstick kiss on the corner. "Deal?" 

"3 hours. If I don't find you by midnight, you're through that door at 12.05 or I call your father." 

"If you don't find me by 12 you can't tell him anything." He lets out a little chuckle, keys jingling in my hand. "Have fun. Apparently my life's on the line." I hung up the phone before he could say anything else, turning my phone off and walking back to the cab waiting for me a few feet away. It's amazing what people will do when you offer them a huge cash tip. 

I gave him instructions on where to drive, making sure to take the longest route possible, landing back at the apartment which I had no doubt he would not be at. At the very least, I had him working backwards now. The coffee cup would lead him back to the cafe where I'd left him a note with one of the waitresses, the cab was outside the whole time so if he checked the cameras, he'd see that and he'd probably work out I was home at 11.45. By which time it'd be too late for him to get across the city to me, sat comfortably in my pajamas; showered with a face mask on watching trash reality TV in the living room. 

"In a rush tonight Princess?" Andrew smirked from behind the desk. 

"I am indeed. If anyone asks, you haven't seen me." 

"What's in it for me?" 

"You keep your job and get to stare at my ass every time I walk past." 

"Deal. Elevator's that way." I smirked at him, following his outstretched hand with a twirl. 

This was a fun game of cat and mouse I must admit. Just the right amount of adrenaline to make it fun without it being dangerous and every drop of his mind must be cycling through what he knows about me, just so he can try and get in my head. Problem with that is no one knows 100% of me.