Match Point

Chapter 21: Alone

Till now I always got by on my own

I never really cared until I met you

And now it chills me to the bone

How do I get you alone?

"Alone," by Heart

_____________________________________________

Lettie

I arranged some new arrivals on the racks and was cleaning up the shop to close in a few hours. I was going to meet Alex for dinner. He was leaving in two days again for tour, but only for a month, and then he'd be back. I was going to go with him to the Brit Awards when he got back, and I was really excited about that. I was also going to design and make his suits, which made me even more excited.

The chime on the shop door pulled me from my thoughts. A tall, nicely dressed man walked in. I offered him a warm smile. "Hi, Welcome! Feel free to look around, and if you need anything, let me know," I said, moving on to folding some items.

He nodded but didn't respond immediately, instead taking his time to browse through the racks of clothes. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I continued my work.

After a few minutes, he approached me, his eyes scanning the shop before settling on me. "How long have you had this place?" he asked, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. It was a voice I recognized, one that I had hoped to never hear again.

I felt a surge of panic. I was sweating. I steeled myself to stay calm, my mind racing. "A few years now," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "I was at another atelier before opening my own shop and tailoring business."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. "I see. Do you take appointments for tailoring?"

"Yes, we do," I said, trying to sound like I had other employees. "I can book you an appointment now if you'd like."

He agreed, and we went back and forth, looking for a suitable date. As we settled on a time a few weeks out, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. "What's your name?" I asked, needing to attach an identity to this unsettling encounter.

"James," he replied after a long pause. I had a strong suspicion he was lying.

"Alright, James," I said, jotting down his details. "We'll see you then."

He smiled, a look in his eyes that made my skin crawl. "I can't wait to see you again. Have a nice day."

"You too!" I said, and as soon as he closed the door, I locked it. I ran to grab my cell phone and dialed Tom. My hands were shaking. "Tom, something happened at the shop."

"What's wrong?" Tom's voice was instantly concerned.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "A man came in, and I'm pretty sure it's the guy who mugged me."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Tom responded. "Stay where you are. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Thank you."

After hanging up with Tom, I checked the door to make sure it was still and closed the blind. I called Alex next. I wanted him to be in the loop. But I didn't know how long it'd take between Tom and me and the other officer he said he was bringing, and I didn't want to ruin dinner.