ThunderSnow

CHAPTER SIX: Click

As Lyn emerged from the private rear entrance of the hotel, she had the strangest feeling she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She took a few more steps, then stopped as she heard a soft clicking sound. She spun in a circle, looking around her again. Nothing.

Paranoid much, Lyn?

She shook her head and quickly walked toward her car at the edge of the parking lot, thankful that it was so brightly lit. As she approached the car and was about to reach for the door handle, a large man was suddenly standing right in front of her. Lyn jumped and pulled her hand back.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed as she took a large step backward.

He pressed toward her, holding a large camera in front of him. Lyn cringed at the incessant click, click, click of the shutter.

"So..." he said with a suggestive grin. "Who might you be?"

Click, click, click

"And how do you know Eli Colton?"

Click, click, click

"How long have you known him? Did you just meet?"

Click, click

"Just what were you two doing in there all day?" He leaned closer to her. "And all night last night?"

Click, click, click, click, click

Lyn's face registered shock as she stepped to the side, trying to evade him, holding her arm out in an instinctual self-defense pose.

"Come on... tell me something," he begged. "Are you just a little taste of Minnesota Eli's enjoying while he's in town?"

Lyn halted. Her head came up and her eyes flashed.

"How dare you?" she hissed. "What gives you the right... to insinuate something... about someone you don't even know? You don't know me. And you clearly don't know Eli."

"And you do?" he sneered.

Click, click, click

Lyn stood staring at him, her arms folded across her chest. That's it. I've had enough of this clown.

Channeling her best Minnesota Vikings linebacker imitation, she pushed directly toward him, knocking him off-balance as she hurtled toward her car. He fell back, nearly dropping his camera as he shouted and fought to stay on his feet.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Oops," she said as she flashed him her most innocent smile. "Careful, it's a little slippery out here. I wouldn't want you to fall down or damage that precious camera."

She dropped down into the driver's seat of the car and quickly closed and locked the door. She revved the engine and pulled out quickly, leaving him staring after her as he clicked his camera one last time as she drove off.

Lyn's heart raced the whole drive home. Her breath was shallow and her palms were sweating. When she pulled into her driveway, she just sat in her car in the silence. She slammed her hand down on the steering wheel.

Crap. Crap, crap, crap.

Every introverted Midwestern girl's worst nightmare. Attention. She chewed her lip nervously, then groaned as she laid her forehead on the steering wheel.

What now? Those pictures will certainly be published. Where? When? She didn't even know who the photographer was or who he worked for. Of course, since the subject is Eli Colton, she assumed the photos would be sold and distributed nationally. What would they print with the photos? They didn't know her name ... or did they? They didn't know anything about her. Right?