What They Deserve

TWENTY

He was full of energy that he couldn’t do anything with. 

His original plan had been to snatch Raven up from the airport. But he realized that would call attention to her missing too soon. There was sure to be someone at the airport in China that would pick her up. He had to let her go to Beijing and do what she was supposed to. He would just have to wait until she got back before he took her away, before he could give her the punishment he’d been waiting for.

The timing had to be perfect and he had to hope that she’d opt to get home without Willow’s help. If she reached out to her friend instead of him, then he’d have to go back to the original plan which wouldn’t allow for any extra time. He realized this was something he should have discussed with her prior to her leaving.

In the meantime, he needed to keep himself occupied while she was away. So he’d decided to go for a jog. It wasn’t quite his plan to make contact with Willow just yet. She just happened to have the same train of thought as him. But when she’d tripped over him, he decided it would be safe to go ahead and start finessing her now. It’s all about the timing, right?

He’d been jogging for miles, sure he’d seen every bit of that park there was to see. He'd even jogged right past her. To his astonishment, she was so absorbed in her train of thought that she hadn't noticed him. If he knew where she had started from, he considered being there when she finished, but decided against it. As luck would have it, he was stretching after his run and she tripped over him. How she hadn’t seen him hunched over on the ground was beyond him. She must have been so focused on whatever was on her mind, she was in her own little bubble. In that instant, he had decided now would be the time to go ahead and start working on her.

It took all of his effort to keep from ridiculing her for being at a lack of words when she realized whom she'd tripped over. She just kept uttering one word, a dumb look on her face. He stopped himself from laughing when she admitted to "stalking" him. You have no idea what stalking is.

It seemed like she would be a little easier to hook than Raven, maybe any of the women before them. Heck. The way she acted around him dictated that she was already hooked. He didn't think Willow would be a problem at all. For a moment, he considered ghosting her until it was time. That decision flew out the window because he knew he could have fun with her for now. 

He took her to a nearby diner. They both got water and made small talk before deciding they could eat. She got a Cobb salad while he got a turkey and cheddar wrap. As they ate, they talked about what Willow did for a living.

“What got you interested in architecture?”

“I mean, look at the buildings around us. Even the ones that seem ordinary are marvels.” Her words were full of her enthusiasm. “My absolute favorite is over on Kennedy Street. It doesn’t look like much anymore, but back in its day, it had to be the most amazing building around.”

“I know which one you’re talking about. It’s that art deco looking one, right?”

“Yes!” Excited, she sat up straighter, her face lighting up.

“It’s still pretty awesome. You can see the character despite the state of dilapidation.”

“Very true” She nodded her head in agreement as she took a sip of her water. “But my job is actually in deciding what projects we take on. One that I just finished with is to convert a vacant building into a homeless shelter.”

“Sounds interesting. If something were to ever become of the Kennedy Street place, what would you want to do with it?”

“Clean it up and keep it as a hotel.” Her answer was automatic and he knew she’d thought about it many times before.

“I like it. I think that’s what that place was meant to be.”

“Same.”

When she asked him about his occupation, he described his grandfather's job. It was his usual story; something he knew a lot about and could easily explain anything if theyasked. But they never did because they were all self-centered, determined to keep the attention on themselves. And she wasn't any different. She just nodded her head as she took a sip of her water.

He learned that she had lived in the city her whole life and had no desire to leave. She was an only child but had always wanted a brother. Her parents were divorced and off living their lives elsewhere. She didn't see them often or talk to them much.

He found it sad even though he no longer kept in touch with any of his family. Once he’d set out to take care of the teasing, flirting women in the world, his life had become one of a loner. It was safer for himself that way.

They sat and talked for a long while before Willow's phone chimed.

"It's my best friend." She pointed at the screen as if he could see.

He didn't need to see it to know that Raven was gloating about her trip, even from the plane. He watched Willow type a quick response before giving her attention back to him.

"Everything good?" 

"Yeah. She's on her way to Beijing. She's so excited."

He nodded, drumming his fingers on the table. "Must be exciting."

"Yeah. I guess."

"You don't want to travel?"

"Not really." She shrugged, not seeing any of it as a big deal.

"You're a homebody."

A slight frown took over before she sighed, her features smoothing. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

He wondered why she had become so thoughtful.

She looked down at her hands. "Maybe I am becoming a recluse."

He almost didn't hear her but figured she didn't want him to. So he let it pass and cleared his throat. "Can I take you out for dinner tomorrow?" 

She looked up at him, with a radiant smile, saying sure.

He took care of the bill even though Willow protested. As he led her out the door, he told her he'd pick her up at seven.

"Okay. Just call me so I can give you my address." Holding her hand out, she waited for him to hand her his phone.

No need. He watched her program her number into his contacts. "Okay. See you tomorrow. "

They parted ways with him already planning how he would entrap her.