Being Followed

Doing well in her career used to mean having her own office and working for a big company, but Emily was embracing a new kind of idea. She put up ads online and in her neighborhood, and soon she was teaching painting to several students. It felt liberating to be in charge of her own schedule and be her own boss.

She was still not making quite enough money to afford the whole apartment, but she had more faith now that she would figure something out.

Emily knew she should not be walking home alone after dark, but one of her classes took longer than usual. Once she left the student’s house, she considered calling a cab but then decided she couldn’t afford it.

Josh had not shown his face all this time. Maybe he was finally happy with Delsie. Emily could not help looking around suspiciously out of habit. The streets were busy with cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, so even if the stalker was around, she felt fairly safe.

As she crossed a busy intersection, Emily had the feeling she was being watched. She looked behind her carefully, pretending to check out a window display in a comic book shop.

She met the eyes of a middle-aged man in a dark jacket. She could tell by the way he looked away suddenly that he had been watching her. But she had never seen him before.

Hoping she was wrong, Emily kept walking at a slow pace, pretending to window shop. Maybe it was just the stress of being followed by Josh all these years making her suspicious.

The man was still there. He kept a large distance but was trailing her nevertheless.

The familiar fear crept into her body, making her stomach tighten with anxiety. She didn’t know who this person was. Maybe Josh had sent him, or he was just a random creep who preyed on women?

Emily wanted to find a place where she could hide out for a while. She stepped into a cafe and ordered a hot chocolate. Her hands trembled as she paid the cashier.

Now she could not longer see the stalker. But was he still out there? How was she going to get home?

She thought of Byron. His presence seemed to deter any other men from coming near her. Although it had provoked Josh into an act of jealous rage before, at least it had gotten rid of him for a while. Emily dialed the number.

“Hello?” Byron answered on the first ring. “Emily, are you doing okay?”

“N-no...” she said, “I’m kind of freaking out, and I didn’t know who else to call.”

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“There might be someone following me again. It’s not Josh. I don’t know who it is.”

“Stay right there. I’m coming to meet you,” Byron said quickly. “Text me the address.”

She could hear Rupert barking in the background just before Byron hung up.

Just to make her more agitated, the mysterious man was back again. He ducked into a cafe on the other side of the street and Emily lost sight of him.

She watched the door tensely, wondering if he would ever emerge again. Knowing where he was made her feel slightly more in control, but she wouldn't stop worrying until Byron to got there. The minutes seemed to creep by in an eternal tension.

At last she saw Byron coming up to the cafe. He tied his dog to a post outside, and as soon as he was through the door, Emily rushed to him, clasping him in a tight embrace. He held onto her, making her feel safe again. He smelled of a woodsy aftershave and the freshness of the outdoors.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Emily said.

“Is the suspicious guy still around?” Byron asked, looking at her with concern.

“Yeah,” she said, “he went in there, across the street.”

“Okay, give me a second.”

They sat down at a table while Byron dialed a number on his phone.

“Fred, where are you?” he spoke into the phone, “Uh-huh. Do you see anyone suspicious? No?”

Emily started to realize that maybe the guy following her was not who she thought he was.

“Fred, you’re losing your touch,” Byron said, “You scared poor Emily half to death with your clumsy sleuthing.” He paused while the other man said something. “Okay, I’ll call you later. Let’s put a hold on Operation Sentinel for a while.”

It finally dawned on Emily that Fred was a name she had heard before: Byron’s security guard.

“What on earth was that about?” she asked. “Did you have Fred follow me?”

“Don’t get angry now,” Byron said, putting his hand out in a defensive gesture.

Emily glared at him. “Don’t get angry?!”

“I just wanted to make sure you were safe from that stalker ex-boyfriend.”

“So you had me followed, and you didn’t tell me?” she cried.

Byron remained annoyingly calm. “If I had told you, you probably would have said no to the whole arrangement. And then how would I know whether you’re safe?”

“This is really... not cool,” Emily said, getting up to leave.

She could have slapped him, but more than anything she just wanted to get away from this frustrating man.