"I know it's late," Phil continued.
"Come in," Lalie told him, watching him as he entered.
"I'm surprised," Phil vaguely commented.
"Surprised about what?" Lalie shut the door and walked over to him.
"That you let me in," Phil began. "I thought that maybe Kevin had convinced you that I would lock you up in the attic or something."
Lalie sighed, remembering earlier events. "Sorry about before," she apologized. "He had no right to kick you out like that, especially since you were a visitor in my home."
"Did Kevin overreact, as you put it... or could he truly have something to be concerned about?" Phil asked her trying to ease into the topic.
Lalie paused for a moment, realizing what Phil was asking but thinking that maybe Phil was asking about something else. "Concerned about what?" she asked, anyway.
"You and I," Phil replied, standing in front of her.
"I don't see why he should be concerned," Lalie mused, walking over to the other side of the room, but still feeling Phil's eyes following her. "How could he be so adamant to think that there's something going on between us?"
"Well, is there?" Phil frankly asked.
"What do you think?" Lalie wanted to know, replying with a question.
"Well, if you're unsure... then I'll have to wait to give you my answer," Phil informed her.
Lalie took a couple breaths as her eyes traveled down to the suitcase by the door. "When you came here, you said that you had all night... is that why you have a suitcase with you?"
"Oh, yeah..." Phil replied, picking up his suitcase again. "It turns out that my friend didn't pay for my room like he said, and he wouldn't let me stay in his room tonight, so-"
"Here you are," Lalie cut him off.
"I hope it's okay," Phil replied. "I just don't know of any other place where I could go... or afford, for that matter."
"Didn't you hear?" Lalie asked him.
Phil shook his head, not sure what she was referring to.
"I'm charging one-hundred dollars a night to anyone who wants to spend the night in my house," Lalie explained, before allowing a small smile to escape to let him know that she was teasing.
Phil closed his eyes, relieved that she was kidding. "Would it be okay then?"
"Sure," Lalie agreed. "Why didn't your friend pay for your room, if he said he was going to?"
"I don't know," Phil honestly told her. "I thought I had misunderstood when the lady at the counter told me my room wasn't paid for... but then Trey told me that he only had enough for his room at the moment... and said that it would be impossible for me to spend the night in his room."
"That wasn't very nice of Trey," Lalie commented.
"But, you're letting me stay here," Phil began, dropping the suitcase and walking over to her. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
Lalie took a step back, as she felt his breath hitting her face. "You know I'd do anything for you."
"For me?" Phil wanted to know.
"My friends, I mean," Lalie stuttered a bit, walking over to the edge of the stairs. "I'll get some blankets for you," she told him, turning to head up the stairs and then tripping over one. She turned back to Phil with an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry about that."
"That's quite all right," Phil understood, crossing his arms and watching as she made her way up the stairs.
The next morning, Lalie walked down the stairs, having just gotten ready for work, upstairs. Her eyes surveyed the living room, as she made her way down the stairs.
The pull out couch that Phil had slept on was folded back into place. In fact, the room looked like it hadn't been touched.
Lalie put her hand to her head. "Was it all a dream?" she asked herself, still looking around the room.
Lalie pushed through the kitchen doors and stood still when she saw Phil standing in the middle of the kitchen holding a plate of food in his hand. "You're still here," she observed, looking at his plate.
Phil held up his plate. "I was just making some breakfast."
"Yes, I can see," Lalie replied, walking into the kitchen and taking her coffee mug from the cupboard. "Remember how you used to make me food in the basement?"
"It was good, wasn't it?" Phil asked with enthusiasm.
Lalie turned her head to look at him, not sure how to answer that. "Your food had a... unique taste to it."
"I can make you some of this, if you want-" Phil began.
"That's okay," Lalie kindly cut him off, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "You know, you didn't have to put everything away in there," she told him, referring to the living room. "I could have done that."
"Well, I figured you had to go to work..." Phil explained.
Lalie looked down at her watch. "I do, actually."
"Ready for whatever Kevin throws your way?" Phil wanted to know.
A nervous expression came over Lalie's face. "Where did that come from?"
Phil shrugged. "It's a guarantee that he's going to bring what happened last night up, at least once. Maybe he'll ask you to forgive him to get on your good side again."
"Nothing is guaranteed," Lalie told him in a skeptical tone. "I don't know if Kevin will apologize. He's pretty adamant about what he believes."
"Or what he KNOWS," Phil corrected her.
Lalie didn't reply, as she dumped the remainder of her coffee out in the sink and turned to Phil, before leaving for work.
James stood by the window, as he thought about the strange way Georgia was acting last night. He knew it had something to do with that letter she had received, but there was more to the story... and she wasn't telling him what else had been happening.
"James?" James heard Georgia's voice call out from behind him.
James turned around to face Georgia, who was dressed in a dark blue skirt with a white top. "This is the earliest I've seen you ready."
"I have a meeting soon... with Trey," Georgia replied, walking up to James. "I'm sorry I haven't been more open with you."
James looked at her for a few seconds before replying. "Is Trey what has got you so worked up?"
"Partially," Georgia sighed. "Well, more than partially, I'd say about three-quarters of it."
"Well, what's the one-quarter that's bothering you?" James wanted to know.
"The letter that I got last night wasn't the only strange thing that has been happening," Georgia began to explain, walking around the room, making sure everything was in tact. "I've been getting hang-ups, people ringing the doorbell and then running away, and just last night was when I saw a shadow underneath the door, that's the reason for the kitchen chair by the door... and then I got that letter."
James looked concerned, as Georgia finished explaining her story. "Why didn't you tell me about all of this?"
"At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, I mean... prank calling seems to be the hobby of many teenagers nowadays," Georgia began. "But then, when I got that letter... I knew it couldn't be a teenager with too much time on their hands."
"And you think it's Trey," James figured.
"I confronted him about it right after the first hang-up call but of course he denied it," Georgia explained.
"Wait a minute," James stopped her. "You discussed this with Trey before me?"
"Only because I thought Trey was the one doing this!" Georgia exclaimed. "I didn't know who else to tell!"
"You could have told me," James told her in a serious tone.
"James, I'm sorry," Georgia apologized on the verge of tears. "I'm scared," she whispered.
James realized how upset she was and decided to let the topic go. "We'll get to the bottom of it, Georgia."
"How?" Georgia wanted to know.
"I don't know, but we will," James assured her.
"Maybe it'll stop," Georgia hoped.
"We can notify the police," James suggested.
"Let's try thinking of something on our own first before we do that," Georgia replied.
James looked shocked, as Georgia's suggestion made no sense to him. "I love you, Georgia... if someone is following you, we need to put a stop to it."
"I know that, and I love you," Georgia firmly replied. "Let's just wait a little while before taking a course of action like that."
James shook his head in realization. "You don't want to draw attention to yourself, since Caldwell is such a big name," he explained his theory. "Georgia, you have to put your safety ahead of this company!"
"And I am," Georgia replied. "If we show this person that what they're doing is not bothering me, maybe they'll leave me alone."
"It's so apparent that it's bothering you," James noticed.
"That person doesn't have to know that," Georgia quickly answered.
"Are you sure it's not Trey?" James once again asked.
"I'm positive," Georgia replied in a confident tone. "You should have seen the look on his face when I accused him of stalking me, it wasn't that smug smile that he so happily wears. He looked innocent, and worried that I was accusing him of such a thing."
"I don't think Trey should be entirely ruled out," James informed her, regardless of how Trey reacted to the accusation. "But, if it isn't Trey, who else is there?"
"Maybe it's someone who I haven't even met," Georgia suggested. "Whoever it is, will be properly dealt with after I find out who is doing this."
"I love it when you talk like that," James smiled.
Georgia smiled for a brief moment, before looking serious again. "Are you mad at me about telling Trey?"
James extended his hand, as he embraced Georgia, wordlessly letting her know that all was okay.
Georgia headed downstairs to her office a little while later, trying not to act paranoid as she made her way down the elevator and into the main office.
Georgia turned the doorknob to enter her office, and saw Rachel changing the garbage bag in the basket by her desk. "Hi, Rachel!" she exclaimed.
Rachel spun around. "Hi, there!"
"What are you doing?" Georgia wanted to know, walking into her office.
"A little thing called maintenance," Rachel let her know.
"Changing the bag in the morning?" Georgia asked her. "I didn't even use the bag that you put in there last night before I left. Was there trash in there?"
"No," Rachel replied. "I just couldn't remember if I changed it last night, so thought I'd do it again," she finished. "So, what are you doing today in here, while I'm... out there?"
"Just a few meetings, one in particularly I'm not looking forward to," Georgia replied.
"Why?" Rachel wanted to know.
"Don't worry about my affairs," Georgia politely told her with a smile, reaching into her desk and pulling out a pen. "Well, I have some things I have to work on, Ms. Goal, but I'll see you later."
"Like what?" Rachel asked.
Georgia let out a confused laugh, as she looked up from her paper and turned to an inquisitive Rachel.
Chapter 10
Non-Nsync Fiction
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
Email Tracia