AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Help!” I shrieked again. “Somebody, please!”
My heart was pounding and the adrenaline was rushing through my body as I tore out of the alley and stumbled onto the sidewalk. A curious pool of people circled around me and I launched myself towards one of the men who had gathered in confusion.
“Ma’am, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Please,” I sobbed. “The man in the alley! He was trying to assault me!”
A couple of the people nodded and ran into the alley while someone else called the police. Suddenly, I felt faint. The world around me began to zoom and spin and I clutched at my chest. Sharp pains were spreading from my heart out into my shoulders and I gasped as my eyes rolled back in my head and I passed out.
When I came to, I was surrounded by uniformed police and EMTs.
“Miss Rogers?”
I nodded weakly. “Did you get him?” I asked softly.
Two of the cops exchanged a dark look.
“No,” one of them said shortly. “He ran off before we were able to make the scene.”
Despair welled up in my chest and I began to shiver as the tears came rushing back to my eyes.
“Please,” I begged. “He was trying to assault me! He grabbed me from the street and dragged me into the alley!” Please, you’ve got to help me!”
One of the cops nodded. “That’s why we’re here,” he said. He sounded tired as he pulled a small notebook from his pocket and began to scribble notes.
But as I recited the story, including the part where Andy and I had gone on a date before, to the cops, I could practically see my chance of success draining from their eyes.
“This is someone you’ve dated before?”
“Just once,” I said quickly. “Because he pressured me into it.”
The cop frowned. “But you asked him,” he said.
“Yeah, because I felt like I had to!” I said hotly. “And now he’s stalking me!” I told them about the messages Andy had sent to my apartment, as well as the lewd stick drawings he’d posted in the break room.
The cops exchanged a look. “We’ll go talk to him,” one of them promised. “Just don’t get your hopes up.” He chuckled. “Men don’t like it when women aren’t straight with them. You should’ve just told him no.”
My heart sank. “I can’t believe you’re blaming me for this,” I said softly. “That’s so messed up.”
The cop sighed. “Look, I can’t say anything else right now. Just know that we’ll do our best.”
I closed my eyes and tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe that the cops weren’t doing more to help me. I’d just gone through one of the scariest experiences in my life and they were acting it was my fault!
“Forget it,” I said bitterly. “I can handle this on my own.”
Chapter Eleven
Thomas
The first few days without Hannah were nice, almost quiet. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but she’d become an incredible distraction. I had one of my secretaries place a job ad for a new personal assistant, but I told myself that in the meantime, I would step up and start doing all of that stuff for myself. Even though I was a busy man, I knew that I wasn’t above picking up my own coffee and dry-cleaning. Maybe having an assistant, especially one like Hannah, had really gone to my head.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all passed in a blur. I called June a couple of times, just to talk. But something was bothering me, and no matter how many times I asked, she wouldn’t tell me the truth. I desperately wanted her, and I knew how much she wanted me. So why was she playing these games?
She agreed to another date with me, on Saturday, and I told myself that I’d really throw myself into work on Thursday and Friday. Thursday morning, I was supposed to have a meeting with Keith Carner – he was one of my old buddies from MBA school, and we’d been doing business together for almost ten years. At one point, Keith had been one of my best friends in the world. Hell, he’d even been a groomsman in my wedding to Marlene.
When I called Keith’s office, he sounded distracted.
“I know it’s been forever, but I was hoping we could talk about a new deal,” I said. “I’m really hoping to acquire UPS by the end of the year, and I need your help.”
