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Everyone has questions for me lately. I’m not sure I can answer them all.
“Let me order first…” I beg, looking at the menu.
“Brody, I’m as busy as you, my time is valuable!” She demands.
“Alright…” I fold the menu and return it back to the surface of the table. “I’m stepping away from performing Lily’s security.”
Sandra recoils in horror, looking at me with utter disdain. “And how will we get along without you?”
“No,” I wave a hand in front of her to calm her down, “my company remains on her case. It’s just me who’s taking a step back. I can’t get this directly involved. I also don’t want to jeopardize the contract or the safety we can provide for her.”
I see Sandra shake her head, and tsk her tongue in disapproval.
“You said you wouldn’t let her down, Brody,” she finally says, somber.
“And I won’t,” I say, with wide gestures. “I’ll just be getting involved with what I need, establishing priorities. I will be able to give her more of my personal time while working from the sidelines. Plus, the gossip about us is everywhere! How can the contract not be in jeopardy unless I leave?”
Sandra twists her mouth into a straight line of resignation and grabs the menu off the table. “Well… Our company hasn’t said anything about the contract being in breach. They know rumors like this sometimes start. If they decide to look into this, there would be an investigation that will take forever. I’m sure this stalker situation would be wrapped up by then.”
When I don’t budge, she sighs and continues, “Fine. I guess we all knew this was temporary, didn’t we?”
“Of course,” I say, “but what’s to come is not. I also feel like emotionally I’m too attached, and someone needs to be involved that won’t get distracted and can have a clear mind. It will be better for her this way I think.”
The waiter comes and we order our drinks, just some water with lemon for me, but Sandra orders a full-fledged gin tonic. We place our food orders, and we are about to get back to our conversation again when my phone rings.
“A video call?” I say, frowning.
“From whom?” Sandra asks.
“Unknown caller. I’ll just hang up…”
“No! Let’s see who it is?”
Tilting my head, I press on the green button to answer the call.
I am not expecting what comes from the other side.
“Hello, Mr. Garrison,” a slithered voice says. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“Bartleby Jones!” I say filling my mouth with bile as I look at the baseball cap and bandana. “Or should I say Ben Horowitz?”
“I am not Ben!” He roars. “I’m here to tell you, Mr. Garrison, nothing you do will stop me.”
“And what are you planning on doing?” I ask, supporting my head on my free hand.
But he just hangs up the call. By now Sandra’s eyes are the size of dinner plates, her breathing suspended in the air and her fingernails in her mouth.
“What are you going to do about this?” she asks.
I shake my head and shut my phone down for the day. “I know who he is. I hired a consultant just for that. Now it’s just a matter of time. The police have already been informed, and I’ll contact them about this now too.”
“Good,” she seems to acquiesce, as I stand up to call them.
After I update the police, I sit down.
Sandra looks up at me, a bit calmer. “Everything alright for the show?”
“Everything is going swimmingly,” I assure her.
