Chapter Six

PAIGE

I wasn't sure why I'd decided to drop by the shop in the first place. I'd been on lunch, his phone was buzzing like crazy, so on a whim, I'd decided to run it over to him. I probably shouldn't have, especially because I had so little time for lunch. But it was too late to worry about it – it was already done. I walked to my car and tried to push any and all thoughts of Elias out of my head.

As I climbed into my car, I noticed someone standing outside the shop. He was just standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at me. He was watching my every move and he didn't even look away even though I'd caught him staring.

A chill ran down my spine as he continued looking at me intensely. I fumbled around and finally manged to get my car doors locked. Taking one last quick look at the man, I started the engine and drove out of the lot quickly.

What a freak, I thought to myself.

Guys like him were one reason I didn't hang out at places like that normally. I looked in my rearview and was well away from the parlor, but even still, just the thought of him continued to freak me out. As soon as I got back to the school, I decided to give Elias a heads up – just so other women who happened to be around the shop wouldn't feel threatened or intimidated like I had.

Before my next class came in, I pulled up his contact info on my computer. I grabbed my cell phone, punched in his number and held the phone to my ear. He answered on the first ring.

“I'm with a client,” he said gruffly. “I'll call you back later.”

“Uhh I'm sorry,” I said. “Didn't mean to bother – ”

“Who is this?” he asked suddenly.

“It's Paige,” I said. “I just wanted to let you know that there's a creepy looking guy standing outside your shop, acting all intimidating to women who walk by. Or at least he did to me. I don't know about anyone else. But I'm sorry to bother you – ”

“No, I'm sorry,” he said, his voice suddenly gentler. “I thought you were someone else. A guy outside, you said? I'll check it out. What did he look like?”

“He was wearing a leather jacket,” I said. “Long hair pulled back with a bandana. Scars on his face – ”

“Did he say anything to you?”

There was a tone in his voice that made my pulse quicken. He was tense all of the sudden and I wasn't sure why. It was like maybe he'd recognized the guy from my description and it set him on edge or something.

“No, he didn't say anything. He just stood there watching my every move,” I said. “I'm probably overreacting, but thought you might want to know.”

He was quiet for a few moments, but then said. “I appreciate it, Paige,” he said. “And don't worry, I'll check it out.”

I was getting ready to end the call given that my next class arriving any second, when he said, “Do you mind if I stop by after school today? To talk to you? Maybe we can go out and get that bite to eat you mentioned earlier?”

My voice caught in my throat. Mrs. Peabody and her class were almost to the door. I watched them approach, seemingly unable to move or unable to speak. I sat there in stunned silence for a moment, still in utter disbelief that Elias had just asked me out to dinner.

“I'm sorry, I should have asked – ” he said.

“Yes,” I blurted out. “That's fine. More than fine. That's great, actually.”

In that moment, I felt like the world's biggest buffoon. I was positive that I'd sounded like a blithering idiot, at the very least. I cleared my throat and tried to regain my composure – and the tiny shred of dignity I had left.

“I've got a class coming in so I have to go,” I said quickly. “So, I'll see you later.”

I hung up the phone, my heart racing. Even though I wasn't entirely sure why – it wasn't like he asked me out on a date. He just wanted to see me. Grab a quick bite to eat. I puzzled through it in my head as the kids started to file into my room.

He wanted to see me after school, which probably meant he wanted to talk about something. And as I turned it over in my head a little more, I realized that whatever he wanted to talk about likely to do with Harley. No, it wasn't a date. Nothing like that at all. And I suddenly felt like the world's biggest idiot. I'd made a fool of myself.

But still, even though it likely wasn't going to be a social call, the idea of seeing him – of him stopping by to see me – made me more than a little anxious.

ooo000ooo

There was a knock on my classroom door, and I looked up to see Elias standing there with Harley, with a wide smile on her face, in tow.

“Hey there, you two,” I said in my friendly, elementary school teacher voice. “Come on in.”

Harley bounded into the room and sat down in her normal seat, smiling up at her dad. “I sit here when I'm in Ms. Cleary's class,” she said. “And see that picture over there?”

Harley pointed across the room at one of pictures – one that was the most child-friendly – hanging on the wall.

“Is that yours, Harley?” Elias said, walking over at looking at the drawing of a dinosaur.

“It is,” she said, standing up and rushing over to where her father was standing. “And this one is Ian's. He sits next to me in art class. And this one – ”

She went down the line, naming off everyone in her class and pointing out which piece of art was theirs. I watched as her father remarked over the pictures, smiling happily. In that moment, he looked like any other father – even in the leather jacket and with his long, shaggy hair hanging in his eyes. He may have been clad in leather and covered in tattoos, but he beamed like the proud father he was.

“Hey, Harley-bug, mind if I talk to Ms. Cleary for a bit?” he said after she went down the line. “Only need a moment.”

The little girl looked at me, then at her dad, her eyes suddenly wide with fear. “Am I in trouble?”

“Why do you always think you're in trouble, Harley?” I asked, laughing.

“Because you guys like to talk about me a lot.”

“Who says we're talking about you this time?” Elias said, winking at his daughter.

“Are you going to ask Ms. Cleary out on a date then?” Harley asked, her wide smile returning as quickly as it had vanished. “Because that would be fun! We could all go to a painting class or – ”

“Whoa there, slow down,” Elias said and ruffled her hair. “You know I'm a one woman kinda guy.”

My heart started to race at the mere mention of a date. “Oh no, Harley,” I said, jumping in. “I couldn't date your dad, it's – ”

“Why? You don't like him?” she asked.

I stared at Elias who stared back at me, both of us speechless – neither one of us quite sure how to answer her question.

“No, I like your dad just fine, it's just – I don't date my student's parents,” I said. “It might give the wrong impression and that wouldn't be good now, would it?”

“I think it would be fun,” she said, still smiling.

“Yeah, well, you don't get to decide who your daddy dates, little girl,” Elias said, scratching his face and shaking his head. “Which is a good thing because if not Ms. Cleary, I might be dating the fairy princess down at the mall.”

I couldn't help but laugh. But when Harley turned to me with a serious expression on her face, I did my best to hide my smile – which, of course, only served to betray my nervousness. A moment later, she turned back to her father with the same serious expression.

“Why?” she asked. “Don't you like Ms. Cleary?”

This was getting worse and worse. I threw my hands up in defeat, figuring it might be easier for Elias to answer her questions himself.

“No, it's not like that – ” Elias said. “She's just – not my type, that's all.”

For some reason, his answer hit me like a pile of bricks. I stared, mouth open, wanting to argue with him.

Excuse me, Elias, I wanted to say. Not your type? Well, you're not my type either, mister!

It was petty, of course, but it still hurt my feelings. But I didn't say a word. I just stared at him, feeling like he'd rejected me – even though I hadn't even asked him out.

“Why don't you sit down and color, let me talk to Ms. Cleary, sweetheart?” Elias said, looking at me to provide the paper and crayons to keep her busy.

“It's okay, Harley. You can get the crayons out and color at your desk,” I said.

Harley walked over to where I kept the art supplies and picked up a box of crayons. Elias and I sat down at my desk, and he leaned in close to me.

“That man earlier,” he whispered, almost too quietly for me to hear, “You haven't seen him anywhere else, have you?”

I was taken aback by the question and wasn't sure how to answer that at first. It seemed like such a random question and not at all what I was expecting.

“No,” I said. “Why would I have?”

Elias shrugged. “I was just curious.”

“No, why would you even think to ask such a question, Elias?” I narrowed my eyes and focused me gaze on him, sensing that something was wrong.

Something was very wrong. I just felt it.

“Am I in danger, here, Elias?”

“Of course not,” he said, shaking his head. “Listen, I'm just looking out for you since you seemed concerned, that's all.”

He leaned back in the chair and looked a little more relaxed, but I couldn't tell if that was an act. I got the feeling he was simply trying to allay my fears. And that something much bigger and scarier was going on. But without any evidence of that, I couldn't just accuse him of lying or trying to placate me.

The mood between us though, grew decidedly frosty. He was busy playing it cool and I was – admittedly – a little on edge and defensive.

“I appreciate that,” I said. “But I don't need anyone looking out for me. I'm fine.”

“Okay then,” Elias said. “If you do happen to see that creeper around though – ”

“I won't,” I said. “Not unless I plan on hanging out at your shop again – which I likely won't.”

“Fine. Then I guess I'm done here,” he said, standing up to leave. “Come on, Harley. We're going home.”

Harley walked over to me and handed me her drawing, smiling wide. “It's the three of us. On a date,” she said with a laugh.

Elias shook his head, but didn't say anything else. I watched him take Harley's hand and then the two of them walked out of the room, leaving me to wonder what in the hell had just happened and how things had gone sideways so quickly.