“You get the car, we’ll meet you at the back door,” said Kwana. “No one will get near her. You can trust me. This isn’t my first famous person rodeo.”
For a moment, Ziggy hesitated. Then he nodded and jogged toward the now crowded front door.
“All right, Mae, let’s get your bag.” Kwana ushered me into the women’s locker room. Only one woman was in there, patiently applying mascara at the mirror. She didn’t show any particular interest in us.
I grabbed my hoodie out of my bag and put it on. Sunglasses too. It probably wouldn’t help. But it couldn’t hurt. In all honesty, hoping my stalker situation wouldn’t get out had probably been a fantasy. I might not be as well-known as others, but give social media a slow news cycle and they’d be more than happy to pick my life apart for a moment’s entertainment. Nothing I could do about it.
Kwana led me through a back corridor to the rear exit.
“So who are your other famous clients?” I asked, trying to get my mind off the mess waiting outside.
“Hmm? Oh, I sign N.D.A.s. I’m not allowed to talk about it.” She opened the door just a little, peering out at the fading afternoon light. “But let me just say that a certain drummer is banned from this gym for life. The idiot.”
“What did he do?”
“I already told you, I can’t say,” she said, distracted by whatever was going on outside. “Here comes your buff bodyguard and a couple of paps are following. Get ready.”
“Thanks. See you next time.”
“Sure, hon.”
The car pulled up close to the building with the passenger side right in front of me. I raced out. Flashes went off, but I kept a hand up, covering part of my face. They weren’t getting a good shot of me today. Not under these circumstances. So there.
Inside the car, everything was quiet apart from the pounding of my heart. Ziggy drove fast but skillfully through the city streets. Usually I liked being out and about after dark. People out having fun, the sight of street lights rushing past. It all soothed me for some reason. Probably due to childhood memories of Mom picking me up from Grandma’s place and driving me home late at night after her shift at the bar. But nothing could relax me this evening.
“No need to rush,” I said. “They know where we’re going. One of the downsides to living under half of Stage Dive. Everyone in the area knows about that building.”
He slowed a little.
“With no time for a shower, I must smell amazing.”
Another of those almost-smiles tugged at his lips. “You’re fine, miss.”
“Guess someone at the police station either talked or sold the story. I can’t imagine Leonard or anyone else at the apartment building doing it.”
“I know the people who work at your building. No way would it have been one of them.”
“Good,” I said. “That makes me feel a little better.”
“Speaking of which…” With more multitasking skill than I could ever display, he drew out his cell and made a call. “Hey, Sarah, it’s Ziggy. Miss Cooper and I are coming in with photographers on our tail. Just giving you warning...right. Thanks.”
“They’re at the building too, already?” I asked.
“Yes.”
Not a surprise. But it still sucked. Behind us, paparazzi followed on motorbikes, scooters, and in cars. A whole bunch of them. Oh man, this was just fucking great. No, wait, hold up. I needed an attitude adjustment. Enough with the moping and fretting. Especially since it wouldn’t help a damn thing. Deep breath. This too would pass. A few days and no doubt they’d be talking about someone else, and my stalker would be behind bars. This would all be over and I could go back to my normal life of coming and going as I pleased. After all, it couldn’t be any worse than when my idiot cheating ex’s sex tape hit the internet and I survived that. I’d been working in New York and all of the attention during that emotionally upsetting time was an unhelpful pain in the ass, and then some.
The gates to the underground parking garage beneath my building clanged shut behind us and I breathed a sigh of relief. “You might as well head home. I’ll be staying in for the rest of the night.”
“I’ll see you upstairs and check your apartment. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“But the building has security.” I undid my seatbelt. “You think that’s really necessary?”
“Yes, miss.”
I exhaled. Chin up, shoulders back, tits out. Time to pull my shit together and make my mom proud. “Okay then.”
He went before me, first checking that the elevator was empty, then he checked the hall outside my apartment.