“Yeah well…” He rubbed his hands together and glared at me. Then he pointed to his eyes and back at me as if to say he’d be watching me.
For some reason I started to grin and walked over to him to shake his hand. “Thank you.” I kinda got the feeling that her dad was behind this somehow, so as I walked by him to the door I said, “Still can’t let go huh!”
“Smartass!” He grabbed my nape and walked with me the rest of the way to the door.
Todd
She came down the stairs five minutes after I arrived and blew me away. Her naturally straight hair was done up in a mix of braids and curls with what looked like pearls strewn throughout. Her face was bare of makeup except for a gloss of pink on her lips and she was still breathtaking.
Her only jewelry was the necklace I’d bought her, the bracelet she always wore and the Chanel J12 watch, her dad had given her for her sixteenth birthday. I forgot for those few seconds that we were in a room full of people as I was drawn to her.
I helped her down the last few stairs and it was only then when we reached the bottom and her mom exclaimed about her beauty that I remembered we weren’t alone. Then her dad stepped forward and I got to see firsthand how he’d kept her and her siblings safe all these years.
“That bag looks kinda small, you got your kit?”
“Yes daddy!” She opened her bag and pulled out an arsenal. Pepper spray, mace, as if one wasn’t enough, and a Taser. “Is the location turned on, on your phone?” She nodded her head yes. “Is the phone charged?” Again she nodded.
All of this was going on while he held her shoulders and kept eye contact with her. “What are the rules daddy taught you?”
“Don’t trust anyone. Don’t leave my drink unattended? Don’t go off anywhere with anyone. If someone touches me inappropriately mace and or tase them; get to a secure location and call you.”
“Good girl, now have a good time.” He kissed her forehead and passed her to me with one last look that I read loud and clear. We were then rushed outside to take pictures before a limo pulled into the driveway behind us.
Apparently when her mom had invited her friends to the BBQ she was already making plans for tonight. Her friends were here to take pictures before moving onto the lake where there was a bridge leading to a gazebo over the water that everyone used to take wedding pictures, but was too expensive for the average high school kid.
Her mom and dad had rented it along with hiring a professional photographer who was going to meet us there as a surprise. I was still stuck on how beautiful she was and had no real interest in her friends until I heard a couple of them asking her if she was going to the after party at Jorgenson’s place.
“No, we’re not!” I guess my tone came across just the way I wanted it to, to kill that shit. When we got back into the car after taking pictures down by the lake she wanted to know why I didn’t want to go. She wanted the full experience I guess. “Isn’t he your friend?”
“No, he’s someone I went to school with. And we’re not going because I don’t like the way it sounds.”
The hotel where the dinner and dance was being held was already packed with high school kids all hopped up on excitement when we got there. She was easily the most beautiful girl there and as with all things of beauty everyone flocked to her side.
I stood by her side the whole time until it was time for dinner to be served and felt more on guard than I’d expected to. I was beginning to understand why her dad had had her Godfather and the rest of his crew follow us to the lake and then again to the hotel. I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up when it was time to leave.
“Why aren’t you eating?” I looked at the rubber chicken on both our plates. I had no intentions of eating that crap but I knew she hadn’t eaten all day because she was too excited. She turned up her nose and eased the plate away with her fingers.
Some kid that I didn’t know came strolling over his eyes all over her like he was tired of living. I’m not an asshole, she can have friends, but not if they’re gonna look at her like that. “Whoa Caitlin is that you? Wow!” She gave a wan little smile but didn’t acknowledge him in any other way.
Then he turned his attention to me and held out his hand. “Who’s this?” I ignored his hand because I had no uses for it unless I was going to break it off at the shoulder and beat the shit out of him with it.