Page 15 of Beg Me

“What’s wrong? Is Olive okay? What happened?” He’s out of breath, practically panting. He must be at the gym, it’s where he goes whenever he needs to let off steam.

“The creeper that took the photos put a note on her door, it’s super creepy and she’s terrified.”

“I’m on my way. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. There’s a shotgun under the bar and the key for it is behind the cash in the register drawer. Get it, keep everything locked, and don’t answer to any knocks at all.”

“On it. Wait, we have had a shotgun here this whole time and you never thought to tell me? You gave me a bat to defend myself? What the fuck?”

“You are too hot-tempered to know the gun is there. I’ll have to change the key’s location now that you know.”

*Click. He hung up.

Walking back over to Olive, she’s on FaceTime with Jayce. “I’m so scared, I don’t know what to do.”

She sits there crying.

“I’m on my way. It’ll be like forty-five minutes from this fucking training facility, but I’m on my way. I told them I wouldn’t be working the next few weeks and got it cleared with the command already. We’ll get this figured out. I love you, Olive.”

“Love you too, Jayce. See you soon.”

“Kiss kiss,” Jayce says then hangs up.

“What’s with the ‘Kiss Kiss’?” I ask.

“He’s always done it. He said he wished he could kiss me in person when we first started talking, but he was away training. That was the best he could do, and it stuck. It’s kind of our thing now,” she says smiling. It’s so obvious she’s in love with that man.

“Gag me, you two are gross and cute.”

She shakes her empty cup at me asking for more, I fill it back up and sit down.

“Let’s get your mind off all of this. We’re good here, at leastfor right now. Zander will be here in just a bit and we’ll go upstairs and wait for Jayce.” I smile at her.

“Okay. What do you want to talk about? It’s going to be pretty hard not to think about this fucking stalker, like, whoever it was, was outside my fucking door! If Zander hadn’t told me to lock my doors, the creeper could have just walked in.”

She starts to panic again. “Woah woah, you’re okay!” I grab her and pull her into a hug. “I got you, and I have Zander’s shotgun. Nothing is going to happen to you. You’re safe. But also, we need to talk security with you, you need to lock your doors girl, what are you even doing? This is Vegas, it’s nothing but creepers.”

“I just never remember to.” She lays her head on the bar with her arms wrapped around her.

Bad Omens “Concrete Jungle” starts playing over the speakers, it’s her favorite. I knew it would take the edge off. She turns her head, still lying on the bar, and smiles at me.

“You always know how to make me feel better.”

She gets off the bar stool and starts dancing while I refill her glass. She shoots it back, clearly starting to feel better.

“Are you going to have any?” She gives me puppy dog eyes.

“No, I’m holding a shotgun. I think I should stay sober until Zander gets here at least.” I hear a door slam outside and pull the shotgun up out of my lap and aim it at the door.

“Olive, get behind the bar.” The door jiggles and the handle turns, in walks Zander.

“Bro, put that down! You could have shot me,” he yells at me, with his hands up.

I put the shotgun down, and he turns to lock the door again.

“Great trigger control though.” He smiles at me.

“Don’t give me that smile. We still have a lot to talk about later.”

“I know, I know,” he says while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

---