Page 52 of Stalk

I force a laugh and a smile. I want to look away from him, but I don’t. “Yeah. I admit, it’s a pretty horrible pun.”

“Have you had anyone in the hood interested yet?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No, sir. People aren’t too fond of door-to-door salespeople these days.” I shrug. “No hard feelings. I’ll let you get back to your evening.”

I turn on my heel ever so slightly, as if to leave, but Anthony won’t have it. “How about you come in for a drink? Give me whatever brochures or bullshit you’ve got in that backpack, and call it a night. What do you say?”

I turn back around and nibble on my lower lip. “I’m really supposed to get through a few more houses tonight before I call it quits.”

Anthony quirks an eyebrow. “You sure that’s what you’d rather be doing?”

Damn, he’s good.I act like I’m considering my options, then nod. “Yeah, okay. It can’t hurt for me to come in for one drink.”

“Hell yeah. Come on in.” Anthony opens the door wider. “What’s your name, by the way? I should’ve asked before inviting you in. Sorry for my poor manners, it’s been a long day.”

I chuckle, hopefully in a charming way. “It’s all good, I understand. I’m Leo.”

I definitely donotlook like a Leo, but oh well. Getting into Anthony’s house has already been easier than I thought it’d be, and I’m betting that’s because he’s after sex and not making the local salesperson a colleague over drinks.

“You’ve got a beautiful house,” I tell him after being led to a glorious bar just off the extravagant dining room.

Anthony grins and places a hand over his chest. “Thank you. I’ve worked on it for a long time. What would you like to drink? I’ve got it all.”

I swallow roughly, nerves finally hitting me a little. “I’ll take whatever you’re having.” I smile and hope it looks genuine.

“Two rum and Cokes, then,” Anthony says with a voice laced with red velvet.

“Thank you. And thanks for inviting me in,” I say with a laugh. “I hope I’m not imposing on you.”

Anthony shakes his head as he mixes our drinks. “I haven’t had company in a while. It’s nice to have someone around.”

“You don’t have a wife? Or a partner?” I pry.

Anthony hands me my drink and we clink our glasses together. “Nah. I’ve never wanted to settle down, truthfully. I prefer socializing when I want to and having my time to myself. What about you? Is there anyone special?”

I take a sip of theverystrong rum and Coke and let it burn its way down my throat before responding. “No. I guess I just haven’t found anyone worthwhile yet.”

Anthony smirks. “You’re young. You’ve got all the time in the world.”

Awkwardness grows in the space between us, so I take another sip of my drink, then set it atop the bar table. I pull out a fake brochure and information packet and hand them to Anthony. With each move I make, Anthony’s eyes stay on me.

Anthony takes the papers. “Thank you. So… do you like hot tubs, Leo?” he asks abruptly after placing the papers on the bar.

I’m taken aback at first. Is this man already suggesting we strip down and “get to know” each other? My neck and face burn. The most I’ve ever done with another guy is kiss and feel each other up. I’ve never done any of the fun stuff or gone all the way before—and I definitely don’t want Anthony to be my first. I breathe and get my head back in the game.It won’t get that far. You aren’t here for that and you won’t let it happen.With a small sense of newfound confidence, I smile at him and meet his eyes. “I do.”

“Wanna take these drinks outside and relax? No strings attached, obviously. We only met a few minutes ago.” Anthony laughs and it sounds almost calculated. Like he’s used to luring salespeople in from his doorstep. A chill drips down the length of my spine. “It’s a nice night. What do you say?”

Suddenly, I remember the gun strapped to my ankle. How the hell am I going to pull this off? My mind races and before I take too long with my response, I figure out a possible way around my predicament.

“That sounds nice. Do you, um, have some swim trunks I can change into?” I smile sheepishly and shrug. “I’d feel more comfortable that way.”

Anthony nods. “Totally understand. I’ll go change and get you some trunks.” With that, Anthony turns around and walks out of sight.

“Fucking hell,” I mutter under my breath. In his absence, I’m tempted to remove my gun and shove it in my backpack, but Idon’t want to risk him coming back too quickly and spotting it. So I chug half of my drink to calm my rising anxiety and wait.

Anthony returns when my drink is almost completely dry. He’s wearing a pair of short (and I meanshort)swim trunks that leave very little to the imagination. Suddenly, I feel a bit embarrassed, like I shouldn’t be seeing what’s right in front of my eyes.

He tosses me another pair, equally as short and highlighter orange in color. “They aren’t very pretty, but they’re more your size. Will those do?” he asks.

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