Page 133 of Ripped & Shipped
This guy. Is he for real?
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
When I say those words, something clicks in me. It’s like I’m finally hearing the facts myself. Ella Mae loves me. She’s not interested in anyone else. She’s mine.
“So, I know you recognized me,” I tell Raymond. “But I recognize you too. Did you have another account? BeefyDude or something.”
“beefitupfitnessdude?”
“Yeah. That’s the one.”
“How’d you know about that?”
“Because you kept coming on to my girlfriend with both those accounts, and when she blocked you on one account you started following her on another. That’s not cool. And it shows me you know Ella Mae actually asked you to leave her alone in her own way once already. If you had listened, we wouldn’t be here right now. Do you hear what I’m saying, Raymond?”
Aiden and I discussed what I would say when I confronted Raymond. The pattern between the way beefitupfitnessdude and ImSOBeefy approached Ella Mae is consistent. We decided I could confront him based on the similarities between those two accounts and never have to reveal Aiden’s hacking.
Raymond is staring at me, obviously rattled, but not yet giving me the definitive answer I will get before I leave this city tonight. One way or the other, Raymond is going to agree to back off Ella Mae.
Amber walks over to us. “Is your friend going to join you, Chris?”
“I’ll let you know in a minute, Amber. Thanks.”
She walks away, and I look over my shoulder and give a small nod to Aiden and Duke. Just as we planned, they stand and walk toward the entryway where I’m talking with Raymond. They flank me from behind, both crossing their arms over their chests.
“What I want you to do, Raymond, is stop following Ella Mae. You’re not going to unfollow her and make another account. You’re not going to private message her. You’re just going to unfollow her—right here, while I watch you, and then you’re going to leave her completely alone. Do you understand me, Raymond?”
This time, Raymond looks at me, then at Duke and Aiden. Then he nods.
“So, why don’t you get your phone out and unfollow my girl, Raymond. And then we’ll let you get on with your evening.”
He doesn’t say anything. He glances back at Duke and Aiden. Then he pulls his phone out of his pocket and he opens the Instagram app. I watch as he searches for Ella Mae’s account, and then I watch as he clicks,Unfollow.
“That wasn’t so hard, Raymond. Was it?”
He shakes his head.
“I just want to assure you that this was the friendly way to go about this. We like doing things the friendly way. But, Raymond, if my friends and I have to come out here again to deal with you harassing my girlfriend, there will be authorities involved and things won’t be so friendly. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, sir,” he says.
I haven’t been called “sir” in a while. When I go to my weekends for National Guard Reserves all the usual military protocol is in place. But in a setting like this, it almost makes me laugh. I won’t lie. Hearing Raymond use the wordsiris slightly gratifying.
I don’t say goodbye to Raymond. I actually don’t say another word to him. My self-control feels like it’s on a parking meter timer and the meter’s almost up. I turn and walk back to our table. Duke and Aiden follow me. Duke immediately digs back into his dinner.
“He left,” Aiden announces, glancing at the door of the restaurant.
“I know.”
“Capiche?” Duke says with a chuckle. “You were so brilliant, man.Do you understand me, Raymond?You’re like the Godfather. Or Tony Soprano.”
He starts laughing at his own joke.
I laugh along with him.
Relief floods me. We sliced the Beef out of Ella Mae’s life.
CHAPTER44
