Page 38 of Plot Twist
@craftycindyI won’t reveal your identity, Batman.
She wasn’t going to let this go. And maybe it was wrong, but Dash thought there might be a way to shut the whole flirtatious thing down quickly, so he replied.
@tokcrafty2melol, my girlfriend is the only one who sees my mug
@craftycindyGirlfriend? Since when?
@tokcrafty2meIt’s pretty new
@craftycindyDoes she know about the drinking, Dash?
He nearly dropped the phone. What had she just said? Dash reread the message, certain that the lack of sleep was causing him to stress-hallucinate. But no, she had said his name. How did she know who he was? Had he accidentally revealed his first name somehow? His heart raced as he tried to determine how to respond, or if he should respond.
@tokcrafty2meDash? You have me confused with someone else.
@craftycindyWe’re meant to be together, Dash Montrose. Will she love you like I can?
Dash swallowed down a lump of pure terror. He was no stranger to stalkers. His family had dealt with their fair share throughout the years—one had even broken into their house looking for his dad when Dash was a kid. If this woman somehow knew his full name, did she also know where he lived?
Calling the cops absolutely crossed his mind. But then he’d have to reveal his TikTok account to them and turn over the messages where he confessed to being an alcoholic, and he wasn’t convinced they’d keep any of those facts a secret. He’d been in Hollywood long enough to know that everyone could be bought, for a price.
So instead, he took off his apron, grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone, and made for the door. He couldn’t be alone in his house, not while knowing that Cindy had figured out who he was. He needed to talk, but there was really only one person for that.
“Hey, buddy, you know I don’t like to do this, but I’m going to have to cut you off.”
Chris’s hand clapped on Dash’s back. When Dash glanced up, he was met with furrowed brows and plenty of concern, which made him clutch the plastic bag closer to his chest.
“I haven’t even gone to the chocolate section yet.” They were in Gimme Some Sugar, a beautifully curated candy store in West Hollywood that had just opened next to Lisa Vanderpump’s bar, Sur. Which also meant that, even though it was the middle of the day, they could hear (and feel) the blast of frenetic pop music from the iconic bar next door. Dash was surprised that he didn’t have a headache from the bright fluorescent glow of the overhead lights, but maybe the black-and-white candy-striped overhang, or the metallic bins that lined the shop like sugary presents, had all conspired to keep his brain focused on the promise of candy.
“Your bag is completely full.” Chris bounced slightly to rock Luna in the carrier. “And I don’t think Luna is going to sleep through another nineties pop anthem. They’re too catchy.”
“I told you I have a stalker, right? I need to stress eat. You and Luna can wait outside.” Dash wasn’t exactly desperate to stay in the store, but he needed to be out of his house and away from reality for a little while.
“No, my friend, this is my intervention. I’m cutting you off.” Chris gave a hand signal for Dash to stand up and, reluctantly, he did. Dash paid for his candy, and they walked out.
The busy West Hollywood sidewalk was wide and cluttered with restaurants and shops. Dash popped a gummy crocodile in his mouth and chewed, the instant hit of sugar giving him a rush of dopamine. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two guys walk out of a MedMen dispensary. One of them gestured toward Dash and whispered something to the other. Great,he’d been spotted. Dash angled the baseball cap lower on his head to cover his eyes as they walked.
“Do you want to talk about how you’re kind of going from zero to sixty?” Chris kept a protective hand on the baby carrier as they walked.
Dash swallowed his candy. He’d told Chris about Sophie, their time in Ojai, and his front yard... And then he’d told Chris about how his online friend had turned into a very real stalker. He’d gone from someone with absolutely nothing happening in his life, to a lot of somethings happening. He didn’t want to delve into those again, though, so he tried to deflect.
“What does everyone have against sugar? It’s delicious.” Dash popped another crocodile in his mouth to emphasize his point. The candy was already sticky from the heat outside, and he licked his fingers.
“You know I’m not talking about the candy.” Chris stopped under the shade of a blooming jacaranda tree that had littered the sidewalk with wilted purple petals. “You originally wanted to get a new tattoo, which we’re not doing. You and I both know that you need to take change slowly. You’re not erratic, but this new thing with Sophie has thrown you off. And you need to focus on making sure you’re safe from this person who has somehow figured out who you are.”
Hehadwanted to get a new tattoo of a pixie tangerine, like one of the ones above Sophie’s fireplace. He liked how bright they were, and they reminded him of their Ojai trip.
Dash felt deflated, like all of the steam he’d built up had just been released from his body. Yes, Chris was right: he was kind of flailing. And he didn’t really know what to do about Cindy, the stalker crafter. But he couldn’t delete TikTok, because it was his only way of contacting her, and he didn’t want her to potentially retaliate. He’d just have to take his situation one day at a time.
Eventually he said, “You’re right. I’ll stop seeing Sophie and fix this other problem, too.”
“You’re allowed to date, Dash.”
“But not her.” Dash could not start something—well, more than he already had—with Poppy’s best friend. Not only because he’d be messing up his sister’s friendship but because he respected Sophie too much to drag her into his bullshit.
“Why not?” Chris’s tone had gone from friendly to accusatory. Luna fussed against him, so they started to walk down the street toward Dash’s place. “If you’re going to tell me again that it’s complicated, then I don’t want to hear it.”
Dash licked his lips as he thought on how exactly to answer this. He didn’t want to tell Chris that he was afraid he couldn’t give Sophie everything she deserved—a loving marriage—because Chris had managed to have exactly that. But Chris never really appreciated that they were very different people, and Dash would always be a disappointment. “Because I’m going to fuck it up, the way I always do.”
