I wake up to the sound of my alarm, leap out of bed like a kid, grab a quick shower and gobble down some toast. I dress in a hurry and snatch up the envelope. I'll shred it as soon as I get to my office. With my luck, Mr. Johnson will enter my apartment today, trying to hunt down some plumbing or electrical problem in the building, and find the damned thing. Then, thinking better of it, I hide it at the bottom of my underwear drawer.
I arrive at work earlier than usual and look around for Brian. He isn't here. It is important for me to see him in person, to detect any hint that he might be my stalker. I retreat to the lunchroom for a cup of coffee, trying to fight back my anxiety. If I have to, I'll sabotage my computer again to get his attention.
Just when I think I might burst into tears, I see him in the hallway.
"Hey Brian," I call, "want some coffee?"
"You bet," he replies with a smile. An innocent smile.
We spend the next ten minutes in idle conversation. I see nothing to indicate that he is the man who fucked me so thoroughly last night. He takes a seat across from me at the table, so I'm not close enough to get a whiff of his aftershave. And I have to get pretty close; my sense of smell is not very sharp.
As usual, his phone chirps and he dashes off on a trouble call. I am left sitting by myself with a half empty cup in my hand, dejected by his abrupt departure.
My boss is thrilled to see me and relieved to find me feeling well. I owe her big time because of my poor performance on Tuesday and my deceit yesterday. I spend the rest of the day making it up to her, busting my ass to catch up with my work and restore her faith in me. I get home around six and find nothing of interest in my mailbox. I know it's too early for things to heat up again, but I am disappointed nonetheless.
Friday's mail is a different story altogether. I find a padded envelope in the box and rush inside my apartment. Tearing the envelope apart, I retrieve a DVD in its plastic case. A sticky note is attached that reads, 'This is the only copy. You have my word.' I am thrilled, convinced there will be something on the video that will help me identify my stalker. I set it aside to view after dinner when I can give it my undivided attention.
It is nearly eight thirty when I crawl into bed with my laptop and insert the DVD into the drive. My excitement is nearly uncontrollable. I note that it has been exactly forty-eight hours since I returned from my stalker's house.
The video is a quality product; high definition with perfect reproduction of sound and excellent color rendition. My dress literally leaps off the screen as it has the only colors in the antiseptic room. But the video turns out to be a mixed blessing.
On the downside, it has been carefully edited. My stalker's face has been expunged like reporters do on TV to obscure someone's identity. He appears to be pretty close to Brian's size and his hair color matches, but I don't have enough information to rule him in, or out, as the primary suspect.
On the upside, my stalker has a nice body and I get to watch him do everything he did to me that night. The camera angles and zoom shots are perfect. Other than the actual sex acts he performed on me, watching myself being fucked is the biggest turn-on I've ever experienced. I am soon digging around in the nightstand for my favorite vibrator. I wonder if it's possible to wear out a DVD.
The video presents one more possibility. I have enough information about my stalker's appearance to compare his body type to the two other technicians at the computer store. If neither of them is a match, Brian will be my primary suspect.
****
It is now Saturday. The crowd from work had earlier agreed to meet late in the afternoon at a favorite sports bar. It is nice to get out socially with my friends. Angie's presence, as always, completes the gathering. She is wildly popular with everyone.
I fend off a drunk who has stationed himself at the end of the bar near the ladies room and tries to grope every woman who passes by. The second time he tries to grab my ass, an arm darts out from behind me to snatch the guy off his bar stool. I turn to see who my benefactor is. It's Brian and I am thrilled. I didn't expect to see him here. It is the first time we have ever been in the same room together outside of work. Maybe.
Brian says something to the jerk and he stumbles drunkenly out of the bar.
"Sorry about that Carla" he says. "Guys like that are a pain in the ass."
"Thanks for getting rid of him," I respond. "Let me buy you a drink as a reward."
"I believe I'll take you up on that," he replies with a grin. "A draft will do just fine."
I order two Stella drafts and we sit chatting at the bar for fifteen minutes or so. While we are talking, I lean in from time to time, trying to identify his aftershave. But it is too late in the day and his scent has faded. I also study his body as discreetly as possible, trying to memorize as much as I can for comparison with the video of my stalker.
"Care for another?" I ask as I finish my beer.
"Unfortunately, I have to run. I'm working at the computer store tonight," he informs me, "but thanks for this one. Maybe we can do it again sometime."
Goddammit! I think to myself.
"You're welcome and I'd love to. Have a nice weekend. See you next week," I say with a cheery smile that belies my suddenly grumpy attitude.
"Fuck it," I mutter under my breath and wave to my friends, all still having a blast, then head for home to sulk.
I'm in such a funk that I eat another frozen pizza, watch an old movie on TV, and then go to bed, in no mood to watch myself get screwed.
Somehow, I wake up refreshed the next morning. I go out for breakfast and linger over a second cup of coffee when I finish eating.
After replaying the past few days in my head, I reach a decision. I am going to play and replay the video as many times as necessary to gather as much information about my stalker as I can. Then I'm going to take a peek at the other two technicians at the computer store to see if I can eliminate them as suspects. Fortunately the store is open on Sundays.