He was back.
He couldnāt resist, actually. Sleepless nights, restless days, and countless close calls had pushed him too far. All heād been able to think about was her. And hell, he didnāt even know her name. Until now.
Leila. Leila Coltrane.
Heād given up trying to get her out of his mind. And now, it was all over for him.
Approaching her had been out of the question for him. From what heād gathered, she worked for some hotshot investment firm, she was single, and she spent a lot of time alone. Heād followed her to work one morning, staying a couple of cars behind at all times. Heās watched her apartment from the roof across the street countless times to know that most of her nights were spent in solitude. She had nice taste in clothes and furnishings; he remembered that from the first time heād snuck in her place.
And now, he was here. In her home. Without her around to watch him snoop.
Heād been doing this long enough to know to look for alarms and security cameras. She didnāt have any, and the only ones in her building were in the lobby and the ground floor. No one thought to watch from above.
He chuckled to himself as he finished his handiwork. Burglarizing homes was second nature to him by now, but so was electrical work. Granted, heād used the majority of his earnings for the last month or so on these little toys, but it was worth it. Besides, winter was coming, and it was getting too cold to spend hours on a roof, watching her through a telescope. He wanted more.
Once he was finished, he looked over everything. The mini cameras in light fixtures were undetectable unless she decided to do major repairs to her place. The wiring was seamless with the rest. The transmitter was concealed in the ceiling paneling. Now, he finally had her right where he wanted her.
On camera.
He checked his watch; sheād be on her way home by now. Just in time, he snuck back out the window, closing it behind him, and slipped his way down the fire escape and into the alley before she pulled in the parking garage next door.
Leila walked in her front door, exhausted. Work genuinely sucked today. God, if it didnāt pay so well, sheād quit her job gladly. Oh well. Throwing down her briefcase and letting her keys land where they may, she hit the button on the answering machine.
āHey, Leila. Itās Lily. Me and some of the girls wanted to know if you were up to doing anything tonight. Itās been a while since the Pi Rho gals got together. Gimme a call back. And weāre NOT taking no for an answer! Ciao, babe.ā
Leila breathed in deeply. Well, at least sheād be doing something with her evening. Friday and Saturday nights were the worst. Lily, Cassie, and Damia were some of her best friends from college; she grinned as she remembered how they got together at Yale their freshman year and started their own āsecretā sorority after being rejected by the Kappa house. By her senior year, Pi Rho had informally rushed about 30 girls. Grateful to be doing something on a Friday night, she picked up the phone.
He was in the little studio apartment down the street that heād rented for cheap from the little old lady who lived below. She was so happy to have someone around at night; she said it made her feel safer. If she was curious about all the electronic equipment, she didnāt let on. On the TV he had set up, he watched her as she called someone, stripped out of her work clothes and headed to a shower. Heād thought about adding a camera in there too, but decided that there were some things even he didnāt want to see. Besides, she gave a good show everywhere else.
When she emerged a while later, wrapped up in a fluffy towel, Leila felt better. Lily said she and some of the girls would pick her up and theyād go hit a bar somewhere. Hit on some guys who didnāt stand a chance, do some shots, live a little. God, it was just what she needed.
He watched as she dried herself off in her room, pulled out a deep red lace bra and thong from her dresser, and selected a pair of jeans and a slinky red top from the closet. He stared, mesmerized, as she slid each item of clothing on her hot little body. God, no one should look that good.
Leila had just finished drying her hair when the doorbell rang. āHold on!ā She bellowed as she turned off the dryer and raced down the hall. Flinging the door open, she was met by Lily, Cassie, Damia, and a few other girls she only vaguely remembered. āJust give me a few minutes to finish getting ready. I just need to add makeup and accessories.ā
āChill, Leila girlā. Lilyās Brooklyn accent followed her as she went back to her room. āThereās no fire. We thought weād kill a little time here first.ā
āYeah, where do you keep the wine glasses? Iāve got a bottle getting warm.ā Damiaās soft voice sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. āNever mind. Found them!ā
As Leila came back out to her living room, Lily re-introduced her to Gracie, Alex, and Miranda. Damia handed her a glass of merlot while Cassie put on some cds and lit candles around the living room.
Oh lord. Not a girlsā night out. Dammit! Day one using the toys, and she wasnāt even going to stay at home. Frustrated, he went and made a sandwich. When he returned a few minutes later and saw that they hadnāt left yet, he decided to go ahead and keep watching. After all, he thought, it was better than that supposed āMust See TVā crap.
Leilaās head began to swim a little with the first glass of wine. āAre you sure thatās just wine in there?ā Looking over at Lily and Damia, who were sharing both the love seat and identical coy smirks, she got suspicious. āWhatās going on, girls? Why do I feel drunker than I should?ā
With a nod from Lily, Cassie got up from the cushions on the floor and drew the patio curtains closed while Alex locked the door and Miranda turned off the lights, leaving the living room in a candle-lit glow. Everyone in the room seemed to be staring at Lily and Damia, no one saying a word. Finally, Damia took a deep breath.
āWelcome to your initiation party, Leilaā.
āWhat? Damia, not only is Pi Rho not a real sorority, but I graduated from there years ago. What on earth are you talking about?ā Leila felt not only confused, but very warm and relaxed. Almost too relaxed. āThis isnāt funny. What the hell is going on?ā
Lily stood up and stretched, the little black silk dress she wore riding up as she did, showing off the hint of a garter and stockings. āLeila girl, sometimes youāre entirely too uptight. Thatās why I had Damia slip a little something in your glass to relax you a bitā
āYou drugged me?!ā
āSort of. But listen.ā Lily held a hand up to silence Leila. āRemember senior year, when we all lived in the house? And what a wild child I was back then? Well, what you donāt know is that during that year, Damia and I became close. Very close.ā Lilyās eyebrows rose to make her point clear.
Damia tucked her legs under her on the love seat, causing her flirty pink skirt to slide up her very toned thighs. āAnd after graduation, Lily and I got together once in a while in the city. For lunch, drinks, dancing, whatever. One night, we ran into Alex, who had just finished her senior year.ā Alex looked down at Leila, standing at almost 6 feet. āThat night, after a few too many drinks, the three of us ended up at a friendās flat. And became very, very close.ā
Cassie knelt down by Damia, holding onto the armrest. āA year or so later, the three of them came to visit me upstate. When they shared the tale of that little party of theirs, I decided to give it a try. Next time I was in town, we tracked down Gracie. And had her join in on a little get-together.ā Gracie looked up from her seated position on the floor. āAnd after that, we called up Randi.ā
Miranda looked up shyly through her ebony hair that partially covered her face. āAnd I decided it was your turn. So thatās why we called you up.ā
Leila was stunned. āLet me get this straight. Youāre all lesbians?ā She hadnāt been this confused since honors chem..