Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

PRESENT DAY

SYDNEY

After we finally get our coffee, Gretchen heads to the museum to take care of a few things for her exhibit, which is opening tomorrow. Bonnie and I walk back to our building, and the whole time she's got that same secret smile on her face. Boy, she's really gone—I've never seen her like this.

We are about three blocks from the apartment building, at the exact same spot where Kevin attacked me last night, and as we approach the building where I pretended to live, I see a man sitting on the steps. When he notices us, he leaps up.

"Sydney!" he cries.

Oh no. It's Kevin , his thinning hair tied into another messy ponytail. Didn't he get the message when I kneed him in the balls last night? I felt like it was pretty clear. But he's coming toward me with open arms, like we're long-lost lovers.

Bonnie shoots me a questioning look, obviously wondering if this is Mystery Man. I shake my head emphatically at her.

"Sydney," he says again, "can I talk to you?" He glances at Bonnie. "Alone?"

I fold my arms across my chest. "No, you may not. You attacked me last night."

Bonnie's eyes widen. "This is that guy?"

"Yes, he is," I say tightly. "And I'd like you to leave, Kevin."

He's wearing a pair of frayed blue jeans that are sagging slightly on his narrow waist, and he grabs the waistband to haul them up. "We had a misunderstanding. I was just trying to say good night, and you took it the wrong way."

"I promise you, I did not."

"Sydney," he says pleadingly, "you're my perfect woman. Don't let something great slip through our fingers."

His perfect woman—except for my monster arms. "Sorry. Not interested."

Kevin nods in the direction of the building where he thinks I live. "Could we go inside and talk about this for five minutes?"

Bonnie has been listening to this whole exchange, and when I glance over at her, she looks furious. "Oh my God," she pipes up. "Sydney obviously doesn't want to talk to you!" She reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone. "Either get out of here right now, or I am dialing 911 to tell them a creepy guy with a ponytail is harassing us."

Kevin looks between the two of us, as if debating what to do. Finally, he takes a step back, his hands in the air. "Okay, fine. But you're making a mistake." His eyes darken as they bore into me. "A big mistake."

I cringe as I remember the way he grabbed me last night. I was lucky enough to be saved, but I might not have that kind of luck next time he corners me.

"No, you're making a big mistake if you ever go near my friend again!" Bonnie snaps. She punches 9 and 1 into her phone, then holds it up. "Do you want me to dial the last 1? I'm happy to do it."

Kevin gets the message this time. He scurries away, his ponytail bouncing behind him. It's only when he's out of sight that I nudge Bonnie. "Nice job. You are seriously kind of a badass."

"Yeah, well…" She buffs her fingernails on the sleeve of her shirt. "I'm much better when the guy isn't fixated on me . If he came here looking to harass me, I'd probably be inviting him up for coffee now."

When I'm certain Kevin is definitely gone, we continue on our way back to our actual building, a few blocks away. When we reach the inside of the lobby, we find Randy standing on a step stool, swapping out one of the lightbulbs overhead. He barely needs the stool though, since he's freakishly tall. Even taller than Kevin—definitely well over six feet, with baggy eyes and dirt that seems permanently ground into the ridges of his fingers. He's not my taste, but I can see what Gretchen likes about him—he's scrappy.

"Hey." He winks at us as the door behind us swings shut. "Where's my lady?"

"She went back to the museum," I tell him.

"Ah. I miss her already."

Bonnie rolls her eyes at me and I elbow her in the ribs. "She said she'll be back in an hour or two," I say.

"By the way," Bonnie says, "my toilet is making that strange noise when I flush it again. Can you come by to take a look?"

"Sure." Randy finishes with the lightbulb and steps off the stool, dusting off his hands on his jeans. "Is it okay if I come by tomorrow morning? A bunch of people are having problems with their air conditioning, and they're going to give me hell if I don't come by today to fix it."

"I guess so." Bonnie narrows her eyes. "Tomorrow morning? Like, what time?"

"How's nine?"

Bonnie works from home like I do, so she nods. "Perfect."

Randy sets about changing another lightbulb while Bonnie and I head over to the elevators. It's only after the door swings shut that Bonnie drops her voice and says, "Will you come over to my apartment at nine tomorrow?"

"You're joking."

"I'm not." She adjusts the scrunchie in her hair. "I don't want to be alone with Randy. He gives me the creeps."

"Bonnie, he's totally harmless. I mean, Gretchen is dating him."

She arches an eyebrow. "He seriously doesn't make you at all uncomfortable?"

Honestly, Randy seems perfectly nice. He's been the super in our building since I moved in, and every time he has been in my apartment, he's been extremely respectful. He's never done anything I would consider threatening in the least.

And yet…

There's something about the way he looks at me sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. He stares just a little too long. And it doesn't exactly feel like he's checking me out, like some guys do. It's something else. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can't pretend I don't know what Bonnie means when she says he's creepy.

"You know," I say, "my toilet sometimes makes weird noises too. Usually I just take off the top of the tank and there's a little handle inside that I jiggle, and—"

"No, thank you!" Bonnie interrupts me. "I'm going to let the super take care of my toilet needs. Will you come or not?"

"Fine," I say. "Nine o'clock?"

"Make it a quarter to nine," she says. "I'll brew some coffee."

Ninety percent of my social life these days consists of drinking coffee with friends. But oh well. There are worse things.

And hey, maybe Bonnie can help me track down Mystery Man.