My Christmas Stalker (7 page)

     
W
hitley reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She punched in number two. She chewed on her thumb nail while she waited.

     “Nora!” She exclaimed in her panic.

     “What is wrong? Are you hurt? Where are you?” Nora stepped away from Jeff as they paused in their walk through the park.

     “No, but I may have done something really stupid!” Whitley closed her eyes “I…said…yes…to a guy! To an absolute stranger!” She pounded her head with the palm of her hand. “Help me!”

      Nora started laughing. “Good for you!”

     “No! Not good for me! I don’t know this guy! I just met him this morning!” She groaned. “This morning! Oh, my gosh! I
have
gone insane! Commit me now to the asylum!” She leaned on the counter and leaned her head on her hand. “What do I do now?”

     “Well, what exactly did you say yes too?” Nora stepped back to Jeff and took his hand again. She heard his phone ring. He turned away and put his phone to his ear.

     “Hello? Yeah, hey dude. You did? She did? That’s totally awesome, man! High five!” He laughed and moved back to take Nora’s hand again. He winked at her.

      Whitley continued in her panic. “I agreed to go to dinner with that absolutely gorgeous guy from this morning.”

      “I am so proud of you! It will be okay, Whitley!” Nora said, she gave a cute wiggle of her nose as she waited for Whitley to continue.

     “When are you going out with her?” Jeff spoke into his phone, he swung it to his left year so he could hear the conversation over Nora’s conversation on her phone.

     “He is coming to walk me over to Zach’s Bistro over on 115
^th  
after work today.”

     “Well, that sounds safe enough. Some place you know. People who know you. You’ll be safe, Whitley.” Nora swung their hands between them as they walked and they smiled at each other.

     “Tonight! Hey, dude, you are making progress!” Jeff raised Nora’s hand to his lips and kissed it. She gasped and stared at him over her phone.

    “Nora, are you there? You are supposed to talk me out of it, not agree with me!” Whitley’s frustrated voice sounded over the phone. “Where is the voice of reason I needed to hear?”

     “Whitley, I am happy for you. I gotta go now.” She snapped her phone shut.

     “David, I hope you have a great time, I gotta go.” He touched his screen without looking.

     “Did…did you just kiss my hand?” Nora asked in a whisper. Jeff stepped up to look down into the girl’s cute face.

     “Yeah, but I really want to kiss your lips instead.” His hands came to rest on Nora’s waist. Her face went soft and a little breath escaped her mouth.

     “I would really like for you to kiss me, too.” Her eyes were dreamy and her smile spread across her mouth. Jeff smiled back and his head began to tilt as he stepped closer. Just before his mouth touched hers, she stepped back. “No, we can’t!”

     Jeff’s face fell in disappointment. “Why not?” His hands pulled her back to him. Her hands toyed with the button on his jacket.

     “Because,” she said stubbornly.

      He tipped her head back with his finger. “Because why?” Her eyes were glistening. Was she about to cry?

     “You are a Mormon.” She stepped away. “And I’m not.”

      “We both knew that the first day we met. You agreed to go to the Christmas Dance with me knowing it, remember?”

      “Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can kiss me. Because if you do, we might fall in love and that will just mess this whole thing up! Nope, not until I am sure!” Jeff reached for her arms bringing her close to him again.

     He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m all for the falling in love part.” He smiled at her and she frowned at him. “If we both fall in love what would we be messing up?

    “I know about…it.” She insisted with tight lips and a nodded of her head.

     “You know about what?” Jeff asked with confusion in his eyes.

     “You know,” she looked around, then leaned forward and then whispered her next words. “About the temple. You know, about getting married forever.” Jeff smiled and tightened his grip.

    “That’s right. In the temple you can be sealed forever. That is not a secret, honey.” She tried to move away. “But I am all for waiting till you are ready to marry me forever!”

      “Jeffrey?” She raised her eyebrows in question. “Jeffrey who?”

      “Jeffrey Lewis Carlisle,” he said with a smile.

     “Right.” She went back to her lecture face. “Jeffrey Lewis Carlisle, you know it is a risky business waiting for me to decide if this religious stuff is true so you and I can get married forever! What if we kiss, started seeing each other every day and…and…we fall in love and then I can’t go to the temple with you! That would just break my heart…and yours! No!” She moved out of his arms reach again. “No! We can’t risk it! Our happiness is way too important.”

     Jeff laughed with delight and then reached for her. His lips found hers. She tried to pull away, but his kiss was so…everything right! All she could do was wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him back.

     They moved apart. Tears filled Nora’s eyes, “What if I mess this up? What if I can’t believe in your church?” Jeff wiped her tears with the back of his finger.

     “First of all, this is not my church. This is Christ’s church and His gospel is true. The spirit will help you understand it all.” His hand went to her neck, his thumb caressed her cheek.

    “Ah, Nora. The first time I saw you I knew you were the one for me. This is gonna work. I can feel it!” He kissed her softly and then tucked her under his arm as they resumed their walk in the beautiful, wintery park.

     
D
avid could hardly keep his mind on his work. He had called his buddy Jeff to tell him about his date, but he sounded distracted. He had finally gotten his sought after date with his beautiful girl from the pastry shop. David tapped his pen on the desk.

     Earlier in the day he had finally convinced the elusive clothes designer, Pierre Claude, to agree to be his exclusive provider. He had been hoping for just that kind of break to take his store to a higher level in the industry of eveningwear. That was a miracle in itself

     Now he had the second miracle of his day about to come to pass. A date with Whitley Spencer.

      First the date, then he would worry about how to tell her who he was. She had looked at him strangely for a moment there in the shop this afternoon and had even ask if they had ever met. He had never seen her before that day in his store, but she had probably seen his face on magazine covers, billboards around town, newspaper photos, and who knows where else! His dad had started using his face for publicity when he had turned eighteen because, according to his publicist, his face and body had the potential to make it as a model.

    The clock moved slowly and he just about went crazy watching it all day. Finally 5:20 arrived and he picked up his phone and ordered his chauffer to be ready out front. He would have him drop him off a block away and then he would walk the rest of the way to ‘Patty’s Pastries’. He didn’t want to risk leaving his Porsche unattended in New York City.

     
W
hitley watched the clock and the closer it got to 6:00 the more her stomach ached. She went to the break room and sat in the chair with her head in her hands. What had come over her? She never spoke to strangers outside of asking them which pastry they wanted! She started praying to herself.

    “Dear Heavenly Father, please help me! At the time I thought it was a good idea to go out with David Ballantine. He is so handsome and something about him makes me feel…safe! But now I am a little scared and nervous. Please give me Thy peace if this is still a good idea. If not then help me recognize the danger and let me back out gracefully. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

    
As Whitley sat there, the pain in her stomach subsided. She sat up and closed her eyes. “Thank you, Father,” she muttered out loud. Her hands still trembled as she pressed them to her cheeks.

      At 5:30 the store was spic and span and everything was in order. There were no customers at the moment, and she was hoping the normal last minute rush on the day old products would not be too crazy. Sure enough, at 5:50, the store swarmed with people.

    The day old pastries were all sold out by 6:05 and she could finally lock the door. She hurried to the door and was about to turn the key in the lock when she looked up and saw David leaning against the light post.

      He was in different clothes; a dark brown collared dress shirt, tan slacks and a long black over coat. His hands were in black gloves that look like real leather and his shoes were leather also. Nothing he was wearing said ‘Walmart’ this time. She turned the key and waved him into the store.

    “Wow! That was a quite a stampede!” He settled his hands on her shoulders. “You okay?” He looked her face over and then smiled. “Yep, you look just as beautiful as you did this morning!” He dropped his hands from her shoulders. “Can I do anything to help out?” Whitley’s face was flushed as she hurried behind the counter.

    “Just let me get my purse and we can take off.” She hurried to the break room where she had a personal locker.

      She took her hair out of its clip and shook it. She turned her head upside down and brushed it out. When she flung her head back upright and her hair settled down her back just above her hips. She quickly ran her brush through the length of it. The overhead lights reflected in her honey blonde hair. She applied a clear lip gloss and then looked herself over. She belatedly remembered to take off her big apron. She had on a simple long sleeved, knitted, blue top on underneath it with a pair of black jeans with a little bit of bling on the pockets. She grabbed her heavy, shin length coat and laid it over her arm. She pulled her scarf around her neck and she was set!

    She walked out from the back and David jumped to his feet, his eyes had widened and a pleased grin spread across his face. His appreciation for the girl shone in his eyes.

     “Wow, Whitley! You look…amazing!” He help out his hand. “Let me help you with your coat.” She shyly smiled and handed it to him. When he had eased the coat over her shoulders, she thanked him.

     When she flipped her hair out of her coat and then turned back around. He was staring at her.

      “I’m sorry! I can’t stop looking at you!” He shook his head and offered his arm. “Wow!” he whispered again.

      They left the store by way of the front door, and Whitley relocked the door. They turned and headed towards the corner so they could head to the next street.

    
A
light snow had fallen earlier that afternoon, and there was a chill in the air. They walked in complete silence past several darkened shops before David finally spoke.

     “I am glad you agreed to be with me tonight.” He walked with his hands in the pockets of his expensive coat. “So, tell me about yourself? How long have you lived here? How did you wind up working at Patty’s Pastries?”

      “I have been living on my own, in New York, for seven years.” David stopped walking.

      “You have been on your own for seven years? Were you a run-away?” He was serious and the concern in his face showed. Whitley looked shocked.

     “No! How old do you think I am?” She laughed drily. “I know people don’t ever think I am as old as I really am, but I’ve never had anyone think I could be a runaway! That’s a first!”

      “Sorry about that, but you can’t be more than twenty-three or twenty-four.” Whitley giggled.

     “Why, thank you, sir. I am twenty-seven!” She bowed and turned to start walking.

      “Well, how old do you think I am?” He stretched his neck out and turned his face left then right. Whitley laid her finger on her chin as if thinking.

      “You are at least twenty-eight, No! I say twenty-nine.” David’s face went back to normal. He walked in silence for a moment.

     “Well? Am I right?” she asked.

      He frowned and glanced at her. “Yes. Right on the nose.” She clapped and laughed.

      “Well, you look very handsome and appear to be in good shape for such an old man.” She giggled at the surprised look on his face.

      “I see I am in the presence of a comedian.” He laughed at her.

       Their walk was filled with them joking and asking questions. He asked about her family and she asked about his. She was sad to hear he was an only child. She couldn’t imagine a life without her four other siblings.

     They talked about the colleges they had attended and about their favorite authors. They found out they like to read the same books, watch the same movies and eat the same things. Both of their favorite holidays were Christmas and Fourth of July.

     They finally reached Zach’s Bistro. It was a popular place, so they got in the long line to wait for a table. The line was full of rowdy people and after Whitley had gotten jostled for the fourth time, David wrapped his arms around her, bringing her to stand in front of him, were she was protected from sharp elbows and kicks in the shin.

     Whitley felt her cheeks heat up, but soon she relaxed into his embrace and he set his head on hers as they waited. Her arms laid over the top of his as they stood together waiting for their table.

     There was something about David Ballantine that just made her insides warm and peaceful. Other guys had put their arms around her before, but none had made her feel protected and cared for the way he did. Not even Shawn Paterson! She fit perfectly in his arms, like they were made to stand together just like they were.

     They finally made their way to a table. They ordered the hot chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato and the Bistro’s special sauce, along with a large order of onion rings to share, and two large lemon waters. The waited for their food to come.

     David sipped his water and collected his thoughts.