After Hours

truth comes out

Alana

God, I thought this day would never end. I jetted out of the office the second the clock hit five. I did not want to stick around for an encore to the incident in the break room. Did I? Of course I did.

But it was wrong! Nope, not happening, Alana. Get your head on straight!

I choose to walk the short distance back to my house. It's warm outside and i could use the physical exertion to distract me from thinking about almost screwing my boss in the break room.

I don't make it a full block before a shiny black truck pulls up next to me. I tried to ignore it and keep walking with my gaze directly in front of me. He maneuvers the large vehicle to the side of the road and rolls down the window.

"Get in the truck, Alana."

"No, thank you, Mr. Kingston."

I continue looking straight ahead and pick up my Pace a bit hoping that he'd take the hint. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed it his truck is not following me anymore.

"Why are you walking home, anyways?"

I almost jump out of my skin! My first reaction is to swing. I curl my hand into a fist and hurl it in his direction. But he anticipates it and catches my hand be for i connect with his smug face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Way to keep a low profile!

This man has me fighting and screaming like a damned psycho on the sidewalk in the middle of Atlanta.

"I thought I'd walk you home, since you are being stubborn and refused to ride in my truck."

He pulls me up against his body. I let out an unladylike, oomph, by the unexpected action.

"I said no. Why can't you take a hint? Will you let me go?"

His grip around my waist tightens a bit.

"Will you let me drive you home?"

He counters the offer like we were actually going to be bargaining over this!

"Why are you doing this?"

My voice is almost a whisper.

"Because you shouldn't be walking around the city alone. And we need to talk. Obviously there is some...tension between the two of us. I think it needs to be addressed outside of a work setting. I am not in the habit of groping my employees, Miss. Harris."

I raise my eyebrows at him. The look down, pointedly, at his hands on my waist.

"Really?"

Then I see it. Just past Mr. Kingston's shoulder. a dark figure hiding in the shadows around the corner of the building. The silhouette was distinctively mail. Mr Kingston follows my line of sight. The man is still there. Watching. It wasn't good. He still had his hands on me. Her was too close. I have not been this close to a man since I left him. and I was f*****g scared to think of what James might do.

"Yeah, we should go...like, now."

He glances over his shoulder again at the guy.

"Is that guy harassing you or something?"

I didn't say anything. I know I look scared shitless.

"Let me talk to the fucker."

"No!"

Too late. He is already headed in the opposite direction. I go into a full panic attack. Racing past may boss to jump in front of him.

"Mr. Kingston...please...Devon!"

He finally stopped. Looking at me like I was the one that had lost my mind. If that was James, he would have been confronting a killer.

"Why are you freaking out, Lana? I can take care of this."

He tries to move past me, closing in on the shadow man.

"He's my ex!"

I blurt it out. There I said it. Now I was screwed.

He turns to look back at me.

"I saw him kill someone and I ran. He found me and I shot him. That is why he keeps following me. Just to remind me every day that I didn't win."

My voice is barely a whisper. I can't believe I just said all of that. He could go to the police or worse. I could have just signed his death warrant.

"He is a dangerous man."

I say it more to remind myself than for him.

Mr. Kingston pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head.

"You didn't know, baby? I'm the devil himself. This is my city. And if that motherfucker ever comes near you, he will disappear."

I look up at this man, my boss. Who was this guy? What the hell had I just gotten myself into?

"I don't think you understand. He is a murderer. He has connections..."

He laughs like I had just said the funniest thing in the world.

"Me too, honey. Like I said, we need to talk."

"Hey Kingston, smile for the Tribune!"

FLASH!

With that, the mysterious man in the shadows takes off down the alley. So, it wasn't James.

God, what the hell have I done!?

He let's out a string of curses.

"He will get a pretty penny for that picture. It will be front page news tomorrow."

He says it nonchalantly. Like our little street performance was just an every day occurrence.

"They can't publish that! Then he will think something is going on between us..."

Now he is back to looking smug. One of his dark eyebrows raise.

"There isn't?"

"No. There isn't."

I shake my head vehemently.

"I can prove you wrong in on less than ten seconds."

He takes a step in my direction. More than willing to prove his theory correct an the middle of a busy neighborhood.

"No! You don't have to prove it. Let's go talk."

He wordlessly takes my hand. His other going to the small of my back, guiding back towards his, still running, vehicle. He opened the door, and guided me inside. Taking it a step further, Devon reaches across me and pulls the seatbelt over my lap. Like I was something precious that he was afraid would get damaged if I did it myself.