Southern Bouquet

Jake

She let out a big sigh as if she had the weight of the world lifted off of her shoulders.

Jake looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and asked,

"From what?"

"It's not from what, it's from who. My ex."

"Ok, who is your ex, and are you in danger?"

"Anthony Walker and yes."

Jake's head snapped in her direction to look at her.

"Anthony Walker? As in, movie producer T-dub?"

May cringed at the nickname fans gave Anthony. T for Tony. Dub for the W in Walker.

"Yes and don't give him the credit of a fan. He doesn't deserve it." she crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

Jake started to pull off the side of the road but May stopped him. "We have to keep driving."

"What, why? May, tell me what the hell is going on!" Jake demanded in frustration.

May sat back in her seat as Jake continued to drive. She took a deep breath and blew it out before she began talking.

"A few months after Anthony and I started dating, things got weird. He started staying out late, not coming over at all, not calling..."

May told him every detail of what Anthony did to her from cheating to beating her so badly that she was hospitalized for three days. Then how she snuck out of the hospital before she was to be discharged and sent home with him.

"I had to throw my brand new cell phone away in Arizona when I realized he was already tracking me with it. I was on a bus and both times I switched buses there was a black SUV following them. The guy driving the SUV slipped up and got too close to the bus about an hour before my stop in Arizona. Once I realized he was following us I used a texting app to change my phone number and called for an Uber to meet me at the bus station. When the bus arrived, I told the bus driver I needed my bag so I could shower before the next bus due to female issues, because, you know, men never question that." she chuckled nervously. "I watched the driver following me out of the corner of my eye, listening to everything I was saying. He followed me into the station but he wasn't allowed in the women's showering area and that was enforced by security guards. Luckily there was an entrance to the showers from inside the lobby and a door that leads out to the back of the station. I had my Uber driver pull around to the back and I left my phone in a shower stall, hopped into the Uber, and had her take me to the airport. From there I bought a burner phone, contacted one of my childhood friends and told him what happened and why I wasn't able to stay in touch with him. He gave me his credit card number and told me to use it whenever I needed to since wiring money to my bank account would tip off anyone watching me." Jake looked over at her in shock as she kept going. "A few days later, I contacted my friend again and he told me that someone broke all of the windows in his truck. He said a note was left saying they knew he was helping me and if he continued to help, his windows wouldn't be the only thing broken."

Jake turned down a side road and kept driving while he listened to her. He was trying to process everything May was telling him.

"So now do you understand why I have to be paid in cash and nothing can be in my name? And I no longer go by Maggie or Magnolia." May asked hoping Jake wouldn't want to rid himself of the huge headache she probably just gave him.

"I understand, but I don't understand why you haven't just gone to the police about this."

"Anthony Walker is a well-known name, especially in Cali. The police won't do anything to help me. I'll just be tossed aside like another money-hungry slut trying to sleep their way up the Hollywood ladder." She answered.

They drove a few miles in silence before Jake asked, "And why do you seem so paranoid now? Has he found you?"

"That's what I'm not sure of. I hear things in my apartment at night. When I go look, nothing is there but I feel like I'm being watched. I feel like I'm being followed everywhere I go. I feel like my phone is bugged and I'm being listened to."

"From what you've told me, I wouldn't put it past a person like this to stalk someone as deep as that. Why don't you come stay with me for a little bit? You'll always be with someone. We're always at work together and if I'm not home, my roommate should be." Jake offered. He wanted to make sure May was safe, whether she was being overly paranoid or not.

"If you're serious about the offer, I'll come over as soon as you'd let me. I don't want to impose on your roommate, though. Would he be ok with this?" May said almost immediately.

Jake knew with how fast she agreed that she truly was living in fear and wanted to make her feel safer as soon as he could.

"Can I use my cell phone now? Or do you think I'm bugged, too?" he chuckled.

"He'll be fine with it. It's my house and he has his own room to run to if he doesn't like it. Besides, he's hardly ever home. He travels a lot for work." May shrugged and put the battery back in his phone and powered it on for him.

"I can't be too sure about anything. This man is psycho. I guess it's because I've never seen your roommate around. Traveling for work...that'd be nice" she said handing over his phone and looking out the passenger window.

Before the phone was powered on completely, he said, "We'll continue to use these as normal for day-to-day things but I'm not opposed to getting burner phones to communicate with for other things if you'd feel safer."

May thought it over for a second and agreed. Jake headed back to his house to talk to his roommate. He was getting May to safety tonight, come Hell or high water.