Stalk Her

Chapter 7: When He Touches You

"No," Autumn said suddenly but also quietly. She stepped in front of Lily and gripped both of her shoulders and Lily winced. Autumn let go of her shoulders slowly. "Listen...Lily," she hesitated and racked her brain for the right words and for a moment she tried to embody Eli. she wondered what he'd say if he was the one expressing the words.

"Hey," she started again and lowered her head a little to see Lily's eyes that were cast to the floor. "I don't know what's happening...but you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to...and..." she felt a pain in her curious gut with the next question. "You don't' need to tell me anything...even if there is something that happened...or like, if there's some stupid boyfriend or boss, or cop...or whatever," she rolled her eyes at herself. "But you're my family and I'm not gonna throw you out just like that...okay?"

Lily seemed immobile for a long moment and then suddenly her eyes screwed tightly shut and she placed both of her hands in front of her face and began to sob.

Autumn stared at her for a moment began to wonder what to do next...slowly, she raised both of her hands and she drew Lily into a soft hug. She wondered if she was squeezing her too tight...or not tight enough. She wondered if she was doing it right.

Autumn realized while she was holding Lily that she'd never held a sobbing person before, she'd been held by Eli and other friends several times, but she'd never once in her whole life held someone while they were sobbing.

***

"So...who is she?" Lily asked sheepishly as she attempted to catch up with Autumn.

Autumn dodged clothing racks and walked with her chin high and an air that warned everyone to move out of her way. "Her name's Lara, she's a pretty badass woman. A little petty though, be careful."

"But, who is she?" Lily asked again.

"My God Lily," Autumn kept her head high. "She's my old boss."

"Oh..." she replied softly.

Autumn made it a door in the back and punched in the code, but instead of hearing the familiar double beep that usually let her in, the keypad made a faltering noise. "What the fuck?" Autumn punched it in again. "Goddamit, what is wrong with this thing?"

A low voice came out of nowhere."They changed the code after you left the other day."

Autumn jumped and turned herself around to press herself against the locked door. "What the fuck Clark! you're still alive? God...I thought you'd short circuit by now." she pressed her hand to her chest and let out the fear he'd caused in her.

Lily looked up to him but the moment she caught his attention she looked down. He looked back to Autumn. "Lara said that if you came back to let you know we have a position in the back for you. But you have to work holiday hours," he said each word as though he'd written it down the moment he was told the instructions and then memorized them daily.

Autumn smirked and then looked to Lily. "See, I'm famous here."

"That's not a good thing." he retorted.

"Fuck off Clark. where's Lara?"

"She's on her break."

Autumn grunted back in frustration. "Lara doesn't take breaks."

A familiar voice broke through the conversation. "Damn right I don't."

Autumn swung around to find Lara in all her six foot glory. She had a Jamba juice in one hand and a pretzel in the other. Autumn knew she'd eat the healthy drink and then after work she'd dig into the stash of stress candy she hid in her desk.

"Lara!" Autumn exclaimed.

"Move." She said as she pushed past to punch in the new numbers.

Autumn tried to look over Lara's incredibly tall shoulder. "Ha--caught them."

"No you didn't."

Autumn spoke without missing a beat. "No I didn't...but I need you to give me my old job back."

Lara paused as she opened the break room door and stared up at Clark who was even taller than her. "Did you tell her?"

He nodded.

Lara looked at Autumn. "There."

"Wait!" Autumn stopped Lara before she slammed the door on her face. "Hey, this here's my cuz."

Lara looked at her and then to Autumn. "She's Chinese."

Autumn gasped. "My gosh! racist much?!"

Lara tried to close the door but Autumn practically threw herself through it. "She's half Korean." Autun cleared her throat. "She is in need of a job--she's really good with people and she won't bother Clark like I did. Plus all of the rich people will love her...I mean, look at her for crying out loud, she's Japanese!"

Lara narrowed her intense gaze. "I thought you just said she was Korean."

"Meh, she's Asian."

Lily glanced up at Clark who had just barely glanced at her and then the two awkwardly looked in the other directions.

Lara watched her for a moment. "Fine. I'll set up an interview with her--but in the meantime, you need to get your ass in the back. I'll text you the new schedule."

"Wait--why can't I just come in the back room?"

"I feel significantly safer without you knowing the code for a couple more days. At least."

Autumn glared and then stepped back slowly. "Nasty."

Lara rolled her eyes and slammed the door.

Autumn folded her arms. "She's such bitch. I mean really--"

"I'd be more careful about how I talked about her," Clark said in his same monotone.

"Why? You gonna tattletale?"

"Yes."

There was a pause. "Butt-kiss," Autumn growled.

Clark glanced again at Lily and then quickly looked ahead. "I have work to do."

"Of course you do...go ahead, ruin people's lives."

"No. They do it themselves." he raised a brow and looked Autumn up and down. "Have a good day ladies."

Autumn gasped as he walked away. "What a douche bag."

"Um...Autumn?" Lily said quietly.

"Yeah, what?"

"I uh...don't have my ID...with me," the words seemed like hurdles as she spoke them quietly.

"Yeah, so?"

Lily looked more pained as she spoke even quiet. "I can't get a job without it....right?"