"Stalking Saint Valentine"

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Happy Valentine's Day! As promised, here is my gift to you. It's a short story I wrote called Stalking Saint Valentine. 

Emily has a crush on her neighbor and today is the day she let's him know...

             

            Emily stepped in front of the full-length mirror hanging on the bathroom door. She smiled at the beauty she saw before her. The new tattoo on her chest, which read “Love Thy Self" was healing nicely. Even with the bruise on her right cheek from last night’s fight at work she believed she was perfect. Part of becoming the reborn Emily meant doing away with her old inferiority complex. The other barmaids at the lounge where she worked picked on her constantly. When she went to work last night and Amy, he main tormenter, bumped Emily purposely making her spill beer all over herself, she grabbed Amy by the throat and beat her senseless. It made Emily feel damn good, too.

            “Today’s the day I get my man. This is going to be one hell of a Valentine's day.” Emily said aloud to herself. She gave herself one more look over then went to her bedroom to get dressed for the day.

            “You’re a one hundred percent, free man. How does it feel?” the probation officer asked.

            “It feels good, man. Real good,” Rashaun said rubbing his now vacant ankle.

            The probation officer laughed. “So what are you going to do now that you’re off house arrest?”

            “I don’t know… Maybe go watch the game somewhere. Find a lil’ chick to get up in. Who knows, man.”

            “Well, as long as you have some fun today I’m fine. In all of my years as a probation officer I have never had a guy with your history do so well. You earned your freedom so enjoy it.”

            Rashaun smiled. “Thanks a lot, man.”

            “You’re welcome. I’ll be back in a month for your last visit. Take care,” the probation officer said and left.

            Rashaun sat on his couch and took a few deep breaths. His probation officer was right. He had worked hard for his freedom this time and he needed to enjoy it. After three years with no female contact, Rashaun wanted to get some.

            That chick Emily who lived down the hall entered his mind and he smiled. She'd been watching him since she moved in a few months back. He could tell by the way she looked him dead in his eyes whenever she saw him that she wanted to give him some.

            “Why not?” Rashaun said.

            “I look so good,” Emily said as she checked herself out in the mirror. This was the first time she’d worn the red, form fitting dress and heels since she’d bought them. Her hair was perfect with not a strand out of place and her makeup was flawless.

            Emily’s plan was to catch Rashaun, her neighbor and the building maintenance man, while he was making his rounds. She’d say her sink was broken to get him in her apartment then, once she got him alone, she'd give herself to him wrapped in nothing but a big, red bow.          

            Emily heard her cell phone ringing so she picked it up from her nightstand and answered it.

            “What’s up Mike Tyson?”

            “Very funny, Jenn.” Emily said to her best friend and co-worker.

            Jennifer laughed. “Hey, I call ‘em like I see ‘em. What you got planned for today? I’m bored and I’m desperate for something to do.”

            “I’m making my move on Rashaun today, remember?”

            “Seriously, Em? I can’t believe you really like that creepy janitor.”

            “He’s not creepy. He’s mysterious… He’s kind of scary, but he’s so sexy.”

            “He is sexy. I can’t deny that. I guess that means I have to be fake and spend the day with one of my other so-called friends,” Jennifer said.

            “Sorry, boo. Looks that way."

            "Happy anniversary, girl."

            Emily rubbed her hand across her tattoo. "You remembered... Thanks."

            "Of course I did. Honestly, Em, how are you feeling?"

            "Reborn. Free. I finally feel like plain old Emily again. Not Emily the girl that got raped on Valentine's Day," she said.

            "Well, I hope all goes well with you and your janitor sex slave. You don't need anything crazy to happen today."

            "I heard that," Emily said and giggled.

            “Alright. Good luck, Em... And be careful.”

            “I will. Love you,”

            “Love you, too.” Jenn replied then hung up.

            Emily needed some candles with the perfect scent. She figured the Nigerian boutique down the street would have some with the perfect scent. Something sweet and seductive. Since the walk there and back would only take 15 minutes, she decided not to drive her car. Before leaving, Emily grabbed her pistol from the nightstand drawer and tucked it away in her purse.

            When she stepped out onto the busy street and started towards the African store, Emily noticed Rashaun a few feet ahead of her. “I wonder where he’s going,” she thought then proceeded to follow him.

            Even from the back Rashaun was sexy. You could tell that his body was perfectly sculpted under his clothes. Emily wondered if his back was as strong and powerful as it looked. “I’ll know tonight,” she said.

            Emily continued to follow Rashaun making sure not to trail too close. She watched him follow a woman into an alleyway. “Who the hell is that?” she wondered.

            “Take it, take it!” the woman said in a panic. She closed her eyes tight. “I don’t see anything, I don’t know what you look like! Please don’t hurt me! I promise not to tell the police about this, just please don’t hurt me!” The woman began to sob.

            Rashaun tightened his grip around her throat. “Shut up and empty your purse!”

            The woman opened her purse, removed her wallet, and handed it to him.

Rashaun knocked the wallet out of her hand. “I don’t want that! I said empty your purse! Turn it over and dump everything out now!”

The woman did as he said and emptied the contents of her Louis Vuitton purse. Rashaun snatched the purse from her and let her go. The woman thanked him and ran off.

  

“What the hell?” Emily said. She had just watched Rashaun steal a woman’s purse. An empty one.

Once he exited the alley, Rashaun jogged down the block to the drug store. Emily trailed him and followed him inside.

Luckily for Emily the store was pretty busy. There were people everywhere so it was easy for her to blend in and follow Rashaun without being detected. He walked through the aisles looking carefully at the items they held. To Emily it was as if he’d never been in a store before. When he got to the aisle with the greeting cards, he looked through them until he found one he liked and put it in the stolen purse.

“Oh my goodness,” she asked herself.

Next, Rashaun went back to the pharmacy counter. Surprisingly, there weren’t any customers waiting for prescriptions. He went up to the counter and drew a gun.

“Give me everything in the register,” she heard him say.

The frightened pharmacy tech did as Rashaun asked quickly then he turned and ran towards where Emily was standing. She quickly turned her back to him. He brushed past her without noticing her.

Once she got her heartbeat to slow down, Emily went after Rashaun. When she realized that she might look suspicious she slowed to a walk.

“Excuse me. I love your dress. Where did you get it from?” The cashier asked and looked Emily up and down.

“A store downtown. I don’t remember the name

 “You sure? It’s really nice. I’m looking for something to wear for my birthday party this weekend.”

Emily ignored her and left the store. She didn’t want to lose Rashaun.

“That was easy,” Rashaun said as he approached his apartment building. He’d managed to get everything he wanted without difficulty. Now he could focus on relaxing and having some fun.

Emily watched as Rashaun entered their apartment building. She was glad his little crime spree was over. She didn’t get the way she was feeling. This man was a criminal and she watched him commit crimes. There was still something about him that intrigued her.

Emily found Rashaun kneeling in front of her apartment door. Scenes from the night she was raped flashed before her eyes and she began to panic.

“Oh, my God!” she whispered.

Rashaun looked around and drew his gun before entering Emily's apartment.

Once Rashaun got into her apartment she drew her gun from her purse and tiptoed over to the door. He’d left the door standing wide open so she could see him standing in the middle of her living room floor looking around, taking in all of the details of her apartment.

"I need you to answer this one question, Rashaun..." Before he could turn around, Emily let off two shots dropping Rashaun to the floor.

Rashaun lay lifeless on the floor of Emily’s living room. She went over to him and poked him with her foot to make sure he was dead.

“Why… Why were you going to hurt me? Emily picked up the stolen purse and looked at its contents. Inside there was the stolen money, card, and some flowers.

            “I don’t remember seeing him get flowers,” Emily thought. She opened the card and read it.

Emily, I been feeling you for a while. I hope you accept the flowers, money, and purse as a token of my love.

Yours truly, Rashaun.