Redhead Blitz (12 page)

L.R.’s frantic signaling, along with the white fabric of her skirt waving to and fro, caught
Gigi’s
eye.
 
Al Matthews, along with one of the assistant principals, stood next to L.R.
 
What was the other man’s name?
 
She was too excited about the game to recall.
 
From L.R.’s movements she could tell the principal wanted her to join them down on the track.
 
She stood and quickly made her way down the stairs, not wanting to block the spectators’ view.
 
The police officer positioned at the entrance to the track hesitated letting her through, but
Gigi
directed his attention to the signaling administrator.
 
He mumbled an apology, let her pass, and she crossed the track to stand with the top brass.

“Since we’ve still got lots of work for you, we didn’t want you to get trampled in the victory maul.”
 
L.R.’s eyes crinkled in excitement.

“That’s for sure.
 
I need you at work Monday morning.”
 
Al’s smile was genuine, although
Gigi
thought his gaze held a hint of sadness.
 
She’d noticed the emotion several times at the office.

The remaining seconds ticked away.
 
Al explained how Sean had the Lions playing conservatively now in order to prevent losing possession of the ball.
 
When the crowd counted down the last ten seconds and then the final whistle blew, she whooped and cheered with the rest of them.
 
She was going to have calluses on her palms from all the high-fives and clapping she’d done tonight.

The players and coaches trotted across the field exchanging “good games” with their opponents, and then the Lions ran past the administrators’ little cluster and toward the locker room.
 
Gigi
thought she met Sean’s gaze for a second, but they ran past so quickly, she might have imagined the connection.

“In celebration of the Lions’ first win of the season, I’d like to treat you all to ice cream,” L.R. said.

Al and
Gigi
accepted.
 
Chip Knight—
that
was the assistant principal’s name—thanked L.R. but begged off, saying he wanted to get home to his wife and baby.
 
The rest of them agreed on the place, choosing an ice cream parlor at a distance from the school in hopes of avoiding the crowds.

“See you there.”
 
Gigi
waved to the pair and slowly followed the crowd out to the parking lot.
 
Probably because L.R. had chosen an ice cream parlor for their celebration, all the way there
Gigi’s
mind kept replaying her earlier fantasy about Sean and the fudge sauce.
 
Unfortunately, she’d have to settle for hot fudge on her ice cream.

Fifteen minutes later, her stomach twisted as she spotted her ex-boss, Pete, entering the ice cream parlor.
 
Before she could hide behind L.R.’s shoulder, the jerk saw her.
 
He plastered on his smarmy, insurance salesman smile and maneuvered his way over to their table.

“
Gigi
, what a nice surprise to see you here.”

Her nerves prickled, wondering if his showing up really was a coincidence.

Don’t start imagining things.
 
This is just your rotten luck.

He extended his hand to Al.
 
“Pete Townsend.”
 
He chuckled and added.
 
“No relation.”

Gigi
rolled her eyes at the same lame joke he always used, referencing the infamous guitarist for the
The
Who.
 
Either Al didn’t get the joke or chose to ignore it, for he remained silent.

Then Pete shook L.R.’s hand and gestured to the empty chair at their table.
 
“Mind if I join you for a moment?
 
I’m hoping to entice
Gigi
to come back to me.”

L.R.’s questioning gaze shifted to
Gigi
.
 
Damn the man for intentionally misrepresenting their relationship.
 
Gigi
wanted to kick him under the table.
 
If she could have without chance of hitting Al’s shin by mistake, she would have.

“Mr. Townsend means he was sorry to see me leave Townsend Insurance.
 
I was the company’s receptionist.“
 
And because
Gigi
had unwisely accepted one dinner invitation with the man soon after she’d been hired, he’d gotten it in his head that they should become lovers.

No way
.

Gigi
hoped Al and L.R. didn’t think less of her for Pete’s misleading words.
 
The man was a lowlife, and his glare gave her the creepy crawlies.
 
Maybe this was his payback for her screening her calls.
 
The one he’d placed to her at work made it very clear he still had hopes of having her in his bed.
 
Imaginary centipedes scuttled along her spine at the thought.
 
In the few months she’d worked for Pete, she’d never felt intimidated by him, but his new tenacity had her confidence wavering.

She needed to leave before he embarrassed her further.
 
“You know, I just remembered I was supposed to feed my neighbor’s cat.”
 
She grabbed her purse from under the table and popped up, gesturing to everyone to stay seated.
 
“Mittens needs her medication too, so I’m going to have to run.
 
See you Monday.”

Gigi
practically sprinted to the door, thankful that L.R. had delayed Pete with some question about insurance.

Sean was stoked.
 
They’d won.
 
It had been a close game, but his team had pulled it off.
 
When the final whistle was blown, he hadn’t thought he could’ve felt prouder, but when he’d seen
Gigi
smiling in his direction, something had swelled inside his chest.
 
And now, remembering how delectable she’d looked had his dick swelling too.
 
Luckily, the boys were gone.
 
Sean swung his duffle over his shoulder, waved to the custodian on his way out of the locker room and headed across the lawn toward his car.

He was experiencing the first sense of relief he’d felt since they’d lost their opening game.
 
Tutoring Butch had helped, although he was pretty sure they were going to have to continue intermittent sessions throughout the season.
 
Al Matthews had smiled and given him a thumbs-up when the team had run past.
 
And
Gigi
had seen his players perform well.
 
Things were looking up.

Sean pulled out of the parking lot and made the decision not to stop at the nearby Dairy Queen where many of the players and fans would be celebrating.
 
Although some of the boys had invited him to join them, this was a time for them to celebrate with their families and peers.
 
One of his assistant coaches had asked if he wanted to grab a beer, but he’d declined that offer as well.
 
Now that the game was won and he’d seen
Gigi
, Sean couldn’t be content celebrating with
Gordie
Schoeburg
.

The past few weeks had been grueling and he deserved to kick back.
 
He’d head home, pop one of his own beers and pretend he wasn’t wishing that
Gigi
was with him.
 
Naked.

Stopping at the last traffic light on his way out of Newtown, he spotted a familiar beige Taurus pulling out of a side street a block ahead.
 
When the light changed, he eagerly closed the distance between his car and the sedan.
 
After following
Gigi
home the previous evening, he knew her license plate number.
 
It was her.
 
She must have made a stop after the game.
 
Had she met up with Tony Walters again?
 
The thought bristled along his nerves like a wire brush.
 
He shoved the unpleasant thought away.

Then another came to mind.
 
At this time of night, the stretch of country road between
Newtown
and
Greenville
was dark and barren.
 
He was glad fate had brought him up behind her.
 
What if she developed car trouble?
 
This may not be LA or
New York City
, but rural
Ohio
wasn’t immune to violent crime.
 
He made up his mind to see her safely home.

Gigi
checked her rearview mirror, wishing there was some way to determine whether the car behind her was Pete’s.
 
There was only one direct route between Newtown and Greenville, so the fact that the car had been there the entire way shouldn’t have been a huge reason to worry.
 
It would probably pull off when they hit the city limits.

But two minutes later and within the city limits, the same headlights followed her.
 
Her spine tingled; and she hated the uneasiness running through her.
 
Respected it, but hated it nonetheless.
 
That respect, however, had her turning right down a side street she didn’t need to take.
 
She applied a bit more pressure to the accelerator.
 
When the trailing car turned behind her and sped up, her anxiety kicked up a notch.
 
To fear.
 
She turned left and blindly rooted in her handbag for her phone.
 
She grasped it and pressed
9-1-1
, explaining to the dispatcher that she was being followed.
 
Satisfaction gave her a much needed bit of courage.
 
Even if Pete could talk his way out of this, he’d know she meant business.

She wound her way back to
Center Street
and headed home, describing her route to the dispatcher.
 
Gigi
was relieved to hear that a cruiser was close by and on its way.
 
As she pulled up in front of her apartment, she saw the flashing lights in her rearview mirror.
 
The car that had been following her pulled to a stretch of unlit curb about half a block away.
 
Still nervous, she sat and watched events unfold through her mirrors.

Johnny Martin, one of Greenville’s deputies and a high school classmate, got out of his cruiser.
 
In the darkness, she recognized Johnny by the outline of his bulk.
 
As he made his way toward the driver’s side of the car, his headlights revealed his hand poised over his holster.

Wow, that was intimidating.
 
The driver’s door opened, and Johnny pulled his gun and took a defensive stance.
 
There was a pause, where
Gigi
assumed words were exchanged.
 
Boy howdy, was Pete going to be embarrassed if this made it into the local paper’s police summary.

Johnny must have ordered Pete out of his car, because first a head and then a pair of broad shoulders rose from the driver’s side.

Then the ice cream in her stomach curdled.

Chapter Eleven

Pete’s not that muscular.

When the man stepped away from the car with his hands in the air, the police cruiser’s lights reflected off his blond hair.

Oh, shit!

Gigi
threw open her door, jumped out and ran toward the men.
 
Johnny was gesturing with his gun for the man to turn around.

“Johnny, no!”
 
She continued to run even though both men were now looking in her direction.
 
“I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
 
Thank goodness, most of this area was retail and commercial property.
 
Fewer residents to peer out their windows at the crazy woman running down the street flapping her arms as if attempting a
take off
.