The Follower (8 page)

“I wanted to talk to him about it,” Katie said. “I mean, in the morning, but I wasn’t sure how to. What was I supposed to say, ‘Good morning, I think you date-raped me last night, you son of a bitch’?”

“You could just tell him you felt uncomfortable.”

“Yeah,” Katie said. “I guess you’re right.”

Amanda took a bite of her beef cube steak and Katie had some of her spicy green papaya salad. But she couldn’t enjoy the food because as she swallowed she started thinking about all the nuoc cham sauce bloating her, and how she could barely fit into her jeans yesterday.

She put her chopsticks down, deciding she’d had enough even though the dish was half full, then said, “Oh, something really weird happened at the gym this morning. I walked in and this guy at the desk goes, ‘Katie?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah?’ It turns out the guy’s this guy Peter who grew up with me.”

“That’s so funny.”

“I know. I mean, I didn’t grow up with him. He was my sister’s age, but I used to see him around all the time and everything. Isn’t that unbelievable? I mean, I haven’t seen the guy in, like, nine years.”

“So is he cute?”

“Very,” Katie said. “I mean, I never thought of him that way, because he was older, and back then he was kind of goofy-looking with these bangs in his face all the time. But, yeah, he’s very good-looking now. He’s tall, has short hair, dimples, nice eyes. Hey, I should set you guys up.”

“But you said he works at the desk, right?” Amanda looked disgusted.

“Yeah,” Katie said, “but it’s not like that. He just moved to New York. He said he wants to be a trainer.”

“That’s better,” Amanda said, though still not enthused. “How old is he?”

“He must be twenty-seven. He didn’t mention a girlfriend and I definitely got a single-guy vibe from him.”

“He hit on you?”

“No, he was totally cool. I just didn’t get the impression he was with anybody, that’s all. But I’ll ask him if you want me to—we’re supposed to meet for coffee tomorrow afternoon.”

Amanda took another bite of the cube steak with some rice and said, “I don’t know—a blind date. I hate blind dates.”

“Come on, you’ve met guys online.”

“That’s different. I mean I, like, e-mail with those guys first.”

“It’s just one date. If you hate him, don’t go out with him again. I mean, it’s not like I’m
friends
with this guy. It’d be no big deal.”

“What’s he like? I mean, he wants to be a trainer. Is he, like, some jerky musclehead guy?”

“No, he’s thin. I mean, he has nice shoulders and arms, but he isn’t, like, some steroids guy. He seems really nice, too. I think his parents moved when he was seventeen, right after high school. I couldn’t believe he recognized me. I mean, when I saw him, I thought he was somebody I knew from college. You know, maybe an RA or something. But I don’t want to, like, put pressure on you or anything. I mean, if you don’t want me to ask him—”

“No, go ahead,” Amanda said. “I mean, why not, right?”

After lunch, they decided to go to Sephora on Third Avenue. In the cab, Katie got a text message from Andy:

Katie read the message to Amanda, then Amanda said, “God, what an asshole.”

“What?” Katie said. “You don’t believe he’s sick?”

“No, but he’s still an asshole. I mean, he spends the night with you for the first time and he can’t even call you the next day? He has to, like, text-message you?”

“I guess you’re right.”

“You
guess?
I mean, it’s not like he can’t get in touch with you. You know, I think you’re giving him way too much credit. Maybe he didn’t date-rape you, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a total dick.”

“Whatever,” Katie said, changing the subject. “I guess I’ll talk to him later.”

At Sephora, Amanda sampled bronzers and eyeshadows, and Katie looked for a new mascara. Katie was trying to relax and have a good time, but she couldn’t get Andy and last night out of her head. She was convinced that he had just wanted to have sex with her and now was blowing her off like the typical guy. He probably wouldn’t call her tomorrow, or the next day, and then finally she’d have to call him. Then he’d blow her off again, with some other excuse, and she’d never hear from him again.

Katie didn’t buy anything, but Amanda spent about a hundred dollars. When they left, Amanda said, “Hey, you want to go to Urban Outfitters?” and Katie said, “Yeah, if you want to.”

As they walked downtown, Amanda could tell something was bothering Katie and said, “You have to just forget about that loser.”

“It’s not that,” Katie lied. “I’m just feeling kind of out of it, that’s all.”

The rest of the afternoon, Katie couldn’t stop thinking about how Andy had used her for sex and was dumping her and what an idiot she was. She hoped she never had to see his stupid, lying face again.

Peter’s goal was to make the
perfect second impression. He knew he’d already made the perfect first impression, but the second impression was even more important. When someone meets someone for the second time, they either confirm the positive impression that they already have of the person, or realize that their first impression was wrong and they form a new impression. In some ways, the second impression is even more crucial than the first. If you make a bad first impression, you have a chance to redeem yourself, but if you make a bad second impression, you’re screwed.

Since Peter was going to meet Katie at the health club at the end of his shift, he knew he couldn’t get too dressed up or it would look weird, like he was trying too hard to impress. Still, this would be the first time he’d spent any serious time with her, and he didn’t want to look like a slob, either. He put on several outfits and decided to go with jeans, a black T-shirt, and a thin black leather jacket. He’d seen Katie wear a black leather jacket before, and he knew that this would create an instant, subconscious connection with her.

He took a cab uptown and arrived at the health club at Ninety-second Street. All morning he couldn’t stop thinking about Katie and he knew exactly what would happen. She’d show up at two o’clock, looking beautiful, and he would tell her how great it was to see her. She would be shy, blushing, and then he’d say, “I thought maybe we could grab some lunch.” He’d keep it casual like that, not wanting to seem like
he was trying too hard to upgrade the date from coffee to lunch. She’d say, “Yeah, that sounds great,” and they’d go to a nearby Japanese restaurant. He would’ve loved to take her to someplace fancier, but once again it was all about perception, playing his cards right. He didn’t want to seem like he was going overboard to win her over; he wanted to keep things cool, relaxed. At the restaurant, they’d hit it off, laughing, having a blast, then, at the appropriate time, they’d hold hands. It would be a beautiful moment, one they’d remember forever, and he’d savor it, gazing into her eyes longingly, but not
too
longingly, just longingly enough. After lunch, they’d take a walk in the park, holding hands, and then they’d have their first kiss on the platform overlooking the duck pond near Belvedere Castle. Then he’d walk her home, to her apartment building, and they’d kiss and tell each other what a perfect day they’d had and how they couldn’t wait to see each other again. And then he’d say, “How about we have dinner tonight?” and she’d say, “That sounds like a great idea.” Then he’d return to his hotel and, after he showered and changed, he’d pick her up at her place at around eight o’clock. They’d go out to dinner at a nice restaurant; not too nice, but nice enough to show her how much he liked her. Then, after dinner, they’d take a walk and wind up back near the park. He’d suggest taking a horse and buggy ride and she’d say, “I always wanted to do that.” Then they’d ride around the park, covered by a fuzzy red blanket, and it would be corny, but good corny, and they’d kiss some more, and by the end of the night, when he dropped her off at her apartment, they’d already be in love.

Peter had the rest of his life with Katie planned out as well. He figured that after a week or two of dating he’d tell her about his money and the apartment he’d bought for them and how he’d only gotten the job at the health club because he wanted to meet her in a romantic way. She’d be flattered and thrilled and tell him how much she loved him, and they’d move into the apartment together. Then, one night, they’d have champagne in front of the fireplace, and he’d get down on one knee and give her the two-carat diamond ring, and she’d be the happiest girl in the world. They’d get married at
the Boat House in Central Park and have their children and travel a lot and maybe buy a summer house in the Berkshires, near where they grew up, and someday, maybe when their kids were in college, they’d move up there full-time and keep the place in the city as a pied-à-terre.

At one thirty, Peter started getting nervous. He went to the bathroom three or four times, and each time, at the sink, he looked in the mirror and checked to make sure his hair looked perfect and rehearsed his first words to Katie: “Wow, you look beautiful today.” Like an actor, he said the line in different ways, putting the emphasis on different words. He knew he had to be careful with the word “wow.” He didn’t want to make it sound as if he were too blown away by her appearance, as if he were some desperate guy who’d never gone out for coffee with a beautiful girl before. But, at the same time, he wanted to show her how attracted he was to her and how much he liked her. Finally, he decided that he wouldn’t put a lot of emphasis on “wow,” but would focus on “beautiful” instead. When he said “beautiful,” he wanted her to get the sense that he really thought she was beautiful, that he wasn’t just
saying
it.

Two o’clock came and there was no sign of Katie. Peter was disappointed because he’d actually imagined that she would arrive a few minutes early, but he tried to not let it get to him. He hung out at the desk, talking to Jenny, the trainer. Jimmy had been right—Jenny was very good-looking, with long, straight blond hair, and was in near perfect shape. It didn’t matter, though, because Peter had no interest in her. At the first opportunity, he made an excuse to get away, telling her there was an important call he had to make, and then he went into the bathroom and rehearsed his line again, deciding to put the emphasis on “wow” after all. When he came out, Katie still wasn’t there, and he was starting to wonder whether something was wrong and if he should call her to see if she was okay. But he decided that calling could send out the wrong vibe, and that he’d wait until she was at least twenty minutes late before even contacting her.

“Peter, hey.”

He was near the front desk, looking outside, when he heard Katie’s voice behind him. He turned around and was disappointed to see that she wasn’t dressed up. He didn’t expect her to look the way she did when she went to work or on dates with the frat boy, but he’d expected her to at least make an effort to make a good second impression. But she obviously didn’t even try. She was in faded jeans, sneakers, and a Wesleyan sweatshirt. She wasn’t wearing makeup, her hair was back in a ponytail, and she was wearing glasses instead of contacts. She didn’t even look as put together as she did when she went to the gym to work out. She looked the way she did when she did her laundry at that Laundromat on First Avenue.

Peter tried to not let his disappointment show. Forcing a smile he said, “Hey, Katie.” Then, just to be polite, he added, “Wow, you look beautiful today.”

“Thanks,” she said. He expected her to return the compliment but she didn’t. “So where are we going?”

“I thought maybe we could grab some lunch. There’s this Japanese place I read about in Zagat just up the—”

“Oh, I already had lunch, I’m sorry. I mean, I could sit down with you, but I’m not really dressed for it or anything. Can we just get coffee?”

“Sure,” Peter said, struggling to stay upbeat. “Coffee’s cool. Actually, I had a late breakfast myself, so that would be great.”

He was hoping that they at least could go to a little outdoor café, have cappuccinos or something, but when they left the health club she was quick to say, “There’s a Starbucks right across the street,” and all he could say was “Great.”

As they headed there, they made small talk, mostly about the gym. She was saying that she liked it most of the time, but they didn’t have enough machines, which was a pain, especially when she went right after work. She asked him how he liked his job so far and he said it was “all right” and that the people he worked with were “really cool.” He noticed that Katie seemed slightly distracted and that she looked tired, as if she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. He was dying to ask her what was wrong, to be a father figure and help her through whatever problem she was having, but he also knew that it
took time to build up that kind of trust. He couldn’t expect her to open up to him right away. He had to earn her confidence, with body language and by telling her what she wanted to hear. Eventually, she’d realize, unconsciously,
I
trust this guy
, and that’s when she’d fall in love with him.

At Starbucks, he ordered a triple grande skim latte and he knew what she’d have—a venti coffee—before she asked for it, because he’d seen her buy coffee at Starbucks several times before.

There were no tables, so they had to stand, waiting for one to free up. This definitely wasn’t turning into the perfect, romantic afternoon he’d envisioned. Katie still seemed distracted and upset, and he wanted to do whatever he could to change her mood. He knew the most attractive thing about his appearance was his smile, because he had perfect straight white teeth and dimples that girls seemed to like, so he smiled and laughed a lot, trying to get her to notice. Finally, a table became available, near the bathroom, and they sat down.