MESSED UP - completed!

21- The Stalker

21 The Stalker

Online ads look very promising. My phone starts ringing as I am looking for jobs online. I haven't had any luck at the interviews since James firing me is not a good reference.

"Hello?" I answer the call.

"Hi. Is this Mia Collins?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"I'm Ashley Turner. Jordan's manager."

I straighten my back. Jordan. Jordan Parry. My favorite singer. My hero. "Oh! Hi! I'm sorry I didn't expect a call from Jordan."

"It's alright. Jordan gave me your business card and said we could use your help."

"Of course! I'd be more than happy to help him."

"You no longer work at Whoosh?"

"I don't."

"What company are you working at right now?"

"I'm not employed yet. I'm currently looking for jobs."

"Would you like to help us with a project?"

"Of course!"

She fills me in with the details of the job. It's a brief advertisement for Jordan's charity. Jordan wants it to be good but doesn't want to put too much effort into it. That is why he has chosen me to do the job. It's a little disrespectful, but considering I'm unemployed and without the equipment, I say yes, and she says she will give me the contact numbers of the filmmakers and other involved people.

Smith is not home for the first time after he got out of the job. He has taken the car too. I call him, but he rejects me and sends me a message instead.

Busy, it reads. That's suspicious. But okay.

I've been sleepless lately, thinking about Whoosh. I want to text Jess, my favor-seeking friend, who asked me to steal Smith's flash drive from his office. We haven't seen each other since the bankruptcy. I need to tell him about the flash drive. He should know who was using it.

"You might want to know something," I text him.

He doesn't reply, and I don't push further. It's time for Netflix and chill with lots of ice cream and snacks. I turn on the TV and choose a thriller to watch. It gets late, but Smith doesn't show up. The doorbell rings, and I rush to the door.

"Where've you—?" I say but stop as soon as Zoey's face greets me with a box in her hands.

"Can I come in?" she says.

"Babe, of course. Come on in." I hold the door open for her, and she enters. She hands me the box. I open it. Donuts. That's a yes from me. She takes her coat off.

"What were you doing?"

"I was watching some series. Wanna join?"

"Yeah. What series?"

We both sit on the couch. "You."

"What's it about?" She says and grabs some snacks.

I put the donuts away. "You have to sit for this one. It's SICK!"

"Okay. You got me curious."

"There's this guy, Joe, who's obsessed with this girl, Beck. They start dating and falling in love, but little does she know he's fucking crazy!"

"Well, isn't that every relationship I ever had?"

"He stalks her and all her family and friends. He kills for her. It's another level of crazy."