being a nurse, helping people, raising a family, just as
her parents had done. Now none of that would happen. She wouldn’t
be able to start a family for fear her stalker would find her
again.
She was having a hard enough time coping with
the people she barely knew dying because of her. She could not take
having a family torn from her. No, she wouldn’t take that chance.
New Orleans proved that.
Two years. She had started to feel safe. She
had started to move on with her life. Then he had killed Jesse.
Amber didn’t know if she could handle anymore.
She pulled a pair of jeans from her bag and
dug out a t-shirt. Amber dressed, blow dried her hair, and applied
make-up. After she was ready she went to the front desk to let them
know she would be checking out in the morning instead of staying
one more night.
Amber climbed into her car and drove around
the city until she found a restaurant that appealed to her. This
one was advertising all you can eat crab legs so she thought she
would give it a try.
Once inside the restaurant, Amber looked
around at her surroundings. Tastefully decorated in the beach theme
that seemed to be popular on the ocean, Amber admired the colors
the decorator used. She asked for a glass of wine and ordered the
crab legs with a salad and a baked potato and sat back to wait.
Just as her salad was being placed on the table by the waitress,
the tall, good looking stranger walked into the room.
Amber sank down in her seat a little and
tried to avoid eye contact. She took a bite of her salad and
pretended to be enthralled with her salad fork.
Derek looked around and spotted Amber right
away. He knew by her expression that she had seen him and was
trying to avoid him. He had already decided to confront her.
Waving off the hostess, Derek walked to
Amber’s booth and sat down across from her. Choking on her salad,
Amber looked up into those glorious blue eyes.
“Can I help you,” she asked as politely as
she could after taking a sip of her wine to wash down the salad.
Seriously hoping her face was not red from remembering her thoughts
from earlier in the day, Amber gave him her best I’m not interested
in anything you have to say look.
“I saw you getting breakfast in the hotel
this morning,” he replied ignoring the look that told him to go
away. “I wanted to say hi.”
“Hi,” she replied.
“My name is Derek. What’s yours?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not in the habit of
conversing with total strangers, Derek,” Amber said. She hoped the
look she was giving him was enough to send him to his own
table.
Derek knew what she was doing but he wasn’t
budging. He signaled the waiter and ordered a beer and the crab
legs.
Amber quickly looked around the restaurant to
see if anyone was paying any attention to them. She didn’t think
her stalker had found her yet but she couldn’t be sure. She didn’t
want to take the chance that this guy would end up in the local
morning paper.
Derek didn’t miss Amber’s quick glance around
and he too scanned the restaurant assuring himself no one was
paying any attention to them. He could see the fear she was trying
to hide. He pretended not to notice.
“So, where are you from,” Derek asked her
although he already knew the answer to that question.
Realizing no one was watching her, and
assuming this guy was not going away, Amber answered his question,
“I’m from Alma, Georgia.”
“Oh, a small town girl, eh,” he asked as he
started on his salad. “I’m from Houston, myself.
“Oh,” Amber said.
“What had you coming to Myrtle Beach this
time of year,” he asked.
“A change of scenery,” Amber replied.
Derek smiled.
Amber's heart skipped a beat.
Amber and Derek continued to talk throughout
the meal and Amber began to relax. She eventually told Derek her
name. He even made her laugh before the check came.
Derek grabbed the check and insisted on
paying for her meal. Amber argued but in the end, Derek won. As he
was paying, Amber
her parents had done. Now none of that would happen. She wouldn’t
be able to start a family for fear her stalker would find her
again.
She was having a hard enough time coping with
the people she barely knew dying because of her. She could not take
having a family torn from her. No, she wouldn’t take that chance.
New Orleans proved that.
Two years. She had started to feel safe. She
had started to move on with her life. Then he had killed Jesse.
Amber didn’t know if she could handle anymore.
She pulled a pair of jeans from her bag and
dug out a t-shirt. Amber dressed, blow dried her hair, and applied
make-up. After she was ready she went to the front desk to let them
know she would be checking out in the morning instead of staying
one more night.
Amber climbed into her car and drove around
the city until she found a restaurant that appealed to her. This
one was advertising all you can eat crab legs so she thought she
would give it a try.
Once inside the restaurant, Amber looked
around at her surroundings. Tastefully decorated in the beach theme
that seemed to be popular on the ocean, Amber admired the colors
the decorator used. She asked for a glass of wine and ordered the
crab legs with a salad and a baked potato and sat back to wait.
Just as her salad was being placed on the table by the waitress,
the tall, good looking stranger walked into the room.
Amber sank down in her seat a little and
tried to avoid eye contact. She took a bite of her salad and
pretended to be enthralled with her salad fork.
Derek looked around and spotted Amber right
away. He knew by her expression that she had seen him and was
trying to avoid him. He had already decided to confront her.
Waving off the hostess, Derek walked to
Amber’s booth and sat down across from her. Choking on her salad,
Amber looked up into those glorious blue eyes.
“Can I help you,” she asked as politely as
she could after taking a sip of her wine to wash down the salad.
Seriously hoping her face was not red from remembering her thoughts
from earlier in the day, Amber gave him her best I’m not interested
in anything you have to say look.
“I saw you getting breakfast in the hotel
this morning,” he replied ignoring the look that told him to go
away. “I wanted to say hi.”
“Hi,” she replied.
“My name is Derek. What’s yours?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not in the habit of
conversing with total strangers, Derek,” Amber said. She hoped the
look she was giving him was enough to send him to his own
table.
Derek knew what she was doing but he wasn’t
budging. He signaled the waiter and ordered a beer and the crab
legs.
Amber quickly looked around the restaurant to
see if anyone was paying any attention to them. She didn’t think
her stalker had found her yet but she couldn’t be sure. She didn’t
want to take the chance that this guy would end up in the local
morning paper.
Derek didn’t miss Amber’s quick glance around
and he too scanned the restaurant assuring himself no one was
paying any attention to them. He could see the fear she was trying
to hide. He pretended not to notice.
“So, where are you from,” Derek asked her
although he already knew the answer to that question.
Realizing no one was watching her, and
assuming this guy was not going away, Amber answered his question,
“I’m from Alma, Georgia.”
“Oh, a small town girl, eh,” he asked as he
started on his salad. “I’m from Houston, myself.
“Oh,” Amber said.
“What had you coming to Myrtle Beach this
time of year,” he asked.
“A change of scenery,” Amber replied.
Derek smiled.
Amber's heart skipped a beat.
Amber and Derek continued to talk throughout
the meal and Amber began to relax. She eventually told Derek her
name. He even made her laugh before the check came.
Derek grabbed the check and insisted on
paying for her meal. Amber argued but in the end, Derek won. As he
was paying, Amber
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