Free The Follower by Jason Starr Page A

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 atthe 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