CHAPTER 15: WATCHED

Tara and Sam picked up their luggage from carosel 3 at the baggage claim area. The airport was crowded and noisy and they were both anxious to leave. Sam in particular, couldn't wait to get back home and surprise Tara with the newly renovated place that they were going to move into. Besides Dusty and his crew having done a terrific job on the house, Sam was looking forward to starting their lives together, like a normal couple.

“Ok babes, you ready? I'm ready. Let's scram.”, Tara said putting on a pair of sunglasses and looking all around for security guards or worse, police.

“Are ya still worried the feds are gonna come and put handcuffs on us?”, Sam asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

“No! Yeah. Hey, we could still get in trouble for what we did on the flight.”, Tara replied.

“Cher, stop frettin'. No one saw us.”, Sam said trying to reassure her but felt he wasn't getting anywhere since she was hell bent on believing that their little tryst on the plane was seen and reported to the authorities.

“Well, I'll feel better once we are outta this place and well on our way to Bon Temps.”, Tara finally said while walking briskly towards the exit.

Sam followed closely behind, at least tried to keep up to the fast pace at which she was going. He smiled to himself and thought how happy she always made him. Day by day, he was growing more and more convinced that them moving in together was the right thing to do. As they hopped onto a shuttle bus waiting outside to take them to the parking lot about quarter a mile away, little did they know that they were being watched.

~0*0~

Merlotte's

“Good afternoon. I would like to speak with Miss Tara Thornton. Is she here?”, the young man in a grey suit asked Raven, the first person he saw the moment he stepped into Merlotte's Bar and Grill at 12:50 pm.

“I'm sorry Tara is not in.”, Raven replied wondering who the person making the inquiry was.

She'd never seen him before but he seemed friendly enough. As he stood before her, she noted that he was tall and slender, handsome, more on the cute side and that his red hair was neatly styled. He could have easily been her age, give or take a few years.  He may just be any girl's dream guy, but, she didn't find him attractive. She herself was single and on the market. If only Matt would ask her out for a date, then she would say otherwise. 

“Do you know where she lives?”, the stranger asked.

“Why? Is she in some kinda' trouble?”, Raven asked out of concern. 

She knew where Tara lived but she wasn't going to up and give a complete stranger her friend's address, no matter how handsome and well put together he appeared to be.

“No, nothing of the sort. I just have something for her. Forgive me, my name is Robert. Is there a manager available?” He asked removing his sunglasses from his face with one hand while extending the other.

“Hi Robert. I'm Raven. Yes. We have a manager.", Raven replied and shook his hand. Looking over her shoulder in the direction where Lafayette stood watching the news on the television, she beckoned, "Hey Lafayette, could you please come out here.”

“Sure thang Miss Raven.” Lafayette replied turning around and walked, rather, sashayed over to where she stood.

“Are you the manager?” Robert asked getting Lafayette's attention. Lafayette, the cook, was put in charge while Sam and Tara were away. Today, he wore a pink sleeveless T-shirt with purple and green glitter on the front and a bright purple scarf loosly wrapped around his neck. Raven moved away and went back to re-filling mustard and ketchup bottles.

“That and a whole host o' other things. You got a problem with our menu?”, Lafayette asked.

“No. Actually I'm from the Law office of Miller & Smith. I'm looking for a Miss Tara Thornton. Will she be in later today or maybe tomorrow?”

“Law office?  You a lawyer? You is mighty young to be one. How old is you? Tara in some kinda trouble?” Lafayette bombarded the man with questions.

“Trouble? No, nothing of the sort. I take it she isn't here today.”, Robert replied. 

By his deportment, he appeared to be pressed for time and was not interested in idle chit chat. He wanted to carry out his task and be on his way. 

“No she ain't.”

“When she shows up, please ask her to call me.” Robert said extending a buisness card to Lafayette.

Lafayette took the card from him and watched him exit through the door and hop into his white BMW coupe parked out front.

By this, Arlene joined Lafayette's side and asked, “What was that all about?”, after observing everything from a distant. They both stood in front of a booth next to the large window and watched Robert drive off.

“Dunno, some suit just came by askin' fo' Tara.”

OXOXO