As I write this, Eve is sleeping in my bed, trying to get some shuteye before she goes into work in the morning. She will lock the door for me when she leaves, and she will probably spend tomorrow night at my place as well.
I know, my life has been this weird soap opera as of late, and of course it ends up dominating my blogs, but you don't even know the half. If I had the time to include all of the random aspects of my existence, it would either bore you to tears or make you wonder if I ever get any sleep.
I apologize if all I've been writing about is Eve, but it's the center ring of my circus life right now. I could probably turn this whole ordeal into a screenplay, along the lines of Sleeping With The Enemy or the second half of Something Wild. Lord knows we don't need another stalker movie, but guess what my life is beginning to resemble right now.
She and I met up at my place, had some drinks, and decided that we needed to go see a movie. We found a showing for The Incredibles at 8pm in Burbank.
First, we stopped off at Eve's place and she grabbed her overcoat-- it's been colder than a mug out here.
We ate a pre-movie meal at P.F. Chang's, where she ordered me a Kamikaze and a 7 & 7. She is on a mission to make me a drunk, mostly because she doesn't like to drink alone. I used to think she was trying to get me drunk for immoral purposes, but now I've come to realize that she is drinking to escape her worries, and needs an accomplice. She also knows about my allergy to some alcohols, and so I take it as easy as I can.
Still, those two concoctions did a number on me, and by the time we were in the theater, she and I were giddily buzzed and enjoying the movie. I highly recommend The Incredibles as a form of entertainment-- the animation is startlingly good, and it's funny and tender and well-made.
We left the theater bounding, with Eve insisting that I piggy-back on her while taking the escalator down. I tried, but she was too tipsy to hold my weight.
It was all fun and games until we got back to the car.
Sitting on the roof of her car was a can of auto body wax that had been inside her car when we parked. The driver-side door was open, and her glove compartment's contents had been removed and neatly placed on the passenger-side seat.
We don't know how he got into the car. Eve swears that she didn't leave the door unlocked, and she is sure he doesn't have a spare key... but there were no signs of forced entry, and he only took a few dollars. The stereo and any other valuables were untouched, which rules out the obvious suspicion of plain thievery by an unknown party.
Inside her car, she had papers with her new address on it, but Eve suspects that Dick has already known where she lives for some time. If he followed us to the theater, it was because he was waiting for her outside her apartment. I didn't see anybody when we had been there earlier, but he could've been sitting in someone's car, parked on the street.
I am sure that he doesn't know where I live, but if he did then I don't think he would be stupid enough to bring it to me... not unless he wanted to step into a world of shit.
I told Eve, "Just say the word and he's gone." She doesn't want me to do anything against him, because then Dick would retaliate against her, not me. He wouldn't try anything with me, she says, but who knows what he'd do to Eve or her family if I made some type of aggressive move? I keep telling Eve that I myself wouldn't have to lift a finger-- I hate putting it this way, but I know people from the old neighborhood who would take care of a guy like Dick in a heartbeat, no questions asked. But it might cause more grief than good if I get involved, even though I have no fear of this guy.
I took a cab to the bus station and let Eve get some sleep. Tomorrow, I will start making some phone calls of my own. On Thursday, I will see my older brother and ask him what he would do in a situation like this. My brother was once a gangster but has since improved his life through hard work and a loving marriage... still, he would have some advice for me, and I would most likely listen to what he had to say on the matter.
I'm not trying to be Eve's hero, but I can't stand seeing her go from happy and carefree to paranoid and stressed-out in the span of a few minutes. Dick's stalking is bordering on some form of emotional terrorism, and Eve has to constantly look over her shoulder and watch where she is going. And if there's anything I can do to help, I will.
She kept apologizing to me, saying that she didn't want to drag me into this.
"Eve," I said, smiling, "don't be afraid for me... you should be worried about you. I'm worried for you too, which is why I am here. As long as you are near me, he won't try shit. If he does, he's going to get more than he bargained for, I'll tell you that right now."
I'm not trying to be some tough, macho dude here-- I just know that a guy like Dick would have to gather up some formidable forces if he wanted to put a scare into me. And if it comes down to that, then he is outmatched by the forces I can conjure on my side. I abhor violence, and I never instigate beefs like this, but if I have to defend myself then I will. And Dick already hates me, so if I am a target then so be it. I won't lose any sleep over it.
Eve asked me if I was carrying a weapon on me before I left the apartment. I laughed.
"I'll use my keys, if I have to," I said.
"Be careful," she said.
"You too," I said, as I walked out the door to catch my cab.
It's funny-- a year ago, I was so mad at her that I couldn't even bring myself to look at her if I saw her on the street, and now here I am, reassuring her that everything will be just fine as she nestles in my bed. It's strange how a year can change so much in your life. It's like I was granted a wish that I had made, only to be saddled with the attendant baggage.
Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
Anyway, I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I think Eve and I are going to rent a car and go drive down to Glamis with Paulie and friends. We need to get out of town for a spell, and after the both of us pay our familial respects on Thursday, we're going to hit the road. Wish us luck. And I wish all of you the best of luck as well.
PEACE
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