The Impostor, A Love Story (6 page)

“Dylan, I really can’t take your coat.” He
was so beautiful. I didn’t want him to be nice to me. It was
already hard to pretend I didn’t feel like a smitten schoolgirl
around him.

He focused on my eyes. My heart began racing
as he leaned forward to kiss me. A mixture of excitement and horror
filled my core. I leaned back a little over the rail to avoid his
lips.

He whispered, “You can take my coat and you
will wear it.” I felt foolish when I realized he wasn’t going to
even try to kiss me. “I’m going back inside so I don’t hear any
more of this. Enjoy yourself.” He began to walk away.

“Dylan.” I grabbed his hand as he was walking
toward the stairs to the lower deck.

“Yes, Nicole?” My name sounded so sweet on
his lips.

“I’m sorry for having Rita sit next to you in
the SUV after you told me you were avoiding her.”

“Yeah, that was pretty messed up, but I
survived.”

“I don’t know how you do it though.” I shook
my head.

“Do what?” He walked closer to me.

“Make sex so meaningless. Is there anyone you
haven’t slept with?”

“You.” He licked his lips like he was ready
to devour me and the corners of his mouth raised.

“Yeah, well that will never happen.”

“You don’t find me attractive?” He gazed at
me. “I can
really
warm you up if you like.”

He leaned in closer, taking my chin in his
hand. “So beautiful.” He stroked my face with the back of his hand.
“Your skin is like porcelain.”

Then he touched my mouth with his fingertips.
“And your lips . . . your lips are like rubies, and you’re not even
wearing lipstick, are you?”

I bit my lip, glancing down to avoid his
eyes. The stupid butterflies started dancing again in my
stomach.

“Don’t be shy, Nicole.” He lifted my chin, so
I had to look at him again. “You are so gorgeous standing out here
with your long hair flying in the wind.” He brushed my hair off my
shoulder, and it whipped back up from the breeze.

I blushed. I knew it was a line, but I wanted
to believe he meant it. After a brief moment of hopefulness, I
snapped out of my stupidity and realized who it was that was
standing before me.

“Dylan, I’m not interested in being a part of
your harem. If you gave me your coat so I will sleep with you, I’d
prefer to freeze.” I began taking off his jacket.

“No, keep it on. You enjoy the view. I’ll go
inside so I don’t have to hear anymore about it.” He wrapped it
back around me, a little stunned that I didn’t fall for his
charisma.

When we got off the boat, I was still wearing
Dylan’s jacket. I didn’t have the heart to take my jacket back from
the little girl. Walking down the street to a little restaurant, we
passed by a man dressed in dirty clothes, sleeping in his truck. I
figured he was homeless, and so I ordered him something to go.
Leaving the restaurant, I began walking over to the truck with the
bag of warm food in my hand.

“Nicole, what are you doing?” I heard several
people calling out, giggling as if it was ridiculous to feed
someone in need. I got to the man’s truck and knocked on the
window.

“Excuse me, sir. I saw you sleeping here and
thought maybe you would like something warm to eat.” He took the
bag from the window.

“Thank you, darling, this is sweet of you
but—”

“You take care.” I walked away before he
could refuse the meal. By this time, the whole group was laughing
hysterically.

“What is wrong? You don’t know when he had
his last meal. If he can’t afford someplace to live, I’m sure he’s
hungry.”

“Nicole that was . . .” Dylan said, wiping
the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.

“Who?” I couldn’t hear the name because he
was laughing uncontrollably. Was this name supposed to mean
anything to me?

“Nicole, he’s a millionaire. He owns a fleet
of fishing boats,” Brad said in between breaths of hysteria. “One
of the richest guys in the state, and you gave him a bag of food.”
Everyone was shaking their head as if I was an idiot. I didn’t know
what to say.

“It’s kind of cute, I have to admit.” Dylan
tried to control his amusement.

“I just thought . . .” I tried to
explain.

“Give it up, Nicole. You’re an idiot,”
someone from the crowd screamed out, laughing.

I felt really foolish, but he was in old
clothing and sleeping in his truck.

Emily came over to console me. “Don’t worry
about it, Nicole. It was sweet. You have to admit, it’s a little
funny. I can only imagine what he was thinking when you handed it
to him.”

I finally went from feeling like the victim
of their laughter to seeing the humor of it and laughed at myself
as well. I shook my head in my embarrassment.

I tried to give Dylan his coat back, but he
wouldn’t take it until we were back in the warmth of the cars.
Taking my hand, he tried to lead me to the SUV with him to save him
from Rita.
But I knew he would continue his
meaningless flirting with me until I broke down and slept with
him.
And then I would be the next Rita—avoided and made fun
of.

I really did not know what was wrong with me.
I hated that I kept reliving him coming up behind me on the boat,
gently grazing his hands down my arms, and wrapping his jacket
around me. He was like a really addictive drug that I knew was
dangerous, but I so craved—just one more hit. I couldn’t sit next
to him. I couldn’t be in the same car as him.

I jumped in the front seat of Brad’s SUV.

“Bradley, can I ride with you?”

Jessica was so excited to hear about the
orcas and the dolphins. I told her I’d try and get Brad to take us
out on the boat when she got to town if it wasn’t too cold. If we
couldn’t do it this fall, then we’d find a way to go next summer.
She couldn’t wait. The next day at work, Emily and I were chatting
in the corner when I realized I had two new customers in my
section. I started to walk over to them. Weathered faces revealed
they worked in the cold. As I turned to the table to take their
order, I overheard their conversation.

“They found another body at Knik River. This
makes twenty,” one man began, his hair dusted in gray, his voice
gruff.

“Excuse me. I’m sorry, did you say another
body?” I interrupted.

“Yeah, it looks like we have another Robert
Hansen on our hands.” His husky voice seemed as if he had been
smoking all of his life.

“Robert Hansen?”

“You’re not from around here are you?” The
other guy was maybe in his forties, a little more heavyset. He
couldn’t believe I had not heard the name before.

“He was a serial killer who hunted women. He
hunted prostitutes, though. This one seems to just like girls from
the Lower 48. Travelers. At least that is what the bodies they have
been able to identify seem to suggest. He’s a sick bitch. He rapes
them then cuts them up.” The raspy voice continued.

“Yeah, I heard this one hunts the girls like
Hansen did. He brings them into remote places to hunt them like
they are wild game,” the younger one revealed.

I just sat there with my mouth open. “Here?
This is happening here?’

“Twenty bodies have been found over by the
Knik River in the past two years. It’s only about forty-five
minutes away. You be careful, now, who you talk to. Don’t get in
any car or a plane with a stranger,” the older man warned.

“My god. He hunts people?”

“He hunts pretty little defenseless girls.
You best be careful. Two years, right John? Two years and they
haven’t found the sick bastard yet.”

“That is comforting.” They could see the
horrified expression on my face.

“Just don’t be stupid and you’ll be fine.
We’re not all wackos like that one. We’re good people. Just be
careful who you trust.”

Still in disbelief, I tried to do my job.

When Brad got in later that evening, I went
over to the bar.

“Brad, have you heard of Robert Hansen?”

“Yeah, he was a serial killer back in the
eighties. He used to fly his victims to isolated areas of
wilderness and hunt them down. Real piece of work. Why?”

“Some guys in here today said there is a
serial killer somewhere around here.”

“They found some bodies like an hour from
here six months ago.”

“They said they just found another one.”

“Are you scared?”

“Damn right. That is freaky as hell.”

“He’s been striking people who don’t know
anyone around here so they are not missed. You have a job here and
people know you. Just don’t hitchhike or anything.”

“Oh my god. I got in the car with you and I
didn’t know you. I could be dead.”

“Do I seem like a serial killer? Besides, you
branded my info in your arm and called your friend with my driver’s
license number and all. If I was going to kill you, I’d probably
think twice about it. That was a good move.”

“I’ve been petrified all day. Aren’t you
afraid?”

“He hunts women.” Bradley smirked. “So I’m
safe. You, on the other hand . . .”

I smacked him. “You’re such a jerk.”

“You’ll be fine. You can’t live in fear,
Nicole. If ever you need Pete or me to take you home, don’t
hesitate to ask. Really, you’ll be fine. We’re not going to let
anything happen to you.” He could see I was still a little uneasy.
“Nicole, you used to live about an hour from a city that has one of
the highest murder rates in the country. That was danger. The
chance of anything happening to you here is small.”

“You’re right. I just got a little freaked
out, I guess.”

“Listen, I’m having another party this
weekend. The more people you know, the safer you’ll be. You should
come. I promise I’m not inviting any killers—serial killers at
least.” He grinned.

A group of men came in and sat in my section.
They had just come back from a hunting expedition and were ready to
drink. I started them out with beers on their tab, but before long
the table was full of beers and shots—at least four per customer. I
hoped they’d tip well.

“Pretty little thing, why don’t you sit down
right here?” The dirty-blond hunter patted the seat next to his. He
seemed harmless enough. I didn’t have any other customers at the
time, so I decided to join them for a few shots. The management
allowed the customers to buy us drinks when it wasn’t busy. Of
course, the bar would water down our drinks so that we would need
like a hundred to get drunk. Sitting with the customers was
encouraged. The longer the customer stayed, the more money the bar
made. Our socializing with them helped to ensure the customers
would come back.

They were laughing and telling their hunting
stories when Chuck, the boisterous, middle-aged hunting guide who
had asked me to sit down, began getting a little too frisky. He put
his slimy hand on my leg and started making lewd comments toward
me. I excused myself quickly.

“Would you all like another round? I better
get back to work.” I stood up.

The man grabbed my arm and jerked me back
down with force. His tight grip dug into my arm. “You sit right
back down here, sexy little thing. Feast your eyes on that ass
boys, what I’d like to do with that. You’re not going anywhere.” He
put his arm around me, scooted in close, and stuck out his tongue,
wiggling it, as if to show me what he wanted to do to me.

“Really, I have to get to work. Let me get
you all some more drinks.” I struggled to break free.

“You’re not going anywhere. You’re coming
home with me. I’ll make you scream like a woman.”

“Let her go, Chuck,” one of the other hunters
said firmly. “She’s just a kid.”

The repulsive man finally let go of my arm. I
scrambled up.

“Watch me. I’ll get a piece of that thing.”
The perv spanked my ass, mumbling, “I’m gonna tear that up.”

As I rushed away from the table, I could hear
the sick bastard go on with his friends about all the nasty things
he wanted to do to me. Nauseous at the thought, I picked up my
pace, fleeing over to the bar.

“What a jerk!” I rubbed the purple bruise his
grasp left.

“What happened?” Brad reached over the bar
and examined my arm.

“It’s fine. But mentally, I think I’m scarred
for life. That man’s so sick. You should have heard the things he
said he wanted to do to me. Brad, I need a shot.”

“Pete,” Brad called on the radio. “I need you
to get rid of—”

“You don’t have to kick them out. It’s just
that one guy that was disgusting.”

“Vlad,” Brad called over one of the waiters.
“Could you take over Nikki’s table?” Brad pointed at the group of
men.“The loud ones over there.”

I think Vlad was Russian--light hair, five
o’clock shadow, and a really cool accent. I didn’t really talk to
him, but he seemed nice enough.

“Brad, they are the last people in my
section. Let’s just say I’m off. I really need a shot.” I stared
up, batting my lashes hoping he would feel sorry for me.

“Fine, you can be off.” He smiled, pouring
the shot of Tequila and dipping the lime in salt.

“Thanks. I’m going to hang here till Emily
gets off. I don’t want to go home by myself. Em has got a couple
good tables still, so she’ll be here till closing.”

Brad began wiping down the bar. “I guess I’ll
survive.” He gave me a smirk.

“God, Brad.” I shook my head as I downed the
shot. “I’m going to have nightmares. Just the thought of that man
touching me, that is so gross.” Putting my glass down, I nodded
that I wanted another. “You gotta do one with me. Don’t make me
drink alone. It’s so slow. No one else is gonna come in. We’re
almost closed. Please?” I convinced him. We took the shot
together.

“He was horrible, Brad. I thought I was going
to have to pretend you were my boyfriend again to get rid of him.
He was so disgusting!” When guys didn’t take no for an answer, I’d
pretend Brad was my boyfriend to get them to leave me alone. He
would put his arm around me and usually the guy would back off.