"I haven't but I might have to now," Vera said thoughtfully. "It sounds interesting."
Casey smiled, relieved. She didn't think he was weird yet and he was determined to keep it that way. He had dealt with people in a business capacity long enough to be able to tell when they were being polite in customer service mode as opposed to when they were being genuine.
Vera's smiles were of the genuine variety. She actually enjoyed talking to him. He could tell.
He had no idea why though since he wasn't much of a conversationalist. Maybe it was because people who liked to talk a lot needed people to listen to them.
Not being able to talk to her like this was going to throw him off, wasn't it? He had gotten used to seeing her almost every day, which was stupid because it was only for work.
They weren't friends. Casey didn't have friends. All he had was Kane because they had been a package deal their whole lives. He had stopped wanting friends a long time ago so what was wrong with him?
He wasn't allowed to like Vera. Not at all. She was way out of his league in every possible category.
===
Vera wasn't sure she had ever enjoyed working on a project offsite as much as she had this one. Most of the time she had to work in silence, unable to even put in headphones on case her client needed to talk to her. It wouldn't be professional.
She never talked to them like this. They weren't interested. They let her do her thing and hung out in another room.
Not Casey though. He didn't care if she rambled forever and actually seemed to enjoy it.
Vera was relieved that he seemed to grow more comfortable with her over time. Not only did he spend less time as a human tomato, he didn't stutter as much or seem nearly as nervous even though he was still shy.
At this point he felt like a friend. That meant he wouldn't mind if she wanted to stay in touch after the project was over, right? After all, they were neighbors.
She didn't know anyone else in her complex unless you counted the landlord and she didn't because he lived somewhere else. She had to remain professional though because he knew her through a work capacity and she didn't want to miss out on any potential referrals to people he might know by overstepping.
Though if he was this nervous around everyone, it was unlikely he was the type of person who would talk to anyone enough to give a referral. Still. She was a businesswoman and had to retain her professional ethics.
She thought about all of this as she visited her (unfortunately not lucid today) aunt. She gave Tilly a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and fluffed up her pillows before heading out.
When she arrived home she found something on her doorstep. A box. She opened it and discovered a bouquet of flowers inside. Orchids. Her favorite.
There wasn't a card and Vera grew uneasy. Who would know what her favorite flower was, let alone where she lived? Tilly would have left a card if she was the one who did this, wouldn't she?
Dread flooded through her when she thought back to the pizza from several weeks ago. The one she hadn't ordered. What if it hadn't been from Tilly either? What if some random stranger was the one giving her gifts?
But how would a random stranger know what she liked on her pizza and what her favorite flower was? Don't tell her she had a stalker!
Vera sunk to her knees. What was she supposed to do? Call the police?
She gathered her wits about her and took the box with the bouquet inside to use it as evidence before calling the non-emergency line. She was put on hold forever and remembered her conversation the other day with Casey about hold music with a somewhat hysterical laugh.
"Seattle Police Department, how can I help you?" a voice asked after what seemed like hours of slowly going insane to that music.
"Hi, um, I'm not positive about this but I think I have a stalker," Vera said anxiously. "I've been receiving anonymous gifts to my work and apartment that seem like they're from someone who knows me well but I don't get out much so I have no idea who they could be coming from or why."
"What sort of gifts? When?"
"The first one was a few weeks ago…I don't remember the exact day. But I got a pizza delivered to the back door at my antique shop. No one should have even known I was there because it was after hours and my workshop isn't visible from the front.
"The second was just now and it was a bouquet of flowers in a box at the front door of my apartment. I came home and found it there. Both the pizza and the flowers were my favorites and I can't think of anyone who would have that information plus my address aside from my aunt, who lives in a nursing home and has dementia.
"I don't think she would have done this. She would have said the gifts were from her if she was the one who sent them because we're close. I visit her almost every day. I'm kind of freaking out!" Vera confessed, her voice hitching in panic.
"It's going to be okay," the operator said soothingly. "I'm going to send a couple of officers to look into this further. What is your address?"
She gave it nervously and slumped down on her couch with a racing heart while she waited for the police to come. She had been hungry before she arrived but her appetite had fled as soon as she realized what might be going on.