Tex

Early on, Beth suspected something that just didn't seem right.  You know, that little voice in the back of your head that says something is amiss, disjointed, dangerous.  She wish she had listened.

At first, he was friendly, kind, compassionate.  He was also quiet, distant and at times seemed a little drunk.  It wasn't just the rolling of the tongue, it was more. 

He'd been through a couple of marriages. More than smart, licensed to fly helicopters, Cessna's commercial, only.  Everything she liked, he liked as well. But he was a smoker.  Liked to drink, too.  He made Beth the strongest Marguerita on the planet. And that was after she split the Marguerita with two friends and had a third of the mixture he had prepared for her.  Out on the terrace.  Under the gazebo.

Nearly ever time she would be outside, this neighbor would be on his deck.  She dreaded the sound of the slider.  His focused eyes always followed her.

Then she started seeing him in the halls, morning, noon and night.  Her evening stroll to pick up the mail almost always guaranteed she would run into Tex.  Long, tall and lanky.  He's left the hat in Texas but not the tees.  He must own fifty of them. 

"Everything's better in Texas."

It wasn't until he mentioned his latest divorce.  Number two out of two.  He wanted the first divorce; an intolerable woman.  His daughter reinforced that.  Divorce number two was his wife's doing.  She said it was a co-dependency thing.  Beth had seen that before.

She had met another man of the co-dependent style.  Had no personality of his own.  Even followed her around the store.  He was more than a pest.  He was annoying!  His identity, sadly was wrapped around every single woman he met.  He would take nearly anyone not to be alone.  He had no hobbies, no interests that she could tell.

Tex could have been his brother.  That is, until the stalking began.  Beth knew it was time to end whatever he was anticipating.