Treading The Waters [on hold]

Chapter Eight

Her mocha brown hair lies in smooth waves over her shoulders, and the ends balayage into a warm honey blonde. Her brown-green eyes have just the smallest speckle of gold in it, with warm ivory skin that is smooth and free of any scars or blemishes. Teeth that once held braces are now pearly white and straight. She truly looks like a woman now, even though she's only 23.

"How are you?" She asks, gripping me a little tighter.

"I'm good. You?"

"So, so."

We both take our seats and until now I didn't notice but Lorraine has already ordered me something both to drink and eat. I look at it quizzically to figure out what she could have ordered for me.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She nearly squeals. "I didn't even think to ask if this is what you wanted. I just... remember what you used to like here and thought I'd save us some time by ordering it ahead of time."

"No, that's fine," I say as I shake my hand at her. "I don't mind. I'm just curious as to what you got me."

"Yay!" she claps. "I got you a honey almond milk flat white and that is a white chocolate cranberry muffin."

"This looks delicious," I smile. "Thank you, Lorraine."

"It's my pleasure! And before you say anything, no, you don't have to pay me. Consider it an overdue friend date."

"Okay," I giggle.

"So, how has life in the City of Angels been since I was last there?"

I take a sip of my coffee and relish in the warmth it brings me regardless that it's in the high sixties outside.

"Life has been coasting," I laugh. "I only have one friend there; her name is Kara. I think you and her would get along great. I've went from songwriting all the time to mostly being an assistant to Brant. Then all the shit happened with work and now I'm back here."

"What's the shit that happened with work?" She questions.

"Apparently the songs I've been writing are pure garbage. I've been doing more than just my job, babysitting artists, and honestly... I think I just lost myself. I didn't realize it until Brant pointed it out when he told me to take a break, but I think here lately I've just really been sad. Writing songs doesn't satisfy like it used to, I'm more of a recluse now, and I... I just don't know what's going on with me."

"Well, have you taken any time for yourself lately?"

"Define taking time for myself..." I mutter under my breath.

"Baya," Lorraine scolds. "You haven't, have you?"

"No, I haven't. I've been too busy taking care of everything else to take care of me. Other than my daily run, I don't even know what excites me anymore."

"You don't do anything in your free time?" She asks, totally in disbelief that I don't have a life outside of what I do.

"No. I write, I run, and I drink," I chuckle.

"Baya. You really need to branch out and find some more things that you like to do."

"I promise I will as soon as life settles down a bit more." It's not a total lie, but I'm not looking to change anything right now. I need to get my career back on track before I try to piece together everything else. "What about you? How have you been?"

I start to pick my muffin apart and moan at the fruity sweetness that is the colliding flavors of rich white chocolate and tart cranberries.

"You know a bit from what I told you when I visited you those few times. The college classes I took in high school helped me get ahead so I was able to graduate a year earlier than most from West U's physician assistant program. I've been working now for about six months in the city at an emergency clinic."