Sharon spent the next three days trying to apologize to Kim but she wasn't having any of it. Her calls went straight to voicemail. Kim even blocked her on Twitter and unfriended her on Facebook. If she said she wasn't scared of losing her best friend then she'd be a monkey's uncle, aunty, niece and nephew.
Sharon had replayed the scene in her head and she still couldn't believe she said what she said. Kim had only gave her the same advice she'd given since before CJ was even born. When she admitted that Casey didn't want to be a father. He'd never wanted to be.
Kim had always been skeptical about their relationship. Most times she'd kept quiet about it but Sharon knew that Kim never liked him. Hell, she said so herself the times she couldn't keep quiet. Going on and on how they'd made sense on paper but were a mess in real life. And not appreciating how Sharon loved him more than him her.
Casey was everything she ever wanted. Good looking, graduated from a prestige university, had a steady income from practicing sports medicine and came from stable, loving family. He was almost the male version of her and together they would've had the normal life she'd craved.
Hearing Kim telling her to move on and start dating other men on top of the miserable week she had had been too much. And she was right. Yet she'd held onto hope that he'd settle down with her and CJ one day. A hope that dwindled to a speck of a dust once she'd received the invite. Still she held onto it.
It was time to let him go. Her head knew it and her heart fluttered in a losing fight to it. She didn't know how she'll do it but first Sharon had to get Kim to forgive her. She only had one card to play and its success hinged on doing it face to face.
So on day two of the James-Cooper conflict, Sharon took the afternoon off and went to Potomac Mills Mall. Where she bought two symbols of her surrender. A $100 Visa gift card. And a mix and match aromatherapy and body care gift set, painstakingly chosen, from Bath & Body Works.
Armed with the devices to getting her best friend's forgiveness, Sharon then drove up to Arlington to Kim's condo in high spirits and butterflies. Parking in the building's garage, she made her way to the elevator and press for the eleventh floor.
Sharon had keys to Kim's apartment but thought that ringing the bell would be best. Better than making her angrier by coming in, on the off chance she wasn't home, when she clearly didn't want anything to do with her at the moment.
Sharon turned right and made her way down the hall. She stopped in front of her door and knocked six times. Two slow raps, followed by three fast ones and a final knock. Their code.
She heard movement behind the door and took a deep breath. Thoughts of if Kim would open the door or not swirled inside her head until Sharon was sure she was sweating buckets of sweat. And soon she'd be standing in a puddle of it.
What if she really didn't open the door? Maybe she should've called first?
Kim must know it's me as she must be looking through the peephole. The deadbolt unlocked without a loud click and Sharon smiled. This could work out. She can fix this.
Kim opened the door wide and stood before her wearing looking like a sleepy headed fairy in a too large, wrinkly shirt that engulfed her. Her kinky curls bunched up on one side.
Sharon arched her brow at the shirt.It was black, had a golden crown in the middle and the words Sean John. Definitely, not something from her closet.
Momentarily distracted and embarrassed Sharon forgot the words to the apology she practiced. And before she could gather her thoughts, Kim gave her a wicked little grin. Right before she slammed the door in her face.
Okay. Guess she deserved that.
Sharon squared her shoulders and knocked again.
Silence.
She knocked even harder. Her speech be damned, she banged on the door and yelled, "Kim. Look, I'm sorry. You were right and I knew it. But I still didn't want to hear it, so I lashed out at you. I was wrong to do that. I'm sorry."
Silence.
"Kim, I said I'm sorry! What more you want me to say? That I was a bitch that night? Yes, I was. Again, I'm sorry. So please open the door and say you forgive me?"
Silence.
"Please," whimpered Sharon.
Silence.
"Kim." Sharon hanged her head when she realized Kim wasn't going to accept her apology. She'd just lost her best friend and over a guy. Her eyes grew hot and defeated, Sharon didn't stop the tears from falling.
She deserved this. Sharon sniffed and looked down at the package in her hands. A gift card and bath set? As if Kim would forgive her that easily.
What was she thinking?
Sharon turned and trudged down the hall and was halfway back to the elevator when she heard a door open. Followed by a moan and a familiar breathy voice saying, "Bye. See you later."
Wait a minute. Kim?
Sharon turned around and nearly collided with a tall, dark chocolate muscled man with dreadlocks wearing the same shirt Kim answered the door to.
She stared after the man until he disappeared into the elevator. He was no Casey but but that didn't mean she couldn't look. Or find another man attractive. And Kim's new guy was...yummy.
"Ahem."
Sharon turned at the sound. Kim leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms. "That for me right?"
"Huh?" Sharon was confused for a moment but then Kim nodded. Then she remembered the basket pressed against her chest. Hope flared in her chest as she almost ran back to her best, best friend in the world.
Sharon started her apology again but Kim held her arm up, her palm facing out making her come to a complete stop. She closed her mouth and waited. Whatever Kim had to say, she'll listen. Whatever Kim wanted her to do, beg and grovel, she'll do it all. Anything to make it up to her.
"Before I take that from you, you're going to promise to do a few things first."
"Yes. Anything-"
"Zip. I'm not done yet."
Sharon clamped her mouth shut.
"You're gonna call Casey and wish him congratulations." Now this, Sharon didn't think she can do. She opened her mouth to protest that she wasn't ready to do such a thing when a raised brow stopped her. "You're also gonna ask how you can help."
"After you do all that, you're going on a date. I found you two guys already. And you'll keep going on dates until you find a guy you wouldn't mind taking to Casey's wedding as your plus one. No is not an option. Promise?"
Did the world just end? Sharon was sure that it did. All this crazy talk coming from Kim about dating, clearly to get over Casey, must be because the world ended.
Dating? An image of Justin pulling her into his strong arms and giving her a searing kiss flashed in her mind but she shook the thought away.
Sharon couldn't believe it and tried to wrap her mind around it. Kim wanted her go on a date? A real date and with other guys? And have a wedding date too?
Omigod I can't breathe. Was this tight, lungs collapsing feeling a panic attack?
"Well?" Kim asked again. She stepped in front of her with hands stretched out and waited.
Realizing that Kim was dead serious Sharon sighed and placed the basket into her waiting hands. The things we do for friends she thought. "Promise."
**
Justin jerked awake and wondered where the hell he was. He'd been asleep in his bed before. So why was he sitting in front of his computer inside his home office. Then he remembered the dream.
What the fuck was that about? He'd never paid much attention to his dreams before but the one woman who could've helped him figure out what it meant, he couldn't ask for help. Not that it meant anything. They're' just dreams.
His subconscious wasn't trying to tell him how his life gone off track and out of his control since Rosa. Those websites he visited had to be American horror story wrong. Which also explained why he stopped reading. He didn't want to know what Sharon standing in the middle of the road symbolized.
Justin rubbed his eyes then read at the time on the bottom of his computer screen. It was 4:52 am.
He swore under his breath. He'd thought if he understood what the stupid dream meant so he could get it out of his head and go back to sleep. Instead he wasted an hour on Google before working on some schematic designs.
If he'd had the good doctor on speed dial she would've been the first person he'd called. Fortunately that wasn't an option as he never wanted to see, speak or hear her voice again. Especially that voice.
Justin shook his head. The woman was driving him crazy and they weren't even together...in his bed, her legs wrapped around his waist as he buried deep inside her...Fuck!
"I need a shower," mumbled Justin. He jumped out of his chair, ran up the stairs into his bedroom and into his master bath. He stripped off his clothes and turned the shower nozzle on the right full blast.
The cold water hit him like an iceberg and he welcomed it. But the heat that sprang to his cock from the image of the doctor seared into his brain became hotter. He grunted in pain and defeat.
The damn cold shower hadn't worked. If he didn't know any better, it actually felt a bit warm. Giving up, he turned off the shower, grabbed a towel by the bathroom door and wrapped it around his waist. He stomped toward his dresser and pulled out a boxer, socks, a black basketball short and a white tee.
Justin pealed off the towel and dressed quickly. He was going for a run before heading to work. The mother of all, rabid zombies chasing after you kind of run. A man on a mission, Justin dashed down the stairs, slipped on his sneakers and set the alarm to away.
It was still dark out but the thin line of yellow from the east would soon turn into streaks of bright reds and oranges. He turned right and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. He was in a race to beat the sun from fully breaking out and soon he fell into the rhythm.
He passed homes as snug in the darkness as the families inside peacefully asleep in their beds. Everything was quiet, his feet hitting the pavement and his breaths, the only sounds in the early morning. A lone ranger, up at an ungodly hour, desperately running from his demons.
And Justin kept running until his shirt was drenched with sweat , pushing through burning lungs and the stabbing pain in his sides. He finally slowed down to a walk a mile from his home after what must have been almost seven miles. Holding his sides, he breathed deep in and out, to help slow his heart rate and catch his breath.
Wow, thought Justin. Back when he played ball for Howard he could've ran ten miles no problem. Guess his quarterback days were over but still he shouldn't be wheezing this hard. Will have to go back to the gym and lift some weights. He remembered seeing Xsport fitness across from Applebee's the other day...
Justin grounded to a halt. Dr. Cooper's office was across the street from it too. He chuckled drily and looked up to the sky. "I can't get away from her huh?"
Of course there was no answer. Justin shook his head and fished out his house keys. He shut the door with his foot, silenced his alarm and toed off his sneakers before dashing upstairs to take a shower and get dressed for work.
Twenty minutes later he was eating Mama King's porridge and fried dumplings for breakfast as he packed the rest of the roti, curry chicken and rice and peas for lunch. Then he rinsed out his bowl, grabbed his car keys, lunch and USB drive with his latest designs and left for work.
By the time he arrived at the commuter lot as usual a line of sluggers long enough to rival the lines whenever a new iPhone is released waited at specific spots. Waiting to get a ride into the city taking on the new expressway. Convenient if you didn't want to waste gas money or deal with the price gouging to use the expressway to get to work. The slugging system had has been around for more than twenty years. Terrell called it organized hitch hiking.
Justin picked up two travelers and despite traffic and an accident on the 14th bridge, made it to DC with an hour to spare. DC was a mix of old and new, classic and modern. A dichotomy between the two architectural styles, pressed together in a tiny city, with hard to drive through narrow streets even with a GPS.
After dropping off his passengers on the corner of 14th and Penn, he drove down to M St and turned left. He soon pulled into the underground parking garage of his work office building. Like much of the other half of the city, the building where the architecture firm he worked for was made of metal and glass.
Personally, Justin preferred the neoclassical and Roman inspired buildings built in the 1900s. The older buildings had more history while the newer, modern ones made him feel a bit cold.
The firm's suite on the second floor was deserted. At least he thought it was until he heard the sniveling voice of Anders as he made his way to his desk. Justin sighed and turned around.
A reed thin, sallow faced man stalked towards him. Justin's gaze immediately went to the man's receding hairline which made his round forehead even more bulbous. Which also earned him the nickname Lightbulb Head around the office.
Justin didn't know why but Anders had a bug up his ass for the past few months. He wouldn't have cared either if Justin hadn't been on the receiving end of it most of the time.
"Where were you yesterday," demanded Anders. He stopped at his desk, arms crossed with narrowed eyes, as if he hoped to catch him in a lie.
Justin breathed deep as he could, not wanting to inhale the strong smell of smoke coming from the man. He slowly released it as he shrugged out of his jacket and hanged it on the back of his chair. "I took a sick day."
"Funny. You don't look sick," sneered Anders. "Where were you really?"
None of your damn business, thought Justin. Instead, he crossed his arms, to keep himself from decking the guy. "I took a sick day because I had a doctor's appointment. You can ask Ron."
"I will," harrumphed Anders, obviously unhappy with his answer, before he marched back to his office around the corner.
Fuck, get off my dick already.
Justin sank into his seat and rubbed his neck. Shit, the man and his mood swings. Terrell would've said Anders needed to get laid. At this point, he'd agree. A sated Anders will probably be best for everybody in the firm.
Whatever the problem was it could only be about two things. Money and women. And now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen or heard Anders bragging about his hot girlfriend.
Hell, did his work environment really hinge on his director's love and sex life?
Or he could just leave. But he liked working for Ron. He was a good man. Maybe too good as he just had to send him to a woman who could drive him crazier than his ex-wife and he hadn't even touched her yet.
"Justin," said a booming voice behind him.
Justin jumped in his chair. He swiveled around to look up at a concerned Ron. He felt torn between feeling thankful and irritated that Ron interrupted his thoughts of Dr. Cooper.
With his red hair, freckles and stocky build he easily passed as a Weasley. For a man in his fifties he certainly lived up to his namesake always popping up at the wrong moment like now. And made a believable youngest son of the fictional family last Halloween, broken and taped up wand with slugs down the front of his cape.
"Morning Ron."
"So, how it'd go yesterday?" He shook his furiously and raised the palm of his hand before Justin answered. "You don't have to tell me details. The whole patient-doctor confidentiality thing. But what you think? Good, yeah?"
Justin squirmed. He promised he'd give it a try but Justin had hightailed out of there as fast as he could. Really, what was Ron thinking sending him to a woman like that. Weren't therapists supposed to be old, saggy marmy looking know it alls with their glasses, plaid outfits and stocky shoes? Though from what he glimpsed from the top half of Dr. Cooper, shrinks definitely shouldn't have sinful bodies men gladly go to hell for.
Justin wrenched his mind from the images of the doctor with his mind made up. Now to tell Ron his decision. "Look, I know you sent me there because you were concerned about me. But I don't think this therapy thing gonna work."
"Nonsense." Ron waved his hand, brushing off his remark. "It's working."
Justin tried his best not to roll his eyes. Considering his good mood, opposite to Anders, Ron must've gotten some this morning and still riding the sexual high. "What makes you so sure?"
"You were smiling just now?"
He was smiling?
"No I wasn't," denied Justin. He could feel his heart rate increasing and hoped he wasn't blushing as he remembered what he was thinking about before Ron called out to him. Which also reminded him the question he meant to ask when Ron first referred him to Dream Counseling, LLC. Hopefully change the conversation too.
"Hey Ron" asked Justin, his curiosity growing. "Why a dream therapist? Why not a regular one?"
"Hmm," said Ron. He sat on the edge of Justin's desk and crossed his legs at the ankles. "I was a mess after my divorce too you know. Started drinking, became a recluse. Only going out to work and come back to an empty home."
Ron paused. Justin leaned forward and waited for him to on. "It'd gotten so bad friends and family suggested many times to go therapy. They were right. I didn't think seeing a regular psychiatrist would help. That I might need something different, more. I stumbled on dream therapy and here I am."
Justin felt that Ron didn't share the complete truth of what really happened but he didn't press for details. He understood the pain, the hurt and the anger. He can relive the day Rosa left down to her nail design. He knew alright.
Instead and still dubious he asked, "And it worked?"
"Course." Ron grinned. "I went to the best. And you're going to the best of the best. With how I see it, I bet you'll be back to your 100% self in no time."
Ron stood up and patted Justin's shoulder as he sauntered toward his office. He started after the man, confused on how easily sidestepped Justin trying to renege on his promise.
Dr. Cooper was the best of the best? No, there had to be someone better than her. If he couldn't get out of therapy, he'd just find someone else.
Sorry it took longer than I thought to get chapter 5 up. Had a bit of a block. Plus It was back to school last week and after the past few days, I'm sorely in need for a vacation after my vacation.
Anyways, what do you think of this song? I just love Usher's voice and I was 90% sure it was him singing on this song but I couldn't figure out who the girl singing was. So I was on the hunt on Google for the song, and the more I listened to the lyrics the more I thought it'd be the perfect song for chapter 5. You know since someone(s), although they're denying/suppressing their attraction, has a crush on each other.
Are you enjoying the story so far? Was Kim's 'punishment' harsh or too soft? And I guess it's safe to say Justin's in a losing battle if even taking a cold shower didn't help at all.
As you know, Dreaming of You is in the Wattys and any support you can give by voting/liking or sharing it on Twitter or other social media will be much appreciated. I'd love to hear your comments as well.
Thanks! :-D