Chapter 10
The morning after a party is never normally that great. Except today. I feel wide awake and ready for anything. (Probably because I didn’t actually drink anything, but, hey.) Very surprisingly I managed to fall asleep pretty quickly, turning my phone off and literally falling asleep the second my eyes were closed.
Although I’m awake, I’m not actually up. I’m normally pretty good at getting up in the morning, but this morning the bed just seems too comfortable. And I know that when I get out of bed I’ll have to start getting ready. And I don’t know what to wear; I haven’t been on any kind of date in a long, long time. And, when I was with Cole, we’d known each other so long before we got together, that he already knew how I dressed, so I never tried particularly hard to plan an outfit. But, for Clay, I would definitely like to, as I feel I kinda need to.
I desperately want to hear his voice, silky and deep. I could listen to him talk like I could music. But, I now realise, after that whole evening with him, I can’t speak to him, as I never got his number. So now I can’t hear his voice until eleven. And what if he changes his mind? I’ll just be sitting here, waiting, and not knowing that he’s thought better of this whole thing and stayed at home. He may not even want my number.
But then, none of last night would have happened, would it? And we wouldn’t have a plan for today, would we? I switch on my phone, thinking that maybe, as if by some miracle, he’d managed to get hold of my number. Even if it was only to let me know that he didn’t want to see me today. I should stop thinking about things like this sometimes. It annoys me, but I can’t get my brain to switch off a lot of the time.
My phone buzzes quite a few times once everything has loaded up. Okay, so it’s not like I never get any messages, but I certainly never normally get this many. I leave it on the covers in front of me as it continues to buzz away at me, and wait.
I pick up the phone when it finally stops, and see one very long list of missed calls and messages. I have three missed calls from Idris, but then also, two missed calls from an unknown number and a huge list of messages from Cole. Really, Cole? Why was he trying to contact me?
I know I should probably be more worried about that, but I’m completely distracted by the unknown number, my heart begins to pound as my mind instantly jumps to the possibility of it being Clay trying to get hold of me, somehow managed to get hold of my number. I think I’d burst if that was the case.
I have to at least try to see whether it’s him, so I send a text. I wait for a few seconds after sending it; hoping that if it is Clay, he’d reply instantly. Nothing comes, so I send Idris a text to ask why he was trying to get hold of me last night, and then eventually start to look through the messages from Cole. I may as well go through them. When I begin reading, my mood from before begins to drop, dread of what the next one will say taking over.
There are almost twenty messages sent from him, all starting from around the time we saw him at the house. I am so crap with my cell, that I didn’t see any of them.
Why are you with Clay, Ada?
Has he told you?
No, he can’t have.
I stop on this one. What is he talking about? What is it I need to know about him? I don’t believe there is anything about him that could put me off. I don’t want to read on. I don’t want to find out anything from Cole, if it should come from Clay anyway. That is if he’s telling the truth. But I don’t want to risk it. I lock my phone and throw it back on the bed.
After a long time having a weird staring contest with the wall, I decide that I should just read them. I pick it up. And almost at that exact moment, Cole calls me. Why is he calling, now?
Ada! Answer your phone!
What the hell is this? It’s the day after now, why does he want to get hold of me so bad? I don’t answer him, just go through the messages. I start from where I left off:
Ask him.
Cole is the only one who knew him before. But he can’t be telling the truth, it’s just Cole being Cole.
What are you doing? Answer.
Be careful, Ada. You’re better. X
Okay, seriously? I can’t believe this. I can’t. There was nothing about Clay indicating anything to be wary of. I don’t want to read this; he’s trying to ruin everything. Again, another person Cole is telling me I can’t speak to.
He’ll fuck with you Ada.
What are you doing?
Each message is sent within seconds or minutes of each other. There is a large gap between about twelve and one, but then they start up just the same.
Ada, why?
He’ll just use you. Leave.
What does he think would happen to me? After almost a year without seeing or speaking to him, he suddenly feels it appropriate to tell me who not to hang out with. To scare me into believing Clay is not who he says he is. He can’t be this person Cole is so afraid of. If he was, Cole wouldn’t have known him, he didn’t talk to people he didn’t like, hence him pulling me away from Evelyn last year.
I can’t imagine Clay using me for anything. For what anyway? What could he possibly use me for?
But no. No. this is just Cole trying to freak me out. Get me to go running back to him.
But I do doubt. I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. There is nothing to doubt. He did nothing to me whilst I was with him. I felt safe with him.
But they continue:
Call me, Ada
Wherever you are. Leave
I love you Ada
What the hell? No he doesn’t. What is he doing?
I don’t want to lose you.
He has already, but certainly not because of Clay. He lost me long before that. There is no longer anything to lose.
Has he told you yet?
Tell me you ran.
Come to me, Ada.
Ran from what? And why would I go to him even if I felt the need to run. He has to be drunk. There was so much alcohol there, he must have gone to the party when he left us, and then drank. A lot. He is making no sense, none of this works. There is nothing bad about Clay. He didn’t really even try to do anything else but kiss me.
ARE YOU OK!
Yes. I was fine until this.
For the love of god Ada! Answer your fucking phone!
I want those lips. Come to me.
Now he has revealed himself. He had to have been making that up. There is nothing wrong with Clay. I am annoyed he had made me doubt him. Even for that moment. There are only a couple left, but the next one shocks me the most.
I slept with Nina and Gia, and all I could think of was you.
God, no! Nina and Gia? Gia? What the fuck? Why in the world would that ever be a thing? And why is he telling me? Nina isn’t a shock but Gia really is, as that means Cole is no longer who he was, as I really can’t see Gia being a person who would date Cole. I don’t want to register the latter half of that message. We did sleep together. He was my first, but I don’t want to think of him thinking of me like that anymore. That was a long time ago now, and I try not to think about it. We are over, and that was over with it.
His mind seems to be all over the place, he has to have been really drunk, as I can’t imagine him acting like this sober.
I’m crazy about you, Ada.
Oh, god. He acts as though we only broke up yesterday. I want to phone and get some answers to why he is acting like this. He only broke with Nina this week, and already he wants to rebound with his ex-girlfriend? Am I getting the wrong impression here? I really don’t know.
I give up.
Just tell me when you’re home. Xx
After the last two messages, he phoned me, which was at about three, and now a message this morning asking if I’m okay, so he clearly still wants to speak to me.
I decide I will text him. I don’t want to be dwelling on it all without getting any answers.
Cole, can you explain any of that?
He replies instantly. It reminds me that I have still had no response from the unknown number. Hopefully that means it’s not Clay, as I would have thought he’d have got back to me already. But, it’s still disappointing.
Finally!
I wait to see if he says anything else.
Are you ok?
I'm not here for small talk. Tell me what the hell is going on.
I’ll call you
I won’t answer.
He calls.
You didn’t answer.
No.
Let me speak to you, it will be easier.
You are speaking to me
No, I want to hear your voice.
He calls again. This time I pick up.
‘Hey, hon’.’
I groan. ‘Tell me what’s going on.’
‘No, look, just, are you okay?’ He asks, sounding concerned.
‘I’m fine, Cole. Just tell me what that was all about.’
‘I want to see you Ada, after I saw you, outside Nina’s, I haven’t stopped thinking about you. Let me see you again.’ After the few hours last night with hearing Clay’s voice, Cole’s is an unwanted change. A voice that used to speak to me all the time suddenly becomes like glass paper in comparison.
‘No, Cole, I’m sorry, no. Just, for god’s sake, explain yourself. What did you mean?’
‘I wanted to make sure you were okay.’
I try not to exhale in annoyance. ‘Why were you so desperate to do that?’
‘I want to see you again, when I can, we can talk.’
‘What was all that about Clay, though?’
‘I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you at home?’ He asks. He keeps repeating himself! He wasn’t like this when we were together – I was never really annoyed with him because of this type of thing before.
‘Yes, I’m at home. Why would I not have been okay?’
‘Because, Ada, you need to be careful.’
I hang up. He’s just deliberately being frustrating now.
He rings back, and I don’t answer again.
You hung up.
I did. Where are you?
I think I should probably see him to get some more information from him. I don’t really want to, but it might be the best way.
In my bed.
Come to mine.
Right now I’m almost one hundred present sure that what he was saying was just his lame attempt to get me to come running to him. Should I meet him, though? Get whatever it is he wants to tell me about Clay out of the way? I don’t think I should be worried about what he has to say, but I think I should maybe at least hear him out. Shouldn’t I?
Look, Cole, I’ll see you, but I’m not going to yours. I need to go to the store in a bit. I’ll meet you there, 9:30?
Okay, see you in the parking lot. Cosco?
Yeah.
So, I’m going to meet him. Not sure whether it’s the best idea, but it’s done now. I probably won’t tell Clay . . . But I don’t know, maybe I should?
‘Ada?’ I hear Helena ask through the door, on her way past, which she does every morning – on her way to make Adam’s breakfast.
‘Yep?’ I call back, sitting up a bit in bed in case she opens the door.
She does, and smiles when she sees me. ‘Was it a good party last night?’ She asks, stepping in the room, but still holding the door open.
‘Yeah, was pretty good.’ I say, making sure the covers are pulled up around me.
‘Great. No Evelyn though?’ She asks, seemingly confused, because normally after any kind of party, Evelyn would come and stay here, or I at hers. But no, not last night. Although she probably should have stayed here, would have been easier.
‘No, not today.’ I say.
‘Well, she’s always welcome.’
‘Thanks, Lena.’
For a fleeting moment there’s a look of sadness on her face, but she quickly hides it and moves on, so I have no idea what that was about. ‘Hey, are you still alright to give me a ride over to Christa’s? Adams is still at the garage, and I think it will be for a while.’ She grimaces at the thought of this.
‘Yeah, sure. What time again?’ I ask, taking a look at the time on my phone.
‘Nine? I’m sorry that it’s so early, Ada.’
‘No, don’t worry, I should get up anyway.’ I say, smiling. ‘That’s fine, I’ll be down in a sec then.’
‘Thanks, hon’.’ At that, she leaves the room, allowing me time to get ready.
Now I go back to thinking about meeting Cole. And thinking that I probably shouldn’t have arranged it. As, if Clay did find out, I doubt he’d be too pleased. Oh, I don’t know, but I think I'm gonna have to talk to Cole and then tell Clay about it.
I get up and head straight to the shower, and as the water washes over me I try and forget about having to meet Cole at all. I shower quickly though, and wrap a towel around myself, going out to perch on the edge of the bed, where I take a look at the messages I got through whilst I was in there.
I have a couple new messages actually, I really am popular this morning. There’s one from Evelyn, which is weird, considering I thought she’d be dead to the world for at least a few more hours. Then there’s one from the unknown number. I’m just about to open it when I realise what time it is, and that I should really be getting ready.
I get up and get into some underwear, before having a look for something to wear.
I’m just pulling a pair of jeans out a draw when my door is suddenly wide open, and Adam is standing in the centre of the doorway. The first thing I feel is shock, and then I think he does too. I quickly lift the nearest jacket and cover myself.
‘Adam, what the hell are you doing!?’ I cry, ‘knock next time, will you?’
He just exhales really loudly and then walks out as if frustrated. What the hell was that about? ‘Just making sure you were up.’ He calls through the door before it’s closed completely.
‘Well, yes, I’m up, but I’m sure there is probably another way you could have determined that.’ I call through the door after it’s closed, whilst attempting to hide any thread of anger in my voice, but it comes through a little.
I get no reply, so I just continue getting dressed. I really need a lock on my door.
I grab the pair of comfy black jeans I’d been pulling out the drawer, and a blouse I got the other week, and head to my dresser. Quickly changing and then drying my hair before tying it up saves some time; I could normally spend half an hour just trying to flatten it out otherwise. I run a brush through it, but it’s nothing special, Evelyn would kill me if she saw me like this. I dab on a little foundation and mascara. My dark hair frames my face, and the mascara brings out the color of my eyes, but other than that, it’s pretty basic. I leave my lips bare, as normal. Hopefully I’ll be back before I get picked up by Clay. I don’t know whether he’d appreciate me looking like this either.
The lightly colored blouse I pull on washes me out a little, but I really don’t want to dig through my stack of laundry to find something else. Also, there probably isn’t enough time if I’m going to be ready for Lena. I slip on some flats and take a glance in the mirror. My hair, even tied back, falls down past the ledge of my shoulders and down the centre of my back, more curled than normal as I’ve just dried it, could be better, but I think it looks okay.
They won’t like the fact I’m wearing pants at work later, so I should probably change when I get back from meeting Clay. I grab my phone and shove it in my bag, heading for the door. Lena is running past as I come out, going towards her bedroom.
‘I’ll be there in a sec.’ She calls behind her
‘Okay.’ Why do we all get up this early on a Saturday? I bet no one else is. Anywhere.
I go straight to the kitchen to make some coffee. I don’t even like it that much, but I really need some caffeine right about now. Adam emerges from the utility room when I get to the fridge. He eyes me, but keeps his head down, still angry, or embarrassed by earlier I guess. At least he’ll never do it again. I ignore him, pouring a large mug full of coffee, with next to no milk and a few sugars. My cell buzzes again from inside my bag, but I choose to ignore.
‘You look lovely, Ada.’ Helena chimes, coming into the kitchen. Adam disappears again. ‘Is that the one you got last week?’
‘Yep.’
‘Gorgeous.’ She says, pulling lightly at the capped sleeve. She pours herself a cup as well, and sits opposite me at the breakfast bar. ‘So, it was good last night then?’ She asks again.
‘Yeah, it was okay.’ I didn’t consciously decide to hide how much I actually enjoyed last night. But now that I think about it, I would much rather my evening with Clay stay as just that. And not broadcasted to others. ‘I wasn’t back too late, but I ended up being the ride home.’
‘Ah, I used to hate being the one lumbered with that job.’ She smiles. ‘But no Evelyn, haven’t seen her in a while actually.’
I shake my head, shrugging a little. ‘She’s just been pretty busy I guess.’
‘Something up?’
‘No, nothing. She just wanted to be at home, we didn’t feel like it.’ Lena can almost always tell if something is wrong, like some motherly instinct, even though she isn’t my mom. I won’t reveal quite how drunk Evelyn was, however good she’d be about it.
‘Oh, right. Well, like I said, she’s welcome any time.’
‘So you need to be at Christa’s for nine, right?’ I ask, changing the subject.
‘Yeah, is that okay?’
‘Sure.’
‘Thank you. I’ve been looking forward to this. But, sorry to get you up on a Saturday.’ She does look excited, and maybe a little concerned about getting me up, but not much.
‘Oh, yeah, right – it’s a spa day. Should be nice.’ I finish the last bit of my coffee and rinse out the cup. ‘And, don’t worry, I was up already.’
‘We should do one at some point, Ada. A spa day or something.’
‘That would be nice.’
‘I’ll get on to it.’ I smile at her attempt to try having a bit more bonding time. We don’t do many things together.
She stands and the light weight top she wears conceals her pregnant stomach. She looks great, as though she has already had the spa day.
‘What?’ She asks, looking down at herself to see if she missed something.
‘Nothing bad,’ I say, giggling, ‘just that you look nice today – very . . . sophisticated.’
She smiles, and shakes her head. Not accepting the compliment. She never does. Another giggle about to escape from my mouth stops as I remember what Clay said about it yesterday. Memories of his mouth on mine afterwards come flooding back, and all I want to do is get this over and done with, so I can see him. I glance at the clock and tell Lena we’ve got ten minutes. She starts for the hall to put her bag together. I go and choose a jacket to wear from the pegs just as Adam comes out from the living room, dressed now and in jeans and a flannel shirt. He sees Lena and goes straight over to her. He doesn’t see me. He kisses the back of her neck and pulls her to him.
‘Hello.’ She says, turning round to face him.
I drop one of Lena’s belts on the floor accidently, and the sound has him quickly turning towards me. He lets go of Lena and nods at me before going towards the kitchen, the opposite direction from me entirely.
‘What’s up with him today?’ She asks, coming over to me.
‘He got a shock when he came to make sure I was up this morning.’ I say, not really wishing to reveal the details, it would make us both uncomfortable.
‘What kind of shock? He looked suddenly terrified.’ She laughs.
I wouldn’t say terrified, but it’s true, he definitely looked pretty freaked out. ‘Well he came in my room, just as I was starting to get dressed.’ I say, grimacing.
‘Oh, god.’ She laughs. ‘Sorry about that.’ She reaches forward and rubs my arm, sincerity in her eyes.
‘Don’t worry, I doubt it’ll happen again.’
‘Yeah, he looked pretty terrified.’
‘Shall we go then?’ I ask.
‘Yep all set.’ She smiles and starts to put her coat on.
I have to go back to the kitchen, unfortunately, to fetch my bag. I make my way in, not wanting to find him there, yet he’s at the breakfast bar. To my surprise he hands over my purse, looking away from me as he does it however.
‘Adam. You can look at me, I am wearing clothes.’ He actually goes slightly pink at my words. He nods, but doesn’t look at me.
‘Sorry, Ada.’ He turns to his cereal. ‘I . . . It won’t happen again.’
‘I know. See you later.’
He grunts a good bye.
‘Ada?’ Lena calls from the hall.
I appear and she opens the front door.
‘Ready?’
‘Yep.’ I go to the car, whilst she holds back to say good bye to Adam.
I pull out the drive and idle in front of the house for her. She gets in a little while later, throwing her stuff into the back; breathless and slightly pink in the cheeks. Adam stands at the door, waving her off.
‘I love this car. I want one.’
I scoff at her, ‘Lena you have one of the newest Audi’s you can get. I don’t think you want to get one of these.’
‘Sure, but they’re so cute.’
‘Did you just say, cute?’ I ask, smirking, she never says things like that.
‘I did.’ She says, laughing with me. We sit in silence for the rest of the journey, until she suddenly comes out with a question which I can tell she has been desperate to say. ‘You were in something, weren’t you?’ Although she doesn’t put it into context, I know what she’s talking about.
‘I was in my underwear, Lena. Don’t worry, it won’t scar him forever.’ I laugh at her exhalation of breath, kind of grateful she’s worried about it.
‘Good. It would have been worse on all of us if you hadn’t.’
‘Lena, quit worrying.’ I say, laughing, ‘we’re all fine.’
‘I know, hon’.’ She smiles.
‘Well, thanks, Ada. I’ll see you later.’ She says as we pull up outside Christa’s
‘I’m working tonight, so I might not see you. Have fun.’
‘I will, don’t work too hard.’ She pouts at me, she is always telling me I don’t need to work, but I don’t want them to buy all my clothes and other pay outs, as well as pay for my housing. So I earn to buy my own stuff.
I pull away and wave a good bye, before she turns and heads up to the house.
I decide that there isn’t much point in going home, then going back out again to meet Cole, so I just text him to ask if he can meet me in a minute instead. He replies quickly and says he’ll be there. So I head over to the Cosco, I need a few essentials. Also, I might invite Clay over for lunch or something later. I don’t have to be at work until four, so we’ll have time. When I reach the parking lot outside, the place is already filling up, at this early hour. The coffee buzz has finally kicked in, so I feel pretty awake.
I park in a space next to a black BMW, a lot like Clay’s. Just so I can pretend he is here with me. I know, sad and stalkery, but he really brings it out in me. The red and the black contrast each other nicely, I might add.
I get out and open the side door, reaching for my jacket that fell on the floor during the drive. As I bend down to get it, someone’s hand is placed and rests on my back. I am still for a moment. It comes from the side the black car is on. Maybe it was Clay’s? And he just happens to be here as well or something.
I straighten up and get fully out the car. He doesn’t say anything. I really hope it’s him, as otherwise I'm gonna be pretty damn freaked out.
I turn just as he speaks, having removed his hand. ‘Hey, Ada.’ His hand goes to touch me again.
I can’t say anything. I stand, open mouthed, staring at him. ‘What the hell are you doing?’ I push his hands away from me. ‘Get your hands off me!’
‘Calm down. You said you wanted to see me.’
‘Yes, Cole, to talk!’ He takes a couple of steps back, but in the enclosed space, it doesn’t create much distance. I am embarrassed that I didn’t instantly remove his hand when he first touched me. That I thought he was Clay.
‘Okay, then talk to me.’
‘That was my plan, then you go and do that. For heaven’s sake, Cole.’ I step even further back from him. ‘You shouldn’t have done that.’ I say, pretty pissed off, it’s a violation.
‘You look gorgeous, Ada, as usual.’
‘Oh, god, shut up! Tell me what you were talking about last night.’
‘Ada, it was all true.’ Can I believe a word he tells me?
‘What, you were truthfully terrified that Clay would hurt me, and that I should come running to you?’
‘No, I was worried about you, sure, but I didn’t think he’d hurt you.’
Okay, so that was a bit of an over-exaggeration on my part. But still, he almost made out like that was the reason. ‘Well, what did you think he would do?’ I ask.
‘I just . . . I don’t think he’s good for you.’ So there is probably nothing wrong with Clay, he just doesn’t want me with him.
‘It’s none of your business who I’m with.’ I say, exasperated.
‘I was just looking out for you, hon’.’
‘Don’t call me “hon’” please, Cole, don’t.’
‘Well, Ada, I was just looking out for you.’
‘What harm could he have possibly done in one evening, Cole? Seriously, what? I’m trying to figure out why you would feel so strongly about this. Tell me what you’re thinking, as there is clearly something you’re holding back.’
‘I don’t want to see you get hurt.’
‘What, physically, or mentally?’ I scoff.
‘Mentally, Ada. God, he’s not a psycho.’
‘I didn’t think he was, but it was apparent in your messages that you might think he is. And, anyway, I think I can cope.’
‘Well, I warned you, Ada. You’re not gonna budge, so I won’t bother you anymore. Just don’t forget that you’ve been warned about him. Be wary.’
I don’t think there really could be anything too wrong with Clay, and I can cope with mental pain, I’ve done it before. I will cope if anything happens, I’m not an idiot, if it ever looks like Clay is who Cole seems to think he is, then I’ll get away from him. I just nod. ‘Okay, well . . . noted. I’m going shopping now.’ I say, turning away from him, closing the car door.
‘Be careful, Ada.’
I ignore his last comment, and leave him.
I had enjoyed being with Cole at the time, but now the thought of it has no appeal at all. It’s not that he was horrible to be around or that I can’t bear to look at him, I just know that Clay is all I want now. No one else. Maybe, if I still felt something towards him, I’d feel flattered by his looking out for me. Maybe I was a bit harsh with him. Maybe he was just trying to help? Look out for an old friend?
No, I know Cole, there is usually an ulterior motive for anything he does. Not a good trait in a person, I really am not so sure why I ever dated him sometimes.
He doesn’t try to stop me as I head towards the building. I head straight into the store, which is surprisingly busy for this time on a Saturday, and whilst heading over to the aisle I want, I pull out my phone, and finally get the chance to go through my messages.
I have two from Evelyn now:
Sooo sorry about last night.
I feel like shit. Hope all is ok? Xx
You should be sleeping it off right now, Ev! And don’t worry, just glad you got home safe. Xx
I look at the messages from the unknown number next. My heart beats faster as I press on it. Once the message is open it’s so disappointing. I guess I’d kinda been counting on it being Clay.
Amy, its George, pick up will you?
Great. Wrong number. There is another from not too long ago as well, telling Amy to wake up. I text back, telling them he’s got the wrong one. I exit the inbox and sit back. Realising now just how much I had riding on that message. I want to speak to Clay. All I want to do is speak to him, even if I am going to see him in a couple hours.
I get to the pasta aisle and grab a few things to make spaghetti, as that’s an easy enough thing to cook. I’m not a good cook really at all, but I figure that if this meeting goes well with Clay, I might invite him over for lunch or something. I don’t know whether I will for definite, but it’s always good to be prepared. I grab a few other things I need and head over to the check-out and pile it all onto the conveyer belt. The woman behind it looks me up and down, quite obviously, then judges what I’m buying.
‘Paper or plastic?’ She asks, whilst scanning things through.
‘Paper, please.’ I start packing everything in once she passes a bag over, eyeing her pissed off expression. Obviously working in this store everyday isn’t very enjoyable.
I pay her and get out quickly; she really is looking at me like it’s my fault she has to work there. I leave the store and head straight over to Red, glad that Cole is definitely not here anymore. I am confused as to why he suddenly feels he needs to look out for me like this. I mean, when we were together, sure, he would look out for me and showed that he did actually care for me. Even at one point started saying he loved me. But I haven’t heard from him in months, and now he feels he needs to keep an eye on me, and warn me about who I date. Maybe I should be worried. I really don’t know what to think about all this.
Once I’m home, it’s only about half nine, so I have plenty of time to change and sort myself out before meeting Clay. I just think that it’s going to be so nice to just besomewhere, doing something with Clay. I think that I really like him, already, but I don’t know whether he feels the same. I guess maybe today, if we start to find out more about each other, it might become more apparent how he feels. I get the impression that, at least, he wants to hang out with me. So it can’t be all bad.
I decide to leave my hair tied up, but put on a little more make-up than earlier. I take off the blouse and try on a few others to go with my jeans, but in the end just pull the pale one back on – getting frustrated with everything else. I shouldn’t be getting this flustered.
At about ten I make my way downstairs, after trying on almost every shirt in my wardrobe, and still wearing what I was in earlier. I hang around the kitchen for a while, making a drink when I'm not thirsty, constantly checking my phone, even though I know he doesn’t have my number. And then, finally just sitting at the breakfast bar and staring into space, waiting for him to arrive. At half ten I really start to worry that he won’t turn up. As maybe he forgot my address. Or just decided not to turn up?
But, not long after those thoughts have taken over my mind, there is a knock at the door. It isn’t yet eleven, so it may not be him, but instantly my body heats and my heart rate increases. I try and walk slowly to the door, but it doesn’t really work. I’ve put my bag close to it, so that I’d be ready to go as soon as he got here. Hell, why am I so eager? I blame Clay, he really does bring out the weirdness in me.
I reach the door and take a deep breath before pulling it open.
Oh my, god, he’s so gorgeous.