Playing With Fire

Twenty-one: Blood Ties



Jade’s POV…

While waiting for the elevator to arrive, I seized the opportunity to plan out the rest of my day. I was looking forward to taking a brief stroll around the block, watching old reruns of my favorite TV shows, diving into the book Kookie had given me yesterday, and deciding what to cook for dinner. It was a rare opportunity for me to relax and indulge in activities that brought me joy. Today, I was determined to make the most of it.

"I'm going to forget about work, Bryan, and anything else that could disrupt this moment of tranquility," I whispered to myself as the elevator doors opened, ready to embrace a day of pure relaxation and peace.

The brisk afternoon breeze sliced through my flimsy yellow windbreaker as soon as I stepped out of the building. It was so chilly that I debated whether I should go back inside to grab a warmer jacket. "Just start jogging around the block; you'll warm up," I told myself as I plugged my iPod into my ear and pressed play on Spotify.

As I strolled past a few familiar faces, the sultry lyrics of Seven slipped from my lips. A grin spread across my face as I spotted a middle-aged couple sitting on a bench, holding hands and watching a toddler gleefully kicking his feet in a stroller on the other side of the street.

An inexplicable force compelled me to halt in my tracks and stare at the lovely trio before me. The image of my own parents in a similar scenario with their future grandchildren stirred emotions within me that I had never experienced before. Suddenly, thoughts of marriage and starting a family flooded my mind. I even envisioned myself having a little boy or girl who bore a striking resemblance to their father—whoever that may be.

"Why am I even entertaining the idea of marriage and kids when I'm clearly not ready for either of those responsibilities?" I scolded myself, standing still and watching the trio across the street. With a determined step forward, I continued down the block, stealing glances back at the couple and their toddler along the way.

"What the hell is going on with me?" I grumbled under my breath, stealing one final glance at the toddler. Shaking my head vigorously from side to side, I attempted to banish the absurd notion that had crept into my mind, a thought I adamantly refused to acknowledge or even consider as a possibility.

As I hurriedly rounded the corner, my gaze was drawn to the vivid neon sign that read Blood Tie's and the queue of eager patrons waiting to enter. "Interesting," I thought aloud, my curiosity sparked as I neared the buzzing new spot in the neighborhood.

The enigmatic name of this establishment had always captivated me. Its dark allure had always beckoned me to step inside and see if the interior lived up to the mysterious charm of its name, but I never seemed to have the time to do so. My days were consumed either by work or by Bryan, doing whatever he wanted during my spare moments.

"Since you're single and have nothing planned today, why not finally check it out?" I sighed, then made my way over to the chatty crowd waiting in line.

“Would it hold the same fascination as its exterior, or would it fall short of my expectations?” I found myself pondering the closer I got to the building. "The interior had to be nothing short of spectacular," I mused as I reflected on the countless times I had passed by the place and noticed the constant flow of people entering and exiting the doors at all hours of the day.

"What's happening in there?" I inquired of the tall, redheaded woman in the yellow mini skirt and black crop top Barbie shirt. She spun around to face me, her expression conveying offense at my audacity to speak to her. After a brief moment of eye contact, she sucked her teeth, rolled her eyes, and turned back around without uttering a word to me.