Taking Wild Strides

Chapter 3.

Sleeping didn't come come easy for Cara, all night she had tossed and turned her body still reeling from her earlier endeavors. She had finally given up on trying to sleep and settled on finishing her sketch from earlier telling herself that she'd sleep on the plane.

A few hours later the sun was shining through the curtains and she could hear her brother shuffling around in his room. There was a quiet knock at her door and then her brothers head appeared in her door.

"I didn't think you were awake,I was just coming to get your bags." He said moving into her room and sitting down on her bed.
"I didn't sleep that much last night." She mumbled her attention fully directed to her almost completed drawing.

"What really happen last night Cara,and I mean honestly,that's not like you at all." She was hoping he would just let it go and pretend that nothing happened but that was wishful thinking. She turned around to look at her brother trying to read him and see if she could really tell her about her foolish mistake and reckless behavior. She looked at him and felt her forehead crease when she remember her adventure last night not that she stopped thinking about it or more importantly him.
She thought about telling him the truth because he was her best friend but she was torn between being embarrassed and wanting to keep it a secret and the more she thought about telling her brother the longer she frowned and by just looking at his sister he knew she had lied to him and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to know what happen.

Just as she was about to say anything there was a knock on their door. Her sigh of relief didn't go unnoticed by her brother as he made his way to open the door. She turned back to her drawing and rubbed her temples. She couldn't place her feelings,something inside of her kept pulling her thoughts toward the nameless man not only that but she felt drained so much more than she usually did. Maybe it was the after effects of the alcohol or maybe she wasn't ready to go back home and face her parents whatever it was was making her head spin.

"Did you hear me?" Her brother asked coming back into her room. She hadn't heard anything but her own thoughts.

"No what did you say?" She asked turning her attention back to her brother.

"Did you order room service?" He repeated.
"No,why?" She had managed to get up from the desk and walk into the living room where a a few covered dishes were sitting and some flowers. She looked back at her brother and shrugged her shoulders as she started uncovering the plates to reveal breakfast foods. She had found some bacon and started shoving it in her mouth when she spotted a card in the flowers and grabbed it.

'Cara,my apologies about last night.
I promise no one will interrupt us tonight.
I'll see you at 6'  xxAG

She almost choked on her bacon,how did he know where she was staying? Had he followed her home? No she made sure no one followed her home she may be forgetful and a little dense at times but she knew how to be safe. Then she remembered her key,she must have left them at his place.

"What's that?" Her brother asked picking up a piece of bacon.

"Nothing, I forgot I did order this." She lied never making eye contact with him. After they ate they were on their way to the airport. When 6 came around she would be back in America and any memory of the nameless man would stay in Cuba.

2 MONTHS LATER

Cara had finally finished unpacking all of her stuff into her new house. She had listened to her brother and went with the 3 bedroom town house honestly the more space the better,especially since she did expand her business more since she returned home from Cuba.

She was also meeting every deadline a lot earlier than necessary but she couldn't help it. Her hopes of leaving her memories of her last night in Cuba had failed because since she had been home that had been the only thing on her mind. And the only way to keep them from consuming her was to keep working.

She was happy though to have her own space ,her own creative space. Her bother had helped her decorate and get everything set up while she worked from home in her make do office. In the time she had been her she had finished 4 shirt designs,7 album covers and was working on her 2nd tour back drop. The band she had previously worked with was more than eager to pass her name on to other bands when she mentioned that should would be expanding soon.

Her parents hadn't been her best supporters not that they ever were to begin with. Her mother had told her she was making a foolish decision buying a house when her job wasn't a real one bringing in a steady salary. If only her mother could see her bank account now. Her father told her just because she didn't live under their roof didn't mean she could do whatever she wanted although they let her keep her truck they had a list of rules and regulations that she paid no attention too. Neither of them helped her move in to her new home, and while it stung a little she was happy to be on her own.

"You've got to be kidding me." Her head snapped around to her brother walking through the door and dropping packages on the futon in her office that was already over flowing with them. He had startled her but she knew she should just get used to him just popping in on her.
"What?"she asked innocently not knowing what he had previously been talking about.

He looked down at his watch and then gave his sister an incredulous look.
"You've been sitting there for two days in the same spot! Have you even eaten,showered,or slept?" He asked worry creasing his forehead. And she knew he knew the answer,her habit of binge working was getting out of hand.

"Take a break,go take a shower we are going to open some of your mail and then we are going to get lunch." There was no space to argue he was starting to worry she was over working herself and he wanted to talk to her about it.

Once showered she felt a little better she came back down stairs and gathered all of the envelopes first knowing they were either checks or bills that she would have to look into.

"Cara I'm a little worried about you." Her brother spoke up looking at her from across the coffee table.

"Why?" She frowned he had other things to be worried about than his little sister who stay inside her head all day.
"You've been over working yourself. You look like crap like you haven't slept in a week." Which was true she hadn't,she couldn't,her dreams tend to drift back to-
"You're more introverted than usual, I'm just worried that maybe you shouldn't have moved out yet." He confessed all his worry.

"Well I didn't really have a choice in moving out,and I'm fine you know how I get. I promise I'm fine. This is my last project for a while." She smiled he was right she needed to take a break. She had managed to get most of her mail opened and they went and got lunch and picked up a few new art supplies and went back to her house where a porch full of new packages greeted them. She was happy that she didn't have a neighbor in the townhouse next to her she could only imagine the complaints she would get and the packages would probably be half of her troubles. She managed to finish the project she was working on and they had settled in to hangout for the rest of the night.
"I think you should hire an assistant." She heard her brother yell from the kitchen.

"No way." She scrunched her face up.
"I'm serious someone who can run all your errands while you're busy and bring you lunch when your too distracted to remember. It would make me feel a lot better about you working so much." Cara saw his point but she didn't know the first thing about having an assistant. She ran her whole business off of a smart phone and laptop.

"I'm serious,we could post an add and have interviews this week." He said bringing her a beer.

"I told you this project is the last one I'm working on for a while so I won't be really busy." She tried to argue but she could tell this wasn't an argument he was going to give up on.

"Just hear me out Cara,they could organize your mail,make sure you're money was deposited into the bank. We could also only look at people with prior experience and has some type of artistic ability or knows what they are doing." As uneasy as she was about it she caved what could happen.