Life Choices

Chapter 2

                  

"Extra cream in those please, make them doubles." Holding my phone against my shoulder with my chin I repeated my order for the third time, ignoring Diana's incessant chatting.

"Okay perfect!" The overly enthusiastic barista chirped through the speaker. She added, "it'll be four eighty, pull up to the first window."

"Thank you." Moving the phone to my other ear I tried to tune back into what Diana was saying. She was speaking quickly, passing from one subject to the next the way she did when she was trying to get something passed me. "Alright slow down love I really can't understand you when you're talking that fast. Why didn't you just talk to me when I was at the apartment? I only left like two minutes ago."

"Because it's a delicate subject and I wanted to be able to hang up on you if you got mad." I rolled my eyes just as I stopped in front of the cashier's window. It was a young girl with pixie cut black hair and a nose ring. Kilo's logo printed on her bright orange visor was the only splash of color on her. Nit what I was expecting based on her cheerful tone. I shrugged it off as she repeated my total and took my cash with a bright smile.

"Thanks." I mouthed, feeling bad for her. She must encounter people like me every day. Stopping for coffee before work, not paying attention to the fact that she was a human being and not a coffee ATM. Don't worry girl, I've been in a job like that and though it sucks it doesn't last forever. I just wish I had the same mindset when I was in her place.

"Here you go." She smiled as she handed me my coffee, "have a great rest of your day."

"Are you listening?" Diana demanded, her voice stern but amused. No.

"Of course I am, but I'm also trying to get coffee so give me a second." Working the cups into the holder I pulled away from Kilo's and merged back onto the main road. "So what's this delicate subject you feel the need to bring up just as I'm on my way to work?"

"Wow no pressure Tash, now I don't want to talk about it, when you put it like that it makes me feel bad. I don't want to stress you out before work."

"Oh for fuck's sake Diana out with it. Now that you brought it up it's going to be on my mind if you don't tell me." Suddenly the line went dead, sending a flash of rage through me. If I had the strength I would have crumpled my phone, with a deep breathe I dropped it into the passenger seat. What the hell is her problem? Worried about pissing me off with a 'delicate subject' but hanging up on me is going to make me happy? She clearly doesn't understand my level of neurotic.

Trying to shake the urge to throttle Diana I sipped my coffee and turned up the radio. Drumming on the steering wheel I pulled into my buildings lot and parked. Forcing myself out and into the cold I cursed under my breath. After being a Chicagoan my entire life you'd think I'd be used to the weather. However, crying about the negative four hundred degree wind-chill blowing off our lovely lakeside over my hot cocoa is just part of my personality.

Making my way inside I greeted to the security guard, Ken, who never failed to seem happy. His kind eyes wrinkling from the smile taking to his lips as he looked up at me. "Good morning Tash, late night?" His eyes fell to the coffee cups I was double fisting, his blond eyebrow raised accusingly. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood today except me.

"You know me." I said with a shrug, helpless against his contagious smile. Though he was on the older side his name is frequently heard in the office. Nothing like a little daddy fetish to keep things interesting in the workplace I suppose.

"That I do, let me get that for you." Getting up he hit the call button for me, then my floor number once it arrived. "Have a good day."

"Thanks you too." I shuffled my feet against the carpet as I rode the elevator up. Thompson better be ready for all of this because if he thinks I'm not going to drill his ass about last night he's greatly mistaken. This never-been-on-television-before peasant has a lot of questions of her own. Even though jealousy has been coursing through my veins like green blood since he told me about it, the curiosity of how it felt has been nearly debilitating. How exciting that must have been?