He's the Boss and The Man

Chapter 22

C A T   P O V

It felt like forever since I had been inside my small room, cluttered with mess. Being neat was clearly not the most important thing to me right now. I hadn't gotten sleep in days considering every time I close my eyes my mind flashes back to the screen and those pictures. Whoever said cell phones ruin your life, I give you points for being physic.

I've found the one thing I'm good at. Avoiding people I really don't want to see. I guess I'm not even that good at that, because I can't get him out of my mind. Every thought that traveled through my head went straight back to him.

Oh look at that brown chair.

James has one exactly like that! Except... His chair is white and not made out of wood.

Even things that shouldn't lead back to him do. It's his fault for being so completely inferior to everything else in my life. Brushing my hair off my shoulder, I quickly marveled at how long it had gotten. I had always kept my hair short but having it long like this was starting to grow on me.

My phone dinged signaling I had gotten a message, but I didn't exactly rush to check it. There were two possibilities seeing as I have no life.

1) It was James.

or 2) It was the unknown

The texts from unknown were being to show up at more inconvenient times and more frequently as well. Yesterday, I went shopping at the market and an old lady standing behind me made me check my phone after it went off 4 times. 3 were from James, the fourth from unknown and the old lady just about read it over my shoulder.

Figuring I should do something today - like maybe look for a job - I grabbed a water before heading outside. I walked a little ways down the street, trying to smile at people but they were usually in too much of a hurry. Should I maybe go to a cafe?

The first cafe I saw was about a mile down, so I sped up my walking to reach it.

It was a small, quaint little place. Smells filled the whole room along with a source of heat coming from the electric fire place. The menu was color coded, but I was having a hard time actually finding a drink I might like.

"You should try the chai tea. It's the best here," a voice spoke next to me. I turned to look at the voices owner and smiled. "The name's Noah."

He was ruggedly handsome, with his blonde hair swept messily onto his head. His brown eyes were warm and inviting and I found myself leaning closer to him as I spoke.

"Catherine, but you can call me Cat." The stranger, who was now not a stranger, shot me a warm smile and I turned to the woman at the counter. "A chai tea, please."

She nodded, picking at her nails while shouting something into the kitchen behind her.

"First time?"

I stumbled back a little at the question, my mind used to James's dirty sense of humor. "I mean, your first time here?"

"Oh, yeah. I thought I would try something new so here I am." He chuckled, reminding me of James and I slapped myself mentally.

"Did you just slap yourself?" My eyes widened and I shook my head before laughing along with him.

"One chai tea!" The girl placed it on the counter for me to take and I gladly pulled it up to my lips. Taking a small sip to taste, I groaned in delight.

"This is amazing."

"I told you. Trust my judgement and you'll get far in life... And my judgement is you should go on a date with me sometime."

I raised an eyebrow at his confidence.

Remind you of anyone?

"Maybe... I don't know." The whole James thing made me wary of dating at the moment. I wasn't sure when I was ready to confront James.

"Is it because your boyfriend will kill me? Because he's already killing me with his glare."

My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and he jerked his head to a table where a familiar face glared at me. Or I guess I have room confront him now.

"Give me a second, Noah." I walked moved to James and hit him in the arm angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"Ow, you're getting so violent. I'm here to talk to you after you finish telling him that you are busy tonight."

"He hasn't even told me when."

"Well tell him you're busy every night with me. Now, we need to talk." He grabbed my hands gently, his eyes searching mine but I pulled back.

"We don't need to talk now. We can talk later." With that, I left him sitting there with a frown on his face and spun back to Noah who was still standing there.

"How about tonight?" I nodded and he grinned. Leaning down to whisper in my ear, he says softly, "Better not tell your boyfriend. See you around, Kitten."

Kitten... because that doesn't make me sound like a stripper at all.