Love on Chesapeake Bay (BWWM)

2. Nisa

Kayla looked out the window the entire cab ride, taking in the city and thinking about the man she had just met. Besides being incredibly attractive, he had been charming, funny, polite, a true gentleman really. He can't possibly be interested in me; he was just being friendly, she told herself. Kayla was not really the insecure type; she knew that she was an attractive girl. But she had been wearing an oversize T-shirt, leggings, Nikes and not even an ounce of makeup on her face - her curly hair had been haphazardly thrown atop her head into a messy bun. Nothing sexy about that, she sighed, wishing she had at least put on some mascara this morning, maybe tamed her hair? Anything. And to think I thought I'd been ten steps ahead, bringing my book and snacks.

The cab pulled up in front of the hotel. As the driver got Kayla's suitcase from the trunk, she reached for her wallet to pay the fare.

"Your friend already paid," he said, stopping her.

"Oh..." she said, confused. "Well let me at least tip."

"He took care of that as well, miss." He bowed his head a little and turned to get back in the cab leaving her standing under the awning of the hotel looking dumbfounded.

---

When Kayla got to the auditorium the next morning she scanned the crowd of about one hundred or so faces. On the leftmost side of a row in the middle of the auditorium there was an empty seat to a next to a pretty Latina girl with long, thick black hair who looked to be around Kayla's age.

"Anyone sitting here?" Kayla asked her.

"Nope, go for it," the girl said.

"I'm Kayla," she introduced herself.

"I'm Naressa. Nisa, for short," the girl smiled.

"So, how committed are you to Hopkins? Or are you waiting to hear their pitch before making a decision," Kayla asked, sitting down.

"I got offers from UPenn and Duke, which is my alma mater but," Nisa paused, chuckling, "I mean comeonnnn it's Hopkins. No one turns down Hopkins."

"My thoughts exactly," Kayla laughed.

"Where'd you go to undergrad?" Nisa asked.

"Columbia - well, currently attending. And you went to Duke?"

"Yep, graduated last spring. Then I took a gap year to live with my family in Venezuela."

Kayla opened her mouth to respond but was cut off.

"Can I get everyone's attention please?" boomed a voice from the stage. "My name is Paul Rothman and I'd like to first congratulate you all on your acceptance to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine," he paused for applause, "And to thank you all for coming today."

As he gave the opening speech Nisa passed Kayla her phone. Your number, she mouthed. Kayla obliged.

---

The session ended around 3 pm. Nisa and Kayla had spent the whole day glued to each other's side, cracking jokes during the tour, making fun of the guy who fell asleep in the front row during Rothman's speech, and trying on scrubs and white coats together at the medical campus bookstore. Kayla learned quickly that Nisa was very independent and extremely ambitious. She had no immediate family here in the US and she hoped to one day be able to provide a better life for those that she had left behind in Venezuela. She and Kayla bonded over being first generation immigrants, Nisa from Venezuela and Kayla from Ethiopia, finding that they both experienced similar pressures to succeed. Nisa was 2 years her senior - she was 24 whereas Kayla was 22, and Kayla was already starting to look at her like an older sister.

Kayla checked her phone and saw she had 2 texts from an unsaved number.

[Friday March 31 2:00 pm]

Unknown: Hi Kayla, it's Jack - we met on the plane yesterday

[Friday March 31 2:01 pm]

Unknown: Hope you're having a good time exploring the campus. My offer still stands if you'd like me to show you around Baltimore :)

"Shit," Kayla said aloud. In the excitement of the day she had actually forgotten about the handsome stranger.

"What?" Nisa asked. She glanced at Kayla's phone. "Damn Kayla, you haven't even been here 24 hours and you already have guys hitting you up."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "I don't even know if it's like that," she defended.

"Of course it is. It's always like that." Nisa said.

"But this guy was actually nice."

Nisa looked at her skeptically. "So are you gonna let him show you around his bedroom - oops, I mean the city," she teased.

"Nisa, I'm serious. What should I do? What should I say"

"Call him," Nisa shrugged, "Tell him you're free now."

"I dunno..." Kayla said. Nisa snatched the phone out of her hand and pressed dial.

"Nisa!" Kayla hissed at her, "I'm gonna kill-"

"Hello?" Jack's deep voice reverberated over the line, stopping her mid-sentence.

"Heeyyyy Jack," Kayla caught herself, "We just finished up here." She glared at Nisa. Speakerphone, Nisa mouthed. Kayla turned away from her.

"Oh yeah? Are you enjoying yourself," he asked.

"Yeah I am. I'm even more sold than I was before, if that's even possible."

"Good, good," he chuckled.

"Dr. Holland, the inflammation in Sam's lungs hasn't gone down at all, he's going to need a lung needle biopsy. Should I put it on the schedule?" Kayla heard a woman's voice say in the background.

"Damn it..." Jack paused. "Ok go ahead and put it down for tomorrow morning, then verify with his parents," he said to her.

"Sorry about that," he said to Kayla, "I'm still at work."

"No worries," she said, "Raincheck on the tour?"

"Of course not! You're not gonna get out of it that easy," he laughed. "I'll be off at 5. Do you think you could meet me at the Children's Center on Orleans and Wolfe? Shouldn't be too far from where you are now. I'll be on the 4th floor."

"Sounds easy enough," she said.

"Perfect! See you soon," Jack said.

After they hung up Kayla turned back around to face Nisa who had been straining to hear the conversation.

"Looks like someone's got a date!" Nisa teased.