DAWG

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Four

The pitter-patter of the rain cascading from the gray dreary sky clashed with Promise's umbrella as she began her trek towards the grocery store entrance. She grasped it tighter as the heavy howling of the wind threatened to whisk away anything in its path. Her eyes collided with her shoes as her feet continued to connect with the darkened asphalt with each step. The honking of a blatant horn blowing captivated her dwindling attention. She came to a swift halt as she allowed a car to pass through her passageway. Within a moment or two, the street cleared of any slow oncoming traffic.

She then pushed forth her feet and kept on her way. As she neared the overhead entrance of the store she quickly jostled her umbrella downwards, making it collapse. She sauntered into the store and swiftly headed towards the shopping cart area. She mumbled underneath her breath as she recalled her minuscule grocery list. "Good morning," A melancholy female voice greeted before she got past the plethora of cash registers. "Morning,"Promise replied, her green-blue orbs focused in on the produce section.

She glanced down at her wristwatch just as the larger hand made contact with the ninth hour. She concluded that she had about an hour and a half before she'd have to go to work. She sighed as she began to scrutinize a small fruit bowl. "This looks okay." She rendered aloud to no one in particular. She grabbed four of them and softly tossed them into her cart. She gradually moved down the aisle, silently selecting things off her list.

"Oh! I've got to get cereal for Zay."She huffed quietly, discovering that she'd almost forgotten his small request. She grinned at the thought of his golden sun-kissed skin and green eyes. He was the only thing in her life that she was sure was a permanent fixture. It nearly bothered her that the toddler resembled his father so wholeheartedly. It made her grimace as she came to the sudden realization that her mind was about to drift onto the subject of HIM. She began to shake her head softly to rid herself of his presence.

Promise still hadn't gotten over what he'd done to her although two months had quickly come and gone. It still felt like just yesterday as the emotions she'd felt on that day threatened to invade her placid demeanor. She gripped the handle on the cart tighter as she willed herself to dismiss the thoughts. She started moving again, abruptly turning her cart down the aisle labeled hot and cold cereal. She scanned the slender aisle momentarily before her eyes caught sight of the gold Honey Nut Cheerio box. She pulled the box off the lengthy shelf before tossing it into her barely cluttered cart.

It was then that a male's lush baritone became prominent down the slender aisle. Promise continued on with her task at hand as she tried to tune the man out. "Yes, I'll be in the office shortly. Make sure you have all those documents on my desk." For some reason unbeknownst to Promise, her eyes dared to search for the man the voice belonged to. It was as though she had heard it before.

It held familiarity.

Her eyes suddenly clashed with a face rich of a toffee colored complexion. His hazel-green orbs accentuated the manly goatee splayed messily around his solid jawline and the thick darkened curls atop his head. She knew that face. His jaw stiffened as he stared daggers at her. "I'll call you back."He conveyed quietly to whomever he was talking on the phone with. He then stuffed the small device into the front pocket of his crisp red dress shirt.

Promise didn't give him any time to address her as she hastily turned on the balls of her feet. The moisture from her shoes squeaked against the linoleum floors as she began to leave. "Wait," His full-toned voice echoed behind her. She remained quiet and moving as she attempted to drown out his persistent demand. She didn't plan to stop as she finally neared the end of the section. "Hey, wait!"He called after her once more.