Set Me Free

CH:7 Guess Who

Issa

Since my run in with Kenly or whatever the hell his name was things had been going straight to hell in a hand basket. Not to mention I hadn't heard from Caseus in nearly three weeks. Initially I was mortified he had seen me nearly topple over and with Kenly but once inside his truck I started to calm down. I kept sneaking glances at him and he didn't appear out of sorts. I wanted to ask him what he was doing in the restaurant. Did he overhear our conversation? Did he wanna make out like teenagers in the backseat of his truck? Okay scratch the last one but sitting in total silence was turning me into a bundle of nerves and I couldn't speak and neither did he. Before I knew it he was pulling up in front of my building and we hadn't said a word. 

I plastered on my best smile despite my clammy hands and he barely nodded before telling me to have a good evening. The rest of my day was spent thinking of how in the hell I was going to explain what he might have overheard in the restaurant and picking out an outfit for dinner. In between closet surfing I was blowing up Cameron's phone and like the little coward he is he didn't pick up at all. I planned to verbally assassinate him for setting me up like that and possibly spoiling what I had with Caseus.

My fears came true when after the ninth time I called Cameron I received a text message of all things from Caseus canceling our plans. Abandoning my room leaving clothes strewn all over my bed and walk in I drug myself to the kitchen for a glass of wine. I had been so excited for our date and now it was all blown to shit. Caseus must have most definitely overheard my conversation with my supposed future fiance. The thought of him had me rolling my eyes and taking a huge gulp from my glass. 

Kenly was like much of the guys I'd met in college and thoroughly turned me off. No matter how fine he was. Thinking of him made me burn with a white hot rage I was all to familiar with feeling concerning my mother. I nearly called her and attempted to read her ass red (over the phone of course) but the wine was actually clearing my mind instead of muddying it. I decided I needed to bide my time and come up with a better plan for dealing with Evelyn. 

I was nursing a migrain sitting at my desk wearing a pair of RayBan's TJ gifted me when I opened Secrets. My mood only worsened when I got a call from the contractor I had already paid my deposit to for my second location notifying me that they for some undisclosed reason sold the building I wished to rent. Add to that the new owner wished to remain nameless demanding to meet with me at twelve. I tried not to slam my car door as I pulled up to the store front or stomp inside. Fail. I walked inside and started to fall in love with the large windows and high ceilings all over again. 

There was a grand crystal chandelier hanging just over the entrance the previous owners where willing to let me keep and I just knew I wouldn't be getting it now. The space had been reasonably priced but in all seriousness I knew I was probably getting a discount because of my relations in one way or another because it could easily go for much more. I could feel the muscles at my shoulders coil and twist with apprehension about the no doubt jacked up price. It had started to drizzle on my way over and watching it fall through the window caused a wave of nostalgia to wash over me head to toe. 

I only felt slightly pissed that I was kept to wait by my new anonymous landlord. Watching the rain pelt the sidewalk and passersby rush off and duck behind umbrellas or deeper into coats reminded me of my College days. It was on one such rainy afternoon when I met Derek. I was running with my books above my head from the library back to a Sorority  house when I ran into Derek. Literally. We ran smack into each other and my math book went flying out of my hand and landed in a puddle at his feet. I started to apologize immediately as he bent down to retrieve my book. When He stood up be began to apologize as well and i was glad because I had nothing else to say. He was the handsomest guy I'd ever seen at our school. Even at our rallies when my sorority sisters and I would preform and other schools would come Derek was still by far the cutest one I'd ever seen.