BURNED

6| What You Mean To Me

    I had not seen Yamina in two weeks. I was frustrated, aggressive, angry. I had no clue what could have been going on with me. I had known her less than a month and she was turning my world upside down. I had broken several clip boards already, I had yelled at nearly every janitorial staff member there was, I had mercilessly fired seven people that week.

     The only contact that I had with her was via text. We had texted back and forth over the weeks since I had last seen her. I hated texting, but I could text her all day. My frustration grew as I typed a new message then deleted it, only to type another one and delete it again. I threw my phone across the room just as my annoying little sister walked in eyes wide.

     "Sit down." She says.

     I take a seat, loosening my tie and running my hands through my hair.

     "Oreo.... You miss her."

     "Don't call me that." I snapped.

     "You do. I can see it. You're going crazy. To be honest everybody is becoming afraid of you."

     I sat silently, unwilling to admit the way I was feeling. I could not. Wouldn't.

     "I have been texting Mina. Her mother is sick, and most likely she won't be back soon...Or maybe ever."

     I could feel a pang in my gut. Thinking about the possibility of never seeing her again. Not hearing any of her snarky comments, never hearing Hailey giggle again. What the hell have I gotten myself into? I sighed heavily.

     "I haven't seen you like this in a long time, honestly it looks good on you."

     I stood over my desk peering out of the window. It was against everything I had become. Against everything everyone thought I was. I was Orion Mendelev, Billionaire bachelor, and the man then public has never seen smile. Although I did plenty of charity, I had done my share of giving. The blogs went crazy seeing a new woman on my arm almost every month. I did not commit. That was before meeting Yamina of course. In my head I cursed her for making this less fun.

     Banging the blonde every week no longer enticed me. Hell I hadn't had sex since she had been gone. Even Audrey knew that was uncharacteristic of me. I had to get my shit together. I would not let a woman turn me soft. Not now. Not ever.

     I smoothed my tie, ran my hands through my hair, and slid into the persona that everyone knew me by. Winking at my little sister I didn't say a word. Because if I did, my real feelings might just spill over and that couldn't happen. I wouldn't allow it. I needed to remind myself who I was.

     I dialed the number of the young blonde, and I could hear the smile in her voice as we spoke. I set up plans for dinner, but I couldn't help my lack of excitement. Either way it was time for me to remind myself who I was. I would not sulk about a woman whom I barely knew.
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     Georgia. Here I was again, never thinking I would return home and yet here I was. Maybe even for good, and something about that possibility made my stomach roll. Yet here I was because the person I cared about the most was sick. I had never really known my father, his funeral was bland. But my mother? She was the light of my life.

     Sitting in our old home, I reminisced about the wonderful and not so wonderful things I had experienced in the little town. I sat in the backyard sipping pink lemonade, and staring out onto the street. I watched as teens who were cozied up walked past, little kids played in their yards, and people walked back and forth.

    According to the neighbors my mother had went into town to run some errands. When I first arrived she was very quiet. I couldn't help but feel that something was bugging her, but she wouldn't budge. My usually chipper and happy go lucky mother was somber and solemn. Other the past few days she had a few falls which scared the hell out of me, and she was having a hard time keeping food down.