Caught In Your Web

Chapter Six: Choosing

"Damn woman I knew you had some stuff pick up but not all this. " Tay said pushing the heavy cart to the checkout line. "I kinda did grocery shopping as well." Giggling I walked in front of her double checking my list to make sure I didn't forget anything. I was so wrapped up in the list I didn't realize I was walking right into someone. WHAM! We crash into each and I can hear Tay calling out to me,"Ana!" I shook the bump off to see Eric in front of me.

"Eric! Oh my god I'm so sorry I didn't even see you walking there! "

"Its okay Ana I'm use to you bumping into me." He grinned and helped me to my feet. I could see Tay glaring in the distance at Eric.  How cute. "What are you shopping for a whole family?" Eric said eyeing all the different things in my cart ignoring Tay's glares.

"Well I have the home welcoming party tonight, are you still coming? " I asked trying to change the mood of the situation. "Most definitely!" "Well let's get to this checkout line Ana we have alot of cooking to do. " Tay spoke up easing up beside me giving Eric a fake smile. "Well see you later Ana." Eric said waving and walking off with a confused looked on his face. "Really Tay?" I glared at her pushing the cart myself to the checkout lane grabbing stuff out the cart and putting it on the conveyor belt. "What?" Why when Eric came around she would always get on the defense. Maybe she knew I liked him. As if reading my mind, "Do you like Eric?" she blurted out looking me in my eyes. How could I lie to such beautiful eyes? "He's a guy that I've liked almost all my life but never had to balls to pursue. We've always just been classmates. " I said honestly putting the last of the groceries on the line and sliding down to the area where I could swipe my card. "Hmm I see." Tay said scanning my face." For the first time I looked up at the cashier but she was to busy grinning at Tay to notice me. "Your total is 234.54 today ma'am. " she said looking at Tay instead of me. I cleared my throat and began to swipe but Tay stopped me. "it's okay baby I got it. " The cashiers eyes got wide and then narrow at me. I just simply smiled and stepped out her way and let Tay swipe her card.

Walking back to the car everything was silent and felt awkward. "Why did you pay for my stuff? " I blurted out as we reached her car hearing the car beep as she unlocked it. "Because I wanted to." "Yeah I know, but why Tay? I can pay for my own groceries. " "I just wanted to Ana. I told you I'm in your debt." "Well how can I un-debt you?" Laughing together we piled the car full of groceries and drove back to my house listening to music.

"Damn it smells good in here bitch!" Morgan yelled as she bust through my front door with two big gift bags grinning. Her smile got even bigger when she saw Tay cooking. "Hey Morgan nice to see you again." Tay said giving her a polite smile. "Mmhmm haha hey to you to Tay.  What you burning woman?" she sat her gifts down at the gift table and sat at the bar area watching Tay. "Um I'm not burning anything. I'm finishing up these home made buffalo wings to go this platter." She said putting carrots and celery on the clear platter along with a bowl of ranch in the center. "Well fuck it up!" she replied laughing. I walked out the back room in a long cream color satin dress my mother had let me borrow from her closet one day. I wore all my pearl accessories given to me by my grandmother and topped it off with cream/brown sandals. I had rolled my hair up earlier when we got back home and now had taken the rollers out. I had big beautiful bouncy curls all over my head and my makeup was neat and simple. "Hey Morgan." I smiled at her making my way over smiling. "Damn bitch where you going? " "Haha I'm not going anywhere girl." I looked over at Tay she had completely stopped moving and was eyeing me up and down mouth wide open. "Well damn Tay close ya mouth before a fly get in there." Morgan said knocking Tay out her trance. Her face turned beet red and I couldn't help but giggled. I turned on the music and let the festivities begin.

Everyone was eating good and looking good. Alot of family had came with wonderful gifts for my home that I didn't know where I was going to put. A nice size of friends came and showed me support for having my own big place. When my mom walked in I could barely hold in the excitement. "Mommy!" I screamed running over to her wrapping my arms around her. "Hey sugar you look beautiful and the house looks amazing! I've taught my daughter well." She patted my back and started saying all her hellos to the family. My mom always looked professional it was amazing because she was such around beautiful woman. Tay was sitting down socializing with my two cousins Dru and Courtney that she had previously met.

Eric walks in soon after my mom with his 3 brothers each one looking as good as the other. I smiled and gave each one a tight hug, my hug with Eric lasted a bit longer than expected. I knew Tay was somewhere watching so I stepped back and went quickly back to hostess mode. "Hey Eric glad you could come by." I noticed he had a red bag behind him. "No problem Ana anything for you." "You can put that gift behind your back on the gift table with everyone else. We have plenty of food so help yourself and enjoy." I turned to walk away and he grabbed my hand rubbing it. "You look beautiful Ana." I immediately started blushing. "Thank you." I turned and walked into the kitchen to catch a breath. Damn what was happening to me? Get it together Ana!

"Biiitch are you okay?! You look like someone just fucked your soul out." Morgan said walking up to me giggling. She was definitely feeling the champagne she had been sipping all night. "Y-yeah I'm good girl." After dancing and mingling I turned the music down to thank everyone. "Hi everyone,  I just want to thank you all for coming out to my home welcoming party. I also want to thank you for all the great gifts that I cannot wait to open later on. Please feel free to take food with you and drive home safe. I expect messages from you all saying you made it home safely." I turned the music back up just a little bit and went to find my mother.  "So how did you like my little shindig?" I asked her pushing a piece of hair out of her face. "It was lovely.  As I said before you did a great job decorating the house. I'm pretty sure your Aunt Margaret gave you lots of decorative things so i don't know how you'll fit them in but I'm sure you'll manage." I tall dark handsome man came walking up behind my mother smiling at both of us.  I didn't know this man from Adam & Eve. "Anaese this is Brad my new man." New Man?! "Hi Brad it's nice to meet you." I glared at my mother and gave him a fake smile. Me and my mother were definitely going to have a talk about this! "it's nice to meet you to Ana your mother has told me so many exciting things about you. Hopefully we can all sit down together for dinner." He replied shaking my hand lightly. "That sounds good to me." I replied walking off.  Saying my final goodbyes and helping Morgan into Courtney's car I walked over to my mother's Nissan kissing both her cheeks. "Mother we will definitely have to talk. You've been hiding things from me again." "You have a good night to dear." ignoring my statement statement and kissing my forehead. As I watched my mother drive off I stood there thinking low key how happy I was she found someone to brighten her busy day. My mother having such a busy life, I never seen any men around or heard her talk about them for that matter. Me and mom would definitely have to talk before our dinner together.  "Well wasn't this a nice adventure. " Tay said walking up behind me rubbing both sides of my arm as if I were cold. "Yes every went fairly smooth besides Morgan turning up." We both laughed and walked back into the house fingers intertwined. Walking in I saw that Eric hadn't left he was sitting on the couch. He stood up and looked at me and Tay holding hands, his eyes got big and I ley go of her hand. "Eric. Your still here. I thought you had left with your brothers." "Um no I came by myself I just met them here." He was still looking at where our hands were once holding and then shook his head. Tay walked over to the bar area and poured herself a drink sitting down. Looking at Tay she looked good enough to eat. She had on a creme and brown button up dress shirt tight around her arm muscles, pressed brown khaki dress pants and a tan pair of Sperry's. She looked so clean her hair was pulled back from her face but still falling to her butt. I looked over at Eric and he looked just as delicious.  He had on a red and black stripped button up with jeans and a pair of red Chucks.

I felt like I stood in between them for the longest before Eric finally spoke up. "Well I guess I'll head on out, I'll catch you later Ana." "Wait before you go." Tay said standing up from the chair. She looked from Eric to me and continued, "Ana, you need to choose. You can't be feeling both of us and dragging us both along." My eyes and Eric's got huge. I started to open my mouth and closed it again. Tay waited patiently looking me deep into my eyes. "I-i---"