Love And Redemption

~Hope~

Tuesday

1:00 p.m.

(Home)

"Julia, I've always loved you." I whispered in her ear as we danced to 'I Will Always Love You' by Whitney Houston. We were both in a park at the twilight of the day. It was an all-white party. She was as beautiful as when I first met her, our favorite song was on, and it looked like a good time to ask her what had been on my mind all day, to marry me. 

"Julia," I said, looking in her eyes. "David?" she asked. "I love you more than eternity...you give me a reason to keep living, and you allow me to see there is still hope for our future," I told her.

As her blue eyes gazed into mine, I felt that she wasn't looking at me...was she wishing for someone else? She backed away from me as Whitney was singing the chorus of I Will Always Love You. "

Julia, what's wrong?" I asked reaching for it. She backed away as if I had a disease, then broke out into running. I stood there brokenhearted and in a panic. "Julia! Julia! JULIA!" I screamed. She seemed to run away faster toward a male silhouette in the dark, never looking back.

"Ah!" I shrieked, rolling over in cold sweat, hyperventilating. After I calmed down, I got out of bed and went into the shower. I have had this same dream happening for three years. I know I needed some therapy or something, but I could barely afford rent. 

Glad I'm getting paid this week, so I don't end up on the streets.

 *ring, ring* 

I picked up my phone. I didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" I asked, irritated assuming it was a spam call.

 "Oh..um sorry for calling, but is this David Jackson's phone number?" a sweet and velvet voice asked. 

Victoria. 

"Yes, who is this?" I asked, obviously already knowing who it was. "Victoria...from work, look I apologize for calling you on your day off, but I wondered did you happen to know Mr. William's new personal assistant number, Mr. William isn't here and hasn't answered my calls," she explained.

 I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. "Yeah, I know it." I said slowly, as a massive migraine attacked me unmercifully. 

I gave her the number.

"Thank you...so what were you doing today?" she asked curiously.

 "Well, I kind of did just wake up, then I was taking a shower, then that's when you called." I said as casually as I could. 

"Oh, so you're a late sleeper." she pointed out. 

I sighed. "Yeah, sometimes...try to get my sleep in." I said. She snickered.

 "Oh really, it's a quarter after one...you must partied hard last night with Kevin and John." she teased. I was a bit surprised that she knew that. "Yeah...how did you know that?" I asked cautiously, feeling a little paranoid. She laughed again. "Because silly, I saw you two chugging beers down faster than a road runner...I was there to get my cousin Susan, the one that tried hitting on you?" she said, as memories resurfaced of the previous night.

I indeed did remember some orangehead chick hitting on me...I didn't know who she was, but the person she came with was fine, although I didn't know that was Victoria at the time...plus I was too drunk to ask and see. "Wow, so that was you in the red dress, you were...gorgeous, not saying that is the only time you are, I'm just referring to last night," I said shyly, laughing at how I sounded.

 "Well, if that was a compliment, then thank you...and remember to take some headache medicine, bye." she said.

 "Bye." I said, unwillingly hanging up the phone. Maybe I said too much, probably that's why she got off so quickly, I wished I had asked her how her day was. I sighed as I lay down on the couch.

I mean...she's cute, but honestly, I'm not ready for any relationship anytime soon...I don't think I can trust anyone again for that matter...there's just no hope for me there. As I sat up in my boring beige apartment, all of a sudden I felt sad and confused.  As I felt another anxiety attack coming on with the same images re-playing in my head...I got up, got dressed, put on my shades, and decided to get something to eat.

"May I take your order?" the woman behind the counter asked. I looked around at the menu, uninterested in anything. "Yeah...I...would like two sausage biscuits, a hash brown, and some coffee with no cream," I explained. "Decaffeinated or Caffeinated?" she asked. "Caffeinated." I replied.

 If I weren't mistaken, this lady was staring at me as if she were trying to undress me with her eyes. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I cleared my throat. "Oh...you're #240...you have a good day sir," she said flirtatiously.

"You too." I said and walked out of line. As I sat down, I overheard her and the other female co-workers. "He is sexy as all get out." one said swinging her blonde hair.

I blushed, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "Yass! I know he is taken...he looks like the mixture of Leonardo and David Beckham." the black woman who took my order commented. I chuckled to myself. I never really stopped and noticed my good looks...I didn't think I still had them. 

After Julia dumped me, I felt I was ugly and considered it one of her reasons for her 'dropping' me. "240!" someone yelled. I stood up, walked up to the counter, and grabbed my food, and as I turned and walked away, someone screamed something at me. "The numbers on the bag, don't hesitate to call...bye," she said cheerfully.

 I blushed and hurried to walk out.