Chicago

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

As soon as Chai got home, she sat on her bed and completely ignored the piles of bags she had to sort through. She had looked through the pockets of the pants she wore the night she last saw Saint. She felt around the deep corners of the pocket, trying her hardest to find the number. She found the crumpled, three week old Starbucks napkins with ten digits neatly written in the middle with a corny smiley face next to it. Chai smiled as she thought back to the moment he gave this to her. As tired as she was, she thought it was the cutest gesture.

She picked up her phone from beside her and went straight to her contacts to dial the number. When she did, she chewed on her lip as she debated on whether or not she should call him.

What if he's busy?

What if one of the digits are wrong?

Does he even want to speak to me or did he just feel bad for me?

Only one way to find out, she thought as she hit the "call" button near at the bottom of the keypad. She held the phone up to her ear and bit her lip even harder as the rings continued. She began to think the worst. She didn't know why she cared so much. She should've been listening to Brynn—just because he was nice to her doesn't mean she needed to involve herself with him. But at the same time, he seemed like a genuine person and Chai wanted to get to know him better.

"Hello?" He answered as if he had rushed to the phone before it stopped ringing.

Chai smiled at the sound of his voice, "hey. Do you know who this is?"

Saint tried to recognize the voice. He had just come home from meeting Darius and he was in the middle of getting dressed after his shower. He was exhausted but he couldn't forget her soft, nurturing voice.

"How you doing, Chicago?"

Chai rolled her eyes at that name, "you know better than to call me Chicago. It's Chai."

"I know, I'm just messing. Seriously, though. How have you been?" He asked her with full interest in her answer. He suddenly felt less tired.

"I've been okay, and you?"

"I've been busy. Glad to hear your voice, happy to know you're okay."

She smiled, "Yes I'm alright. I know it's almost been a month since everything went down, but I never really got to thank you for defending me and just helping me that entire day."

"It's honestly, fine. No compensation needed."

"Well I don't care what you say, I want to take you out on a date."

Saint lifted a brow and checked to see if he was on the phone with the right person. He never imagined that a fragile, emotionally damaged person would be asking him out on a date. He didn't think she'd have any time for him.

"Uh, you want to take me out on a date?"

"Oh I'm sorry, did I puncture your masculinity? Girls aren't supposed to ask guys out on dates, right?"

Saint chuckled at how smart she was getting. On the other hand, he had to think how he was going to find time for a date when he had his support group, meetings Officer Lane, work at the auto shop and now running errands for Darius. He didn't want to say no since he was really interested in getting to know her. He figured he could squeeze her in between working at the shop and making drops for Darius.

"Not at all. When?"

"Friday around 4-ish?" Chai suggested.

Without properly thinking about it, Saint agreed. He immediately regretted his decision but it was too late once Chai started talking about where they were going to meet up.