For Keeps
Deux.
I woke up the next morning feeling more energized than ever before. I stretched arms and got up from my bed, not bothering to change out of my pajamas which as of last night consisted of an over sized Queen shirt and apple green thong. I walked down the stairs and made it to the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee, black, and sat on the recliner and turned on the TV. It said it was 4:47 in the afternoon.
Must've been one hell of a sleeping pill.
I downed my coffee and got up to put it in the sink when I heard the front door open.
"Hey." Shia said walking into the kitchen. "Oh, hey."
"Hi." I said before realizing I was still in just a thong and shirt with my back turned to Shia. I turned on my heel and went to go upstairs. "I'll be right back."
I could feel Shia's eyes on my ass as I turned the corner and ran up the stairs and put on a pair of jeans without changing my shirt. I zipped the up the fly when I heard my stomach make the loudest grumbling noise. I then walked down the stairs and saw that Shia took my seat in the recliner.
"I'm hungry." I stated as I rubbed my stomach.
"Me too. What do you feel like eating?" He asked, his eyes glued to the television.
"Good food."
"I think I can find you some of that." He clicked off the TV. "Follow me, I'm driving."
I grabbed my black flip flops before following Shia to his driveway next door and into his
black pickup truck. My best girlfriend Phoebe and I called these "bro trucks" because the only guys driving them were bros and douche bags. But hey, I'm not going to hold that against him.
"So where are we going?" I asked him, hoping wherever he was taking me was close because I was almost to the point where I would chew off my fingers for food.
"Chill out we'll be there in a second."
Shia and I made small talk during the drive, nothing awkward. It was mostly about work and what he did today while I slept which was surprisingly a lot.
"I went to a meeting to discuss a film role, went to lunch with my manager, hit the gym, and went to my buddy Alex's house all while you slept."
"Oh, what's the movie about?"
"The sequel to Transformers." He looked like he felt a little uncomfortable talking about the subject. "Nothing's set in stone, we're here."
We pulled into a place called Annie's that Shia must go to a lot because as soon as we walked in the hostess asked about his father and how Australia was. Shia politely responded to the woman who was very pretty and about forty, i judged, and apparently named Faye.
"Here are your menus, I'll give you guys a minute." She walked away and sat another group at a table while I read the menu.
I really wanted the hickory smoked double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake but I could feel the ten pounds on my ass as I read those words. I settle on iced green tea and the tofu spinach salad with balsamic dressing as Faye came back to take our orders.
"And the usual for you, Shia?" Faye asked. I immediately wondered what his usual was.
"Yes please, but hold the tomatoes. I heard salmonella's going around."
"You got it. I'll be back with your drinks in a second."
"So." Shia said.
"Sooo..." I responded, drumming my fingers on the edge of the wood table. It wasn't awkward, it was the more comfortable silence.
"How about we drive over to your place after this, get your stuff?" Shia offered. "If that's not too hard for you."
"Yeah, sure, we could do that." That immediately reminded me of my black eye and I reached up to touch it. It only hurt a little bit so I knew it was healing.
"Don't worry, it makes you look tough." Shia laughed. "Hey, I didn't notice before, your eyes are different colors."
"Oh, yeah. My mom had blue eyes and my dad had green eyes, so I guess I got one of each." I blushed. The attention on me and the cute boy next door looking at me made me a
little nervous. I broke eye contact with him just in time for Faye to bring me my tea and Shia his lemonade.
Twenty minutes of discussing the past Coachella lineups and agreeing 2004 was the best year later, Faye brought out the meals. My salad looked good but failed in comparison to Shia's double bacon cheeseburger. He must've noticed me staring at it because he offered me a bite. I declined, citing that I was a vegetarian, which was half true. I don't eat pork or weird animals, but beef, chicken, and fish were all good.
We walked back to Shia's truck after the meal and began to cruise to my apartment about forty five minutes away.
"How's your girlfriend?" I asked Shia as we pulled out of the parking lot.
"What girlfriend?" He asked with a small chuckle.
"You know, your girlfriend..." I looked at him, but he still looked like he had no clue what I was talking about. "Last time I saw you you were dating that girl."
"Rayne it's been about a year since you've seen me." He turned to look at me at a red light. "Do you mean China?"
"Yes! China, that's her name. God, I suck with names."
"Nah, we broke up about seven months ago."
"Oh, shit. Sorry, man." I was blushing because I know how uncomfortable it is when you get
asked about a relationship that no longer exists.
"No worries, I've moved on."
"Oh yeah? To who?" I asked, prodding questions which I knew at the time was annoying.
"Don't worry about it." But that way he chuckled as he said that told me he didn't think I was so annoying.
My heart started beating faster as we drove onto the 10 freeway, the familiar highway taking us to my apartment. A million questions and scenarios ran through my head. Would Nick be there? What do I do if I see him? What if he tries to hit me again? Would Shia help me? Sensing my sudden fear Shia asked if I was okay.
"You know, we don't have to do this if you're not ready."
"No, I want to. I need to do this." I looked out the window as Shia patted his hand on me knee.
"Everything will be fine."
I pointed him to the apartment on Abbot Kinney. There was a light on in the third story window. Shit, Nick's home.
Must've been one hell of a sleeping pill.
I downed my coffee and got up to put it in the sink when I heard the front door open.
"Hey." Shia said walking into the kitchen. "Oh, hey."
"Hi." I said before realizing I was still in just a thong and shirt with my back turned to Shia. I turned on my heel and went to go upstairs. "I'll be right back."
I could feel Shia's eyes on my ass as I turned the corner and ran up the stairs and put on a pair of jeans without changing my shirt. I zipped the up the fly when I heard my stomach make the loudest grumbling noise. I then walked down the stairs and saw that Shia took my seat in the recliner.
"I'm hungry." I stated as I rubbed my stomach.
"Me too. What do you feel like eating?" He asked, his eyes glued to the television.
"Good food."
"I think I can find you some of that." He clicked off the TV. "Follow me, I'm driving."
I grabbed my black flip flops before following Shia to his driveway next door and into his
black pickup truck. My best girlfriend Phoebe and I called these "bro trucks" because the only guys driving them were bros and douche bags. But hey, I'm not going to hold that against him.
"So where are we going?" I asked him, hoping wherever he was taking me was close because I was almost to the point where I would chew off my fingers for food.
"Chill out we'll be there in a second."
Shia and I made small talk during the drive, nothing awkward. It was mostly about work and what he did today while I slept which was surprisingly a lot.
"I went to a meeting to discuss a film role, went to lunch with my manager, hit the gym, and went to my buddy Alex's house all while you slept."
"Oh, what's the movie about?"
"The sequel to Transformers." He looked like he felt a little uncomfortable talking about the subject. "Nothing's set in stone, we're here."
We pulled into a place called Annie's that Shia must go to a lot because as soon as we walked in the hostess asked about his father and how Australia was. Shia politely responded to the woman who was very pretty and about forty, i judged, and apparently named Faye.
"Here are your menus, I'll give you guys a minute." She walked away and sat another group at a table while I read the menu.
I really wanted the hickory smoked double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake but I could feel the ten pounds on my ass as I read those words. I settle on iced green tea and the tofu spinach salad with balsamic dressing as Faye came back to take our orders.
"And the usual for you, Shia?" Faye asked. I immediately wondered what his usual was.
"Yes please, but hold the tomatoes. I heard salmonella's going around."
"You got it. I'll be back with your drinks in a second."
"So." Shia said.
"Sooo..." I responded, drumming my fingers on the edge of the wood table. It wasn't awkward, it was the more comfortable silence.
"How about we drive over to your place after this, get your stuff?" Shia offered. "If that's not too hard for you."
"Yeah, sure, we could do that." That immediately reminded me of my black eye and I reached up to touch it. It only hurt a little bit so I knew it was healing.
"Don't worry, it makes you look tough." Shia laughed. "Hey, I didn't notice before, your eyes are different colors."
"Oh, yeah. My mom had blue eyes and my dad had green eyes, so I guess I got one of each." I blushed. The attention on me and the cute boy next door looking at me made me a
little nervous. I broke eye contact with him just in time for Faye to bring me my tea and Shia his lemonade.
Twenty minutes of discussing the past Coachella lineups and agreeing 2004 was the best year later, Faye brought out the meals. My salad looked good but failed in comparison to Shia's double bacon cheeseburger. He must've noticed me staring at it because he offered me a bite. I declined, citing that I was a vegetarian, which was half true. I don't eat pork or weird animals, but beef, chicken, and fish were all good.
We walked back to Shia's truck after the meal and began to cruise to my apartment about forty five minutes away.
"How's your girlfriend?" I asked Shia as we pulled out of the parking lot.
"What girlfriend?" He asked with a small chuckle.
"You know, your girlfriend..." I looked at him, but he still looked like he had no clue what I was talking about. "Last time I saw you you were dating that girl."
"Rayne it's been about a year since you've seen me." He turned to look at me at a red light. "Do you mean China?"
"Yes! China, that's her name. God, I suck with names."
"Nah, we broke up about seven months ago."
"Oh, shit. Sorry, man." I was blushing because I know how uncomfortable it is when you get
asked about a relationship that no longer exists.
"No worries, I've moved on."
"Oh yeah? To who?" I asked, prodding questions which I knew at the time was annoying.
"Don't worry about it." But that way he chuckled as he said that told me he didn't think I was so annoying.
My heart started beating faster as we drove onto the 10 freeway, the familiar highway taking us to my apartment. A million questions and scenarios ran through my head. Would Nick be there? What do I do if I see him? What if he tries to hit me again? Would Shia help me? Sensing my sudden fear Shia asked if I was okay.
"You know, we don't have to do this if you're not ready."
"No, I want to. I need to do this." I looked out the window as Shia patted his hand on me knee.
"Everything will be fine."
I pointed him to the apartment on Abbot Kinney. There was a light on in the third story window. Shit, Nick's home.