[English novel] SOMETHING GREAT (Điều Tuyệt Vời)

Tác giả: M. Clarke

Nhằm mục đích thư giãn cũng như nâng cao khả năng đọc tiếng anh của mọi người, mình xin lần lượt post các truyện tiểu thuyết tiếng anh nổi tiếng trên thế giới. Nếu có gì sai sót mong mod nhắc nhở. Thanks nhiều ạ !

Something Great
Page 1



Chapter 1

“You’re staring,” I said to Becky, who was sitting across from me.

“I can’t help it.” Becky continued to smile at a stranger, flirtatiously batting her eyelashes, pulling a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. “He’s kind of cute, and he’s looking right at me.”

Oh…she is good. “But you think a lot of guys are cute,” I mumbled lightly.

“It’s probably the alcohol talking.” She took a drink of her martini.

Becky and I had been roommates since my senior year in college. Our living arrangement transferred after graduation, which was pretty cool considering the expenses that went with living in an apartment near the beach. I had to say, it was an added benefit having your best friend live with you…sometimes.

Though Becky and I lived together, at times it was difficult when our schedules got busy. Sometimes we hardly saw each other, so it was nice to go out to dinner together even though it was in the middle of the week. We were both tired, but our friendship meant more than a little rest.

Becky looked behind her, then turned back to face me. “Twelve o’clock on your time. You see him?”

Trying not to make it obvious, especially since he’d caught my eyes after Becky turned around, I took a quick peek again. “He’s okay.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“You have such high standards. It’s no wonder…wait a minute. I don’t get you. Not to be mean about it, but you know you can do so much better than what’s his face.”

“You’ve told me that like, millions of times.”

“Oh…is that all? And I still can’t get it through your thick skull,” she giggled.

“He’s not that bad,” I pouted, circling the rim of the glass with my index finger.

Becky’s eyes moved again, starting from the back of the room, and stopped right behind me. “Oh my…talk about eye candy. Now…you can’t say he isn’t good-looking, because he just bumped the others out of the ocean. I think I need to cool off. Perhaps he should cool me off.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said, thinking, here she goes again.

“Look behind you,” she ordered, taking another sip of her martini.

“No.”

“Why not? Afraid you may like what you see?”

“Becky, it doesn’t matter if he’s cute or whatever. I’m not a cheater. I’m not here to look for men. I’m here to be with you, to keep you company, to help you find someone. Just because you’re not happy, don’t think I’m not.”

Then I saw the look in her eyes, the look that said I’d gone too far. My mom used to say, “Think before you speak, because words can really hurt, and you can’t take back what you said, because the damage is already done.” I didn’t mean to hurt her. In fact, it had just slipped out from annoyance. Since the day I started seeing Luke, she’d told me nonstop how much he didn’t deserve me.

Sure, I understood. She cared for me like a sister, but enough was enough. I was an adult. I was allowed to, and could, make my own decisions. Even my parents didn’t tell me who or who not to date. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. It’s not what I meant.”

“If you’re sorry, then look behind you.”

“What?”

Becky crossed her arms. “I won’t ever ask you to look after this.”

With a heavy sigh, I turned. With perfect timing his eyes caught mine, and they stayed locked for what seemed like an eternity. As if he had somehow spellbound me, I couldn’t move. My heart skipped a beat and I couldn’t breathe. Look away, I told myself, but I couldn’t. I would have sworn I felt my heart lurch and fall into my stomach. Heat like I’d never known before flushed my face. Dangerous tingles awakened every part of me. I couldn’t understand this strange hold he had on me, and I didn’t know if I liked the feeling at all.

He was gorgeous, about six feet tall with broad shoulders, wearing dark slacks; I couldn’t tell what specific color, but who cared? His pin-striped dress shirt was unbuttoned at the sleeves and rolled neatly about a quarter of the way up his arms. Leaning back against the bar in a cool, relaxed manner, he was eye candy all right. Most likely, he was there to wind down after work.

I finally managed to turn back around and look at my friend, who gave me an “I told you so” look.

“Breeeeathe,” she mouthed, curling her lips as far as she could, a huge smile on her face.

“He’s cute. I’ll admit it. So what?”

“Cute? You used the wrong word. He’s hot.”

Becky was right, but I didn’t want to make it obvious that she was. Taking deep breaths, I turned my attention elsewhere, but my heart continued to beat a mile a minute. Why did he have that affect on me? I had never felt that way before. It was exhilarating and dangerous at the same time.

Peering up at my friend after I felt the heat on my face cool down, I wanted to take a gulp of her drink, but I knew I couldn’t—I was allergic to alcohol—so I took a sip of my soda instead. When I did drink, which was rare, I would have a strong urge to urinate, and my whole body, literally from head to toe, would turn red, like I had a bad sunburn. Not to mention it would only take me a few sips to get tipsy. Yup…the alcohol affected me in more ways than one.

“Want me to invite him over here?” Becky offered.

“No,” I said quickly. “We don’t know him.”

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“Who cares?”

“If you want to invite him, then that’s up to you since you’re interested, not me.” I felt the rush of heat again. Looking down at my drink, I tried to think of something else besides the hunk standing by the bar, whose face and the way he made me feel from just one look kept invading my mind.

“Darn,” Becky said suddenly, looking upset.

Her tone snapped my attention to her again. “What?”

“I think he has a girl friend. A blonde just wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.”

Without thinking, I turned quickly to find his back turned toward me, and sure enough, there she was. A feeling of disappointment fell on me. Oh my gosh! What am I thinking? I have a boyfriend. Well, not really a boyfriend; we were dating, though it had only been a month. Feelings of relief and guilt swept through me. I am dating Luke, I kept telling myself.

“He’s just one fish in the ocean. There’ll be others for you to catch,” I muttered, gulping down my beverage. The icy, cool drink helped me temporarily, but the heat kept coming back, so I changed the subject and hoped the hot flashes would disappear. “So, how’s work?”

“I just got tons of submissions to read. It’s never ending. I’m excited about a few of them, but I also need a break from reading.”

“You always say that, but then you drown yourself in the stories.”

“I do, don’t I?” she giggled. “Books are like picking ice cream flavors. Not everyone likes vanilla. The key is to find the flavor that is currently popular, and that determines which authors I take my chances on.”

“You’ve been doing well so far.”

“I have had some hits and a few misses, but I have to admit, I enjoy what I do. So, tell me; how’s job hunting?”

“Did I tell you I have an interview next week?”

Becky peered over my head. “No you didn’t, but that’s great. I know how much you hate that job. I’m so glad we’re catching up.”

“I don’t hate it, but I need something different. I really hope I get this one.” I paused, looking at my friend, who seemed to be half listening to me. “What are you doing? Are you staring at them again?”

She ignored my question with a bright beam in her smile. “Look behind you…no…don’t look behind you!”

“Are you okay?” I let out a small laugh.

Becky leaned closer toward me, like she was going to tell me a secret. “The blonde walked away. She probably went to the bathroom.”

“So…your point being…?”

“He’s leaning against the bar, but he’s looking right at you. Well…not at you, but your back.”

I busted out laughing…that was one of the most ridiculous things she’d said in a long while. But just the thought of him looking at me made me tense up. “My back? He could be looking at something, or someone, near me. Why would he be looking at my back? For goodness sake, stop staring.”

“You think I’m making this up.” She waved to the waitress coming our way. “One more please.” She held up her glass. “Thanks, and we’d like the menu too, please…actually, are you ready to order?”

I nodded with a smile. “The same.”

“I’ll have the fish taco combo and she’ll have the chicken salad.”

After the waitress repeated the order she walked away.

“I don’t know how you have the same thing every time we come here,” she added.

“I don’t know, I just like it, and that’s what I feel like having again. What is it, pick on Jenna day?”

“No…sorry,” she said sheepishly. “Anyway, just to prove my point, I dare you to turn around.”

“No.” I leaned back comfortably with my arms crossed.

“For someone so sweet, who never cusses, who plays by the rules, who orders the same thing every time, you sure can be stubborn.”

“Well, I can’t be all good,” I smirked.

“Turn around before she comes.”

“No.”

“Ugggh. Okay…if I’m wrong then I owe you a favor, but if you’re wrong you owe me one.”

That sounded like a risk I was willing to take, because I knew for sure she was wrong. Why would he be staring at my back?

“Fine.” I turned. My heart stopped for a second and then pounded in my chest. The familiar warmth flooded all over my body. Becky was right. Our eyes matched perfectly. He raised his bottle of beer and gave me a delicious smile that melted deep into my gut.

I didn’t even know if I smiled back, but I somehow managed to turn back around. It didn’t matter anyway, because guys like him were trouble…big trouble. Guys like him couldn’t be trusted. Why? Because he was too damn good-looking, and his ego was probably as big as the restaurant we were sitting in. I was already judging him and I didn’t know him, but it didn’t matter. I was dating Luke, even though Becky thought he wasn’t good for me. At least he wasn’t trouble.

At some point in my rambled thinking, I had to look up to my friend, whose feet were tapping on the wooden floor that my eyes were glued to. “Okay,” I said, looking squarely into her eyes. “You win.” My left index finger went straight to my mouth, a very bad habit I had when I got nervous.

Becky reached over and took my finger out of my mouth. “You’re going to bite your finger off over a guy you don’t know?” she giggled. “By the way…I can’t wait for you to return the favor.” A mischievous grin was smudged on her face.

Something Great
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“Great,” I said under my breath. “I can hardly wait.”

Chapter 2

A feeling of warmth brushed my face as I stretched my arms to the ceiling. The sun’s rays projected into my room, making it appear as though I was in the center of heaven’s light. Mesmerized by it, I took in the beauty. Gazing toward the open shutters I had forgotten to close last night, I knew it was going to be a beautiful day. Yesterday had been dark and gloomy, but today the sun was showing who the boss was. It was like that in Los Angeles…even in the fall, sometimes if felt like it was spring.

The thought of the guy I’d seen at the restaurant the previous week had faded, and I couldn’t remember what he looked like anymore, only how he’d made me feel. In a way, I had forced him out of my mind, because the guilt from thinking of someone else while I was with Luke felt wrong. I wouldn’t want Luke to be thinking of someone else while he was with me, either.

Luke and I had met at a work meeting. His company became one of the clients I managed, so I spoke to him often on the phone. He was the owner of a fabric dying company, and our company bought fabric from companies like his, then sold the fabrics to clothing companies or designers. Basically, our company was the middleman, and I did all the negotiating on the prices and made sure everything happened in a timely manner.

Lately I had been bored with my job. I needed more of a challenge, more excitement, and more from my everyday routine life. It was time to move on if I wanted to grow in my areas of expertise…but exactly what did I need? I wasn’t sure, but I knew that if I stayed where I was, that’s what I would be doing for the rest of my life.

My boss understood. I was good at what I did and he knew it. My salary wasn’t great, just enough for me to pay the bills, and I was basically living from paycheck to paycheck. This was another reason why I needed to move on. Thinking about the interview I was excited to have, I continued to lie in bed, when suddenly….

“Aaaahhh,” I screamed, bolting out of my bed to look at my cell phone. It was seven in the morning, and my interview was at eight thirty…that day. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten to turn on my alarm. I didn’t have a clock per se, so my cell phone was my alarm. Strange…it was on, but I must have turned it off and gone back to bed.

Frustrated and mad at myself, I jumped into the shower. After dashing out, I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. With just enough makeup on, I got dressed—a dark gray pencil skirt, a white blouse, and a thick gray sweater to match the skirt.

Breakfast was out of the question as I walked out of my bedroom. I noted Becky had already left. She must have had an early meeting or gone to the gym. Surely she would have woken me. Clutching my leatherwork bag, I dashed out the door in world record time.

**

Just before I opened the double glass doors to enter, I tilted my head back to look up at the tall building in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. Feelings of excitement and nervousness burst through me, giving me tickling tingles from my fingertips to my stomach. Breathe, I told myself as I walked in.

Stepping on to the shiny cream polished floor, I felt like I was stepping on gold. I didn’t like to compare, but my current place of employment was nothing like this. Gazing around, but continuing my rapid pace due to the time, I noted men dressed in suits and women dressed in pant or dress suits. I couldn’t help but wonder which company they were working for, since there were so many in one building. Seeing the elevator sign, that was where I headed.

There were six elevators, three on either side of me. Others were already waiting for the elevators to open. Noting that the button to go up was already pushed, I waited just like everyone else. When the “ding” sounded, I waited patiently until the ones who were waiting before me entered first. It was crowded inside the elevator, but I didn’t care. I was happy to be on it so I could get there just in time.

Looking at the buttons, I was surprised to see that there were fifty-four floors. I knew the building was tall, but I hadn’t realized there were that many floors. That thought alone made me feel queasy. It was bad enough that my stomach had dropped when the elevator soared. Since the button for my floor was already pushed, I closed my eyes and waited for my turn to exit.

On several occasions I had to step out so the person behind me could exit, but I was glad when I finally exited on the twenty-eighth floor. A lady about my age walked out at the same time I did, trailing behind me. She must have been the one to push the button to this floor. Perhaps she is my competition for the job.

The clear glass window caught my eye first. It covered the entire back wall, the sunlight beaming dimly through it. What a fantastic view of downtown LA! The receptionist, sitting behind a semi-circular desk, peered through her glasses and looked straight at me. She’d obviously heard the embarrassing clicking noise from my heels, which made me feel like an elephant. With her hair tied up, she looked sharp and business like.

“Good morning. How may I help you?”

“I have an 8:30 interview.”

“Your name?”

“My name is Jeanella Mefferd, but you can call me Jenna.”

She looked down the list. “Ah, yes…there you are.” Then she peered up with a smile. “Please have a seat. We are a little behind schedule.”

Smiling back, I took a deep breath and eased my shoulders, relaxing for the first time since I stepped inside the building. The fact that they were behind would allow me to give more thought to my answers to the questions I may be asked. “Thank you,” I said, turning my back to her and moving toward the empty chairs.

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As I waited patiently, I couldn’t help but look at my competition from the corner of my eye. Dressed in a black dress suit, she looked confident, and somehow I felt intimidated by her appearance. Perhaps it was from knowing she may have more experience than me, or maybe it was just my own insecurities. Who was I kidding? There must have been tons of interviewees. What made me special? What made me stand out from the rest?

Megan Crawford was the name she gave to the receptionist. Sauntering over to the empty seat next to me, she gave me a quick smile. Suddenly, it wasn’t sunny anymore. The air around me, which I hadn’t felt before from being too nervous, instantly became cold, and I shivered. I had to stop thinking negative thoughts, or I wouldn’t make it through the interview.

Sitting next to a stranger was bad enough, but sitting next to your competition was even worse. She looked calm and collected, whereas I fidgeted like a child in my seat. Feeling antsy, I pulled out my cell phone. There were several texts, one from Becky and others from my friends Kate and Nicole. I clicked Becky’s first.

Good luck, and let me know how it went. XO

I texted back. I will.

Then Kate’s.

Go Jenna!

Haha. Thxs! Hugs!

Then Nicole’s.

You’ll do great!

Thank you!

Though I was excited to get texts from my friends, there was no text from Luke. Maybe he would call me later?

“Ms. Mefferd,” I heard.

My head popped up and my heart raced faster than it ever had, except for the time I saw him. Oh God! Why am I thinking of him at a time like this? Funny, though…it actually helped me calm down. Okay. I can do this. “Yes?”

I turned my head to the receptionist to get more direction. She pointed to her right. “They are ready for you. It’s the first conference door on your right.”

“Thank you,” I said, standing up. Not wanting to be rude, I turned to Megan. Before I could say a word, she spoke.

“Good luck,” she smiled.

I wasn’t sure if it was sincere, but at least she was polite. “Thanks. You too.” Then I turned and headed to, hopefully, my future. This interview would make me or break me…well, maybe not break me, but it was a huge opportunity, and I had to do my best.

**

Three pairs of eyes set on me as I paced toward a rectangular table. “Good morning,” I smiled, hearing the clicking sound from my heels. Why does it have to click so loud?

“Good morning,” they said in accord.

There were two males and one female, and they each had their wooden nameplate in front of them. Feeling a little flushed from anxiety, I tried to take several unnoticeable deep breaths as I sat and placed my workbag next to me on the floor.

“Ms. Mefferd, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?” the lady asked with a smile.

I hated that question. Why do they have to ask this question at every interview? “I was born and raised in Los Angeles. My resume, which you have in front of you, lists the schools and colleges I’ve attended, along with my extracurricular activities.” I paused, thinking I may have given too much random information. Focus! “After graduation, I was hired at Tom Bradley Fabric Company. I’m currently still employed there, but he already knows about the interview today.”

“Yes. We’ve already placed a phone call,” Mr. Miles said. “He speaks highly of you. From what I can see on your resume, you’ve played many roles for that company.”

Mr. Miles’s words sparked a confidence in me I didn’t know was hiding beneath the surface. My face lit up and my tone became different—stronger, with conviction. “Yes. Not only do I work with the clients, I am also the assistant director of the Human Resources Department. Benefits and Workers’ Compensation are my specialties, along with customer relations.”

“Ms. Mefferd,” the other male asked. “We know what we are looking for. The question is…what are you looking for?”

I had never been asked that question before, and I was surprised they had asked it. What did I want? “Mr. Miles, Mr. Cole, and Ms. Simmons.” I gazed into their eyes, one person at a time, as I called their names. “I want to work for a company that is fair, where I can learn, grow, and challenge myself to be better. I want to give my all to a company that will treat me as if I were a part of their family.”

There was silence. It was so quiet that I could hear the whistle of the wind blowing outside the window. Not one of them looked at me. Had I said something wrong? Had the sun not beamed through the window, I certainly would have been shivering at that moment.

Several more rounds of questions followed about what I did for my current employer, and how long I had worked there. It seemed like I had been at the interview far longer than I had expected. Feeling light headed from not eating breakfast, I just wanted it to be over.

“Ms. Mefferd, we are looking to fill this position as soon as possible,” Ms. Simmons said. “We also have a long list of interviewees, so it may take a week. If we feel that your qualifications meet our standards, you’ll be hearing from our Human Resources Department. Thank you for your time.”

With that, I stood up and shook all three of their hands, gazing at each of them with a smile. “Thank you so much.” Then I walked out as softly as I could. Darn these heels!

Chapter 3

Feeling good about the interview, I decided to celebrate alone by feeding myself breakfast. But one never knew about these things. The last time I thought an interview went super well, I never got a phone call. Whatever happened, at least I knew I’d given it my best; but still, if I didn’t get this job, I knew I would be very disappointed. Who was I kidding? I would be devastated.

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First things first, I needed to eat. My face felt warm and my head was starting to throb, an indication I needed food…quickly. I had been unable to eat much the previous night due to the anxiety building up from the interview, and my body was giving me a warning sign. Recalling a coffee shop I had been to in the area, I decided to head in that direction, since I didn’t have to be back to work until after lunch. A warm muffin and coffee would surely hit the spot.

Pacing down the sidewalk, I inhaled a deep, cool breath. Many pedestrians were walking on both sides of me, but I didn’t pay attention to them. I was too busy focusing on the location of the coffee shop and the soothing warm sun I wanted to be under for a while longer. As I neared the delicious smell, I peered through the shop windows as I walked by. Then finally, I spotted what I was looking for two buildings down…Café Express.

Entering the double glass door, I quickly noted it was filled with customers, but many of them were leaving; I must have just missed the morning rush. Since the line was short, it put a smile on my face as I stood behind a man. Peering up, I looked at the breakfast menu, and everything sounded delicious. Decisions, decisions…what do I order? I thought to myself as I laced my hair back with my fingers.

The guy in front of me was taking so long that I decided to gaze around the room, looking at the small unique fixtures on the wall. Small paintings and cute little mugs of different sizes and designs added a nice touch to the ambiance.

I was just about done looking at every fixture when I suddenly froze. Heat zapped through my whole body. Sitting under a fixture of a butterfly mug, I saw him. I hadn’t thought about him for days, and there he was, all dressed up in his work attire of a suit and tie. His eyes were beaming as they pierced through me, but he looked surprised, and radiated an irresistible smile. Surely he wasn’t smiling at me, so I glanced behind me; there was no one there, except for the painting I was admiring earlier.

Without thinking I turned back to him. He lifted his cup of coffee at me with a flirty twitch of his eyebrows. I gasped inwardly and took a step to my right, knowing that the man had finished paying, and I suddenly felt something scorching hot and wet, brushing against my hand. My eyes followed my workbag as it fell straight to the floor and landed on top of a pool of brown liquid.

“Watch it, lady!” the man snapped, cursing beneath his breath, brushing off the soon-to-be stain on his light gray suit.

“Oh…I’m so sorry,” I apologized sincerely. Without a care for my bag or the rude man, I brushed the wetness that burned my skin. Frowning, I brushed it harder as if I could make the pain go away.

Then I heard a male voice I didn’t recognize. It was deep and soothing, and beckoned me to awaken.

“Excuse me, but I think you owe this beautiful lady an apology.” His tone was strong and demanding.

I peered up to see him standing in front of me, blocking half of my view, as if to protect me with his body. Silence filled the air in the coffee shop; most likely, everyone felt the same tension I felt as we waited for the guy to apologize. If he didn’t, what would he do? Thank goodness there was no one else behind me in line.

“I’m sorry,” the guy said quickly, though not sincerely, and walked out the door.

He turned to me. “Are you okay?”

“I…I’m okay. Thank you, but it really was my fault. I wasn’t looking,” I said softly. I really wanted to tell him that it was his fault for distracting me, but I didn’t.

Surprisingly, he grabbed my hand and examined it. His hands on mine felt light as a feather, but his warmth penetrated through my skin, making me hot all over.

“Ice,” he said to the cashier, still holding my hand. At his command, one of the cashiers blinked and went to the back room. “It’s not bad, but you should put ice on it just in case.”

Feeling myself crumble from his touch, I slowly pulled my hand away and peered up at his beautiful soft brown eyes. I swallowed a nervous lump down my throat. “Umm…thank you, but I’m really fine.”

The cashier came back with a bag of ice and placed it in front of him. “Thank you,” he said, and without asking for my hand, he snatched it and placed the bag of ice on top of it. Smack in the middle of the shop, there we stood, attracting attention. By now, most of the customers were minding their own business, but I could still see a few looking at us curiously.

Not knowing what else to do, I accepted his help by placing my other hand on top of the ice bag, so he could release my hand. “Thank you. You’ve been too kind.”

He took several napkins and started to wipe the liquid that had clung to the bottom of my workbag, and some that had splashed on the sides. Has he been holding it all this time? He was so sweet, yet I didn’t even know him.

“Oh…thank you, but I can do it.”

When I leaned toward him to retrieve my bag, my heels slipped on the wet floor that hadn’t been cleaned yet. Before I could make a fool out of myself, he caught me with his arms. In his hold, I didn’t want to be let go. Seeing his eyes at my eye level, I knew he had bent down somewhat to catch me. As I stared into his eyes, time stood still. The coffee grinder, the cash register, the voices from the conversations people were holding in their small groups, were all muted. I heard nothing but the sound of him breathing, and I felt nothing but his hot breath on my face and my own heart beating erratically.

Then…unwanted…I saw nothing but Luke’s face. With a great amount of effort, I released myself from his hold, recaptured my bag, thanked him once more, and strode out of the shop as fast as I could, without looking back. Hunger was no longer on my mind or my stomach. All that echoed inside my head was that he called me beautiful, and his kindness had fed my heart and my stomach.

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Chapter 4

“Over here,” Becky mouthed, waving her hand.

I saw her from the distance. “My friend is already seated,” I explained to the hostess. She gave me a warm smile and gestured for me to go. As I weaved around the tables, I noted that Nicole and Kate were already there, as well. Nicole and Becky wore their work clothes, but Kate was in casual attire since she didn’t work in an office.

Excitedly I paced faster. It had been a couple of months since the four of us had gone out together. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months as life sped by. We were all busy with our own lives, not like it was when we were in college and it was easier to be under the same umbrella. After hugs and kisses to each of them, I pulled out my chair and sat. Drinks were already on the table.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to catch up since I was out half the day.”

“So, how was your interview?” Nicole asked, taking a sip of her water.

“Who knows? I think I did okay, but you never know about these things. I thought I had a terrible interview with my current job, but I got the offer.”

“True,” Becky muttered.

The conversation stopped when the waitress came by.

“Hello,” she smiled at me. “Looks like everyone is here. May I take your order?” After we ordered, she left.

“Anyway, it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get it,” I continued. I gazed at my friends, who were intently listening and giving me the “I know you’re lying” look. “Okay…it will be end of my world if I don’t get it. I’ve had my eye on that company for so long.” Exhaling a heavy sigh, I plopped my head on my crossed arms.

“It’s okay, Jenna. Think positive. There’ll be other opportunities if you don’t get this one. Everything has its right timing. Everything folds into its place the way it was meant to be at the right time. Geez, I sound like a Hallmark card. Maybe I should write a book,” Becky snorted.

I strongly believed what she’d said, but I had needed to hear it from a friend’s mouth. With that, I sat tall and enlivened the mood. “So, how was everyone’s day?”

“Breast feeding and feeling like a cow,” Kate sputtered.

We all broke into laughter, except Becky laughed a little harder. Liquid sprinkled out of her mouth from trying to hold it in. “I’m so sorry,” she laughed, dabbing the table with her white linen napkin. Thank goodness dinner hadn’t arrived yet.

“It’s fine,” Katie continued. “I get spit up on by my baby all the time. I’m used to it.”

Giggling, we calmed ourselves down. Kate was the first one of our group to get married, and the first one to have a baby. Her being pregnant was one of the reasons why she’d married her college boyfriend. I still remembered her beautiful wedding as if it had happened yesterday. Becky and I were in her wedding party, and Nicole was her maid of honor. Having been placed in a group project together in college had brought our band together.

“That’s all I do all day long. Feed, burp, diaper change, and clean spit ups. Don’t get me wrong…I love my baby, but I’m so glad I’m out here with all of you. I miss just hanging out,” Kate continued. The wetness in her eyes made her eyes twinkle. “We should do this more often.”

“We need to set the next date now,” Becky suggested, taking out her cell phone. “Cause….” She paused as she clicked away. “We say that all the time, but it’s difficult and time just flies by. Next thing you know, months have gone by.”

The rest of us took out our cell phones, punched some keys, and marked the date on our phone calendars. After about fifteen minutes, the waitress came back with our dinners. Becky and I had ordered the same seafood salad, Kate was having seafood linguini, and Nicole had ordered salmon with assorted vegetables.

“Becky told us you’re seeing someone,” Kate said suddenly. “What’s his name, what does he do…give us his history.”

I shot my eyes to Becky then shifted my gaze to Nicole and Kate. “His name is Luke, and I met him about a month ago. His company is one of the companies I deal with. He’s cute and nice.” I didn’t have much to say after that.

“Do we get to meet him?” Kate asked, turning her fork, making a ball with the linguini.

“I met him already,” Becky blurted. “He’s no good for her.”

I nudged Becky on the shoulder and gave her a look.

She ignored me. “You need to date around. Don’t be exclusive with him. If you don’t you won’t know what you’re missing…like that guy we saw last night. You need to do this while you’re young and not officially in a relationship. I know you don’t have much experience.” She paused. “Hardly,” she giggled. “But that’s okay. Our little miss innocent here is finally adventuring out.”

“Let me ask you this.” Kate leaned over. “When you kiss him, do you see stars and fireworks? Do you explode…way down there?”

Becky and Kate giggled, but Nicole was keeping to herself. She had been quiet, which was unusual, but I didn’t ask. Instead, I kept one eye on her facial expression, which was pretty much blank. Her fork played with the broccoli, but never entered her mouth. While our plates were already a quarter empty, she had hardly touched her food.

“Well?” Kate twitched her brows, demanding an answer.

I didn’t say a word…I didn’t have to. My roommate sitting next to me did, since I told her practically everything. “She hasn’t kissed him yet,” Becky shared.

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Kate’s brows raised. “Really?”

“You know how Jenna is,” Becky reminded. “She’s careful. She’s safe. She’s not like us. I’ve kissed guys on the first date…hell, I’ve even had one night stands.”

“Well…in my defense, we’ve only dated like four times. I’m seeing him again on Friday night. Maybe I’ll let him kiss me.”

“That’s like three days away. I want to meet the guy who finally stole Jenna’s heart. Can I come?” Kate said out of the blue, teasing.

Becky and I flashed our eyes at her in accord.

“I’m just joking. I’m just so excited for Jenna,” Kate said. “It’s been so long.” Kate paused. Her eyes grew and cringed. “Shoot…my ni**les are hard and my br**sts feel like water balloons ready to burst.” Kate started eating a little bit faster. “I’m going to have to go soon.”

“But you just got here,” I pouted.

“I know, but when they get really full, they don’t feel good, and then I start leaking…the joys of breast feeding.”

“Wow. Sounds like something I may not want to do,” Becky commented, sticking her fork into her shrimp.

“You say that now, but just wait until you have the little one in your arms,” Kate gushed. “It’s just the most wonderful feeling you’ll ever know…well, next to ***, of course.”

With her statement, we started to laugh again. But when Nicole didn’t laugh with us, I knew for sure something was wrong. “Nicole, is something wrong?”

Nicole’s eyes were focused on the table at first, then tears dotted her cheeks. “Keith broke up with me.”

“Oh, sweet Nicole.” Kate wrapped her arms around her, making her face disappear into her shirt. Nicole had been dating Keith for about a year after meeting him at work. Actually, he was one of her bosses at a huge insurance company. In a way, I’d had the feeling that it wouldn’t last. Keith was not the type of guy to settle down. How did I know this without really knowing him? Because there were two types of guys…the ones that would break your heart, and the ones who would treasure it.

“What happened?” Becky placed her fork down.

Nicole finally took a breather, sat up, and wiped her tears. “Actually, I broke up with him. He didn’t ever want to get married, so I left him. I mean…why would he just drag out our relationship if he never wanted more?” Her eyes started to pool with tears again.

I wanted to comfort her, but I was sitting on the opposite side of the table, so I tried my best to comfort her with my facial expressions and with my words.

“It’s okay,” Kate said softly. “It’s better you know now than in another year.”

“Okay,” Becky said loudly. “Next Saturday, everyone at our place for dinner. We’re getting Nicole wasted.”

Then that was that. Kate said she didn’t have enough milk pumped, so she needed to head back home to feed her daughter of two months. Becky and I stayed to console Nicole.

Chapter 5

Thank God it was Friday!

When I entered our apartment, Becky was already home. “Hey, Becky,” I said out loud.

“Hey, there,” she greeted, popping out of the kitchen with an apple in her hand, and then eyed my chest. “I love the delicate ruffles on your cream sweater.”

“You can borrow it, if you like.”

“I’ll let you know,” she winked. “So, got any plans tonight?”

I watched her take a bite of the apple. Apples had never looked so good, and my mouth was salivating. I guessed I was hungry and didn’t know it. “Got another one?”

She went back to the kitchen and tossed one to me. “Thanks.” With the first bite, the juice streamed down my throat. With a crunch my teeth pulled the meat off it, and I savored the taste. “Good,” I managed to say while I was chewing, and then remembered her question. “Oh…Luke is taking me out. We’re going out to dinner.”

Taking another bite of her apple, she leaned against the white wall next to the television. It wasn’t a big one, but it was big enough for our smallish apartment. Her eyebrows narrowed, most likely trying to think of something to say. “Oh yeah…I forgot. Okay, have a great time, and give me details tomorrow.”

My mouth was full, but I spoke anyway. “What details? We’re just going out to dinner. I’m not sleeping with him.”

“That’s fine, but you’re gonna kiss him, right?” Her tone sounded muffled from a mouth full of chewed up apple.

“What?” My tone went up a notch. “I’m not making the first move.”

Her eyes sparkled. “I had a feeling you were going to say that. I think he will, and when he does, you’ll know if you see or feel fireworks.”

I was just about to say something when our land phone line rang, but Becky beat me to it and answered it. “Hello…yes…yes. Hold on a minute please.” She looked at me with a questioning look. “It’s for you.”

During the whole week I’d been trying to forget about my interview. I had a strange gut feeling this wasn’t a personal call. My family and friends usually called me on my cell phone. Swallowing a nervous lump in my throat, I answered.

“Hello, this is Jeanella Mefferd. Yes…yes…yes…sure…no problem. I can do that. Thank you so much.”

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Chapter 4

“Over here,” Becky mouthed, waving her hand.

I saw her from the distance. “My friend is already seated,” I explained to the hostess. She gave me a warm smile and gestured for me to go. As I weaved around the tables, I noted that Nicole and Kate were already there, as well. Nicole and Becky wore their work clothes, but Kate was in casual attire since she didn’t work in an office.

Excitedly I paced faster. It had been a couple of months since the four of us had gone out together. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months as life sped by. We were all busy with our own lives, not like it was when we were in college and it was easier to be under the same umbrella. After hugs and kisses to each of them, I pulled out my chair and sat. Drinks were already on the table.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to catch up since I was out half the day.”

“So, how was your interview?” Nicole asked, taking a sip of her water.

“Who knows? I think I did okay, but you never know about these things. I thought I had a terrible interview with my current job, but I got the offer.”

“True,” Becky muttered.

The conversation stopped when the waitress came by.

“Hello,” she smiled at me. “Looks like everyone is here. May I take your order?” After we ordered, she left.

“Anyway, it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get it,” I continued. I gazed at my friends, who were intently listening and giving me the “I know you’re lying” look. “Okay…it will be end of my world if I don’t get it. I’ve had my eye on that company for so long.” Exhaling a heavy sigh, I plopped my head on my crossed arms.

“It’s okay, Jenna. Think positive. There’ll be other opportunities if you don’t get this one. Everything has its right timing. Everything folds into its place the way it was meant to be at the right time. Geez, I sound like a Hallmark card. Maybe I should write a book,” Becky snorted.

I strongly believed what she’d said, but I had needed to hear it from a friend’s mouth. With that, I sat tall and enlivened the mood. “So, how was everyone’s day?”

“Breast feeding and feeling like a cow,” Kate sputtered.

We all broke into laughter, except Becky laughed a little harder. Liquid sprinkled out of her mouth from trying to hold it in. “I’m so sorry,” she laughed, dabbing the table with her white linen napkin. Thank goodness dinner hadn’t arrived yet.

“It’s fine,” Katie continued. “I get spit up on by my baby all the time. I’m used to it.”

Giggling, we calmed ourselves down. Kate was the first one of our group to get married, and the first one to have a baby. Her being pregnant was one of the reasons why she’d married her college boyfriend. I still remembered her beautiful wedding as if it had happened yesterday. Becky and I were in her wedding party, and Nicole was her maid of honor. Having been placed in a group project together in college had brought our band together.

“That’s all I do all day long. Feed, burp, diaper change, and clean spit ups. Don’t get me wrong…I love my baby, but I’m so glad I’m out here with all of you. I miss just hanging out,” Kate continued. The wetness in her eyes made her eyes twinkle. “We should do this more often.”

“We need to set the next date now,” Becky suggested, taking out her cell phone. “Cause….” She paused as she clicked away. “We say that all the time, but it’s difficult and time just flies by. Next thing you know, months have gone by.”

The rest of us took out our cell phones, punched some keys, and marked the date on our phone calendars. After about fifteen minutes, the waitress came back with our dinners. Becky and I had ordered the same seafood salad, Kate was having seafood linguini, and Nicole had ordered salmon with assorted vegetables.

“Becky told us you’re seeing someone,” Kate said suddenly. “What’s his name, what does he do…give us his history.”

I shot my eyes to Becky then shifted my gaze to Nicole and Kate. “His name is Luke, and I met him about a month ago. His company is one of the companies I deal with. He’s cute and nice.” I didn’t have much to say after that.

“Do we get to meet him?” Kate asked, turning her fork, making a ball with the linguini.

“I met him already,” Becky blurted. “He’s no good for her.”

I nudged Becky on the shoulder and gave her a look.

She ignored me. “You need to date around. Don’t be exclusive with him. If you don’t you won’t know what you’re missing…like that guy we saw last night. You need to do this while you’re young and not officially in a relationship. I know you don’t have much experience.” She paused. “Hardly,” she giggled. “But that’s okay. Our little miss innocent here is finally adventuring out.”

“Let me ask you this.” Kate leaned over. “When you kiss him, do you see stars and fireworks? Do you explode…way down there?”

Becky and Kate giggled, but Nicole was keeping to herself. She had been quiet, which was unusual, but I didn’t ask. Instead, I kept one eye on her facial expression, which was pretty much blank. Her fork played with the broccoli, but never entered her mouth. While our plates were already a quarter empty, she had hardly touched her food.

“Well?” Kate twitched her brows, demanding an answer.

I didn’t say a word…I didn’t have to. My roommate sitting next to me did, since I told her practically everything. “She hasn’t kissed him yet,” Becky shared.

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Kate’s brows raised. “Really?”

“You know how Jenna is,” Becky reminded. “She’s careful. She’s safe. She’s not like us. I’ve kissed guys on the first date…hell, I’ve even had one night stands.”

“Well…in my defense, we’ve only dated like four times. I’m seeing him again on Friday night. Maybe I’ll let him kiss me.”

“That’s like three days away. I want to meet the guy who finally stole Jenna’s heart. Can I come?” Kate said out of the blue, teasing.

Becky and I flashed our eyes at her in accord.

“I’m just joking. I’m just so excited for Jenna,” Kate said. “It’s been so long.” Kate paused. Her eyes grew and cringed. “Shoot…my ni**les are hard and my br**sts feel like water balloons ready to burst.” Kate started eating a little bit faster. “I’m going to have to go soon.”

“But you just got here,” I pouted.

“I know, but when they get really full, they don’t feel good, and then I start leaking…the joys of breast feeding.”

“Wow. Sounds like something I may not want to do,” Becky commented, sticking her fork into her shrimp.

“You say that now, but just wait until you have the little one in your arms,” Kate gushed. “It’s just the most wonderful feeling you’ll ever know…well, next to ***, of course.”

With her statement, we started to laugh again. But when Nicole didn’t laugh with us, I knew for sure something was wrong. “Nicole, is something wrong?”

Nicole’s eyes were focused on the table at first, then tears dotted her cheeks. “Keith broke up with me.”

“Oh, sweet Nicole.” Kate wrapped her arms around her, making her face disappear into her shirt. Nicole had been dating Keith for about a year after meeting him at work. Actually, he was one of her bosses at a huge insurance company. In a way, I’d had the feeling that it wouldn’t last. Keith was not the type of guy to settle down. How did I know this without really knowing him? Because there were two types of guys…the ones that would break your heart, and the ones who would treasure it.

“What happened?” Becky placed her fork down.

Nicole finally took a breather, sat up, and wiped her tears. “Actually, I broke up with him. He didn’t ever want to get married, so I left him. I mean…why would he just drag out our relationship if he never wanted more?” Her eyes started to pool with tears again.

I wanted to comfort her, but I was sitting on the opposite side of the table, so I tried my best to comfort her with my facial expressions and with my words.

“It’s okay,” Kate said softly. “It’s better you know now than in another year.”

“Okay,” Becky said loudly. “Next Saturday, everyone at our place for dinner. We’re getting Nicole wasted.”

Then that was that. Kate said she didn’t have enough milk pumped, so she needed to head back home to feed her daughter of two months. Becky and I stayed to console Nicole.

Chapter 5

Thank God it was Friday!

When I entered our apartment, Becky was already home. “Hey, Becky,” I said out loud.

“Hey, there,” she greeted, popping out of the kitchen with an apple in her hand, and then eyed my chest. “I love the delicate ruffles on your cream sweater.”

“You can borrow it, if you like.”

“I’ll let you know,” she winked. “So, got any plans tonight?”

I watched her take a bite of the apple. Apples had never looked so good, and my mouth was salivating. I guessed I was hungry and didn’t know it. “Got another one?”

She went back to the kitchen and tossed one to me. “Thanks.” With the first bite, the juice streamed down my throat. With a crunch my teeth pulled the meat off it, and I savored the taste. “Good,” I managed to say while I was chewing, and then remembered her question. “Oh…Luke is taking me out. We’re going out to dinner.”

Taking another bite of her apple, she leaned against the white wall next to the television. It wasn’t a big one, but it was big enough for our smallish apartment. Her eyebrows narrowed, most likely trying to think of something to say. “Oh yeah…I forgot. Okay, have a great time, and give me details tomorrow.”

My mouth was full, but I spoke anyway. “What details? We’re just going out to dinner. I’m not sleeping with him.”

“That’s fine, but you’re gonna kiss him, right?” Her tone sounded muffled from a mouth full of chewed up apple.

“What?” My tone went up a notch. “I’m not making the first move.”

Her eyes sparkled. “I had a feeling you were going to say that. I think he will, and when he does, you’ll know if you see or feel fireworks.”

I was just about to say something when our land phone line rang, but Becky beat me to it and answered it. “Hello…yes…yes. Hold on a minute please.” She looked at me with a questioning look. “It’s for you.”

During the whole week I’d been trying to forget about my interview. I had a strange gut feeling this wasn’t a personal call. My family and friends usually called me on my cell phone. Swallowing a nervous lump in my throat, I answered.

“Hello, this is Jeanella Mefferd. Yes…yes…yes…sure…no problem. I can do that. Thank you so much.”