Page 4 of Love, Restricted
He just couldn’t stay away, but I didn’t mind it. He never got in anyone’s way, and he didn’t stay around for too long. He even spent time with Shadow when I had too much paperwork to do.
“Welp, I have tee time in about thirty minutes, so I’m going to head out. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good luck,” I told him before he walked out of my office.
I looked at the stack of paperwork I needed to work on.
I spent the rest of the day looking over candidates again, just in case I missed one, but the three we picked seemed to be thebest fit. When I was sure, I let Donna know to call them so they could come in for an interview.
Hopefully, whoever I hired worked out.
It wasthe morning of my interview, and I was nervous. I knew I was qualified for the job, but I didn’t know if anyone else that applied was more qualified than me. Getting a job wasn’t a high priority on my list, but I was sure I could find something else if I didn’t get it. I had to get the negative thoughts out of my head.
“The job is yours,” I said to myself as I put my earrings in.
I had gotten up early to walk Cashmere and to fix myself breakfast. Since my nerves were so bad, I didn’t have much of an appetite. I settled on a bowl of fruit and water. I spotted a donut shop when I went to get dinner the other night, so I would stop there on my way to grab some coffee. I made a mental note to add instant coffee to my grocery list.
When I left out of the bathroom, I heard my phone ding.
Cousin Elias:
Good luck today, little cuz. Call me later.
I liked the message, then continued getting ready.
“Wish me luck, Cash.” I rubbed Cashmere’s head, then he walked to his bed near the couch. He had plenty of water and toys to keep him occupied. I even gave him one of his bones.
I turned on the playlist I made for him, then left the house.
My mom called me as soon as I started my car. She and I talked as I drove to the coffee shop. She told me how much they missed me already, even though I had only been gone for a couple of days. I was sure they would probably visit me within the first month of me being here. I didn’t mind, though, because I loved my parents, and I enjoyed being around them. I wanted the type of love they had, but who knew if I would get it. I was optimistic, but at the same time, people didn’t understand what verbal and emotional abuse did to a person. Sometimes I wondered what was worse. Physical abuse hurt, but the bruises went away. Verbal and emotional got embedded into your brain. It made you question your own thoughts. It made you wonder if you were the problem all along. Therapy helped, but at times, I still wondered if I would be open to finding love.
Thinking about a potential love life made me think about the guy I saw walking his dog. I wished I could have seen more of his face, but it was enough to make me want to see him again. I tried to go the same way to the store, but I didn’t see him. Maybe one day we’d cross paths.
When I arrived at the donut shop, I told my mom that I would call her back after my interview. She kept rambling about her neighbor, and I wasn’t in the mood for it. I needed to calm my nerves and focus on nailing this interview.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee and sweet, sugary pastries hit me as soon as I entered the donut shop. There was a long line, but it seemed to move pretty fast. I couldn’t believe how crowded it was, but it gave me hope that the donuts and coffee were good.
I had plenty of time before the interview, so I wasn’t worried about standing in line. I scrolled through social media for a few minutes and looked around the shop while I waited my turn. Even though it was crowded, it seemed like it was a chill spot. Some people had their laptops out, while others talked to whoever they were with. A young couple sat in a corner booth, kissing. It made me briefly think of the good times between Brian and me.
Jazz music played through the speakers, but it was at a reasonable volume. Loud enough to enjoy, but low enough to hear the person next to you. I noticed that all the workers were Black, and I loved that. That was the same situation with the place I had gotten food from the other night. It made me wonder if all the stores were Black-owned. I did know that Sunrise Valley was predominantly Black, but there were some other races mixed in.
I would come back another time when I wasn’t on a time schedule. When it was my turn, I ordered a vanilla latte and a glazed donut. Glazed donuts were my favorite donut, with a vanilla cream one in close second.
It only took a few minutes to get my things. I took a sip, and the latte was perfect. Since I wanted to arrive at the police station at least fifteen minutes early, I took my stuff to go. The donut would wait until after the interview.
I walked out of the shop and bumped into a hard chest, spilling coffee in the process.
“Shit. I’m so sorry.” I looked up and realized it was the guy with the dog.
I tried to wipe his shirt off with the napkin in my hand, but it seemed like it wasn’t doing anything but making it worse.
I slightly jumped when he gently grabbed my wrist, because it felt like an electrical current went through my body.
His touch stole my breath, and when he looked down at me, the air shifted around us. The longer his gaze held me in place, it felt like the noise around us disappeared.
“Sweetheart. It’s all good.” He smirked.
His velvety voice wrapped around me like a warm embrace. With us being so close, I was able to get a good look at him, and I was not disappointed at all.
