5. Somebody’s Watching Me #2
Caleb looked at his men again to see them grinning wildly. He parted his lips to speak, but immediately closed his mouth, sending his men into a fit of laughter. "Oh come on, Caleb!" they teased. "She's average at best !
"Look at the clothes she wears!" another chimed in. "She looks like she hasn't showered in weeks-"
Caleb's jaw tensed with irritation. "That's enough!" he said firmly. "I won't have you talking shit about her. Or you can go home early without pay ." The men immediately ceased laughing and averted their gazes. "I thought so. Get back to work," Caleb muttered, annoyed.
Looking back over his shoulder at Deja, he frowned. She did seem bitter. What could have possibly happened to this woman to make her so angry and cold...
Several hours had passed by the time Deja was ready to head back upstairs. Struggling to her feet, she gathered her notebook and as many jars as she could, assuming she'd have to make two trips.
"Need some help?"
Deja didn't even turn around. "Nope. Thanks."
"Do you just… enjoy struggling?" Caleb asked. Deja huffed as she turned to face him. "I mean, it's okay if you're a masochist. I won't kink-shame," he teased, raising his hands with an innocent smile.
Deja snorted. "Are you always this corny?"
"You don't like my dad jokes?" Caleb pouted.
"Jokes are supposed to be funny," Deja mocked.
" Ouch !" Caleb laughed. "Sheesh. I'm just trying to help, Cruella."
Deja rolled her eyes. "...fine… just to my floor."
Caleb crouched down and gathered all the jars, including the ones in her arms. He followed her into the building to the elevator. Inside the elevator, Deja stared at the doors while Caleb glanced at her. "So..." he started. "Are you-"
"No," Deja said as the doors slid open. She turned to grab her jars from him.
"I can carry them to your-"
"No," she repeated sharply. "I mean… thank you."
Caleb could practically hear the strain in her voice. She quickly turned around to leave. "Can I at least get a name?" he asked.
Deja groaned.
"I mean, I can make one up instead," he shrugged. And I'll make it awful like… Timothina… Chalometyourmom . Benediction… Cumberbeethoven- that's a mouthful. Ooh! I got it! Karen! I'm gonna call you Karen Becky !"
"It's Deja!" she snapped, turning around on him. "My name is Deja!"
A warm smile etched across Caleb's face. "...now was that so difficult?"
Deja sucked her teeth and stormed away from him. Caleb chuckled as he hit the door close button. Tilting his head to the side, he licked his bottom lip.
"...Deja..."
Placing her jars on the kitchen table, Deja sighed as she leaned back against the fridge.
Caleb was annoying.
Attractive . But annoying.
A part of her felt bad for being so cold towards him. He was just trying to be nice.
But she couldn't trust him. She couldn't trust… anyone .
"And once that's done, just… pat it down… Yup! Just like that! Great job! And now, you're just gonna sprinkle it with water."
With her hands on her knees, Deja stood over the group of children sitting in the grass of the large community park, watching them plant seeds.
Their giggles filled the air, complementing the music and the smell of barbecue that drifted through the park's festivities.
In an effort to be more involved with her new community, Deja volunteered to help with the fundraiser events.
"Like this, Ms. Deja?" one of the children asked.
"Perfect," Deja smiled. She wasn't sure why she chose to work with children. Perhaps she saw it as preparation for the child growing in her belly.
"How are they doing?"
Looking over her shoulder, Deja saw one of the elderly community leaders, Donna, approach her, holding a clipboard. "We've got regular agriculturalists over here," Deja grinned. "Not too much water, Benny. You don't wanna drown it."
"Yes, Ms. Deja!"
Donna smiled. "They've definitely taken a liking to you."
Deja's cheeks warmed over. "I like them too." She faced Donna. "Did you need something?"
"No, actually. Just wanted to let you know that you're doing a really great job, and we're happy to have you as part of the team," Donna encouraged. "I know it isn't easy moving to a new state."
"Thank you," Deja smiled. "It's not, but I really appreciate you for welcoming me with open arms-" Deja stopped short, her brows furrowing in confusion as she spotted Caleb standing a few feet away, talking to a group of high schoolers.
"Deja?" Donna asked.
"Sorry, could you just excuse me for one second?" Deja stormed towards Caleb and shoved him hard in the back.
"Whoa!" he stumbled forward. He turned quickly as his eyes widened. "...Deja?"
"Don't Deja me!" she snapped angrily. "What are you doing here?! Are you stalking me now?!"
"Wha-"
"How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone?! Do you know how freaking creepy this is?!"
Caleb looked at her, confused. "Uh… I'm not stalking you."
"Oh, so you just happened to be at the same place at the same time as me?" she said sarcastically.
"Look, I just volunteered. Well, more like I was volun told," Caleb chuckled. But Deja was unamused. "...ok, seriously, what is your problem?"
" You're my problem!" Deja snapped.
"Deja?"
Donna approached them and beamed when she spotted Caleb. "Caleb!"
"Hey, Donna B! How's my favorite girl?" Caleb grinned.
Deja watched warily as Donna and Caleb embraced. "...you… know him?" Deja asked.
"Caleb? Of course!" Donna smiled, hugging him. "I've known Caleb for… what is it...10 years now?"
"Give or take," Caleb grinned.
"He was fresh out of college when I met him. God, I'm showing my age!" Donna chuckled with embarrassment.
"Hey! Don't you start that, young lady," Caleb teased.
"Caleb!" Donna laughed, playfully slapping him in the chest. "I asked him here to set up the equipment," Donna told Deja. "He's always such a huge help. That's why everybody loves him."
"...do they..." Deja muttered skeptically.
"I know. Hard to believe, right?" Caleb grinned at Deja.
"Actually, yes," Deja said with an attitude. Caleb couldn't help but smirk at Deja's coldness. Even in her plain jeans and oversized sweater, she still looked...
"Pretty," Caleb said casually. "You look… very pretty today." Deja raised an unfazed brow as Caleb grabbed his wallet and walked around her. "Now, whose plant am I buying?" he asked, approaching the children.
Deja watched the children tackle him the moment he crouched down to their level. "Hey, wait! Ow! Why am I being beaten up?! You little thugs!" Caleb laughed as he fell to the ground.
Donna chuckled as she sidled next to Deja. "Even the kids love him. He's such a kind, gentle soul. Probably our town's most eligible bachelor. I'm waiting for the day he finally settles down with a good woman and starts his own family. I feel like his mother sometimes, ya know?"
Deja wanted to roll her eyes. Was this woman his personal cheerleader?
At the end of the fundraiser, Deja waved goodbye to Donna and the children before packing up her table. "I'm sure the Munchkin Mafia wore you out," Caleb joked as he approached her. "Need any help?"
Deja sighed in frustration. "Why won't you just leave me alone?" she snapped.
Caleb blinked at her. "You could've just said ‘no’- are you always this mean?"
"Are you always this annoying?"
"Actually, yes. But most people find it endearing," Caleb smiled charmingly.
Deja snorted. "Well, I'm not most people."
"Clearly," Caleb teased. "Not even my famous Caleb Byrnes puppy eyes are working on you. Gotta switch it up and go full-on anime style! Uwu! Don't ask why I know this. Actually, just blame the kids, freakin' weeaboos-"
" Look !" Deja snapped. "I don't know why you're singling me out.
Is it because I'm new? New prey for you?
Maybe you've never met a Black woman before, and you're just trying to get in my pants for some freaky raceplay experimentation or something.
Please know I'm not interested. So, you can just go bother someone else. "
Caleb's lips parted in awe at her audacity before he laughed incredulously.
"Wow! You are really something! I've gone from creepy neighbor to racist fetishizer.
Good to know. You know what… I don't know what the hell your problem is, but at this point, I don't really care.
I heard you loud and clear. Won't be bothering you again. "
Caleb scoffed as he turned and walked away from her. Deja's shoulders fell with guilt as she continued gathering her things.
"I don't understand why it's a problem now when it wasn't a problem before."
"It's a problem 'cause I realize I'm givin' you more land than you payin' for."
"Mr. Torrence, that makes no sense. The garden is for all the tenants. You said so yourself," Deja argued.
"Exactly. All the tenants. Yet, you come out here, actin' like it only belongs to you," Torrence snorted.
"I'm literally the only one who even uses this garden!" Deja snapped.
"You're gettin' in the way of my landscapers."
"They haven't said that to me. Otherwise, I would have moved," she insisted. "Please, Mr. Torrence. I'm just trying to keep my head down and work. I can limit my time if you want."
Torrence raked his eyes over Deja's body, clothed in her usual sweats. "What I want? You could start wearin’ better clothes."
Deja looked at him, startled. "Excuse me?!"
"If I gotta lookitcha out here all the damn time, might as well be somethin' worth lookin' at. Why don't you wear a dress or somethin' every now and then? Hmm?"
Deja scoffed in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"
"You cussin' now, girl?" he snapped at her.
"Mr. Torrence?"
Deja and Torrence glanced towards the door of the building where Caleb walked in. "Caleb," Torrence said. "I forgot we was meetin' today. I'll be with you in a minute while I deal with this here mess. Sick of tenants cheatin' me."
Deja never wanted to punch someone so badly. "How is using an amenity that was included in my lease agreement cheating you?!"
Caleb looked between them, concerned. "If this is about the garden, it's not a problem-"
"No. She's the problem. This is exactly why I don't like rentin’ to her kind-"
" Mr. Torrence! " Caleb growled. Deja and Torrence both looked at Caleb, startled by his enraged outburst. Deja had never seen the Boy Scout with dad jokes look so infuriated.
"I respect our business relationship,” Caleb continued.
“But to be honest, I don't like the way you're talking to her .
And if this is how you treat your tenants, then I'll take my business elsewhere. "
Torrence's jaw clenched as he looked from Caleb to Deja. "...forget it..." he muttered.
Deja watched her landlord walk away before she looked at Caleb. "...I thought you said you would leave me alone?"
Caleb removed his cap and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"...yeah, well… was never a fan of that piece of shit anyway.
.." Caleb glanced at Deja and, for the first time, caught her looking at him…
like she didn't hate him. Struggling to tear his eyes away from her, he bit down on his bottom lip and slapped his cap.
"Anyway… Have a good day." He turned to leave.
Deja anxiously pulled her fingers, feeling like she should say something, when Caleb abruptly turned back around. "Do you wanna get coffee sometime?" he asked.
Deja looked at him, startled. "I just feel like… we got off on the wrong foot," he added.
"No," Deja said.
Caleb snorted with resignation. "Yup. Got it," he said, putting on his cap. With a two-finger salute, he turned to leave again.
"I'm cutting back on my caffeine intake," she spoke up. "But we can do ice cream… in public."
Caleb looked at her, surprised, before he widely grinned, showcasing his dimples. "Public ice cream it is."
She leaned against the wall, watching him leave. Her eyes followed him to his truck when she spotted a hooded man standing by the bushes a few feet from his vehicle.
Deja furrowed her brows as she watched the hooded man approach Caleb from behind.
...With a hammer swinging from his hand.
Her eyes widened in horror as she rushed out of the building. "Caleb!" she shouted frantically.
Caleb turned and looked at Deja, confused. "Yeah?"
Deja glanced towards the bushes, but the hooded man was no longer there. Her eyes darted frantically, trying to find him. "Deja?" Caleb asked.
"N-n-..nothing..." she stammered. Caleb looked at her, perplexed as she quickly rushed back into the building.