LAILAH
FIFTEEN
The day seemed to be passing so slowly, yet way too fast. I was excited to finally get a chance to hang out with Brayden, but I was also freaking out about it.
Was this a date? Should I change into something nicer than my T-shirt and jeans?
Would we even have stuff to talk about? Granted, I thought the same thing last night when I was sitting with Hudson for dinner, but that turned out to be a great time.
I was excited to start working with him in his lab next Thursday.
It was so cool that he was doing something so amazing; I couldn’t even dream of being able to do anything that important for the human race.
“Lala, watch out,” Cami called out, but it was too late.
I crashed into someone who was walking out of the building and carrying a huge stack of books.
The books went flying, and I crashed to the ground hard on my ass while the other person landed with a grunt.
Once the books and papers fluttered to the ground and I reoriented myself, I found an angry older gentleman scowling at me.
“Do you not have eyes in your head, girl?” the man snapped as he worked to get his large form off the ground.
I scrambled to my feet and reached out a hand to help him to his feet. He slapped it away and sputtered something about being fat but not an invalid.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” I apologized as I started to gather up the papers and books.
I looked down and found a sheet covered in strange symbols that gave me the willies.
As I handed the books over, I noticed most of them were on the occult.
Who is this guy? I had never seen this man before, but I didn’t know all the teachers at the school.
What class could he be teaching with such strange material?
“Mr. Creed, I apologize for my friend, Lailah. She’s such a ditz sometimes,” Cami said, brushing off the man’s black suit jacket.
Something about what she said had him looking sharply at me, but it was more of a curious look than an angry one.
“Yes, well, no harm done. Next time, pull your attention from your phone and watch where you’re walking young lady,” Mr. Creed said before he continued to his original destination.
I opened my mouth to tell him that I wasn’t on my phone, but Cami elbowed me in the ribs causing me to gasp instead. “What the hell, Cami?”
“Trust me when I say not to argue with that man. He knows more about arcane arts and voodoo shit than anyone I know. He could hex you in your sleep, and you would never know,” Cami said seriously.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t believe in that crap, no one can take a strand of my hair and curse me. That shit only works if you give it power.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Lala,” Cami said before linking arms with me and dragging me away.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You have your date with Brayden today, right?”
“Yeah, I meet up with him at the coffee shop in two hours.”
“Perfect just enough time for you to change.”
“What’s wrong with my outfit? I put a lot of thought into it,” I grumbled. “I’m even wearing a skirt.”
“I know you tried, darling, but you are going to have a public date at school with one of the most sought-after bachelors here. You need to knock ’em dead,” Cami said with an evil grin on her lips.
“Wait, what?” I said, trying to follow what she was going on about.
“If you want the other girls to leave you alone, you need to show them you have every right to be hanging out with those guys. You’re my best friend, but if you like to hang out with those idiots, then I’m going to have to help you.
This is the first step in showing your dominance in the female world.
You have a bangin’ body, use it,” Cami declared.
I decided it was better to just do as I was told than to fight Cami when she got like this.
We made it back to the dorm, but she dragged me into her room instead of mine.
I was shocked when I found the room was spotless, but I was even more shocked to see Maggs from the house party sitting on the couch.
“Hey girl,” Maggs said, waving her hand in greeting.
“Hi” was all I had time to say before Cami was throwing clothes at me. “Cami, what is all this?”
“Maggs was kind enough to share some of her clothes with you for this event. She’s much closer to your size than I am, so no need to worry about busting out of the tops,” Cami said, winking at me.
I blushed, as she so casually called me out about something I tried to hide.
“As much as we all appreciate Cami’s eclectic style, she has no idea how to dress a classic woman,” Maggs said, standing up and walking over to me. “I, on the other hand, know how to create sex appeal without showing too much skin.”
I gulped as I took in Maggs’ retro-glam style that matched her figure and her bright-red hair. There was no way I could pull off the confidence she had in those clothes. Truthfully, she was one of those girls who could be wearing a garbage bag and still look stunning.
“None of that,” Maggs said as she tapped me on the nose, surprising me out of my thoughts.
“You are gorgeous, and I don’t want you to think any less of yourself.
I found what makes me happy in my own skin, same with Cami.
What we’re looking for is what you need to wear to feel confident.
Each woman wears her clothes like armor; we need to find your battle gear, love,” Maggs said with a grin.
I smiled back at her, excited to see what she had brought for me to try.
It took us about four outfits till I decided on one that I knew would be perfect for this occasion.
It was a maroon sweater dress that fit my body snugly from neck to knees.
The game changer for this dress was the back had a deep V that showed off the contrast of the rich color and my pale skin.
I felt like I could stare down anyone in this outfit.
I pulled my hair into a high pony, so it didn’t cover the dramatic effect of the back.
“Now for the shoes, I would say heels, but something tells me that you won’t agree,” Maggs said, giving me a knowing look.
“You’re right, I wouldn’t be able to do that, I might break an ankle if I tried,” I said, shivering at the thought.
“Would you be willing to try wedges? I find they’re easier to walk in,” Cami suggested.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Why not, this is about trying new things, right?”
Slipping my feet into the simple ankle booties, I took a few steps and grinned when I didn’t die. I looked up and found them both clapping for my success. Cami looked down at her watch and gasped.
“Damn, we have fifteen minutes to get you to the coffee shop,” Cami said, grabbing my arm and jerking me out of the room.
“Thanks for everything, Maggs,” I called as we headed down the hall.
Letting Cami set the pace, I followed as best I could on the new shoes. It took all my concentration to keep from toppling over when we hit the steps outside the dorm.
“Cami, slow down. This does me no good if I show up with a broken leg,” I snapped, pulling my arm from her.
I stopped, took a deep breath, smoothed out my dress, and then started walking confidently over to the school. Cami walked at my side, making sure I didn’t trip and die on the way.
“So, Maggs . . .” I ventured, looking at her out of the corner of my eye.
Cami’s cheeks pinked, and she shoved her hands into the pocket of her bright-blue hoodie. “She’s a friend, Lala.”
“Right, how long is that going to last?” I asked, pushing her.
“I don’t know, we haven’t gotten that far yet. We’re taking things slow, hanging out and stuff,” Cami said, kicking a stone off the path.
“I know I haven’t known you for long, but I never thought I would see the day that someone made you blush,” I teased.
Cami sighed, stopping as her shoulders sagged. “I haven’t been in a relationship for a long time. The last time didn’t end well. I’m just not sure I’m ready.”
I wrapped my arms around Cami and hugged her tightly. “You deserve to be happy. If Maggs can do that for you, then I give her my approval.”
“Thanks, Lala,” she said, returning my hug. “Now, let’s get your sexy self to your date.”
We both laughed, and as quickly as I could manage, we made it to the quad.
I gave Cami another quick hug, and we parted ways.
Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and made my way across the quad to the coffee shop.
Thankfully, at this time in the afternoon, it wasn’t too busy, and I got in line to order my coffee.
When I reached the register, I ordered my chai latte, but when I was about to hand over my money, someone else reached across me with their bank card.
“I would like to pay for the lady’s drink,” Brayden said, suddenly standing next to me.
I blinked at him a moment then felt my cheeks heat with my blush. “Thank you.”
“Of course, it’s my pleasure.” Brayden smiled, making my heart skip a beat. “I saved us some seats over by the window if that’s okay with you.”
“Sounds great,” I said as he led me over with a gentle hand on my elbow.
“You look amazing,” Brayden whispered in my ear as I sat down in one of the large overstuffed chairs.
My heart pounded in my chest as his words registered, sending a ripple of energy over my skin. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth as it went dry, and I was left unable to answer him. Thankfully, the barista called out my drink was ready, and he walked over to get it for me.
Pull it together, Lailah. It’s been a long time since a guy has shown he is interested in you, so don’t blow it.
Brayden came back with my drink and handed it to me as he sat across from me.
Apparently, he had been there long enough before me to already have a drink, which he picked up and took a sip from as he let his eyes wander over me.
Trying to act normal, I took a large gulp of my drink and was rewarded with burning my tongue and wincing at the pain, causing me to cough.