Chapter 3
It was the 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.
Black-framed glasses covered his dark eyes, and I found myself getting lost in them.
They were so dark that they looked almost black. Black men in glasses were a weakness of mine. A lot of them appeared nerdy, but they were some freaks. At least the couple I encountered over the years.
I needed to go, but I couldn’t move, and he didn’t seem to be in a rush to move either.
He held onto my wrist for a lot longer than I expected.
When my eyes traveled the length of his caramel-colored arm, I noticed the multiple tattoos that covered it.
With a quick glance, I took notice that the other arm was covered as well.
He smelled like fresh soap, and the thought of seeing him in the shower made heat flood my cheeks. It was not the time to be fresh, so eventually, I slipped my wrist out of his grasp.
“Again. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t even wait for him to respond. I hurried my ass away from him before I propositioned him for something I had no business offering up.
It had been a while since I’d been touched by a man, and that small interaction had me wanting to swallow that man’s dick whole.
“Get it together, girl.” I scolded myself as I entered my car.
I turned the car on and took a few deep breaths to get my wayward thoughts together. Once I was ready, I headed toward the police station.
Luckily, the small encounter with the dog guy didn’t last as long as it felt, so I still had a few minutes to spare before my interview.
As I waited in my car, I thought about how clumsy I was.
I remembered Brian calling me that a few times because I tended to drop things.
He would get so mad if I tripped and fell, like it was something I did on purpose.
The last thing I heard about him was that he was in jail, and I prayed that he stayed there.
He didn’t know where I was, but I didn’t want him to try to call me either.
When there were ten minutes left, I entered the station and told them what I was there for.
I brushed off thoughts of Brian and the dog guy and prepared myself. I didn’t need the distraction. I made sure my phone was on do not disturb and put it in my bag instead of my pocket.
Approximately twelve minutes later, I was sent into a conference room.
The minute I opened the door, I almost closed it and peed on myself at the same time.
Sitting at the table with a full police uniform on and a smirk on his face was the same dog guy that I had just spilled coffee on. I had no idea he was an officer, because he only had a white tee on when I bumped into him.
Internally, I was freaking out, but on the outside, I plastered on a smile and introduced myself.
When Caramel and I shook hands, that same electrical current went through me again.
“Have a seat,” the other guy in the room said.
Caramel hadn’t said a word, but he kept his eyes on me.
I squared my shoulders when the other guy started the interview. My stomach flipped every time I locked eyes with Caramel, but I kept it together.
Hopefully, he didn’t decide not to hire me because of my clumsiness. If that were the case, then maybe the job wasn’t for me.