Chapter 1
My name is Carla Jones. I’m a senior at George Washington High School and today is my birthday. I lied in bed staring at the ceiling wondering if I could just pretend it wasn’t my birthday and just go back to sleep. But alas I cannot I have to get up and get ready for work, I am a cashier at a local grocer and today I decided to work a double shift, so I can save more money towards college.
My mother knocked on the door breaking my train of thought.
“Baby wake up! I fixed breakfast and you have to get to work don’t want to be late, do you?”
She’s right, I need to get up and get the day started.
“Okay momma, I’m up! I’m up!” I shouted as I slowly climbed out of my bed.
Before I jumped in the shower, I laid out my outfit for the day a nice clean T-shirt, pair of jeggings, my sneakers with some silly socks and my underwear, I smiled to myself because I know this is my go-to outfit I wear a similar outfit every day. I finally finish up in the bathroom and return to my room to get dressed and I stare at my naked body in the mirror. I’m 5’5” with a large frame, large chest, large bottom, and large middle I swear I look like a damn grapefruit on celery sticks, but I digress.
I make my way downstairs for breakfast and find my mom in the kitchen drinking her probably 3rd cup of coffee. My mother is Darlene, she’s a little taller than me about 5’8, has long brown hair that she keeps in a nice and neat bun. She has a slimmer frame than me but she’s still what you would call thick, plump in all the right places. Her eyes are hazel-green like mine. She has on her scrubs which means she’s off to be amazing again.
“Good morning Mama,” I say as I study her from the counter.
“Good morning to you too! I can’t believe my baby girl is already 17 and more mature than I was that’s for sure”
“Got to work today? I thought you had off?”
“I did but Christine’s son is having some issues with his asthma, so I’m back to the grind”
I grabbed my bag off the hook by the backdoor and my keys, kissed my mama goodbye and told her I love her as I headed out to go to work.
“I love you too pumpkin” I heard her shout behind me as I walked out.
The drive to work was ok, until some jackass riding on my tailpipe rams the back of Betsey. I named my car Betsey because she’s an older car 1999 Mercury Station Wagon and requires A LOT of tender love and care. I pulled off to the side of the road to assess the damage and that’s when I see him. He’s the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen. He had the bluest eyes, and dark features, dark brown hair and was tall If I had to guess I’d say about 6’2” maybe taller. He had on a dress shirt with the top few buttons undone and jeans with nice shoes like Stacy Adams nice. I realized I was staring when he started to laugh and proceeded to ask me again if I was ok.
“Miss are you ok?” he asked, flashing those pearly whites in my direction.
I couldn’t find the words to reply, so I just nodded.
“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention and then well you know the rest” He stated as he ran his fingers through his beautiful brown hair. I guess he was attempting to calm down.
I finally found words to say but I think they weren’t the ones I was looking for.
“DAMMIT! I’m going to be late to work and now my car is ruined.” I didn’t even mean to sound like that but, the facts are the facts. I don’t even know why but I started crying like a hysterical cry and just got in my car and drove off. In the rearview he was still standing there, I guess trying to process what the f**k just happened.
After several hours of work, I finally calmed down and decided to take my lunch break outside, I needed the fresh air. While I’m sitting on the bench near the gardening center. I felt like someone was watching me which made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. I turned around to see who it was, and I found those beautiful blue eyes staring at me. My heart did a flip, slipped and missed it’s landing and all I could do is gasp for air as if I was drowning. He slowly walked over to me as if he was studying my expression and then sat down next to me on the bench, never saying a word just being weird. After several minutes passed, I finally got the courage to say something and again my words did not match my emotions…
“Great! Came to Finish totaling my car?” I can’t believe I just said that but I did, and I can’t, no better yet I won’t take it back. He just looked at me and then a devilish grin appeared on his face, “No I didn’t, I just wanted to make sure you were ok? But, with a smart mouth like that, I can see you’re just perfect.” He then gets up and proceeds to walk away from the table leaving a card with his information on it behind him, “Hey mister!” I shout as I speed walk over to him, “You left your card on the table.” Without breaking his stride or even turning around he says, “I know, it’s for you to use whenever you’re done having a coronary embolism and would like to discuss what happened and the resolution” and with that, he got back into his car and drove off. I stood there stunned and pissed… I tucked the card in my back pocket and went back to work… I sort of wished I hadn’t offered to do a double shift now.