The Countdown to Thirty (18 page)

“Hi!” She greeted as she approached the sink and began to
wash her hands, “I’m Amy. Are you here for the interview to?”

“Hi Amy, what interview would that be?” I said not wanting
to divulge too much information to a stranger.

“The Accounting Assistant job,” She said as she pulled out
her makeup bag and began smearing more pressed powder around her already
made-up face. “I really need a job, my husbands’ really been bugging me lately
about having another baby because he says I have the free time to do it, so I
figured if I get a job and get something to do with my time he won’t pressure
me about it anymore, you know?”

Wow! She just gave me an earful of information I didn’t ask
for. I never understood that about people, how they could just go on telling a
perfect stranger, let alone potential competition their life story like it was
no big deal. TMI (too much information) Amy, TMI.

“That sounds like a lot to deal with,” I lied. If she had to
trade places with me for a week she’d be more than ready to pop out another
biscuit. A kept woman right now sounded very appealing.

“Tell me about it, I love my son but I’m not the maternal
type like that you know. One is enough for me sweetie. Do you have kids?”

“One day maybe,” I replied while I ran my fingers through my
hair catching a few strays.

“Well let me tell you, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be
hun, keep your figure,” She said touching up her extra glossy pink lip gloss
and plumping up her breast before she told me to have a good day.

I was pleased when she left me back alone to my thoughts. I
went inside the furthest bathroom stall and found comfort in the corner as I
retrieved my diary and fleetingly wrote a much needed prayer to the Lord:

Dear God thank you for loving me and providing for me no
matter the circumstance. Thank you for helping me through my tough times and
helping me to become a stronger person. Lord you know my situation, you know my
financial problems and my stress and I ask that you bless me today with this
opportunity, that you continue to be my provider and that you forgive me for my
sins. Thank you for bringing Lamont to justice after all these years and
showing me once again that you’re constantly working and that you are just. In
Jesus name, amen.

With that one prayer I felt so much lighter and prepared for
this interview. I wanted the job but as I walked through the management office
I kept in mind that God had a plan for me and that no matter the outcome of the
interview, I was going to be okay.

I walked into the office, which was furnished in a
contemporary chic style to fit the theme of the store. A sophisticated
sweet-smelling scent circulated the room as I appreciated the photography of
Ansel Adams on the textured walls.

After sitting for nearly forty minutes, a tall slender
brunette ushered Amy out of her office with a firm handshake and a happy smile.
I wasn’t sure if this woman was Debbie the Accounting Manager or Gwen the Store
Manager but I was positive she was going to be interviewing me. From the looks
of it, she looked intelligent, trendy and tasteful…I wasn’t quite sure what she
saw in Amy but it didn’t look too good for me.

When she called my name I gave my best look of friendliness,
confidence and professionalism all wrapped into one handshake and a smile.

“Hi I’m Gwen,” She greeted with an extension of her hand.

“Hello Gwen, nice to meet you. I’m Sonya Kemp.”

Kaia

“Hi Joanna, it’s Kaia Hammond returning your call. I got
your message about the properties and I’d like to ask if you can please email
me the details and pictures if you have them. Thanks for your help. I’ll talk
to you soon.”

After leaving a message on Joanna’s voicemail I hung up the
phone and immediately began searching through my contacts looking for someone
else to call next. I winced when I saw Malcolm’s name and kept scrolling until
I stumbled upon Riley’s. When she answered the phone I could barely hear her,
she was whispering something about being out costume shopping with Celeste and
how she had to go. When I hung up and thought it over I found it unusual for
Celeste and Riley to be going to a Halloween party together.

Since when did they hang like that?

I studied the green numbers on my cars digital clock and
decided I couldn’t delay my meet-up with Christian any longer. I was already
technically ten minutes late. But for the last twenty minutes I’d been sitting
in my car in the BJ’s parking lot with the heat blasted trying to stall, stall,
for heaven’s sake stall this lovely meeting with Christian. But I couldn’t
anymore and it was time to face the music.

I stealthily touched up my lashes with a coat of mascara, my
cheeks with a hint of blush and my lips with a sheer coat of lip gloss purely
for purpose of not looking janky in public. I got out of the car and headed
inside making sure to shield my hands in the warmth of my pockets. Now that we
were in the month of October the weather had become unpredictable. One day the
sun would shine and the next the temperature high would be fifty-five.

I walked into the entrance of BJ’s but before I got the
chance to greet the hostess my eyes met Christian’s as he sat at a two person
table near the bar. I was nervous as I walked towards him. He was sitting there
looking good and that alone made my feet want to turn around and run in the
opposite direction, but I just kept on trotting anyway. Why did he look so
calm? I was a freaking nervous wreck inside. It was hard to believe that not
that long ago he was just regular ole’ bossy, pushy, annoying Christian and now
he was the man who kept me up at night with disturbing thoughts I absolutely
should not be thinking.

“Hey what’s up,” he said standing to greet me with a hug.

I felt awkward embracing him but I gave him a hug anyway
trying hard not to come across as too frigid in his arms.

His cologne smelt delicious. And he was rock hard to…I’m
talking about his chest.

“Hey,” I replied with a rehearsed smile then sat down and
immediately grabbed my menu. I began reading it like it was a New York Times
best-selling novel.

He started with some typical small-talk as my eyes remained
fixed on the menu only taking a moment or two to make eye contact. It was rude
but I was nervous and couldn’t help myself.

“So, how was your trip to LA? How’s the family?”

“LA? Oh it was good you know. Everybody’s doing okay.” I
lied. But why was I lying it’s not like he was a stranger to them. These
ridiculous nerves had me just blurting anything out.

“Christian can you please excuse me? I need to run to the
ladies room.”

He seemed a little shocked but obliged, “Yea, take your
time. Go ahead.”

As I walked past him from my peripherals I noticed him give
me that up and down look guys like to give when their checking you out. I tried
not to let it affect me and quickly hustled to the ladies room. I found
temporary solace in the first bathroom stall I could get my hands on. I grabbed
a seat cover and let it gently fall into place as I sat down on the toilet with
my purse in my lap and my nails in my mouth chewing away from nervousness. Last
night I jotted down a list of important points I wanted to make to Christian in
case he was thinking about taking our delicate friendship to a new and intimate
level. I tried rehearsing my points as I sat there in the tiny white stall but
I couldn’t fluidly remember one. Now when I spoke them they came out sounding
like a jumbled mess instead of clear calculated statements as I had written
them down. I stood and took deep heavy breaths trying to get as much oxygen to
my brain as possible. I read somewhere that slow and steady breaths of air help
clear the mind and get the neurons flying….whatever.

“It’s time to toughen up Kaia. Just get out there and talk
to him. It is only Christian after all, you can do this,” I said trying to
instill some sort of confidence in myself.

A moment later I was seated back at the table wondering if
Christian could sense my anxiety about this whole thing.

“Everything okay?”

I smiled and made a point to keep eye contact with him this
time, “Yes, thank you. So, are you glad to be back?”

“Definitely, but I have to go back in two more months,” he
shrugged, “I’ll get thorough it though.”

I nodded my head and waited for him to continue.

“So,” he said letting out a slight nervous laugh, “I need to
apologize again for what happened. I didn’t mean to invade your space like that
and catch you off guard the way I did.”

I gulped on the ice cold water the waitress had dropped off
while I was in the bathroom. The situation was a little awkward but Christian
appeared to have it under control. No shifty eyes, stumbling over his words or
brain dead comments. I was fighting hard to pull off that kind of debonair. If
he was fighting hard to it surely didn’t show.

“I told you Christian it’s okay. So do you know what you’re
having?” I asked praying we were done talking about the kiss and now moving on
to lunch. “I think I may want a quesadilla today.”

Reaching across the table he took the menu out of my hands
and gently laid it back on the table. He placed his masculine hand on top of
mine and focused in on me with seriousness in face and I knew this was it. The
moment I’d been dreading.

“Look,” he started, “I’m tired of seeing you running behind
some guy who can’t appreciate you. You’re too good for that, I don’t like
watching you wait for that nig -,” he corrected, “for that Malcolm dude when
you have someone right here who cares about you.”

“Christian what are you saying? We’re practically related
you know that right?” I joked in an attempt to take the seriousness out of the
conversation but judging by the intensity in his eyes he was serious. “Besides,
it’s over between me and Malcolm. We broke up, for good.” I added thinking that
would put an end to that.

Instead his face grew anxious like he wanted to jump out of
his seat. I could tell he was smothering the smile that kept appearing at the
corner of his lips. Had I been a current fan of Malcolm’s I would have been
offended, but I wasn’t. I imagined Sonya wore the same smile when I told her by
phone even though she expressed that she was sorry anyway.

“Well I’d be lying if I said I was sorry. But are you okay?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “I guess I’m fine. It’s difficult
but I’m getting through it.”

He nodded his head in agreement, “Yea, you will. You’re
strong. Look, I want to be here for you, like I said you have someone right
here who cares about you. Someone you care about.”

I didn’t want to look into his eyes because I felt the truth
may pour out. Or perhaps I didn’t want to look at him for fear that the
sentimental crush I had on him when I was a kid would resurface. I studied my
napkin folding it into different shapes when I responded.

“Christian, we’re nearly brother and sister.”

“But we’re not. The last time I checked we didn’t share any
of the same blood. I’ve always been there for you right? Yeah I know I’ve been
a pain-in-the ass to but I’ve always had your back no matter what.”

I wanted to call him a liar or bring up a time he wasn’t
there for me but I couldn’t. I wanted to tell him that this would never work
because I wasn’t even attracted to him but that would be lying.

“What I don’t understand is where this is coming from all of
a sudden? Why now, after all these years Christian are you telling me this? Is
this one of your games that you play with your women? Do you just want to add
me to the list of women in your personal fan club?” I questioned him as the
words just came rolling out of my mouth.

He seemed a little taken aback by my straightforward
interrogating approach but nevertheless he continued in his pursuit.

“I know it might seem like I’m out here playing games with
women’s heads but I’m not. Maybe when I was younger, a lot younger, but I don’t
do that anymore. I get hurt to.”

He paused and looked like he was holding something back,

“I can’t believe I’m even doing this. I’m putting myself out
here which I normally don’t do but here goes.” He said bracing me for what was
next, “For a long time I’ve had a strong attraction to you Kaia. It just seems
like the timing was always off. Either you were always dating somebody or I
was.”

I gave him a skeptical look, “Since when?”

“Ever since you were seventeen and you ran that track meet
against Valley. When I saw those legs, man I just about lost it.” He chuckled,
“And remember when you and Ce Ce got into a fight and I ended up driving you to
UNLV for check-in?”

“Uh huh,” I barely responded above a whisper. I was too
caught up reliving the memory of it all. He remembered that track meet? My
heart was beginning to pound hard as I felt myself getting weak for him. That
was so many years ago. I remember he had just so happened to be in town on
leave that week. That track meet was the biggest one of the year and he
surprised me by showing up along with his mother and the rest of my family. He
even handed me a pretty bouquet of flowers he’d bought after the meet was over.
I had no idea he had feelings for me back then. I thought he was just being…
you know…brotherly. Had I known I would have dropped everything for him, I was
in love with him in those days.

“And remember we stopped at New York New York and got on the
roller coaster to stall time because you were nervous that you didn’t know
anyone?”

I nodded my head in agreement still in shock and speechless
at his ongoing confession.

“When we were going up before we got to the freefall you
were scared, and you took my hand and held it tight. But everything was okay.
Then I dropped you off at your dorm and you gave me a hug. I didn’t want to say
bye, I didn’t want to let go.”

 I remained silent at first not knowing how to respond. When
I did finally open my mouth words completely different than what I’d rehearsed
came spilling out.

“I care about you to Christian. I’ve known you all my life.
What are we going to do about this?” I asked shyly. “This is a mess.”

“Well, I know you’re going through a breakup and all but if
you’re up to it we can take it slow. I want to see you more often and spend
time with you. I want you to ditch that punk forever. I can treat you better
than he can. I think I’ve proven that a long time ago.”

It felt surreal to oblige but like the only reasonable thing
to do. Because of the sketchy Las Vegas dating scene I’ve been known to go from
one relationship to the next, but never this quickly. And certainly never with
someone I was so close to. Maybe this could be a good thing. Perhaps this is
what I needed to get over Malcolm and move on with my life.

When I smiled a genuine smile and said “okay” agreeing to
work on the transition from family friends to sweethearts I didn’t know what to
expect or how long this would last. I do know that Malcolm was the furthest
thing from my mind and when my chicken quesadilla arrived piping hot I was
happy to share it with Christian when he asked for a bite.

After leaving BJ’s we went to Big Lots and caught a major
sale on Halloween candy to pass out to the trick-o-treaters. We agreed to do
Halloween at his house since he had that view I couldn’t live without. When we
went back to his place later that day and relived our first kiss again and
again all of my previous fears had been washed away and I kicked myself for not
reading the signs earlier.