I like my job. They do a lot of outdoor weddings in the fall and spring. I enter the data Heather and Alexis collect on the forms from new clients for baby showers, engagement parties, and bachelor or bachelorette parties. My favorite is the weddings.
The place is busy, and they have other party planners. I regularly work with Karen. She has been working here for almost a year now. She finally closed out her work with the temp agency and became a full-time employee when I started working with them. She loves working at Planners Plus.
We talk a lot and have gone to dinner a few times. She even set me up with the last guy I dated. Karen apologized when I told her he was rude and that he wanted me to just keep my mouth shut.
I even met Aaron while working at Planners Plus. He specializes in wedding parties. A person might think that as he plans these functions for customers the party was planned for himself. I heard Heather once get on to him about becoming too involved. He would tell her that to do the job as good as he does, he has to be overly involved.
Aaron is always happy and in a positive mood. I got to work with him once with his client and had to walk away politely because his behavior had me laughing so hard. He was overly excited, and talking loud with his hands moving all over the place. It was rude that I was laughing. He was planning a bachelorette party, and the client wanted the best for her sister. He planned it all the way down to the strippers who were to do a Magic Mike type thing. He even offered to supervise the event to make sure things went perfectly. The lady was excited and pleased with the plans asking Aaron to supervise the event.
Did I mention that Aaron is gay?
Aaron has not found a permanent partner who can handle him yet. He tells me it’s because he is fabulous. He even told me once while we celebrated my twenty-first birthday that I needed to find a good man and stop hiding behind my books. “Honey, you need a man that will make your toes curl. A man that will treat you right and if he doesn’t then I will be happy to kick his butt.” I laughed at him. Trying to picture Aaron kicking anyone’s butt would be a sight I wanted to see.
Every day, we are to take lunch from twelve to one if we work in the office. A lot of the girls go to lunch together. Karen and Aaron always have lunch together. They have this plan to eat at every restaurant located near the office. I have gone to lunch with them before, and I cannot for the life of me keep up with them. The places they eat at hurt my piggy bank. I started to decline the invites with asking them to give me the weekly run down, and if I could go I would let them know.
I have declined lunches for the past two months with the exception of one here and there. Now I walk to the local Starbucks, get my drink and eat my sandwich outside. It’s the beginning of March, so the weather is perfect, and I like to sit outside. I have been doing this routine now for the past four months when I choose not to join in the antics of Karen and Aaron.
I was busy reading on my iPad, drinking my sweet tea when I heard someone trying to talk to me. “Hi, I was wondering if it would be okay if I sat with you.” I looked up to find a woman with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes was speaking to me. She is incredibly tall. The table behind her was empty, but I just nodded at her. She took the chair in front of me. “I’m Amber.”
She seemed nice enough, so I decided to tab my spot in my book. It would be rude to ignore her.
“Cara.”
“Cara, I like that, it’s different. I noticed that you seem to have a routine of eating your lunch from home and what, you read from your iPad?” I looked at her puzzled. Has she been watching me? I hope she is not some crazy chick that stalks people. “Oh I’m so sorry, you must think I am nuts. It’s a bad habit that I have verbal vomit. It’s where I say everything that I’m thinking without filtering my words first. My mother says I have no filter. Anyway, I work for Bull Dog Protection and Investigations. My father owned it. My brother and I do now. Our father raised us to be very observant. I happen to be better at it than my brother. I just picked up that you seem to do the same thing during the week,” she pauses and looks away briefly, “I should stop talking now.”
My head started to spin from how fast she was talking. “Yes, I do have a routine. I don’t like to go to lunch with most of the people I work with.” Amber took a sip of her coffee and studied me.
“Yeah, I would not want to go to lunch with the people I work with either. But I think my excuse is different from yours. I have known some of them for the last eight years give or take. I see the guys all the time. What are you reading? If you don’t mind me asking.” I wasn’t sure, but I think I might like her.
Karen and Aaron had stopped asking me about my reading. I would go on and on about a book. They would tell me that I jumped around in my explanations. Karen was not a reader. Aaron, however, kept telling me that I should be looking for a guy like the ones I read about. I politely told him that the guys in my stories are fiction and do not exist in the real world.
I could pretend I had one of my book boyfriends. I was pathetic, getting off at night with my hand and the imaginary images of the fictional man I was reading about at the time. The men in books did not exist, and if they did, they were attached to someone.
“Bright Side by Kim Holden. It’s a new adult romance,” I tell Amber. I was excited to talk to someone in person about a book I was reading. I have talked to a bunch of people on Facebook in the many groups and pages I followed, but it was different in person.
“What kind of book is it? Is it like the Fifty Shades of Grey book that’s a movie now?” I couldn’t help but laugh at her, and I shake my head.
“No, this is nothing like Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s about a girl that goes off to college and meets a boy there. I like the story. It’s different and sweet.” I smile at Amber I don’t want to tell her too much of the story, or I might ruin it.
I see Amber reach into her pocket and pull out her phone. “You said Bright Side, right?” I tell her yes. “I found it. I think you said by Kim Holden…it has an orange cover?” I nod my head yes. “Okay, I have the book. Now I will read it.” I straighten my back in the chair. I am shocked that she just purchased the book. Who does that?
“Are you really going to read it?” I ask her with skepticism.
“Yes, I am. I didn’t notice you for nothing. I think you and I could be friends. I have the same break as you. Well, I take that back, I can have the same break as you. I think instead of being stuck with a bunch of pain in my ass men, I would much rather come and hang out with you. You look like you might need a friend and I think the more, the merrier for me.” She starts to laugh, and I can’t help but laugh with her.
I don’t understand the comfort I feel with Amber. I feel an instant click with her, and it’s exciting. I guess it’s obvious that I stick to myself, and she seems to care. Maybe this time I can come out of my comfort zone and make a real friend.
We sat and talked about this and that before I realized I needed to get back to work. I told Amber where I worked and we agreed to meet up the following day.
I was running five minutes late getting back to the office. Heather asked me why, and I told her I got busy talking and apologized. She just laughed and asked me to pull an account file that was needed for a client to review the details and to finalize their upcoming wedding.
“You really have no close friends here?” Amber and I have been talking the last few weeks. We started by talking about the book while we both read. She was upset with me for not telling her that she would cry. I just shrugged my shoulders and asked her if I had told her, would she have read the book. Her reply was no. I laughed and told her that I was not sorry about forgetting to mention tissues were needed.
I mentioned Karen and Aaron to Amber. I guess you could call them friends, but think of them more as acquaintances than friends. They have never been to my apartment, and we don’t spend time together on the weekends. I’m comfortable with our friendship this way.
Amber ended up staring at me like I had grown a thi
rd eye.
“No, I don’t trust many people. I have learned that they don’t stay when you need them. Plus, I have made bad choices when it comes to my so-called friends.” There was a frown on her face when I talked about myself. I was beginning to learn when I mentioned anything negative it made her mad. She had such a positive personality, and I could see her face glow when she talked.
“Well, then you have nothing to worry about because I found you. This book would be great for Jessica. You will have to come over to her hangout and meet her. She would love you. I have to tell you though her husband is the reason for the many hangouts. This is their way to help him be stress-free and have his friends around. He has PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder. He got it in Iraq when he was with my brother.” She was rambling again.
She mentioned that most of the guys she works with were Marines. She wasn’t military, but she attended MIT on scholarship for her computer skills. She told me that a lot of government agencies wanted her, but she couldn’t leave because her job was here. She told me that she used to help her father out with computer issues when she was in High School. That was when she realized she wanted to work with computers and technology for the family business.
Amber mentioned that when her brother came home from his last tour to take over the family business that she followed. She quit school and jumped right in.
Her job was hacking and other computer related skills. From looking at her she looked like a very fit cheerleader, and I told her that one day. She told me, “I am a nerdy cheerleader Barbie. Who can kick ass when needed.” We both laughed.
“Can I get you to come with me next Friday to Jessica and Nate’s place? Please? I think you would like my friends.” I had been trying to get out of going, but I needed to get myself out of my comfort zone and meet people. Better just spread my wings and fly.
“Fine, I will go.” She squealed and started clapping her hands in excitement. She told me that I would like everyone and that they were going to love me.
“You have nothing to worry about with my friends. If anyone gives you trouble you let me know and I will kick their ass. Now, if I can’t, I will tell my big brother who will just do it for me. Not that I would need him too, of course.”
Amber told me that she would pick me up Friday. She had a job that came in, and I wouldn’t be able to reach her until late Thursday. I learned that I shouldn’t ask too many questions about her work.
Amber was worried that I’m too comfortable with what I feel is safe. She begged me to break my habits for her. I was comfortable in my lunch routine, but I was already enjoying the new changes.
I promised her that I would go with her on Friday to meet her friends. I also had to promise to not sit at the Starbucks the entire week while she was gone. I agreed to go over to Toni’s Sandwich Shop instead.
CHAPTER SIX
It was Thursday, and I told Karen and Aaron that I refused to eat sushi with them for lunch. I just couldn’t get over eating food that was raw and cold. Aaron tried to beg me by using a funny pout and by saying that I could order something that was cooked and kept begging me to go.
“You need to have lunch with us again doll face.” He was overly excited today, and I couldn’t help but laugh at my new nickname. He tossed around a few different ones, from Rapunzel because my hair was really long to Pinkie Pie, like the My Little Pony character. Aaron watched his niece from time to time, and she loved My Little Pony. He made me watch a YouTube video of Pinkie Pie. His reference was that when I got excited and started to talk I bounced around in my conversation. I just smiled and never told him that I didn’t see it the way he did.
“This week, I’m going over to Toni’s Sandwich Shop, but next week I promise I plan to do lunch with you two.” I left the conversation at that, knowing the possibility was little to none that I would be joining them for lunch next week.
“I will then hold you to it, Miss Cara. Now, Karen, we need to start planning next week and make sure that we have one place on there that we know my doll face can’t say no to. If we have to repeat places, then let’s get to it. Chop, chop.” Karen busted up laughing, and I did too. Aaron was trying to be serious and failed. A man in tight jeans, a pink polo t-shirt and bright orange tennis shoes couldn’t be taken seriously.
I thanked them for my daily laugh, and at noon started my short walk to Toni’s. I had kept my promise to Amber for the week. I still brought my purse that carried my iPad and had decided to order my lunch at Toni’s.
I could have brought food with me. I had went to the store last night for items I needed. When my alarm went off this morning, I again chose not to make my lunch. I had stayed up later than I liked reading and was still a little tired.
Each day there was a decent line to get to the counter at Toni’s. Most days it was shorter than the one today. One of the nearby offices must have had a large meeting. Luckily, I had learned what I liked already, and I was just reading the choices out of boredom when I heard a noise behind me.
I turned to look in the direction of the noise and froze. The man behind me in line was wicked tall with longish blond hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. I took a quick glance at his eyes and could see that they were the brightest shade of blue. When our eye’s connected he smiled at me, I turned back around quickly. I could feel the blush on my cheeks.
My heart was racing in my chest. I swear I could hear it. I even noticed a slight shake in my hands. I was getting a vibe from the man behind me. I had never seen him before. I would know if I had.
I was nervous and in a good way. This was a feeling of excitement. My heart was pounding because of my instant attraction to this man
I don’t know why I felt affected by him. Normally, I had no problems around people. This was the first time that standing in a long line was getting on my nerves. I wanted to get my food and go.
“Can I ask what you would recommend I order here?” The man behind me was asking a question? I couldn’t help but slowly turn around to see who he was talking to. He towered over me, and I couldn’t help but let my eyes scan his body.
He looked to be in great shape from what I could see. He was wearing jeans and a blue-button down shirt. The combination on him made my mouth go dry. He filled out the shirt and looked really strong which seemed make me nervous because I didn’t know how to properly handle this new situation.
When I finally brought my eyes to his, he was watching me. “Can you recommend something?” He asked with this smile that made my entire body tingle. Was he talking to me?
“Um…well…I…” I couldn’t stop the uneasiness of my voice and had to take a breath to calm myself. “I don’t think I can be of much help. I’m easy...” I stop talking and felt my cheeks warm. I knew that I could not take those words back, and they came out sounding all wrong and dirty.
I heard him let out a breath behind me. “You okay?”
“Yes, sorry. I really am not much help. My choice is boring. Just ham and turkey on Italian white.” I offered him a smile, as I watched him look at the menu. He definitely was a man I could spend all day just staring at. He stopped looking at the menu and turned his attention back to me.
“I think boring might be a good choice today.” I just turned around. I don’t know why I was nervous, but I could not wait to be out of this awfully long line.
The line was starting to get closer to the counter where you order and I decided to save myself some trouble and pull out my wallet. Normally, I could reach into my purse and pull it out. This time, I couldn’t feel it. I stuck my head close to my bag and started to search for it. Nothing, then I went to search of the spare cash I usually stashed in a pocket of my purse, and again nothing.
I had no money on me and I was so embarrassed. I continued to search my purse for something I knew wasn’t there. I realized that when I went to the store the night before I took only my wallet and I must have left it sitting on the kitchen counter. I was so engrossed thinking about my wallet that Iwas not payi
ng any attention to the line.
“You’re up next pretty girl.” The man behind me said, as he lightly tapped my shoulder. I don’t know why I was dumbfounded at him calling me pretty girl. I shook it off and knew I needed to step out of the line because I had no money with me. It was going to be a long miserable day for me.
“Sorry.” I paused for a second to calm my nerves. “I just realized my wallet is at home. You go ahead. I need to get back to work anyway.” I was ashamed and went to step out of line when his hand reached out to grab my arm softly. He turned me around so quickly that I almost fell over.
“I will buy your lunch if you promise to sit with me,” he whispered. I just stood there with my eyes wide staring straight ahead. I could not wrap my mind around his words.
“I’m fine, but thank you.”
“Two regular ham and turkey on Italian white.” He ignored me and began to order. My heart was now thumping heavily. I feared everyone could hear it. I didn’t know what to do now and was ignoring the woman who was asking me a question.
“You may want to tell her what type of cheese you want,” the stranger whispered to me. I must look like an idiot. I looked over to the woman and told her I wanted Swiss cheese, then answered the questions of what toppings I wanted. When we reached the checkout, I was completely rattled. Did he really mean to buy me lunch? And now what do I do?
“Would you like to make that a combo with chips and a drink?” The guy at the checkout asked me. I bit down on my lip and pondered what to say. To be safe, I just asked for a cup of water.
“You can order chips and a drink if you want it?” I turned to the man who was now paying for my lunch “Um…I normally don’t eat chips and I will be fine with water.” I refused to have him spend the money on a drink for me.
“I will have chips and make it two drinks,” he told the guy at the counter. He handed me a cup and my sandwich. “I think sitting outside would be nice.” He paid and we both got our drinks. We found a table outside under an umbrella. I just stared at this man and wondered why he bought my lunch. I was going to pay him back.
Forget Cinderella (True Loves Fairytale Book 1) Page 5