“A personal chef? This is your life, huh?” asked Xavier, stuffing a forkful of eggs in his mouth.
“It is now, at the moment anyway. I didn’t grow up like this.”
“You didn’t?”
“No. I didn’t meet my father until I was fifteen. Shortly after my eighteenth birthday, someone killed him.”
“Do you mind me asking what happened?”
“I rather not talk about it. Maybe sometime down the line, I’ll share,” said Ramona, taking a sip of orange juice.
“I understand. So what do you do? For a living, I mean.”
“I work with my aunt. My family has a nonprofit organization that helps low-income families. What about you? I assume you and Julius work together?”
“Who?”
“Julius…red hair and freckles.”
“Oh!” Xavier gently tapped his forehead. “Yes, we work in the same building but different departments. I met him through one of the ladies. Remember Cheyenne the one with the dark hair?”
“Yeah, she couldn’t stop crying over her bird that died of old age.”
“Well, she introduced me to Julius.”
“Are you a graphic illustrator, also?”
“I do a little of this and a little of that.”
Ramona laughed. “Okay, whatever that means.”
Xavier changed the subject. Instead, he told her crazy stories about an ex-girlfriend who stalked him for a year. It was a weird topic but Ramona could listen to him talk about anything. She’s wildly attracted to him. He was handsome with a head full of curly black hair he kept in a man bun. His eyes were hazel and shaped like almond, his body had a nice build just how she liked it. Not too buff, not too skinny, right in the middle with adequate muscles. And he had two dimples that drove her crazy. The best part of all he’s unattached. Nick and his ex-wife provided enough drama to last a lifetime. She’s done with men with baggage. They finished their breakfast and waited outside for his Uber to pick him up.
“Do you do this often?” asked Ramona.
Xavier was typing and swiping away on his phone. “What do you mean?” he asked, with his eyes fixated on his screen.
“What are doing?”
“Give me a sec, please. I’m placing an order for something that must be delivered tomorrow morning.” Ramona watched as he finished his transaction.
“Done! Now, you asked if I do something often.”
“I wondered if you often spend the night with women you just met in a bar.”
Xavier laughed. “I could ask you the same thing. Not with women I mean…”
“I get it and you’re right.”
“You piqued my interest right away, and I wanted to get to know you. It seems we’re both interested in seeing each other again, right?” he asked.
“I am.”
“Good.”
He placed a sensual kiss on her lips causing chills to run in every direction of her spine. His Uber driver arrived a few moments later. They said their goodbyes and she watched as he rode off. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked down at his contact information. They had taken a selfie together and entered their info on each other’s phones after breakfast. Xavier Powers, she softly read his name under her breath. She thought about sending him a text message with corny emojis but decided against it. She didn’t want to seem too pushy. Who are you and what have you done with your former self? She almost didn’t recognize herself anymore. Prison changed her for the better. It was a relief that Xavier doesn’t seem to know anything about who she was or the things she’s done. Hopefully, it could remain a secret. But, all it would take was one internet search for him to know everything.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Miss Vasquez! Miss Vasquez!” said Irma, when Ramona zipped by her desk the next morning. She tried to ignore her, but she continued to yell her name. “Yes,” Ramona said, with slight irritation. She turned around and saw Irma holding a glass vase filled with a gorgeous dozen of pink roses.
“These arrived for you early this morning.”
Ramona furrowed her brow. “Are you sure they’re for me?”
“It has your name right here on the card.” Irma turned the vase around to reveal the card bearing Ramona’s name. She let out a smile and removed the vase from her hands. “Thank You.” She picked up her pace towards the elevator.
“Roses! Who are they from?” Ramona heard from Kelsey’s office as she passed by.
Ramona continued onto the elevator without saying a word. When she walked into her office, she placed the vase on her desk and opened the card.
Thank You for a wonderful night and morning. Can’t wait to see you again! Xavier
Ramona couldn’t remove the smile that had encompassed a permanent place on her face. She retrieved her phone from her purse and sent Xavier a text thanking him.
Knock! Knock! Ramona looked up from her phone and standing in the doorway was Kelsey, wide-eyed with the biggest grin on her face. “Those are beautiful! You didn’t mention any guy the last time we spoke.”
Ramona narrowed her eyes and the left corner of her mouth curled upward. She was both confused and irritated. “Did you follow me?”
“Well, I saw you carrying such a beautiful arrangement. I was curious.”
“I heard you yell out. If I don’t stop that means I’m not in the mood to talk.”
“So snippy,” said Kelsey, in an almost scolding manner. “If I’d received flowers, I would be in a better mood.”
“What’s your deal?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, why are you going out of your way to be friendly. You’re the only person here who’s said more than two words to me.”
“I’m friends with your aunt and I thought we could be too. It’s called being friendly.”
“I call it suspicious.”
“There’s nothing suspicious about my motives. It’s unfair to give you the cold shoulder like everyone else. I prefer to form my own opinion. Besides, we’re the only ones here remotely in the same age group.”
“I’m twenty-nine and Ashley is thirty-two,” said Ramona.
“Yeah, but she’s gone. Look, you’ll never receive happiness in life distrusting everyone you meet.”
Ramona moved the vase of flowers to the corner of her desk and sat in her chair. “I need you to back off. Just a little. I’m not one of those talkative females that tell my business to anyone who listens.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Maybe one day we’ll have lunch.”
“I have one better. Let’s have drinks after work.”
“So much for backing off.”
“One drink and I can bring you up to speed on all the gossip.”
Ramona shook her head no. “I don’t think so.”
“What’s the harm? It might help loosen your guard around me.”
Ramona exhaled sharply, exasperated. “Alright, drinks after work it is.”
Ramona spent the rest of the day trying to woo deep pockets. She wasn’t much concerned with the donors who were loyal and stood with the organization, regardless. It was the donors who have turned their backs because of her. She tried every tactic short of begging. After reaching out by phone or emails without success, she felt defeated. She sauntered down the hall to Lisa’s office to vent, but she had already left. She felt she should do the same and call it a day. Maybe drinks with Kelsey wasn’t such a bad idea. She called her to asked to meet in the parking lot.
“I can’t leave early. I have to complete my reports by the end of the day,” she moaned.
“Leave it for tomorrow or come in early to finish it.”
“I wish I could. But, I have deadlines.”
“I understand. I’ll talk to you later.” Ramona placed the phone receiver down and stared at her roses. She hoped Xavier wouldn’t become one of her long list of mistakes. The worst habit she possessed was moving much too fast in relationships. She’ll move at warp speed to be with a man and it always
ended badly. A prime example would be Nick. She moved in with him after a short period of time and it didn’t matter that he was married. She knew what she wanted, and it was him. In the end, it turned out horrible. She went to prison, and he vowed to never leave her side. The ring of her office phone brought her out of her thoughts.
“This is Ramona.”
“Hey, we can go have that drink if you like.”
“What about your deadlines?”
“I gave it to my team. They’ll handle it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. We can go to happy hour at the bar across the street.”
◆◆◆
The Cellar was a dive bar that stood out amongst its retail neighbors. The main entrance of the building looked like one of a hunted house decorated for Halloween. Its door was black, but you could see flicks of blue underneath the chipped paint. Two blacked-out windows decorated with fake spider webs faced the street.
“This place is creepy,” said Ramona, almost too scared to enter.
“It’s just the outside. I don’t know what the owner was thinking,” said Kelsey. The front doors led to an entryway with only stairs that led to a lower level.
“What is this place?” questioned Ramona.
“Just follow me.”
She followed Kelsey down a flight of wooden stairs. The closer they got to the bottom the louder the music became. Once downstairs they entered a space with dimmed lights and a live band playing what sounded like soft rock.
“Isn’t this great?” beamed Kelsey.
“I guess if you’re into that kind of music,” replied Ramona.
“Let me guess. Hip Hop is your thing.”
“Not really. I like Beyonce, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, stuff like that.”
“You won’t hear that here. But, we came for the drinks not the music. Get us a table and I’ll place an order at the bar.”
“Alright, get me a…”
“Let me surprise you,” suggested Kelsey.
Ramona let out a sigh. “Fine, nothing too crazy. I have to drive home.” She found a booth far enough from the performing band where the music wouldn’t be a bother. While she waited she observed the bar patrons. Most appeared to be college students. There was a sprinkle of the working class scattered throughout. Within minutes Kelsey appeared with two tall drinks in her hand. One was a brownish color, and the other was a blue concoction.
“Here ya go,” she said in a sing-song voice. “This is for me. I went old school with a Long Island Ice Tea.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re not driving home.”
“And this is for you.” Kelsey placed a tall blue drink with a curly straw in front of Ramona.
“What’s this?”
“A blue Hawaiian. Never heard of it?”
“I have but never tried it. What’s in it?”
“Pineapple juice, coconut stuff, rum, and something that makes it blue.”
“I guess I’m not driving either.” Ramona brought the glass to her lips. Her eyes lit up. “Mmm, this is delicious.”
“Told you.”
The women sipped on their drinks and chattered about various topics. Kelsey talked about her job and the sister she hated. Then the subject turned to relationships. Kelsey shared she wanted to meet the right guy and have kids. She’s twenty-five and wondered if it will ever happen. “What about you Ramona?” she asked.
“What about what?” Ramona was now on her second Blue Hawaiian and feeling more than tipsy but not quite drunk. Mellow may be a better way to describe it. Five years without hard liquor has caused her to become a lightweight.
“Marriage and kids? Do you want it?” Kesley asked again.
Ramona shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t know.”
“What about the guy who sent the roses?”
“Just met him. He’s nice, but he’s not the one.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He’s not.” She averted her eyes, placing her focus on a heart carved into the wooden table. “Once you had love in your life and it slips away. It almost feels… irreplaceable.”
“Aw,” said Kelsey pointing towards Ramona’s face.
“What?” She felt her face and there was a tear running her cheek. “This is embarrassing.”
“Who were you thinking of?”
“No one in particular.”
“That tear is not for the guy who sent the roses.”
Ramona wiped her face with a napkin.
“How about we change the subject,” said Kelsey.
“Let’s talk about how I can turn our elite donor’s minds about me. I criticized Ashley for thinking I could do a better job than her, but these snobbish people won’t even give me a chance.”
“Maybe I can help with that. What if we throw a small event inviting our elite donors? You can meet them to show you’re not what they saw in the media. We can figure out a way to pull at their heartstrings to make it difficult for them to turn us away.”
“I…I don’t think so. How would we convince them to attend?”
“That’s what I do, coordinate events and volunteers. I’ll take care of it all.”
“You would do that for me?”
“We should at least try. You deserve a second chance.”
“Thanks, Kelsey. I’m sorry for coming off bitchy towards you.”
“Apology accepted. About the new guy in your life, give him a chance. He might surprise you.”
◆◆◆
“Xavier, can you meet me at my house?” asked Ramona, as she sat in the back of an Uber. She didn’t feel she should take any chances by getting behind the wheel.
“Sure, but it’ll take a minute to get there. I have a stop to make first.”
“Take your time.”
“Are you okay? You sound weird.”
“I’m fine. I just left happy hour that lasted too long.”
“You had that many?”
“No, only two Blue Hawaiians and a shot of something.”
Xavier laughed and then his tone turned serious. “I hope you’re not driving.”
“No. I left my car at the job and I have a wonderful Uber driver taking me home.”
“Good. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
Two hours later the doorbell rang. She raced down the stairs and flung the door opened. Both excitement and nerves consumed her. Ramona hoped what she was about to do wouldn't backfire. “You’re here! Come in.” She grabbed him by the arm, rushing him into the house. The confused look on his face did not go unnoticed. Hopefully, she wasn't about to make the wrong move.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “Maybe you need to lie down and sleep it off.”
“No. I have something I need to tell you and I would like to say it before I lose my nerve.” Ramona took a deep breath before continuing. “Normally, I don’t give a damn what people think of me but for some odd reason, I care what you think. Maybe, it was the roses or my co-worker Kelsey who said I need to give you a chance…” The more she rambled on the more confused he looked.
“Take a breath and slow down.” Was all he said. Ramona didn’t respond, instead, she led him to the study. She pulled the desk chair back and motion for him to sit. “Ramona, what are you doing?”
“You’ll understand just give me a second.” She leaned over him and type her name into the browser search bar. In less than a second, hundreds of article links popped up, along with mugshot images. A heaviness filled the pit of her stomach as she glanced at her images. “I think you’re a decent guy and I need to be upfront with you. At first, I didn’t. I thought I should hide who I am. I mean, who I used to be. I understand if this is too much…”
“It’s okay,” he said, calmly. “I’ve already seen this.”
“You have? When?”
“The night we met. I Google’d you while you were asleep.”
Ramona rubbed her temples, she felt a mild headache setting in. “You researched my past and didn’t say anything?”
“I did. I chose not to bring it up because I thought it was something you would want to tell me.”
“Let me get this straight.” She squinted her eyes, and rubbed her temples with more pressure. “You know what I’ve done and you still sent roses this morning.”
“Actually, I order the flowers yesterday, after breakfast, while we waited for my ride. I don’t make it a habit to look up someone I’m seeing on the internet but you looked familiar.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Why did you stay if you know what I’m capable of?”
“We met, had incredible sex, and the best part is I like you. What I read does not match the person before me.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
“Forward. I would like to know who you are today.”
“I don’t get it,” said Ramona. Unconvinced. “My aunt I can understand forgiving me. She’s family. But, you and Kelsey are willing to overlook the crimes I’ve committed when others won’t. Why?”
“I can’t speak for Kelsey but there’s been people in my life that have given me plenty of second chances. When I was younger, I did things I’m not proud of. I’ve never gone to jail, but I was headed down that path. If it wasn’t for certain people in my life to guide me no telling where I would be.”
“You remind me of someone who I used to know,” said Ramona. “No matter what he would not turn his back on me. Even after an arrest and a prison sentence, he still wanted to be in my life. I had to be the one to push him away, force him to move on. The difference is he was invested because we had a relationship but you just met me.”
Xavier frowned. “It sounds like you want us to part ways.”
“I don’t understand why you don’t.” Her headache has now advanced to pounding migraine.
“You don’t look well. I think you should lie down and we can table this for later.”
Xavier left and Ramona took two Excedrin Extra Strength pills and went to sleep. She woke up two hours later and groggily walked down the long hallway to Lisa’s room. She hoped she was home because she needed someone to talk to. As she approached the door, she heard the television blasting from the other side. “Lisa! You up?” Ramona knocked on her door twice. “Lisa!”
Shattered Hearts (Shattered Series Book 2) Page 4