Tangled Love

~ Chapter Twelve ~

After lunch there was only three breakout sessions then the closing keynote speech by Ty Bennett. The day went by smoothly and once the conference concluded for the day; I escorted the three speakers back to the dorms they are occupying until the end of the conference. It was almost 6:30 pm when I finally arrived at Manndible café for my shift and when I walked in the door I was bombarded by Annette and Omar about the speakers.

           “So how was it being the guide for the keynote speakers today? I only got to see Kindra Hall’s session before lunch. I missed Dr. Nick session by five freaking minutes and that was disappointing then I had to be here for Ty Bennett session?” Omar said with a pout, and I smiled.

           “It was cool, I guess. I’m not a big fan of Dr. Nick or Ty Bennett but they are both very cool conversationist. I had a great time with Kindra though and she lives up to the fuss about her. But today was only day one. I still have two more days with them. You would be happy to know that all the sessions were recorded and will be available for thirty days on the University’s Communications Department web page, so whatever you missed you can watch there.” I said with a smile and Omar smiled back.

           “I didn’t hear about that, you’re such a doll. Let me clock out before Janelle has a fit for me staying into overtime. By the way, your off at 11:00 pm Doll. Amanda and Ricky are both working tonight.” Omar said as he rushed to the back to clock out.

           “Girl, I don’t know what you are doing but you are getting the attention of Dr. Piper and Dr. Ward. They both asked if you are possibly looking for a full time PA position for the spring semester. Something about your communication skills and professionalism being remarkable.” Annette said with a huge smile on her face, and I smiled back.

           “Really? I haven’t done anything spectacular or out of the ordinary so I’m not sure what they mean by that.” I said and Annette hunched her shoulders but smiled brightly again.

           “I think everybody is just finally seeing what I have seen in you since the first day I met you. You it Girl! And after this conference all the tenured professors are going to see it too. But I got to get going, think about the full time PA positions and get back to me soon. See you later babes!” Annette said and I smiled as she turned and walked out of the café.

           Halfway through my shift a group of guys walked in, and I recognized two of them from the other night when they came in with that guy Elias. I wasn’t going to say anything until I saw Myra walk in and whisper something to the talk dark guy and he laughed before smacking her ass and nodding at her. A few minutes later she walked over to the counter where I was.

           “Hey Kelsey, how are you?” Myra asked.

           “I’m good and you?” I replied and she smiled.

           “I’m doing great. I know you and I have had our share of confusing times during that whole Robbie incident, but I would like to think we have both gotten over it. I’m having a Spring Mixer, it’s like a student meet and greet, on Sunday and would like it if you would come. It’s going to be after the conference concludes and it’s open to all students. Here is a flyer, if you’re free I would love it if you could make it. The address is on the flyer, and it is off campus.” Myra said and handed me the flyer and started to walk away.

           “Hey Myra, I get off work at 10:30 Sunday night but I will try to make it after. May I ask you something before you leave?” I said and she turned her body back around to face me with a smile.

           “No, he’s not going to be there. He isn’t allowed within five hundred feet of me.” Myra said and I looked at her confused.

           “Who?” I asked and her eyes went wide.

           “Oh, you don’t know. Robbie… Robbie won’t be there; I have a retraining order against him. He tried to r**e me, but my brother got there just in time to stop him. By the way, come meet my brother and his friends.” She said with a smile then walked over to the group of guys she was talking to earlier.

           “Michael, Damien, Scott, Trevor, and Vaugh.” She said pointing at each of them as she said their names.

           “I’ve seen you guys in here a few times but never got your names. I’m Kelsey, nice to meet all of you.” I said and they all said hi almost in unison.

           “Michael is my brother and Damien is my boo, the rest are free agents’ girl, if you know what I mean.” She said with a little giggle, and I smiled and looked at the guys standing there.

           “Nah, he ain’t here shorty.” Damien said with a smirk, and I looked at him and raised my eyebrow.

           “Who?” I asked and he chuckled.

           “EJ, I see how the two of you are always checking for each other. He’s out of town but he will be back for the conference tomorrow.” Damien said with another chuckle, and I smiled but didn’t respond.

           After that I took their order and walked back to the kitchen to put it in. As I waited for their order, I read the flyer again. The Mixer is being held a half mile from campus at the Argos Inn Boutique Hotel. The flyer said there will be five one-hour sessions with a maximum of one hundred and twenty tickets per hour. Seventy-five tickets for the Warehouse and Forty-five tickets for the Parlor. The Parlor is for the twenty-one and older crowd only and all tickets are available at www.cornellstudentfunction.com, first come first serve. Entry is free with student ID and there is a two-drink non-alcohol limit for the Warehouse and a two-drink alcohol or non-alcohol limit for the Parlor. Drink tickets are $5.00 non-alcohol and $15.00 alcohol. There was also a list of activities happening during the different time slots. In all it sounded interested so I took the guys out their order and returned to the break room to send a photo of the flyer to Annette. I didn’t check my phone because I knew we were going when my phone ding an arrival of a text message, three seconds after I sat it back into my locker.

           It was 10:30 pm when both Amanda and Ricky walked into the café, and I was happy to see them both on-time. As soon as the guys checked out with me. Amanda told me to go home, and I was glad she did. I was super exhausted, it was a very long day for me but when I got home my mind was flooded with thoughts about my father, then the conference, then the mixer, but just as I shut my thoughts off and closed my eyes, Elias or EJ as Damien called him tonight, popped in my head and I smiled before I drifted off to sleep.