The gap between Us

6

My meeting with James and the bank people went faster than I expected. I didn't focus at all all through. I kept thinking of what to do to reverse my answer to being free tonight. I tried but nothing came to mind.

I felt his eyes on me the whole time I talked. He looked at me with those eyes of his like they were begging for me. Somehow it made me forget a line but then I retrieved my speech before continuing.

I could have just refused his offer for a ride. Maybe if I did, he wouldn't be looking at me like…I don't know.

When it was over, he waited with me till the others left.

“You are a brilliant lawyer,” he said with a smirk.

“Thank you too,” he added before I could respond. I just nodded my head and attempted a smile. I couldn't say why exactly he was thanking me, I was only doing my job. But It actually felt nice getting a compliment from him. I could get used to it.

He turned to the door, held it open and gestured with his hand that I walked through which I did.

~~~

“How did your first week go?” My sister asked on the phone.

“A lot” I breathed out. I started telling her about Ellen and how she'd mysteriously approached me in the store and now she wanted me to be a part of their book club.

“You could use a friend or two,” my sister suggested.

“Friends are overrated Gigi” I told her as I dropped my handbag on the nightstand and began to take off my earrings. Before my sister could reply, I added “besides bookclubs are for lonely people and I didn't tell her that I'm lonely…or do I look lonely?”

I listened to her reply.

“Ehhh…sometimes you do but I love you and I don't complain” she replied.

I thought about it for a second and s*ck*d in some air. Until then, I didn't know how bad Fred's break up had affected me. I might look lonely but I definitely didn't need friends.

“That's not exactly the reason for book clubs” my sister insinuated.

I tried to act normal by trying to change the subject and telling her of the date I'd mistakenly accepted to go.

“Oh my God. I'm so happy for you” my sister screamed into my ear from the phone. “You are finally going on a date sis”

“Oh Please…” I said, placing the phone down the phone stand on my dressing table as I applied some serum to my face. Then, I switched the call to video call.

“I’m supposed to be preparing for a late night work by now, not some date with a younger hunk” I blew out some air. I felt a bit nauseous. It had been like five years since I went out on a real date and two years since I hooked up with any man.

“It doesn't matter sis. At least you get to go out” my sister replied. I thought of calling him on my way back home. Maybe give an excuse that I wasn't going to make. Maybe, explained that I was sick.

But as much as I wanted to cancel, I wasn't one to cancel appointments no matter what. I liked to show up especially when I said I would. I applied a concealer before sealing with a powder. I liked my makeup looking the most minimalist.

“Look sis, he asked and you said yes. It's not like he asked you to marry him. I mean who cares if you are older. What if you are not?” my sister pointed out.

I couldn't disagree with her as I was beginning to see her point. Like what if he was actually older than I was or the same age. “Then there's only one way to find out. I'll ask him” I exhaled.

“You don't have to ask him that. I say you enjoy wherever he takes you. What matters is that he finds you attractive. From the way you've described this man, he could have had anybody else but he chose you” my sister explained.

“At least go get the D” I heard her purr as she added.

“There's no ‘getting of any D,’ Gigi. I'm only going out because I've said yes and for free food” I told my sister.

The thing I've realized is that I'm physically attracted to this man but then again he's a man and in the end he'll think with his p*n*s instead of his brain. Plus, how could I possibly explain getting involved with someone like that. You know what I mean.

I picked out two dresses–a red one and a blue one. Both were long. One with a side slit and the other with a back slit. Both had back straps but they both looked demure too.

I turned to my phone camera with the two dresses. “Which one of these should I wear?” I asked her, placing the two dresses in front of me.

“Uhm…” she thought for a second before pointing at the camera, “that one, the blue one. I always love the dress when you wear it.”

The blue dress was the one with a side high sl*t and it was made of silicon.

“No no” I shook my head and wiggled my index finger in front of the camera. “I'm not going to seduce him. I'm just going to have dinner with him”

“But you brought out the two dresses and asked for my opinion” I could definitely hear the confusion and frustration in her voice.

I needed her opinion because I thought she'd back up my decision and I wanted her to which clearly she didn't. I wore the red dress in the end. When I'd finished, I showed my sister what I looked like by turning around in front of the camera like a model.

“You look great but would have been better in that blue dress” she said wiggling her eyes as I could see her. “You are going to a date not a church sis” she added.

“Well, my lovely sister. I like how I'm looking okay? And let me remind you that I'm a grown woman not some teenager chasing after a man” I affirmed.

She looked puzzled, “sis, you brought out that dress by yourself” she reminded me.

“Only to test you Gigi. And you clearly failed the test” I defended myself. The truth is I love that dress she wanted me to wear too and I planned to wear it but on a second thought, I changed my mind. I wasn't planning on making him fall in love with the shape of me. Nor was I planning on getting ‘the D’.

I just wanted to appear on a date I mistakenly accepted. Except now I'd have to work all day on Saturday and maybe Sunday too.

I sighed.

“Test me on what exactly?” She asked but I played deaf ear to her question. I didn't have an answer to that. And if I did, I wouldn't answer.

I went back to the mirror to apply something to my lips. I would have left my lips like that because I wouldn't want him to think I hoped to impress him with my beauty so I could have a kiss but I hated dry lips.

So I added some gloss to my lips.

“No, use the maroon lipstick instead” my sister called out from the phone.

“I'm fine, Gigi” I said just as the doorbell rang almost immediately.

“Oh, my God… he's here. Right on time” my sister clapped her hands together in jubilation. She was even more excited than me who was going for the date.

“Okay, bye. Pray that I don't die. Or that I don't kill him at least” I told my sister before ending the call after she said a bye too and ‘I love you’ of course.

I took my black purse, wore my strap sandals heels and began heading downstairs to open the door for James and head out for my date.

The doorbell rang again when I was in the middle of the stairs. “Coming” I assured him and kept walking down carefully because of my heels.

I didn't bother checking the viewing hole on the door because I knew who it already was except when I opened the door, it wasn't James.