His Soft Obsession

Chapter Five: Now You See Me

My stomach was in knots.

I’d barely slept. I kept waking up every hour, checking the time like the interview was gonna sneak past me in the night. By the time morning came, I was already dressed, edges laid, and staring at myself in the mirror like a nervous wreck.

“You look fine,” Janiyah said from behind me, still chewing on a damn Twizzler at 8 in the morning. “You look like you got good credit and smell like coconut oil and boundaries.”

“I’m just scared I’m gonna stutter or say something dumb.”

“You’re not. You don’t even gotta say much. Smile, be polite, don’t look bored, and act like you care about lotion.”

I gave her a look. “Girl, I do care about lotion.”

“Then you already halfway hired.”

The bus ride to the mall was quiet. I had my headphones in, but no music was playing. Just something in my ears to block out the world.

I walked into the Galleria with my head high, heels clicking, nerves doing backflips.

Bath & Body Works was halfway through the middle section of the mall, tucked between Victoria’s Secret and Claire’s. The girl at the counter smiled when I walked in, asked my name, and told me to wait in the back while the manager finished a call.

While I sat there, knees bouncing, I told myself:

Act normal. Breathe. Don’t let your voice shake.

The interview lasted less than ten minutes.

She liked me. I liked her. She offered me the job on the spot.

Part-time. Flexible hours. Store discount. $15/hour.

Bet.

I walked out the store with a little extra sway in my hips and a small smile on my face. I didn’t have a lot of wins lately, but this? This felt like one.

I pulled out my phone to text Janiyah when I heard a voice behind me.

“Didn’t expect to see you here.”

I turned around too quick. My stomach dropped.

Zay.

Standing there in a grey hoodie and black jeans, chains tucked under his collar, fitted cap low over his forehead. He had that lazy, dangerous look. Like he didn’t try and still looked fine as f**k.

“Uh… hey,” I said, heart thumping way too hard.

“You work here now?” he asked, glancing at the Bath & Body Works behind me.

“I just got hired.”

He nodded slow, hands in his pockets. “That’s good. Proud of you.”

My eyes narrowed. “You don’t even know me like that to be proud.”

He cracked the smallest smile. “Maybe I know more than you think.”

I looked away before he could see my cheeks heating up. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Handle some s**t. Now I’m just walkin’.”

Of course. Zay always moved like he had business — the kind you didn’t ask questions about.

“You ain’t tryna offer me another pair of slides today?” I teased without thinking.

He smirked. “Not today. But you look good, though. Like you belong here.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said nothing.

He stepped closer — not too close, but enough to lower his voice.

“You ever need anything, you got my number.”

“I know.”

“Use it.”

Then he nodded once and walked off, leaving me standing there with my chest all tight and my thoughts spinning.

I was still processing that moment when my phone buzzed.

Janiyah: b***h. I SAW HIM.

I texted back quick: Who??

Janiyah: Zay’s friend. The one I told you about. The one with the chain and the eyes and the silence.

I laughed.

Then she called.

“I need to tell you in real time,” she said, already out of breath. “He was standing by the phone case booth, Lyric. Like he had nowhere to be and all the time in the world to be fine.”

“Did he see you?”

“Not only did he see me… he said something.”

“What?? What he say?”

“He looked me dead in my face and said, ‘You dropped something.’ I said, ‘What?’ and this man said, ‘Your attitude.’”

“Girl, shut up! He did not say that.”

“He did. I swear on my new lashes.”

I laughed so hard I almost dropped my phone.

“What you say back?”

“I told him he could have it, ‘cause I don’t need one with a man like him.”

“You are so messy.”

“And I love that for me.”

After we hung up, I found myself drifting through the mall again — not shopping, just walking. Letting the win from earlier settle in. I had a job now. A schedule. A step forward. That meant something.

I passed the food court, waved at one of the girls from school who worked at the pretzel stand, and thought about grabbing a lemonade — when I saw him again.

Zay.

But this time, he wasn’t alone.

He was sitting on one of the benches, legs stretched, head tilted up like he was watching the skylight — and next to him? A girl.

Pretty. Skin like smooth honey. Long wig, designer bag, nails done. She was talking and laughing while he barely nodded.

Something in my chest pinched.

I wasn’t mad.

I wasn’t jealous.

I just didn’t like how invisible I suddenly felt.

I turned before either of them saw me, headed for the exit with my head high.

Back on the bus ride home, I stared out the window, letting the city blur by.

Zay didn’t owe me anything.

And I wasn’t looking for anything.

But for a moment — just a small, fleeting moment — I wished he hadn’t said what he said if he was still entertaining girls who looked like they had everything.

Because I was just starting to build mine.

And I didn’t need distractions.