DISCOVERING DREW

CHAPTER 4

I woke up the next morning,feeling a little bit tired,the stress of the previous day still had residual effect on me. But never the less,I still woke up vibrant and full of optimism. I had in mind to go in search of a job, something convenient and not too stressful..I had quit my former company as a major staff because of the relocation. There was no way I could work there,it was very much far away from my new apartment.

"Shit.." I mumbled to myself. I had totally forget to call Dani. I knew she would be worried but she didn't want to call me herself first. She must have been thinking she would be a disturbance if she called me first. Dani always knew how I hated being mommied by her,I knew it was for my own good but I wanted her to be my sister and not a mother when my own mother decided that....

I stopped myself immediately from going down that path. Remembering "that woman" was not something I wanted to,she wasn't worth spoiling my very positive mood on a fine morning.

I went to look for where I dropped my cellphone, I found it right on the dressing table in the other room. I picked it up and dialled Dani. She picked up immediately as if she was waiting by the phone for my call.

"Drew! You had me so worried. I couldn't even sleep well last night,I was thinking all about you,whether you did settle in or not. I am glad you called though. How are you?.."

I smiled. Dani,my favourite person in the whole world,always worried about me and everybody. Honestly,I hoped one day I would get to repay her for being there for me the way she had been.

"Dani,I am fine. Infact very fine. I have been very exhausted from unpacking and arranging that I couldn't call you yesterday. How's everyone? Damon? Dante?

"They all fine. They've all gone to school. Can you imagine? Damon was knocking non-stop at your door to call you for breakfast. He had to stop because Dante reminded him you were no longer there. It was so cute. Well,I am so surprised by him. It's so obvious he's already missing you but he does not want to show it too much. Damon is always trying to be brave and all. Haha. Very sweet. Even Dante too. He too is trying to be brave but I swear he must have shed a little tear yesterday night because this morning his eyes were all swollen. I felt it in my soul. Dominic is still the same Dominic,no reaction. One day I am going to beat emotions out of that boy. He's so impassive,all the damn time,he never ever express-....."

She kept on rambling and all through her talk,I was smiling. I was already missing her and it wasn't even up to a day. She always had this way of talking on and on whenever she was overly excited and it made me happy listening to her talk cause I wasn't the talking type so her talking distracted me a lot from my thoughts.

"So what plans do you have to find a job..? You said you would find one. Personally,I don't know why you need another job,you can actually work from home but I get that you want something to keep doing to inorder to leave the house and also make extra income. What do you have in mind? I suggest a bar or something. Maybe take on their night shifts although I wonder how someone as uncommunicative as you would thrive as a bartender. Most bartenders are very expressive and very friendly but you, I don't even know how to..."

At this point,I was almost laughing. I remember Dani once said I behaved like a statue. Well,in my defence,I think I was more expressive than Dominic though, he was the worst.

"You haven't said anything, Drew. You lost in your thoughts as usual?? Ahh,as always,you are so predictable. I wonder what you always think about to be lost this much. I hope it's not... You-know-who? Please don't ever go to that dark place, Drew"

I haven't even smiled this much for sometime. Dani was very chirpy this morning,more than usual.

"Well, anyways", I answered ,"about the job,yes. I already have some places in mind. Thanks to Google anyways,I was able to check some nearby bars and clubs. I'd be going there in person to check out whether any of them need help. I'd let you know how it goes. My stay-at-home job is fine actually. Once I get off this call, I'd set up my working space to start immediately."

"I am so happy to hear that, Drew. So happy. Drew,I have to go now. Honestly,I am very much late for work but it was a necessary evil. I couldn't go to work knowing I haven't heard from you..."

"It's okay Dani. We'd talk maybe later when you are back from work. Love you baby sis.."

"Ahh,Drew please,not the baby, please!!..." She was practically laughing now and I was smiling as well.

" See you." The call ended and I was enveloped with silence again

At this point,I had the strong urge to pack up everything and go back home to my family but I knew I couldn't but it didn't stop me from having the urge especially after that call with Dani but regardless,I had to remind myself why I left in the first place.

---

I took my bath,made a little breakfast. I was yet to buy groceries so the one i had prepared was from what I brought from home. But I knew I had to go groceries shopping later in the day. I couldn't afford not having a fresh supply of healthy meals cause I didn't want to be ordering food all the time,I couldn't even afford to order food that much,I was close to broke due to the moving so some of the luxuries were unattainable to me. I had to make sure I prepared my own meals. Not that I was bragging, but I was a pretty good cook. Whenever Dani was feeling very tired,I made the meals. It was one of our major bonding times, whenever she thought me how to make a new recipe. At a point,I was even cooking better than her but she didn't want to accept that. I was deeply grateful I learnt how to cook because how will a single broke guy survive alone away from his family if he didn't know how to make his own meals?

I set up my work space in my other room as I said I would. It wasn't that much to do anyways. I now worked as a customer care/service representative for my former company,they agreed to keep me as that part of the staff with a reduced pay. The reduced pay was exactly why I wanted a second income job so I would survive. I have never been the lazy type towards work. Even though Daddy provided financially for the family,I still was able to get some extra things for everyone occasionally. But the move had drained me so I really needed to make some more money. I didn't really want to get to the level of having to go back to my father to ask for money or ask Dani either. I had burdened her enough and asking her for financial help would be adding more to the burden.

I worked for a while and then took a break to play video games. I always did that,as a stress reliever. I started feeling hungry and when I came out of the room,I realised it was already getting to evening time. I didn't even know I had spent that amount of time on work.

I was standing in my kitchen,eating chips to quench the hunger before I went shopping,then I heard it. Loud dribbling sounds of a basketball hitting the hard floor. It caught my attention,I paused, moving towards the direction of the sound to check it out. I saw the sound was coming from the backyard.

Then my eyes caught him. Yes,it was him with the blue eyes. I had totally forgotten all about him with the whole stress of work and talking to Dani earlier. I stood there in my kitchen watching him from the window. He hadn't noticed someone was watching him, which I was eternally grateful for, so I took the opportunity to watch him unnoticed.

He was a very muscular man and equally gorgeous. When I thought of how gorgeous he ,I was implying the average looking handsome man,No,this man was stunningly gorgeous and this was coming from someone(me of course) who is not attracted to men in any sort of way but I had no option than to appreciate the man's beauty.

He had a clean-shaven head, caramel-coloured skin that was glistening with sweat from his cardio of playing basketball. I couldn't make out the very outline of his face but his entire height appeared like he was 6'2,6'4 ish,he was indeed very tall. He looked like someone who went to the gym three to four times a week and did weight-lifting. Although he didn't look like those massive men with extreme large amount of muscles on them the bodybuilders,he still looked big with his body size. He really looked like someone that would be very intimidating,even from his countenance,like he never smiled in his entire life.

I was still surprised at myself for having this much interest in a man I haven't even met before,only for him to stop playing with the ball immediately and paused,then turned around and looked directly at me.

I froze. I couldn't move an inch away. I didn't know why I couldn't move. Was I afraid of this man? What was it about him? Why was I reacting this way towards him,a complete stranger? I have never had this kind of reaction for anybody in my entire life. Normally I was always the bold type,the type that was never intimidated by anyone. I wasn't a big guy myself,infact I fell more on the skinny side but I was pretty decent and I knew I could injure anyone who wanted to take me on a fight. But here I was,frozen and held to the spot because of this man's stare and worst of all,my heart was beating racing ,so fast that I could hear the sounds very audibly.

The man stared at me for a while and looked away. He picked up his ball and went back into the house. That was when I snapped out of my stupor and I groaned. I felt extreme embarrassment at my own actions. This was the second time I was having a form of contact with this man and I succeeded in making a complete mockery of myself.

Everything about him screamed red flags for me to avoid but how could I possibly avoid him as I was living just next-door to him.

"Oh God! What is happening?!!....ughhh!!,"