*Damon*"What can I get you?" The bartender asked, wiping down on the counter with a small white table cloth. He seemed a little irritated, like bartending was the last thing he had planned to do with his life. Shit happens, I thought silently to myself. It was a little funny how everyone thought they had their life all planned out but then they always fail to remember that life itself was full of surprises. And some are worse than others."I'd like some beer please," I answered calmly, tapping my fingers lightly on the counter as I scanned the room for any sign of Jake or Shayla. They were both nowhere to be found. I turned my attention to my wrist watch as the bartender disappeared to go get my drink. I tugged at the collar of my shirt, agitated for some reason.I didn't want to be here.Strange really, because I had always been the very first one out of the three of us to suggest that we hang out at a club somewhere. Jake and Shayla were always too caught up in each other to want t
*Melanie*I rolled my suitcase across the hallway, silently praying that I didn't bump into anyone. I wanted to start the weekend competition off with an apology to Damon. I knocked on my room door, simultaneously swiping my key card as I walked inside. My eyebrows jumped up in surprise when I saw Hailey sitting comfortably on her bed, painting her nails. She'd arrived earlier than she normally did. Usually, I was the one who arrived first. I felt genuine happiness that she had also made it to the next round."Melanie!" She exclaimed, jumping down from the bed and hopping to where I stood with the handle of my suitcase in hand. Before I could guess what she was about to do, she had enveloped in a warm hug I totally did not see coming. It took a while for me to register that she was somehow hugging me while still trying to mind her nails because it was something she had never done before.She must have mistook my silence and stiffness for me not liking the fact that she touched me beca
*Damon*Growing up, I'd been a pretty weird kid. I hadn't had it as easy as people would think. I seemed to always do something a bit differently from others. My mom often told me it was because I was special but even then I had known better than to believe her. She didn't seem to still think I was special when I did things that landed me in trouble. It wasn't weird for me to find myself having different views from others. I often argued about their views on a few things. Like what spooked them. And what riled them up. And what they found alarming. It was a little alarming realizing that your feelings about someone were somehow beginning to change without your permission. Especially when you didn't want it to. I didn't see Melanie for the rest of the day. It was a bit strange really because all we seemingly did during the weekends here was bump into each other. I had a strong conviction that it wasn't because she was trying to avoid me. I didn't know why I was so sure.I just knew.T
MELANIEI kept stealing subtle glances at Damon during this weekend’s test. We were showcasing our cooking skills, something that I’m sure a man on the lookout for a wife expects in her. The kitchen had been sectioned into 12 spaces; each suitable enough for the contestant’s free movement and easy access to her utensils.Ingredients of all manner and culture were available for us as we were expected to whip up a meal of our choice. Damon looked hot in his all black attire. Standing close to Jake and Shayla, they exchanged some conversation here and there as the competition progressed.I was making tuna salad and lasagna. A close inspection of the woman next to me, I think her name was Layla?, made me swallow an inward gasp. She was making some kind of exotic Mexican cuisine. I guessed it was Mexican because she exuded Latina vibes. She had a killer body with an abundant ass and her eyes were almond shaped, very dark and so pretty. Some of the contestants were already done with their
MELANIEI was in deep trouble. Glancing down at my wrist watch, I winced at how late it was. I was supposed to meet Trish at Starbucks about forty five minutes ago, but I'd been too engrossed in my writing to remember that we had agreed to meet up for lunch.Increasing my pace and stretching my legs as far as they could go, I tried to think of a good excuse. I could tell her that I'd forgotten but that would just leave her disappointed. In the end, I decided to go with the truth. Trish knew me too well for her to believe any of the stories that I would make up.She was my only friend.I wasn't even kidding. I could count the number of people interacted with in just one hand. See, I wasn't the social type. I wish I could say that it was because of one trauma that I'd passed through to at least excuse my behavior, but sadly it wasn't.I just didn't like people. End of story.Pausing for a few seconds to catch my breath, I pushed the door to the café open and tried to stealthily walk in.
DAMONI raised my head when I heard a knock on my front door. I frowned, hoping it was not the woman I'd been with throughout last night and in the early hours of this morning. I knew I had made myself clear when I'd told her that it was a one time thing. I always make myself clear from the start.Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I picked up my tie and began heading for the door. My eyebrows drew together when I saw who it was through the one way mirror. She didn't normally show up this early."How come you're here so early?" I asked after opening the door. I took in the way her chest seemed to be rising and falling faster than usual.Did she actually...run?She trolled past me, heading for what had to be becoming her favorite room in my house. I caught the sounds of spoons clinking and pondered for a moment if Shayla had actually lost her mind."Shayla?" I called after her, closing the door and following her to the kitchen. I glanced down at my wrist watch to make sure that it
MELANIEToday was one of the rare days that I choose to take a walk in the streets. Sometimes, especially when I'm faced with writer's block, I just lock up my apartment and breeze about, almost always ending up at the central park.The weather was cold, which was expected since rain had only been falling few minutes ago. I tried to walk as composedly as possible in my ankle boots, avoiding tiny pools of muddy water where I could.Tucking my hands in my coat pockets, I breathed in the fresh scent of rain. It was one of the things that I seemed to love.The smell of rain.Probably because my mother and I had a ritual of playing in the rain when I'd been growing up. At least until she was forcefully taken from me by a ghastly accident.I pushed down the lump in my throat, my eyes almost instantly stinging. I'd come home from school and she hadn't been in the house the way she always was just for my sake, even though she was fully employed.My dad had returned home hours later to inform m
DAMONI gripped the neck of the bottle in front of me and lifted it to my mouth, enjoying the way the liquid burned my throat as it rushed down. It was six days already since the day I'd found out that I had to get married in less than three months and stay married for three years. My life had taken a dive since then."It's not fair for your dad to have tried to control you like that." Shayla voiced out from where she sat beside Jake. We went out to a club like we did every Friday night. I finally decided to disclose what had gone down in the meeting I'd had with my father's lawyer.Their reactions weren't surprising to me. They didn't know the kind of man my father had been. He hadn't wanted me to make a name for myself. Luckily, I wasn't someone who could be pushed around. I'd grown up trying to live up to his expectations as the only child.It didn't take long for me to realize I would never be able to match his expectations of me. He would always see me as less than him. After It