Of course, I didn’t want to waste time
so I took a shower and decided to just have a sandwich on the way out. I had nothing to do anyway so I might as well just head there, sign those papers and hopefully get a sign-on bonus too.
For a moment I was tempted to put on a sexy mini-skirt and a black tank top but then I remembered one crucial detail: I wasn’t going to be seeing Preston anymore. I didn’t have to dress so slutty anymore.
Instead, I settled for a pair of jeans and a plain pink shirt. I put on a coat, anticipating the rain, and headed out of the house.
18
Preston
Why wouldn’t she pick up any of my calls?
Here I was again, getting drunk at Mercury Wild. I had Dylan with me and he was the first of my circle of friends to point out that Lyla may be the one I’ve always been waiting for. Maybe she was the woman who would fill in the void that no other woman could ever dare to do so. Maybe Lyla was like Jasmine to Trevor.
“I don’t know man,” I told him as I sipped on my beer. It was early in the morning and yet we were drinking so much beer. I was already on my third bottle. “Come on, she was a nurse but out of desperation she became a fucking whore. If it wasn’t for my money she would have never given the time of day.”
Dylan shook his head, “We don’t know that, dude. All we know is that you two got together and now you blew it. Admit it, man, you fucking blew your big chance there.”
“What do you think I should do then? She won’t pick up any of my calls. How am I supposed to tell her I’m sorry and that I really want her in my life?”
My friend patted my shoulder and laughed. “Come on, man,” he told me. “That should be easy as shit. You know where she lives. You know how you feel and how she felt. Get the fuck out of here, head over there and make your case. Don’t let her leave until you’ve said your piece.”
“And if she still leaves?”
“Then let it go,” Dylan said. “At least you’ll be at peace, man. At least you can say you genuinely tried and this time without offering money.”
His words were the words of wisdom and I smiled in agreement. I took one last gulp at my drink and then thanked him for what he had to say. His advice convinced me I still had one shot – maybe just one shot – at fixing this.
When I was ready, I bid farewell. I left Mercury Wild and drove all the way to Lyla’s home.
It took me nearly thirty minutes to get there due to traffic and how far her house was from downtown. I did get there though, roughly fifteen minutes before nine o’clock in the morning. I could see her car was still parked so she must be inside. That made me sigh in relief; at least I knew she was home and that I could talk to her.
For a few minutes I just sat in my car, pondering on what to say and how to say it. There was a myriad of ideas popping in my head and all of them might end up with her leaving. The fact that the sky was grey and gloomy wasn’t helping one bit either.
“Come on, you can do this,” I told myself, attempting to boost my courage.
19
Lyla
I had to leave but as soon as I walked out the door, I saw Preston parked right outside my apartment. It was beginning to drizzle a bit and he didn’t even have a jacket or umbrella.
“What are you doing here?” I yelled out. I kept on walking but tried to keep my distance, aiming to just reach my car parked across the street.
“You weren’t answering my calls,” Preston answered back.
I didn’t have time for this. I didn’t want this. I rushed as fast as I could and made my way passed him and towards my car. All I had to do was just hop in, drive off and ignore him… right? Once I get to the medical center he can’t bug me anymore.
Just as I walked passed him, Preston reached out and grabbed my arm.
“Let go of me!”
He pulled me in closer and said, “Listen to me! Just listen to me. If you don’t agree with anything I say then fine, leave if you want!”
As he spoke, heavy rain began to wash down on us. The drizzle grew in strength and we were both getting soaked, standing outside in the street. I just looked at him and never said a word, just waiting for him to say whatever he needed to say.
“Look,” he then began. “To be honest with you, when I first met you I was already obsessed with how freaking hot you are. Ever since I met you in that hospital I couldn’t help but get horny picturing you in my head. I’m not the kind of guy who goes for romance and falls in love or other shit like that… but then you actually came into my life and all this shit changed.”