บท 2: Chapter 2
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Jay got off work a little late since he’d been helping an older woman pick out the perfect shade of lipstick. Now he had to rush out of the department store and over to the supermarket to buy snacks for his marathon with Drake.
He hurried past the jewelry department, resisting the urge to stop and survey the latest bling. Past the perfume, past the shoes. Almost to the exit.
“Jay! Wait!”
He froze, recognizing the voice of his co-worker, Franny.
Franny, a freakishly tall, thin, pretty black girl, gestured to him to come to her accessories department. All right, maybe she wasn’t freakishly tall. But she was taller than Jay.
Biting his lip, Jay turned to walk the few feet into her display area.
“Franny, I’m off work.”
“I know, I figured. Listen.” She grabbed his arm, her long, polished nails sinking in. “Guess what came in today?”
Jay sighed. “I don’t know. Belts?”
She giggled. “No. Would I call you over here for some old belts?”
“Well, maybe if they were sequined.”
Franny snorted. “Scarves, Jay. A ton of new scarves.”
He blinked, licked his lips. “Scarves? Really? Where?”
Her smile was triumphant, but Jay didn’t care. He wanted to see the new scarves. Damn, he loved scarves. They were his favorite accessory.
She pulled him along. “There’s one in particular I just know you will die for.”
And then he saw the display of scarves. Knit scarves. Silk scarves. Polyester scarves. Of every color. His eyes widened.
“Wait. You haven’t even seen the one I’m talking about.” Franny hurried behind the display. “I hid it so you could see it.”
Jay reached for a pink and orange knit scarf. He wrapped it around his neck and stopped to admire it in the nearby mirror.
Franny appeared in the mirror holding the most stunning water color silk scarf he’d ever seen. Blue, purple, green, and pink. He threw the knit scarf in the general direction of the display and reached for the water color scarf, his fingers smoothing along the sinfully silky material.
“Isn’t it to die for?” Franny demanded.
“Yes!” Jay wrapped it around himself, admiring it.
“It looks like it was made for you. You have to get it.”
He nodded. “How much is it?”
“Eighty-five.”
Instantly his excitement faded. Reality set in and he blinked. The old Jay would have bought it, anyway, even though he knew he couldn’t afford it. Worried about how he would pay his bills later. But he’d been determined to be more responsible.
He removed the scarf and handed it to her. “I can barely afford my one-bedroom apartment as it is.”
“Ah, come on, Jay. It’s perfect.”
“It’s beautiful, Franny. But no.”
“But you love scarves.”
“I know.”
Franny frowned. “When was the last time you bought a new one?”
“Last month. It was half the price of this one and I shouldn’t have bought it. I had to eat ramen noodles for two weeks straight.”
“If I loan you the money—”
“I’d still have to pay you eventually. No. And in fact, I have to go. I’ve got to stop at the grocery store and I’m already running late.” He smiled. “Thanks for thinking of me. The scarf is beautiful.”
Jay turned away, ignoring her pout, and walked determinedly toward the store exit. He couldn’t give in. And besides he had plenty of scarves at home.
He found his car in the parking lot, grabbed the scarf he wasn’t allowed to wear at the store and wrapped it around him, and then headed for the store nearest his apartment. But the traffic was horrendous. He swore all of West Hollywood was against him.
Yeah, he supposed he was foolish to get all excited over a platonic date with Drake. The guy of his dreams. Unfortunately, he’d been dreaming about it forever because it just wasn’t going to happen.
Finally, having spent thirty dollars on chips, dip, and little appetizers, Jay made it home. He lived in an old building that had been built like centuries ago. Well, maybe not that long, but Jay had no idea when it was built. Just well before his time, anyway.
It was an old converted hotel, and some of the old-timers claimed it was haunted, which Jay cheerfully ignored. His apartment was on the second floor, and the elevator almost never worked, so he didn’t even bother heading toward the elevator and made his way immediately to the stairwell.
Jay opened the door that led off from the stairwell to the second floor landing, turning to go down the long hallway to the end where his apartment was situated. Last one on the right on this floor. Drake’s was the apartment just before his. Drake stood outside Jay’s door, raising his fist to knock.
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