the car as we hopped out. It was like the old days, especially after Alex walked in and looked exceedingly pleased to see me. His bright eyes roamed the table and perked up as they rested upon mine. He quickly circled and sat down right next to me
“Ahhh. Here she is. The girl who stole my heart.”
I whacked him on the shoulder. Alex and I were comfortable like that with each other.
“Just say hi, Isa.” He laughed as he brushed his shoulder with his hand and feigned pain.
“Hi, Isa.” I smirked as I folded my arms across the table and shifted in my seat.
We caught up on the happenings at the Club, the people we used to hang out with and the equestrian life that I had left behind more than two years ago. I noticed Alex leaning a little bit too close to me when we were in conversation, but I chalked it up to the loud music and hearing problems and the tequila shots that had, by that time, removed all traces of my paranoia.
We dragged ourselves out of the party at 1:30 A.M. Alex had offered to take me home, but I took the safe route and got into the car with those two drunk nuts.
“Betty, did you have anything to do with Alex showing up at this party?” I asked suspiciously.
“Isabel, no need to thank me now. You can thank me later,” she announced as she leaned her head on the headrest and fell into a deep sleep.
I walked into our house all by myself after Evie and Betty dropped me off. I reeked of liquor and cigarettes but was just too tired to take a shower. I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed, suddenly missing Jesse and wondering if he had gotten home safely after hosting the event. Later on that night, I dreamed that Jesse had climbed into bed with me. I felt his breath on the back of my neck and his front pressed against my back, as an arm reached over my waist to clutch my right breast. I sighed happily as I placed my hand on top of his, encouraging the weight of his hand against my body.
“Shhh. Go to sleep. I’m here. I missed you so much, my Isabel.”
I woke up to feel an arm’s weight draped across me and sat up with a jolt. Shit. I stunk of hard drinks and cigarettes. What was Jesse doing here?
He opened his eyes and gazed at me sleepily, his eyelids heavily laden with those long and curly eyelashes. He pulled me back down and kissed my neck. I loved it when he tickled me with his nose.
“Hi. You smell good.” Was he testing me?
“Babe, what are you doing here? When did you come over?” I asked, as I evaded his eyes.
“I missed you so much last night, and I knew you would be all alone at home without your mom, so I came over right after the event ended.”
“Do your parents know that you’re here?”
“I told them I was sleeping over at Ryan’s house.”
“Oh, okay then.” I relaxed in his arms a little bit more.
“How was your movie date?” he asked as he rolled on top of me and lightly pushed my hair out of my face with his fingers.
“It was nice to be able to catch up with them.” I smiled.
“Good. I’m glad you had fun with the girls,” he said in between kisses.
“We did. You know, Evie, she’s really planning to marry Seth. I think they’re about to —”
“Issy?”
“Yes, babe?”
“Stop talking.”
He pushed my legs apart and buried himself inside of me.
“Your task is not to seek love, but to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
—Rumi
I stood on the 8th floor and looked out from a huge window, while waiting for a thesis meeting with my professor. Topping the Econometrics exam a month ago earned me a slot as a co-writer for this thesis to be presented at the World Bank Summit three months from that day. The back of the building overlooked a very bad area of town. Slums and makeshift houses, shanties with no running water, mud and unclothed children everywhere. I was lost in thought, until a pair of big strong arms wrapped around my shoulders, as Jesse leaned his chin
“Ahhh. Here she is. The girl who stole my heart.”
I whacked him on the shoulder. Alex and I were comfortable like that with each other.
“Just say hi, Isa.” He laughed as he brushed his shoulder with his hand and feigned pain.
“Hi, Isa.” I smirked as I folded my arms across the table and shifted in my seat.
We caught up on the happenings at the Club, the people we used to hang out with and the equestrian life that I had left behind more than two years ago. I noticed Alex leaning a little bit too close to me when we were in conversation, but I chalked it up to the loud music and hearing problems and the tequila shots that had, by that time, removed all traces of my paranoia.
We dragged ourselves out of the party at 1:30 A.M. Alex had offered to take me home, but I took the safe route and got into the car with those two drunk nuts.
“Betty, did you have anything to do with Alex showing up at this party?” I asked suspiciously.
“Isabel, no need to thank me now. You can thank me later,” she announced as she leaned her head on the headrest and fell into a deep sleep.
I walked into our house all by myself after Evie and Betty dropped me off. I reeked of liquor and cigarettes but was just too tired to take a shower. I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed, suddenly missing Jesse and wondering if he had gotten home safely after hosting the event. Later on that night, I dreamed that Jesse had climbed into bed with me. I felt his breath on the back of my neck and his front pressed against my back, as an arm reached over my waist to clutch my right breast. I sighed happily as I placed my hand on top of his, encouraging the weight of his hand against my body.
“Shhh. Go to sleep. I’m here. I missed you so much, my Isabel.”
I woke up to feel an arm’s weight draped across me and sat up with a jolt. Shit. I stunk of hard drinks and cigarettes. What was Jesse doing here?
He opened his eyes and gazed at me sleepily, his eyelids heavily laden with those long and curly eyelashes. He pulled me back down and kissed my neck. I loved it when he tickled me with his nose.
“Hi. You smell good.” Was he testing me?
“Babe, what are you doing here? When did you come over?” I asked, as I evaded his eyes.
“I missed you so much last night, and I knew you would be all alone at home without your mom, so I came over right after the event ended.”
“Do your parents know that you’re here?”
“I told them I was sleeping over at Ryan’s house.”
“Oh, okay then.” I relaxed in his arms a little bit more.
“How was your movie date?” he asked as he rolled on top of me and lightly pushed my hair out of my face with his fingers.
“It was nice to be able to catch up with them.” I smiled.
“Good. I’m glad you had fun with the girls,” he said in between kisses.
“We did. You know, Evie, she’s really planning to marry Seth. I think they’re about to —”
“Issy?”
“Yes, babe?”
“Stop talking.”
He pushed my legs apart and buried himself inside of me.
“Your task is not to seek love, but to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
—Rumi
I stood on the 8th floor and looked out from a huge window, while waiting for a thesis meeting with my professor. Topping the Econometrics exam a month ago earned me a slot as a co-writer for this thesis to be presented at the World Bank Summit three months from that day. The back of the building overlooked a very bad area of town. Slums and makeshift houses, shanties with no running water, mud and unclothed children everywhere. I was lost in thought, until a pair of big strong arms wrapped around my shoulders, as Jesse leaned his chin
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