Asleep

17 Wake Up

Nora~~

This is most definitely a date.

Radia chose an expensive restaurant and probably the most romantic one in the city and got us a table in the courtyard where a fountain with a statue of a cupid on top has water bubbling out of its bow. There's even a violinist in the corner playing a waltz. Radia's going to blow her paycheck tonight.

She and Tye are seated across from me. A lone candle flickers in the middle of the table.

Ryann—Radia's coffee-shop man—isn't here yet. He's fifteen minutes late. At this point Radia's still not confirmed if he's my date or hers, though I know there's something between her and Tye.

Tye rips off a piece of bread from the roll in the basket while finishing his story about the party Charlie and I threw him two days ago.

Charlie, just his name has brought up a surge of anger over the past week. He told me I could go home, and then immediately after walking out the door, he sent me an email telling me I needed to stay.

For no purpose whatsoever. Was it to just have his coworkers stare at me? Because he sure as hell made up that party BS on the spot.

And does everyone in the government have to have the same last name?

Pace.

Pace.

Pace.

"Can you not get crumbs all over you before Ryann gets here?" Radia sighs. "Please?"

I find my hand tightened in a fist around a piece of bread.

"Sorry." I set the bread on my plate. At this point I think Radia even believes Ryann is going to be a no show. "This place is really pretty, Radia."

She loops her braids over her shoulder and rests her elbow on the table, rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry he's—"

"Radia." A boy around our age walks our way, dressed in black jeans and a gray shirt. His blond hair is an intentional mess and once he reaches our table and Radia introduces him, he turns his eyes on me. They're a dark blue. "Sorry I'm late." He slides into the seat beside me. "Work held me up."

"What do you do?" I ask. I can't deny he's cute though I still don't know if he's here for me or Radia. Tye must be running his mind ragged trying to figure that one out.

Ryann lifts the decanter of water and fills his glass. In my head I see Charlie filling his saucer with tea. I shift in my seat taking a sip from my own water. I set my glass down, and Ryann refills it.

"I pick up and deliver groceries to people."

I raise my glass toward my mouth.

Don't trust him.

I almost drop my glass, water spilling over the rim and onto my dress.

"Nora, are you okay?" Tye passes me his napkin, and I dab the cloth against my dress.

"Yes." It comes out a tad shaky. The voice startled me—the voice and its message. I don't know how to explain it, but it didn't sound like me—whatever it is I sound like in my head; it's not as if I can really hear my thoughts. And was that message from me to me supposed to be about Ryann or Charlie? Surely, my subconscious is only picking up on the fact that Ryann's probably a player.

"I'm also in the delivery business," Tye says. "Nora works with me."

            Before Ryann can respond to Tye, our waiter arrives and asks if we'd like to go ahead and place our food orders with the drinks. He doesn't add that it's because we've already been here long enough. He might as well have.