INTENSE [ Completed ]

Episode 3

"Where do you live?", his voice broke into my reverie.
"Caesar Flats, Stadium Road.", I uttered timidly.
Get a grip, Renée. Goodness!

When we got to the major T- junction, he slowed down hinting he didn't know the block.
"I am so dumb, I should have told him the block but he's twice as dumb for not asking", I said to myself just to console my wounded ego.
Why am I even arguing with myself? Urgh!

"Last block", I muttered with a shrug of pride after an intense battle with inner self.
I can't believe I am doing this right now. Who is in the body and where did Renèe run off to?

"You know, if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't mind leaving you here in the scorching sun to walk home by yourself"
There it goes. The mask was finally off and the real mean him was at full glare. He couldn't even keep it up till he had at least dropped me off.

When he got to my apartment building, I got down and hurried into the comfort of my apartment where I will be shielded from his intimidating presence. Without looking back, I literally raced into my apartment.
I've always climbed these flights of stairs but today they seemed longer.
And I was finally inside, I shut the door and with my back leaning against it, I said in almost a whisper
"I hope to never see you again"...

* * * * * * * *
I woke up with a start. Who's calling so early? I turned to my bedside table and picked my phone.
"Mr. Whyte"
"Hello my dear, I have some important news to give you. I'll be here for only two hours so come by immediately you get to the campus."
"Yes Sir, will do"
6am! I'm late. I have to get ready, catch my bus and see Mr. Whyte all before seven
Oh God...

I said a word of prayer, had a quick quiet time and then started getting ready.

*********
Never thought I was so fast. At 6:30, I was at the bus stop, clad in my white boat-neckline lace blouse over a pair of blue jeans. And yes, I know I looked and felt great.
No bus in sight.
I decided to flag a taxi instead. I drew closer to the road as I waited impatiently for the oncoming taxi.
There was a sleek black Mercedes Convertible driving twice as fast as the taxi behind. Why can't the taxi move as fast? Goodness.

I hadn't noticed I was standing on the pavement right before a massive pothole full of dirty water. With the Convertible speeding right ahead and the taxi closing the gap rapidly, it was impossible to stop or avoid the ditch. The Convertible drove straight through the pothole splashing all that dirty water on me.
Just great.

The car stopped and the driver got out...

You've got to be kidding me.