Something Great Read online

  Something Great

  M. Clarke

  To my husband,

  you’re my something great!

  Chapter 1

  “You’re staring,” I said to Becky, who was sitting across from me.

  “I can’t help it.” Becky continued to smile at a stranger, flirtatiously batting her eyelashes, pulling a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. “He’s kind of cute, and he’s looking right at me.”

  Oh…she is good. “But you think a lot of guys are cute,” I mumbled lightly.

  “It’s probably the alcohol talking.” She took a drink of her martini.

  Becky and I had been roommates since my senior year in college. Our living arrangement transferred after graduation, which was pretty cool considering the expenses that went with living in an apartment near the beach. I had to say, it was an added benefit having your best friend live with you…sometimes.

  Though Becky and I lived together, at times it was difficult when our schedules got busy. Sometimes we hardly saw each other, so it was nice to go out to dinner together even though it was in the middle of the week. We were both tired, but our friendship meant more than a little rest.

  Becky looked behind her, then turned back to face me. “Twelve o’clock on your time. You see him?”

  Trying not to make it obvious, especially since he’d caught my eyes after Becky turned around, I took a quick peek again. “He’s okay.” I shrugged my shoulders.

  “You have such high standards. It’s no wonder…wait a minute. I don’t get you. Not to be mean about it, but you know you can do so much better than what’s his face.”

  “You’ve told me that like, millions of times.”

  “Oh…is that all? And I still can’t get it through your thick skull,” she giggled.

  “He’s not that bad,” I pouted, circling the rim of the glass with my index finger.

  Becky’s eyes moved again, starting from the back of the room, and stopped right behind me. “Oh my…talk about eye candy. Now…you can’t say he isn’t good-looking, because he just bumped the others out of the ocean. I think I need to cool off. Perhaps he should cool me off.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said, thinking, here she goes again.

  “Look behind you,” she ordered, taking another sip of her martini.

  “No.”

  “Why not? Afraid you may like what you see?”

  “Becky, it doesn’t matter if he’s cute or whatever. I’m not a cheater. I’m not here to look for men. I’m here to be with you, to keep you company, to help you find someone. Just because you’re not happy, don’t think I’m not.”

  Then I saw the look in her eyes, the look that said I’d gone too far. My mom used to say, “Think before you speak, because words can really hurt, and you can’t take back what you said, because the damage is already done.” I didn’t mean to hurt her. In fact, it had just slipped out from annoyance. Since the day I started seeing Luke, she’d told me nonstop how much he didn’t deserve me.

  Sure, I understood. She cared for me like a sister, but enough was enough. I was an adult. I was allowed to, and could, make my own decisions. Even my parents didn’t tell me who or who not to date. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. It’s not what I meant.”

  “If you’re sorry, then look behind you.”

  “What?”

  Becky crossed her arms. “I won’t ever ask you to look after this.”

  With a heavy sigh, I turned. With perfect timing his eyes caught mine, and they stayed locked for what seemed like an eternity. As if he had somehow spellbound me, I couldn’t move. My heart skipped a beat and I couldn’t breathe. Look away, I told myself, but I couldn’t. I would have sworn I felt my heart lurch and fall into my stomach. Heat like I’d never known before flushed my face. Dangerous tingles awakened every part of me. I couldn’t understand this strange hold he had on me, and I didn’t know if I liked the feeling at all.

  He was gorgeous, about six feet tall with broad shoulders, wearing dark slacks; I couldn’t tell what specific color, but who cared? His pin-striped dress shirt was unbuttoned at the sleeves and rolled neatly about a quarter of the way up his arms. Leaning back against the bar in a cool, relaxed manner, he was eye candy all right. Most likely, he was there to wind down after work.

  I finally managed to turn back around and look at my friend, who gave me an “I told you so” look.

  “Breeeeathe,” she mouthed, curling her lips as far as she could, a huge smile on her face.

  “He’s cute. I’ll admit it. So what?”

  “Cute? You used the wrong word. He’s hot.”

  Becky was right, but I didn’t want to make it obvious that she was. Taking deep breaths, I turned my attention elsewhere, but my heart continued to beat a mile a minute. Why did he have that affect on me? I had never felt that way before. It was exhilarating and dangerous at the same time.

  Peering up at my friend after I felt the heat on my face cool down, I wanted to take a gulp of her drink, but I knew I couldn’t—I was allergic to alcohol—so I took a sip of my soda instead. When I did drink, which was rare, I would have a strong urge to urinate, and my whole body, literally from head to toe, would turn red, like I had a bad sunburn. Not to mention it would only take me a few sips to get tipsy. Yup…the alcohol affected me in more ways than one.

  “Want me to invite him over here?” Becky offered.

  “No,” I said quickly. “We don’t know him.”

  “Who cares?”

  “If you want to invite him, then that’s up to you since you’re interested, not me.” I felt the rush of heat again. Looking down at my drink, I tried to think of something else besides the hunk standing by the bar, whose face and the way he made me feel from just one look kept invading my mind.

  “Darn,” Becky said suddenly, looking upset.

  Her tone snapped my attention to her again. “What?”

  “I think he has a girl friend. A blonde just wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.”

  Without thinking, I turned quickly to find his back turned toward me, and sure enough, there she was. A feeling of disappointment fell on me. Oh my gosh! What am I thinking? I have a boyfriend. Well, not really a boyfriend; we were dating, though it had only been a month. Feelings of relief and guilt swept through me. I am dating Luke, I kept telling myself.

  “He’s just one fish in the ocean. There’ll be others for you to catch,” I muttered, gulping down my beverage. The icy, cool drink helped me temporarily, but the heat kept coming back, so I changed the subject and hoped the hot flashes would disappear. “So, how’s work?”

  “I just got tons of submissions to read. It’s never ending. I’m excited about a few of them, but I also need a break from reading.”

  “You always say that, but then you drown yourself in the stories.”

  “I do, don’t I?” she giggled. “Books are like picking ice cream flavors. Not everyone likes vanilla. The key is to find the flavor that is currently popular, and that determines which authors I take my chances on.”

  “You’ve been doing well so far.”

  “I have had some hits and a few misses, but I have to admit, I enjoy what I do. So, tell me; how’s job hunting?”

  “Did I tell you I have an interview next week?”

  Becky peered over my head. “No you didn’t, but that’s great. I know how much you hate that job. I’m so glad we’re catching up.”

  “I don’t hate it, but I need something different. I really hope I get this one.” I paused, looking at my friend, who seemed to be half listening to me. “What are you doing? Are you staring at them again?”

  She ignored my question with a bright beam in her smile. “Look behind you…no…don’t look behind you!”


  “Are you okay?” I let out a small laugh.

  Becky leaned closer toward me, like she was going to tell me a secret. “The blonde walked away. She probably went to the bathroom.”

  “So…your point being…?”

  “He’s leaning against the bar, but he’s looking right at you. Well…not at you, but your back.”

  I busted out laughing…that was one of the most ridiculous things she’d said in a long while. But just the thought of him looking at me made me tense up. “My back? He could be looking at something, or someone, near me. Why would he be looking at my back? For goodness sake, stop staring.”

  “You think I’m making this up.” She waved to the waitress coming our way. “One more please.” She held up her glass. “Thanks, and we’d like the menu too, please…actually, are you ready to order?”

  I nodded with a smile. “The same.”

  “I’ll have the fish taco combo and she’ll have the chicken salad.”

  After the waitress repeated the order she walked away.

  “I don’t know how you have the same thing every time we come here,” she added.

  “I don’t know, I just like it, and that’s what I feel like having again. What is it, pick on Jenna day?”

  “No…sorry,” she said sheepishly. “Anyway, just to prove my point, I dare you to turn around.”

  “No.” I leaned back comfortably with my arms crossed.

  “For someone so sweet, who never cusses, who plays by the rules, who orders the same thing every time, you sure can be stubborn.”

  “Well, I can’t be all good,” I smirked.

  “Turn around before she comes.”

  “No.”

  “Ugggh. Okay…if I’m wrong then I owe you a favor, but if you’re wrong you owe me one.”

  That sounded like a risk I was willing to take, because I knew for sure she was wrong. Why would he be staring at my back?

  “Fine.” I turned. My heart stopped for a second and then pounded in my chest. The familiar warmth flooded all over my body. Becky was right. Our eyes matched perfectly. He raised his bottle of beer and gave me a delicious smile that melted deep into my gut.

  I didn’t even know if I smiled back, but I somehow managed to turn back around. It didn’t matter anyway, because guys like him were trouble…big trouble. Guys like him couldn’t be trusted. Why? Because he was too damn good-looking, and his ego was probably as big as the restaurant we were sitting in. I was already judging him and I didn’t know him, but it didn’t matter. I was dating Luke, even though Becky thought he wasn’t good for me. At least he wasn’t trouble.

  At some point in my rambled thinking, I had to look up to my friend, whose feet were tapping on the wooden floor that my eyes were glued to. “Okay,” I said, looking squarely into her eyes. “You win.” My left index finger went straight to my mouth, a very bad habit I had when I got nervous.

  Becky reached over and took my finger out of my mouth. “You’re going to bite your finger off over a guy you don’t know?” she giggled. “By the way…I can’t wait for you to return the favor.” A mischievous grin was smudged on her face.

  “Great,” I said under my breath. “I can hardly wait.”

  Chapter 2

  A feeling of warmth brushed my face as I stretched my arms to the ceiling. The sun’s rays projected into my room, making it appear as though I was in the center of heaven’s light. Mesmerized by it, I took in the beauty. Gazing toward the open shutters I had forgotten to close last night, I knew it was going to be a beautiful day. Yesterday had been dark and gloomy, but today the sun was showing who the boss was. It was like that in Los Angeles…even in the fall, sometimes if felt like it was spring.

  The thought of the guy I’d seen at the restaurant the previous week had faded, and I couldn’t remember what he looked like anymore, only how he’d made me feel. In a way, I had forced him out of my mind, because the guilt from thinking of someone else while I was with Luke felt wrong. I wouldn’t want Luke to be thinking of someone else while he was with me, either.

  Luke and I had met at a work meeting. His company became one of the clients I managed, so I spoke to him often on the phone. He was the owner of a fabric dying company, and our company bought fabric from companies like his, then sold the fabrics to clothing companies or designers. Basically, our company was the middleman, and I did all the negotiating on the prices and made sure everything happened in a timely manner.

  Lately I had been bored with my job. I needed more of a challenge, more excitement, and more from my everyday routine life. It was time to move on if I wanted to grow in my areas of expertise…but exactly what did I need? I wasn’t sure, but I knew that if I stayed where I was, that’s what I would be doing for the rest of my life.

  My boss understood. I was good at what I did and he knew it. My salary wasn’t great, just enough for me to pay the bills, and I was basically living from paycheck to paycheck. This was another reason why I needed to move on. Thinking about the interview I was excited to have, I continued to lie in bed, when suddenly….

  “Aaaahhh,” I screamed, bolting out of my bed to look at my cell phone. It was seven in the morning, and my interview was at eight thirty…that day. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten to turn on my alarm. I didn’t have a clock per se, so my cell phone was my alarm. Strange…it was on, but I must have turned it off and gone back to bed.

  Frustrated and mad at myself, I jumped into the shower. After dashing out, I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. With just enough makeup on, I got dressed—a dark gray pencil skirt, a white blouse, and a thick gray sweater to match the skirt.

  Breakfast was out of the question as I walked out of my bedroom. I noted Becky had already left. She must have had an early meeting or gone to the gym. Surely she would have woken me. Clutching my leatherwork bag, I dashed out the door in world record time.

  **

  Just before I opened the double glass doors to enter, I tilted my head back to look up at the tall building in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. Feelings of excitement and nervousness burst through me, giving me tickling tingles from my fingertips to my stomach. Breathe, I told myself as I walked in.

  Stepping on to the shiny cream polished floor, I felt like I was stepping on gold. I didn’t like to compare, but my current place of employment was nothing like this. Gazing around, but continuing my rapid pace due to the time, I noted men dressed in suits and women dressed in pant or dress suits. I couldn’t help but wonder which company they were working for, since there were so many in one building. Seeing the elevator sign, that was where I headed.

  There were six elevators, three on either side of me. Others were already waiting for the elevators to open. Noting that the button to go up was already pushed, I waited just like everyone else. When the “ding” sounded, I waited patiently until the ones who were waiting before me entered first. It was crowded inside the elevator, but I didn’t care. I was happy to be on it so I could get there just in time.

  Looking at the buttons, I was surprised to see that there were fifty-four floors. I knew the building was tall, but I hadn’t realized there were that many floors. That thought alone made me feel queasy. It was bad enough that my stomach had dropped when the elevator soared. Since the button for my floor was already pushed, I closed my eyes and waited for my turn to exit.

  On several occasions I had to step out so the person behind me could exit, but I was glad when I finally exited on the twenty-eighth floor. A lady about my age walked out at the same time I did, trailing behind me. She must have been the one to push the button to this floor. Perhaps she is my competition for the job.

  The clear glass window caught my eye first. It covered the entire back wall, the sunlight beaming dimly through it. What a fantastic view of downtown LA! The receptionist, sitting behind a semi-circular desk, peered through her glasses and looked straight at me. She’d obviously heard the embarrassing clicking noise from my heels, which made me feel like an elepha
nt. With her hair tied up, she looked sharp and business like.

  “Good morning. How may I help you?”

  “I have an 8:30 interview.”

  “Your name?”

  “My name is Jeanella Mefferd, but you can call me Jenna.”

  She looked down the list. “Ah, yes…there you are.” Then she peered up with a smile. “Please have a seat. We are a little behind schedule.”

  Smiling back, I took a deep breath and eased my shoulders, relaxing for the first time since I stepped inside the building. The fact that they were behind would allow me to give more thought to my answers to the questions I may be asked. “Thank you,” I said, turning my back to her and moving toward the empty chairs.

  As I waited patiently, I couldn’t help but look at my competition from the corner of my eye. Dressed in a black dress suit, she looked confident, and somehow I felt intimidated by her appearance. Perhaps it was from knowing she may have more experience than me, or maybe it was just my own insecurities. Who was I kidding? There must have been tons of interviewees. What made me special? What made me stand out from the rest?

  Megan Crawford was the name she gave to the receptionist. Sauntering over to the empty seat next to me, she gave me a quick smile. Suddenly, it wasn’t sunny anymore. The air around me, which I hadn’t felt before from being too nervous, instantly became cold, and I shivered. I had to stop thinking negative thoughts, or I wouldn’t make it through the interview.

  Sitting next to a stranger was bad enough, but sitting next to your competition was even worse. She looked calm and collected, whereas I fidgeted like a child in my seat. Feeling antsy, I pulled out my cell phone. There were several texts, one from Becky and others from my friends Kate and Nicole. I clicked Becky’s first.

  Good luck, and let me know how it went. XO

  I texted back. I will.

  Then Kate’s.

  Go Jenna!

  Haha. Thxs! Hugs!

  Then Nicole’s.

  You’ll do great!

  Thank you!

  Though I was excited to get texts from my friends, there was no text from Luke. Maybe he would call me later?