6 comments/ 9536 views/ 5 favorites There Will Be Time Ch. 01 By: LeoCharmer Hello Literotica community and guests! This is my first story here so I hope it pleases most of you, (because you can't please everyone). Anyway, I would like to thank my editor allofthis, who has been really cooperative, open, and wonderful. All feedback is welcome and I sincerely hope you enjoy! LeoCharmer * Chapter One: They call me... Crybaby? Adina Richards stood in front of the mirror of the smelly restroom of The Wicked Vine nightclub and bar. The tremors coursing through her body just wouldn't stop and a tear threatened to escape from her right eye. She wouldn't let it though, because she had worked so hard on her makeup. She'd plucked and primed in order to make herself beautiful again after months of not caring about her appearance for the sake of finals. She was twenty-one years old and intended to graduate on time, and because of it she discovered that she had gained forty-two pounds. Okay, maybe those pounds didn't accumulate in only four months, but over the past four years. Adina didn't like that she was forty pounds overweight, and hadn't realized just how fat she was until her father commented on it. "You've put on some weight," he said. She could still fit her clothing (most of it), but she was starting to notice the threaded material on her favorite pair of jeans starting to stretch between the thighs, her breasts now need double D cups to keep her from spilling out of her bras, and her love handles were starting to show. That there told her where all those pounds had distributed to. She used to wear nice clothes and high heels everywhere. To class, to meetings, to functions, to charity events. It didn't matter, as long as she was feeling good about herself. And now it seemed that her wardrobe only consisted of sweatpants, an old pair of baggy jeans, and long sleeved shirts and tennis shoes. Tonight was New Year's Eve and her brother and favorite cousin were both performing at The Wicked Vine and she was acting as their hype-woman and photographer. And she was also there to get new clients as well for her business. She'd chosen a nice outfit, some black skinny jeans and a loose blue party top, and even pulled out a pair of her best looking stilettos. Now, as she stood there in the lonely restroom trying to control her mental state, she didn't know if she could do either. And it was all because of that man who made it his business to put her in her place. Sound was something Adina felt like she was good at detecting when it came to music. Her specialty was being able to hear whether or not something was off key or too loud that it was harsh on the ears. She knew sound, and the vibrations coming through the sound systems were coming from her brother Caleb's keyboard. It was not supposed to sound that way. It hadn't been a big deal, and it hadn't necessarily been the promoter's words. It was his commanding voice and ability to make her feel inferior that made her take a step back mentally and physically. Originally, Adina had been offended that he sought not to acknowledge her presence and to ignore her request to lower the volume of the keyboard. The reverb was awful and overpowered Robert's voice. When she had stood in front of the promoter, she'd given him a once over before addressing him politely. He'd dressed for the club as if it were any other day; a muddy green looking button up shirt, khakis, and tennis shoes. "This is a sound check. Do you know what a sound check is?" he asked, never taking his eyes away from the sound technician standing just to the side of him. Adina glanced nervously between him and the young White guy who seemed to not want to get involved with the conversation. She liked for a person to look her in the eyes if they were engaging in a conversation, and it was clear to her that he didn't really care what it was that she had to say. The lack of eye contact disturbed her, but she didn't want him to know that. Instead of saying the smart reply on the tip of her tongue, she merely confirmed that she did know what a sound check was quietly. "Okay then, as soon as everything is good with all the sounds, then everything will balance out. Just let the man do his job. Or if you think you can do a better job—then go ahead." And finally his eyes land on her shocked face. Adina was stunned by his assumption. He was mocking her she realized. And the worst part was that he had guessed right that she didn't know what to do. Her eyes shifted to the equipment to the left. She didn't know the first thing about deejaying or music engineering. The contraption and all of its dials and knobs was foreign to her. His eyes danced with humor as she gained control over her facial features. "I--I--was just making a—" God, what word could she use to not sound like an expert? The last thing she wanted to do was ruin Caleb and Robert's chance at performing tonight. "A comment," she stammered and gripped the hem of her sweater in an iron grasp feeling like a mere duckling in front of Zeus himself. No one had ever made her feel like a child before, not even her professors. Only her parents held that power over her and she had just gotten enough of that a couple of days ago. And maybe the police, but that was it. And he kept on going in a condescending tone, totally discrediting her ability to know music by telling her that they knew what they were doing. At some point she had thought about tuning him out and walking away from him, but her mind wouldn't let her. His tone demanded that she stay and listen to him. Her mind and body were warring against each other. Her body was tingling to get away from him, while her pride told her that he shouldn't intimidate her. Stay. Adina stood there leaning against the column next to her to steady her shaking body. The heels were no help either. She was upset and humiliated, but, nevertheless knew what she was talking about! So she tried again. "But," she began timidly, "His keyboard—" "Yeah and that's fine. But you do know what a sound check is, right?" Nodding her head she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn't even count how many times he asked her that question and she was starting to get annoyed. Five. What he was doing was deliberate. He turned his entire body to face her and she noticed his close proximity, but she didn't budge. Just because he was bigger and stronger, and knew more about how to do this sound check she wasn't going to back down so easily. He finally looked her directly in her eyes as he said, "Everything will be fine unless you think you can do better. If you can then you can get behind there, and be my guest." The slight laughter in his throat was coming through his words. He knew she couldn't do it. Asshole! 'You arrogant, fucking curmudgeon!' "No," she said timorously after a moment of their stare down. Her eyes brimmed with tears of anger as she stared back at him and now she wished that he wasn't looking at her at all. Don't fall... don't fall! He smirked. "Just don't worry yourself over it. Everyone's ears work differently. It could be that yours are just a little sensitive. The actual show hasn't started yet, so why don't you sit tight and let this capable gentleman right here do his job." Adina swiped her tongue over her teeth. "Okay," she nodded afraid to look away. 'I get it you fucking asshole,' she wanted to sneer at him, but she couldn't bring herself to. Her parents had raised her and Caleb to be respectful even when it was no longer called for. She felt that if she spoke more than one word to him then she would break down in front of him, and it wouldn't be good for her brother or cousin if she cursed him out then. Any sudden movement on her behalf could make the waterworks start, so, she stood there for a couple more minutes gazing at the smug bastard in front of her. She had to remind herself that she was a grown ass woman and she cried for no one, especially someone she didn't even know. It wouldn't be good for her as a woman nor her brother as a musician. This was for Caleb. She wanted him to walk into places where people would knock each other over just to get his autograph. She wanted the sparkling lights to welcome him and flashes of cameras to grace him. It was his dream to be a performer and she wasn't going to screw that up for him just because she was belittled. And for whatever reason that she couldn't quite get a grasp on, the conversation took a sharp left. The bastard's eyes shifted and he now looked at her as if recognition dawned on him. Had he seen her from somewhere before? "What's your name?" Adina looked down at his extended hand and reached for it instinctively. "Dina," she half whispered. He frowned down at her with a slight smile and then leaned forward. "I'm sorry, what was it?" "Adina," she said near his ear. He leaned away but hadn't let go of her hand yet. "It's nice to meet you, Adina. How old are you?" "Twenty-one." "So, Adina, do you sing?" "Yes," she said longer than she meant to. 'Why does it matter if I sing?' "Oh you do? So if I were to put you in front of that mic, would I be able to hear you, or do you sing as low as you speak?" She blushed, "No." "No?" And she shook her head. His lips twitched a bit and she removed her eyes from his mouth and back to his eyes, still trying to keep the tears at bay. He wouldn't stop looking at her and she felt like they were silently daring one another. To do what, she didn't know. "Adina," he said in a low guttural voice. The way he was looking at her made it seem as if he was just seeing her for the first time. He seemed a bit, happy? How long had they been exchanging words? "Why do you speak so low?" She gasped inaudibly at the change in his tenor voice. "I... my voice is very soft. I'm soft spoken." His dark eyes made narrow slits and he gazed at Adina for a long time, as if trying to pry her skull open with some telekinesis powers. She tried not to feel uncomfortable and removed her hand from his. 'Don't blink.' He leaned forwards again to speak in her ear. "Then you're too young to understand what I am about to tell you." Too young? Adina arched her eyebrow at the two words and shifted her weight, all tears forgotten. "Oh? Indulge me." He smiled and leaned forward to speak again. He talked and quizzed her for what seemed like another ten minutes, and by the time she thought he was finished, he started up again. Adina put all her weight back onto the column and tried not to look crestfallen. The tears had returned and this time not because she was angry, but because she was moved. She watched him silently as he pulled out his phone, wishing she had her phone so that she could be distracted. She quickly glanced away at the chance that he wasn't paying attention reigning in her emotions. Geez, what was up with her tonight? This never ever happened from just talking with someone. Why was no one in this damn club paying attention? Why didn't her brother realize she was gone for more time than it would actually take to just say one thing? 'Caleb, help me,' she thought releasing a shuddering breath. When she looked back in the promoter's direction she saw that he was watching her. Adina gave him a weak smile. He stepped a bit closer to her closing the space between them and she looked up at him with pleading eyes for him not to say anymore. Leaning in he spoke in her ear, "Guess what?" "What?" she swallowed, fearful of what he would say next. He spoke like an important person and held up airs like he was someone important. He was worse than a politician. "It's my birthday." She smiled broadly, but not too much so that damn tear in her right eye would fall, "Really?" she feigned surprise, but couldn't be happy for him. She didn't even have the nerve to ask him why he was here instead of celebrating. He smiled broadly as well and nodded his head in agreement. He turned his head so that he was inches from her face. "Guess how old I am?" His warm breath grazed her cheek. For once she was glad that she had brushed her teeth before they had left the house. She leaned back a little to gauge his expression as she tried to guess. "Thirties?" Shaking his head and lifting his hand in a repeated upward motion, his smile never wavered. He glanced down at his phone and stood straight again. "Forties?" she said more than asked. It took him a while to nod. "Now guess," he commanded playfully. Adina frowned. He was completely different now than when she had initially come to make her request about the sound. Playful and talking to her like he just hadn't verbally attacked her credibility. "Forty-seven." "Nope." "Forty-nine?" He nodded seemingly impressed that she had been close to the mark. A sad look touched his eyes for the briefest moment and then it was gone. His skin was smooth and the same color as hers—brown—and his features were very prominent. Straight nose, high cheek bones. He was attractive, but not that attractive for Adina lose her stoicism. Because she really hadn't noticed until then that he was handsome. "I bet I'm as old as your father," he quipped. Adina nodded, "You are. He's forty-nine too." But this man didn't look that aged at all. "Look at this," he said showing her his phone. She felt an arm encircle her waist pulling her gaze away from the man. Her brother stood behind her looking down at her with an excited smile. "Hey Baps, is everything okay?" She smiled up at Caleb, relieved that someone had finally come to her rescue. "Yeah," she sighed. He turned around to speak to one of his companions. She turned her gaze back to the man's phone and saw a portrait of a man called Cesare Borgia. "Good," she heard Caleb say as she continued to focus on the stream of pictures. She glanced back at her brother quickly before turning back to the phone. Trying to divide her attention was proving to be a difficult task, but the man was patient. "What's up?" "Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I'm going outside to make a few phone calls. I'll be right back." "Oh," she said, frowning at a portrait of the fair skinned Jesus Christ that was right next to a picture of the Borgia guy. "When you go, can you grab my phone? I dropped it in the car." "I didn't plan on going all the way to the car," her brother replied kind of sullenly. "Never mind," she said turning her head to smile at him. "I guess I can go one night without that thing." And just as quickly as the words left her mouth, her brother kissed her on her forehead and told her he'd be right back. Adina sighed and turned her attention back to 'that' subject again, but the man pulled his phone away abruptly. She gazed up at him surprised. "What's—" "I didn't know you were with the pianist. Why didn't you say anything? Of course you know what he's supposed to sound like!" he said trying to make light of the situation. "You should have said 'I know what I'm talking about! That's my man!'" Disconcerted, she couldn't believe that his impression of her getting an attitude would be performed in such a ghetto fashion. Another sudden change in his character; she replied almost angrily, "Well... you know this kind of... stuff. You're the professional." He laughed then, short and melodic, "Well, tell your man not to worry. Tell him that I'm old enough to be your father." Adina gave a shaky laugh though she found what he'd just said to her utterly humorless. She leaned in so that he could hear her loud and clear. "He's my brother." And then she stepped back to look at his expression and was satisfied to see the surprise in his eyes. "But he—" She held up her hand, the images of Cesare Borgia and the pictures of Jesus Christ plastered in every Catholic text she'd ever read flooded her mind making her emotional all over again. She could care less about his mistake—for now. She doubted that he even knew how much that "origin lesson" really affected her. "Excuse me." Adina turned around slowly so as to not fall on her face in those ridiculously high heels and made her way cautiously to the restroom. "God, I'm so sensitive and stupid. What the hell am I crying about?!" she now berated herself, frustrated that the tear had finally managed to fall down her face. Then two more came and soon she was shuddering to get control over her emotions again. "Oh, right; because I don't anything about my own people." Adina dabbed her eyes with a cloth and took a few deep breaths. "Get it together," she scolded her reflection. Tonight was about business, not a history lesson. Adina liked to think that she had a deeper understanding of who she was better than any other African American person her age. Until tonight, she had thought that she'd known who she was. That promoter surely opened her eyes. What he'd told, or how he'd chosen to tell her was so profound it hurt her heart. She suddenly didn't feel like being in that place, thinking she should be in a solitude area to reexamine her life and everything she had been through and told. The door suddenly pushed open and she turned her head away from whoever was entering. It was silent for a while and then she heard the deadbolt click. She reached her hand out toward the purse that held her pepper spray and spun around to see who in the world would do something like that and came face to face with the promoter. 'You again,' almost slip from her mouth. She blinked her tired eyes and pierced her lips withdrawing her empty hand from the purse. What did he want to talk about now? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? "I'm sorry if I offended you. I thought you were just one of the customers from the bar trying to tell me how to do my job," he said with a cool expression on his face. She averted her gaze down to the wet gray floor in defiance. 'I don't want to talk to you.' It wasn't that simple and it wasn't fair for him to make her feel like shit for being so ignorant. The problem was that she was more upset with herself; he hadn't done much except provide her with information and historical proof—and made her realize that she should stick to her own profession as a saleswoman. He stepped forward closing the space between them and Adina backup instinctively pressing back against the sink counter, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. What is he doing? She leaned her head back frowning at him, her chest heaving and then tensed when she saw his face. He looked... different. His eyes were darker and hooded, his lips slightly parted. "Adina, I..." "What are you doing?" she panicked when he rested his hands on either side of her. Her eyes darting around for her bag; she'd just had it. If this guy thought he was going to attack her then he had another thing coming. On contact, Adina's mind went blank and all she felt were his soft lips pressed against hers and her nether regions tighten. His tongue snaked out to taste her lips and she shuddered, letting out an involuntary groan. She almost cried when his mouth left hers. Her eyes fluttered open to find him looking at her with a small humorous smile for a long time before answering in the most seductive voice she'd ever heard in her life, "Apologizing." Adina stood there trembling like a deer in headlights watching his face lower to hers again. The sudden attraction to him now that she was alone and wrapped in his powerful arms was so unexpected. This time she still wasn't ready for it, but he was insistent, using his hands to crane her face up to his, consuming Adina's tingling mouth in a lustful kiss. No one had ever kissed her so passionately before. Before she knew what she was doing, she was kissing him back grabbing onto the front of his button up shirt and pressing her burning body into his. He ran his hands swiftly down her ribs sending a rush of excitement through her system. She was so aroused that her nipples tightened to little buds and scraped against the fabric of the bra she was wearing. There Will Be Time Ch. 01 She gasped as he lifted her up to sit on top of the counter that she was now glad that she had wiped off beforehand. "Are they real?" he murmured against her lips. "What?" she asked confused. He seized her left breast in his large hand kneading it viciously. She let out a shrill cry of approval, balling her fists into his shirt. It was way different from her previous sexual encounter. "Hmm," he groaned, "Very real." She blushed. His hands were everywhere it seemed like, and her hands were acting without her permission by wrapping behind his neck, her fingers strumming along his soft baby hairs. 'Dina, he's forty-nine years old. That means he's very experienced.' Her stupid conscious just had to butt in. And she was suddenly aware of where she was. She was in a shitty looking restroom with wet uneven floors, old smelly toilets, and broken stall latches with no seat covers about to have sex with a man she didn't know. Exhaling noisily she pushed against his chest and he looked down at her in surprise with wild eyes. 'Damn it, what are we doing!' She couldn't take it anymore; he was so overwhelming an to top it all off, he had never ceased to make her feel lower than the core of the earth itself in all the time that she's known of him. "Of course they're real!" She said furiously sliding down off the counter surprisingly landing solidly on her two feet. "And what the hell kind of apologizing is this? You don't do this to people. You don't talk to or treat other human beings this way! Like dummies or inflatable dolls! If you want me to accept your apology, I want a real one," Adina demanded hotly. "I'm smart enough to know a real apology when I hear it!" Her face was burning and she could feel the muscles in her face howling for her to soften the hard glower she was gracing him with. She was huffing she realized and her cheeks were wet. When had she started crying? He regarded her coldly and took a step further away from her. His chiseled features didn't seem like they could get any harder, but they did. Then his lips pulled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I was wondering when you would snap." Her eyes widened at his declaration. "What? Ex—" "You were trying so hard but it's okay; everyone has their boiling point." Adina inhaled sharply and spun around so that she wasn't looking at him, or rather that he wasn't watching her. Jackass! She gripped the sink's edges until her knuckled grew pale. It was taking all of her might not to react in violence. Squeezing her eyes shut she asked through gritted teeth, "Is this fun? Do you enjoy playing with me?" She shook her head slowly, "I don't even know you and you..." Adina clasped a hand over her mouth before her voice broke. 'Stop it, just stop it!' "Adina," he breathed his breath just centimeters away from her neck. She jumped startled by his sudden proximity and his arms encircled her waist in a comforting manner. He pulled her stiff body back into his firm embrace and held onto her tightly. This man forced her to experience a stream of feelings all in a matter of thirty minutes. Anger, annoyance, provocation, admiration, petulance, fear, and now he turned her on so bad that she was willing to let him have her body even if it was a dirty restroom. She exhaled the painful air from her chest and sighed when his lips pressed against the curve of her neck. "Just relax," he murmured gently as he traced a path up her stomach, the valley of her breasts, stopping at the base of her throat. "Look," he murmured lightly stroking her skin. Their eyes met in the mirror, hers red, his pained. "I'm sorry." She jerked her head up to look at him fearing that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but what she saw there amazed her and right then and there she yearned for their lips to mate again. His worry lines were showing, she didn't think he'd had any. He used his thumb to wipe away the stray tear and then caressed her cheek tenderly. Pressing her forehead into his neck she inhaled his scent becoming intoxicated by it. She glanced up at him shyly, slightly parting her lips. He answered her unspoken plea and kissed her gently cupping the back of her head to hold her in place inciting a throaty moan. His tongue was so soft and warm, making her feel good all over. There was a loud knock on the door that made her jump and she tried to pull away, but he deepened the kiss, hungrily devouring her lips and expertly exploring her cavern with his sly tongue. As his tongue tickled the roof of her mouth she moaned anew. He was making her feel like they were the only two in the world right then... or the club. The buckle of her belt suddenly came undone followed by the button of her jeans. She squeezed her eyes shut contemplating on whether or not to stop him, but his insistent mouth halted all of her protests. Curious fingers pushed their way underneath her seamless underwear messaging her bare mound. "Unh," she shuddered, breaking their kiss. His fingers were electric, sending waves of pleasure deep inside of her belly. She wanted to see what he was going to do to her. "Don't look down, look at me," he commanded gently and she complied and then whimpered when his middle finger made contact with her sensitive nub. His eyes were dark with longing as he watched her face contort with pleasure while he drew his finger up and down her wet slit. He frowned a little bit and then a small smile of satisfaction appeared on his face. "Has no one ever done this sort of thing to you?" There was definitely no room to be embarrassed about something like that, but again, she blushed and shook her head "no." It felt strangely incredible, what he was doing to her down there, gently swirling his finger around her engorged clit and moving up and down the slick lips of her pussy. "Ah," she sighed. His fingers stopped messaging her labia, lingering at her entrance. He looked down at her seriously then with concern. "Adina, are you a virgin?" "No." Languidly, Adina swiveled her hips insistently. "Don't stop," she moaned. "Please." She wanted feel something different than what she'd felt the night she lost her virginity. Since he was older, he knew a woman's body, so, she knew that he was capable of taking her body to amazing heights of ecstasy. It no longer concerned her that he was an asshole. A sigh escaped his mouth, his lips coming down onto hers hard, his fingers plunging into her impatiently. She moaned loudly into his mouth bucking her hips forward at the feeling being willingly invaded. "Mmh, you're so ready baby," he breathed against her lips and started moving his fingers within her. Letting her hair go, he used his free hand to turn her around and press her against the wall, seized a breast and squeezed. "Oh," she threw her head back closing her eyes. "Who are you?" he groaned biting her neck. Yelping, she grasped, "Adina." "What color are you?" he breathed against her ear before taking it between his teeth. "Brown." "What's your nationality?" She couldn't take looking at him while his hands did these kinds of things to her body let alone talk. Her hand flew to grasp his hand stroking her so enthusiastically. He pressed his lips against the delicate skin behind her ear. "Adina, what is your nationality?" "I'm an Israelite from the tribe of Judah," she ground out clinching delightfully around his fingers as understanding dawned on her. She raked her finger down his taut muscled shoulders and biceps pulling him closer. He knew her. He pushed his hand deeper, targeting the hard bulge of her cervix. "Oh baby, I want to fuck you so bad," he groaned in her ear pressing his crotch into her leg. Adina whimpered, but was rejoicing inwardly, because she wanted him to. He licked a path up from her throat to her ear eliciting another cry of pleasure from her mouth. "Oh no." What was happening to her, this feeling in her center? It felt uncomfortable and only seemed to increase as his finger starting moving in and out of her fast. She panted trying to control her incredible need to moan. "It's okay, just let go, baby," he murmured. She opened her eyes, feeling them glaze over and saw him bend his head down. He pressed his hot mouth against her clothed breast and found her nipple and bit down on it hard. "No—" she moaned. Adina let go of a strangled cry and felt her insides convulse and the pressure at her center disappeared replaced with a tingling sensation throughout her body, a feeling of satisfaction. Adina slumped against the wall trying to catch her breath feeling his soft lips trail kisses from her neck to the corner of her mouth. "There's so much I want to do to you." She hissed at the delightful feeling and opened her eyes blindly searching for his lips with hers. She wanted more of him, could still feel him hard against her thigh. She licked the corner of his mouth and nipped at his bottom lip. He chuckled deeply against her mouth. "I have to get something to clean you off with." More like clean him off with. "Hmm," she nodded. He left her for a few seconds and the she felt a paper towel between her legs. Her eyes opened again to find him watching her. She didn't even know she'd closed them. "You cried." She looked back at his brown eyes in dazed confusion, "Huh?" His thumb brushed against her cheek and she felt the wetness there spread. She smiled sheepishly and looked down reaching for her pants to fasten them again. After she was finished, his hand came up and cupped her chin, consuming her mouth into a heated kiss. He smiled at her then and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "The show is about to start. I have to go and make sure the sound guy did his job." "Okay." She watched him walk to the door until she remembered that he'd never told her his name. "Hey, wait. I—" "It's James," he said. "And, Adina, I very much enjoyed playing with you." With that he lifted his fingers to his nose and inhaled, then flashed his pearly white teeth. Heat flooded Adina's face as she tried to contain a mortified expression. And then he was gone. It wasn't fair for him to leave looking the same way he'd come. She was sure that she looked a mess. Adina turned away and dug through her purse for her lip gloss. After touching up her eyeliner she headed back out to the now crowded club on wobbling legs. "James. You bastard," she mumbled under her breath. There Will Be Time Ch. 02 Thank you for the comments! I have made a number of changes. Par exemple, someone mentioned that I jump around... This seemed to be the problem for most of you. On my word processor, I know that time has elapsed because of double spacing. So, to solve that problem here on the site, I decided to indicate a time change by capitalizing the first three words of a new section. This should resolve confusion and so forth, I hope, and I will continue to do this for the duration of There Will Be Time. If you had no problem at all following Chapter 2, then by all means, you don't need to reread this edited version, unless you want to. There is one added conversation between Adina and Stephanie and corrections, but that's about all. I'm in the process of writing Chapter 3. :) Bonne lecture, (my French professor seems to be rubbing off on me :)) LeoCharmer *There Will Be Time* Chapter Two: The Body and the Mind SCHOOL WOULD START that next week and Adina could honestly say she was ready to get it over with. Otherwise, while still fresh in her mind, she took it upon herself to visit the dorms' gym three times a week in the mornings. She tried to spend ten minutes running a mile on the treadmill once, but that was a catastrophe, for she got tired so quickly. So, instead, she ran, pacing herself for twenty minutes. She purchased herself some ten pound dumbbells and ankle weights, and was delighted that the Herbalife diet was working in her favor. Adina found that she could slip into her pants a bit easier and when she weighed herself the previous week she was nine pounds lighter. After completing her third set of lunges, she decided it was time for her to go back to her room and shower. The sun was out, but there was a breeze when she walked out into the cold January weather. Despite that, she was sweating profusely, had aching, burning muscles, and she felt energized. "Shower time," she sang to herself as she made her way up the stairs. The dorm Adina shared with her roommate was more like an apartment set with its own kitchen and breakfast bar. It came pre-furnished with plain oak furniture and a plain brown couch that was comfy at times. The dining room and kitchen had been decorated in red apple designs, courtesy of her roommate, but not overly done—the placemats and towels with a porcelain red apple sitting in the middle of the table, and cream colored curtains printed with... more apples! As for the living room, it was clad in zebra print—again, courtesy of her roommate. Stephanie Burk had purchase a really nice lime green fur rug to put the coffee table over, throw pillows of eggplant purple, lime green and hot pink—zebra printed as well. And Adina's favorite things that she purchased were zebra printed coasters to set on the end tables. She wondered when she first saw them where in the world you would get those. Next to the T.V. stand was the lizard tank for Stephanie's pet given to her by her grandparents before they went back to Michigan. Adina had brought two televisions when she moved out of her foster parents' home, setting the bigger one on the T.V. stand against the wall. There on the couch in front of that television, the two young women had many nights dedicated to chicken enchiladas and tequila and sometimes woke up the next morning in the same place. In the hallway Adina's mother Laveda had laid out a long eggplant colored carpet, and on the walls had hung up two weaved angels to remind Adina of home. She could only smile and shake her head as she'd helped the plump woman who couldn't stop chattering about how she would try and drop by once or twice a week. She swore to her mother that she acted as if she were moving out of the state of California or something, reminding her to call beforehand if she decided to pop up. To the left was the toilet, which was a separate room from the rest of the bathroom, but Stephanie somehow managed to get a matching purple rug in there too. Needless to say, the colors in the bathing rooming were the same as in the living room minus the purple. Lime green and hot pink. Adina didn't mind the color scheme one bit. It was bright, happy, and girly. Once one walked into the apartment, they would be able to see the door to Adina's room straight down that hallway while Stephanie's bedroom was adjacent to Adina's. Both rooms came complete with a twin-sized bed, a small bookshelf, a desk and chair, a small dresser, a file cabinet, and a small walk-in closet. Unlike the loud and vibrant colors of the rest of the dorm, Adina's room contained subtle and soft colors. She'd always liked the way baby blue looked with baby pink and so decorated as such. The curtains she hid the windows with were sheer and baby blue and she made it a point to buy little accessories that matched the color. Her bed—she wished it was full-sized at least—was dressed in a baby pink comforter with dark brown twisting loops, matching pillows, and a baby blue thermal blanket that she kept half folded. It looked very inviting when she entered her room, but she didn't want to soil it with her bodily grime and sweat. The phone in her pocket began to vibrate and she groaned in annoyance. Adina had just gotten into her dorm and already someone wanted her. Begrudgingly she pulled out the device and glimpsed the time and the number before picking it up. It was a number that she didn't know and it was only half past ten. It was probably someone from Craig's list. "Hello, this is Adina, your personal beauty consultant and weight managing consultant, how are you today," she recited the greeting in a chipper voice as she made her way down the hall to her room. "Hi Miss Richards, how are you?" The man's voice sounded vaguely familiar but she just couldn't quite place it. She frowned trying to remember. "I'm well sir and how are you?" The man chuckled slightly and she smiled at the pleasant sound. "I'm doing fine. This is Detective Greene by the way." "Oh, Detective Greene! Wow," she exclaimed genuinely surprised. "This is definitely a... shock," she said as she tossed her gym bag onto the floor beside the bed and paced over to her desk. It was nice to hear his voice after such a long time. He had always been pleasant. Adina could hear his smile through the phone when he said, "Yeah well, I was just going through some case files and then you crossed my mind. I just thought I would check on you." The ease she'd had just felt before he said the word "case" disappeared completely as she plopped down on her desk chair. Reaching down she undid the ankle weights and then tossed them to the side. "Oh," she said somewhat stoically. "Oh God, I'm sorry for saying that, Adina. I know that was a difficult time for you," Detective Greene said apologetically. "No it's alright," she said pushing away strands of hair that stuck to her skin. "You're my hero after all." From what Adina could remember about Detective Greene was that he put everything he had into her case and it all paid off at the end. She was extremely grateful for having him take on her situation. He was pretty much the one person she could depend on during that time. And it was a very dark time for her. She remembered the last time she saw him. It was after they had won the case and her parents and Caleb were talking about taking her out for a dinner celebration when all Adina wanted to do was sleep peacefully for once. He'd walked up to the group in his pressed blue suit, his brown hair brushed out of his handsome tanned face, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She'd jumped and glanced up at him and calmed at his familiar face and smiled. He'd hugged her and congratulated both her and her family, kissed her cheek and then he left. That was about two years ago. "Why, thank you, Adina. That means a lot to me. So, how is school going?" "Good. We'll start back up next week. This is my last semester," she said. "Really? Well I'm glad to hear that. I hope I'll get invited to the graduation." "Of course, I will see what I can do." She smiled. "So how is work Detective?" "It's work. Oh, please call me Andrew," he laughed. "Sure thing, Andrew." "How is your family?" "Oh, they're wonderful." There was a slight pause. "So," her eyes wandered to the ceiling. "Oh, I'm sorry to keep you. I know you probably need to get to work Miss Consultant." Adina giggled and made her way to the bathroom. "Your little greeting was cute by the way." 'Little?' She recklessly turned the corner as she laughed humorously at the word, "Yeah, well—" "But I was wondering if you were free on Friday." "Geez!" She hissed when her knee collided with the sink cabinet. "Mmh," she shuddered trying to shake the pain away. "Adina, are you alright?" he shouted, voice drenched in concern. "Yep, I'm good," she breathed and squeezed her eyes shut. It was bad enough that her body was sore, but walking into the cabinets she could have lived without. "What's happening tomorrow?" He cleared his throat. "Well, our department is having a chili cook-off and I thought that maybe you'd want to come. It's been awhile since I've seen you and to be quite honest it's taken me this long to actually call you." "A chili cook-off sounds fun. Do I have to make any chili?" "Oh, no, nothing like that. You just have to show up," he chuckled. She smiled. It was nice of him to invite her to his job's potluck. "Okay, well I'll be there. Thank you," she replied gratefully. Spending an entire day just working wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. "Really?! Okay," he said in an excited voice. "Well, goodbye then." "Bye-bye." It would be good to have something fun to do before having to go to another show later that night. Being at the club with just the band was not necessarily a grand idea to her. She used to enjoy going to the club because that meant dancing to good music and having a few drinks. But you couldn't dance to good music if some of the people performing on stage weren't that great. Basically, it was like another job. However, she did enjoy watching Caleb and Robert collaborate. Robert was a good singer, not a great singer when he tried to go above and beyond. She preferred that he remain in a key comfortable for him and less strenuous on his vocal cords. He loved to sing and equally loved to push his limits. And she knew Caleb loved to play the piano as it was second nature to him. He'd loved it ever since he discovered the giant instrument could emit sound. She and Caleb were children of the preacher and first lady of Amos' Temple and that put them under a microscope. They had to be perfect children. Caleb had been subjected to learning the piano while Adina, who had refused lessons, had no choice but to join the choir at her father's church. She was brought up Methodist, a branch of Protestantism, but claimed no denomination to the frustration and regret of her parents. They had to be perfect young adults. Caleb went to theological college as soon as he graduated from Village Christian High School, while Adina had been placed there as soon as she had graduated from junior high. He met the woman, Melanie, who would soon be his wife while at Village, finally proposing to her when they were twenty-one. And then Caleb decided that being a deacon wasn't his true calling. They've been married for four years and have managed to conceive three children, whom Adina adore and wished she could spoil rotten. Ernest and Laveda Richards were good, God-fearing people. They were honest, telling Adina that she wasn't their biological child when she was eleven years old. After they'd had Caleb, there were complications in which her mother wasn't able to conceive anymore. So, they'd decided to adopt a little baby, and they were lucky to find her. But she knew that she was the lucky one to have received such supportive and loving parents. She was still their little girl, they'd informed, and it was better for them to tell her then instead of her finding out later, and for that she thanked them. After hearing that her birth mother was a prostitute and had given her up and that no one knew who her biological father was, Adina decided it wasn't worth it to go looking for what she had already. Smiling at just thinking about her mom and dad, she decided she would call and check on them after she got out of the shower. Setting the phone on the counter away from the toilet she opened the shower curtain marveling at the invitation and the little visitor she found waiting for her. "What are you doing out of your tank, Emilio?" Gently she picked up the iguana out of the bathtub and set him into the sink. A chill of discomfort went through her; she still wasn't used to touching its rough skin. Usually Adina didn't like anything that had more legs than she did, but she had to admit that the lizard grew on her. That was probably because Stephanie always had him out around her. "Be a good boy and stay there. Your mommy is terrible for leaving your tank open like that." She grabbed her phone and sent a text to Stephanie to let her know that her lizard got out... again. It was the fourth time this week. "Bad mommy," she wrote at the end. Adina knew that the reason Emilio was out is because Stephanie most likely forgot to lock the tank. That seemed to be happening quite frequently. Emilio was sneaky. Once, she found his molted skin next to the patio door in the dining room. "Come on," she said picking him up again, another chill shooting down to her feet, to let him cling onto to her shirt. It was better than holding him, although his little talons tended to poked her flesh. "Back into the tank you go. And into the shower I need to go." After making sure the latch was secure, Adina removed her shirt and tossed it into the bedroom and then closed herself in the bathing room, the low humdrum of the fan lightly reverberating in her diaphragm. That night, after all the phone calls and party planning, Adina was finally able to breathe and relax. She had a nice healthy meal of arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette with simmered chicken breast cut into chunks on top. Afterwards, she washed her dirty dishes, knocked on Stephanie's door to wish her good night and secluded herself in her room. With a slight smile, her eagerness spiked as she undressed for bed. She lay her tired body down in her bed and stared at the ceiling. And with a sigh, she allowed herself to think about James. The images of him, thinking of the way he made her body feel was irresistible. It was at night that she could allow herself to think of his warm embrace. "Look at my skin and look at yours. What color are we?... What nationality are you?... Are you sure that you are Black?... But our skin is brown. Let me ask you another thing..." James had been so insistent with his questions and so perplexed by the answers she gave, most of the time frowning at her lack of awareness. "If you believe that you are one with Jesus Christ and that you come from his body and blood, then who are you? Are you Black? Are you African American? Aren't you just like him, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah? Aren't you just like me?" Back then, Adina couldn't understand why she'd gotten so emotional, but after much thought, she understood perfectly why she was saddened. It was a sense of betrayal that she'd felt, betrayal of setting aside her beliefs and questions, and James seemed to have all the answers. The longer she thought about it the more reality began to stab at how much her people had been dumbed down. She even believed that she was Black, while most people insisted black wasn't a color. Black signifies nonexistence. 'No wonder he said I was too young to understand. There's still a lot I don't understand.' Yes, for her, it was profound information. Nevertheless, she couldn't ignore he knew more about who she was than anyone else. And he had said the words as if reminding her of what she was at some point in her life, she realized. Something tugged at Adina's chest every time she'd fleetingly thought of him. She felt as if they were connected somehow, more than humanly; spiritually. She was ashamed that he had such a powerful effect on her. She couldn't even bring herself to tell her roommate about him and she was her best friend in the entire world. It had been two weeks and she couldn't get his hands or brooding face out of her head. And his lips, oh God, those lips! She missed them, missed him, and guessed that it was okay that he hadn't tried to talk to her after the show that night. They couldn't exactly carry on as if nothing had happened if they were near one another, so, she figured that separation was best. 'But he could have taken my number,' she thought bitterly. 'And then what? Do you think that he would be yours? Get real!' Her parents had always told her that no man wants to be with a woman who can give it up so easily: and though she hadn't gone that far, she'd gone far enough. It probably turned him off. Even still, she would have liked it if he'd asked her for her number. Starting something serious with a man like him would be nice. Hell, starting something platonic with any man would be a start. 'Not to mention that he's so much older than you Adina.' After some convincing and self-searching Adina finally came to the conclusion that he, someone who piqued her interest, could be her little secret. Adina closed her eyes and moved her hands along her naked body beneath the covers, imagining that it was his hands. The skin of her plump breasts tingled and she ached to touch them, but somehow she knew that James wouldn't oblige by caressing her in that area. He would drive her crazy by touching everywhere else, torturing her until she begged. His remarkable copper eyes watched her the way a man watched a woman he adored. She could picture his nose rubbing against hers; feel the warmth of his breath on her tingling skin. His teeth tugging at her hardened buds, and that caused moisture to pool between her thighs. Arching upward she trailed her fingertips over her rib cage and abdomen and came into contact with her scars, deep and jagged, sensitive to the touch. Those scars. Adina bit back a cry of sorrow as she traced the horrific marks, coming to focus behind her eyelids. She hated recalling how she'd gotten them. It was a nightmare that Adina always had trouble waking up from. The worst part was she had to live with them every day of her life, always reliving the pain and the fear of being attacked, dumped and left to die in the middle of nowhere. When James had touched her in the restroom at the Wicked Vine, he made her forget such things as cruelty even existed. She wondered if he had taken her number, if he had called her, and if they began a relationship, how he would react to seeing her body. Would he be aloof and act like it didn't matter that she wasn't what he was expecting? Or would he be openly repulsed by the sight and completely change his mind about being with her? Maybe it was better that way, with no contact. Suddenly, it became too painful to think that James would ever want to look at her or even touch a body like hers if he ever saw her naked. She bet that his body was beautiful and strong, no marks or scars marring his beautiful chocolate skin. Who'd get sexually aroused looking at a body like hers? Looking upon them herself was most times unbearable. Adina ceased feeling the mutilations on her torso and grabbed for her large t-shirt at the foot of her twin-sized bed. A tear trickled down her face as she yanked the worn shirt down over her body and then plopped back down onto the pillow. She turned onto her side and huddled into a ball facing the wall. "I have to love myself," she recited over and over until her bottom lip stopped trembling and she stilled herself for a moment to think of him again. This time she thought back on the way he had kissed her, his warm succulent tongue stimulating her lips, shutting down all but one sense. With that, her eyes grew heavy with sleep. There Will Be Time Ch. 02 Around four in the morning, Adina inhaled a deep stabling breath and opened her eyes as she blew it out through her mouth. She wanted to go back to sleep but her body seemed to still be in a state of shock from the nightmare. Exhaling a shuddering breath, she sat up in bed and swung her legs over the edge, hoping that something good was on television in order to distract her. She picked up the remote with a trembling hand and clicked on the TV, and flicked through the channels all the way to the Food Network channel. "Damned paid programming." Adina turned the television off and with a groan brought her knees up to her chest, resting her cheek there for a while. She needed something to do in order to keep her occupied. The chili cook-off was starting at one in the afternoon. "That's it, I'm going to the store," she quirked sliding off the bed letting her pink comforter drag the floor. She yanked a pair of sweatpants of the back of the swivel chair and some underwear from her drawer and put them on. Then she slipped on her socks, shoes, and a warm jacket and grabbed her keys from the hook on her wall. Slowly she opened her door and quietly walked out into the dark hallway, past her roommate's closed door, past the kitchen until she finally got to the front door. She couldn't understand why her heart was slamming in her chest until she thought about it. It had been a few years since she'd gone out alone by herself while it was still dark. She was usually in her dormitory by six o'clock in the evening, just before the light of sun completely disappeared, right when the street lights came on. The times when she was out late at night she was always with someone else. And now after two and a half years of staying in after six, here Adina was, braving the wee early hours of the morning. By herself. Hands sweaty and heart pounding she unlocked the dead bolt and walked out into the foggy morning. A light frost had appeared on the hand railing on the balcony she noticed as she closed the door behind her. For a moment she could only look down both sides of the building to make sure no one else was outside. She blew out white puffs of air before she finally got herself under control and began walking toward the stairs with stiff shoulders, down to her little white car. Once in she made sure all her doors were locked, checked her mirrors and started up the engine so the car could warm up. It took a few minutes to warm up so she pulled out her phone and started making a grocery list. A porch light turned off and Adina snapped her head up to see through the windshield. A shudder went down the middle of her back making her jump and out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw something. Tossing the phone into the passenger's seat she put the car in drive, trying not to skid out of her parking space. Taking a few deep breaths, she finally reassured herself, "There's no need to be scared. I have my spray and whistle." She arrived at Food4Less in a matter of fifteen minutes having driven like a mad woman, the parking lot empty save for about four cars. After finding a good basket she headed inside the air conditioned grocery store towards the produce section. Adina took her time wheeling the basket thinking of all the things she would need, humming to herself. Tomatoes, bell peppers, Tabasco peppers, onions, ground beef, sausage links, kidney beans, bacon, flour... she was going to make chili anyway, even if it didn't get entered into the competition. She knew the store, walked down the aisles on many occasions, and had been confident each time. IT WASN'T HIS first time doing it—it was a favor, sort of like a protection order. More like an order. The girl was fine, just doing some shopping. But Emmett couldn't help but wonder why she was up so early, why she seemed hesitant to leave her apartments. He'd been ordered by his master to be careful not to be seen, because she'd recognize him as the deejay from the club. He was warned that she was perceptive that way. Though monitoring the girl's every move didn't sit well with him, he didn't have much of a say in the matter. He would follow the orders given to him and his master would be pleased. THE SUN WAS beginning to peak through, conjuring up beautiful hues of orange and yellow against the gray ugliness of the clouds in the sky when she exited to store. She returned home about thirty-five minutes later with a back seat filled with grocery bags. Naturally, Adina couldn't just buy the ingredients for the chili. She ended up purchasing other items such as Greek yogurt, jasmine rice, a large box of FiberOne bars, and other things that could have waited. She regretted it now, because there was no one there to help her carry all the groceries upstairs. And she wondered if there was even any space to put all of those things. It took three trips before Adina finally sat on one of the barstools relieved. Her body was still sore from the workout. In her ever active mind, she went over how long it would take to do the prep work for the chili, how long it would take to cook, and how many hours of sleep she could catch before one o'clock. Without further contemplation she raised her fatigued body from the seat and waltzed into the kitchen, keeping in mind that Stephanie was asleep, and began quietly removing the produce from its plastic confinements. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she found solace in watching the Food Network or Lifetime movies until she was able to doze off peacefully. But it was times like these where she sought comfort in cooking. In the kitchen Adina could shut out the outside world, could shut out the nightmares. There, with the immense counter space, she was able to test her speed with slicing, chopping, and mincing, surround herself with the natural aromas of fruits and vegetables, and create a kind of magic with her hands. She reached for an onion, the outer skin purple and flaky, and cut the ends of with effortless movements. A smile played at her lips as she sliced horizontally and vertically with measured strokes, and then grinned as she positioned the flat backs of her fingers behind the large blade, forgot about the soreness of her feet, and let the knife wreak havoc on the onion. Yes, this was her element. By the time, close to eight in the morning she closed the lid of the pot after tasting the concoction for the third time, Adina dragged on slowly to her room setting an alarm for eleven. She pulled her sweatpants off and plopped onto her bed drifting to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Adina was roused by gentle shaking. She clamped her eyelids shut against the slight burn that immediately began after trying to open them. How long had she been sleeping; because, it didn't feel like enough time at all. "Dina, you awake yet?" Adina peeked open an eye to find Stephanie standing above her in her room. The thoughtful fashionista had strolled into Adina's room with a mug of coffee and a protein shake clasped in her slender hands while she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She took a deep breath catching a whiff of the garlic scent on her fingertips. "Yeah, thanks." She pushed herself up with her palms and looked around disheveled. "What time is it?" "It's eleven thirty." Adina breathed heavily out through her nose. "Oh crap. I slept right through my alarm." "Yes. I made this coffee for you. I figured that you would need it after being up all morning," Stephanie smiled gently as she waited for Adina to sit up. Adina being up in the kitchen so early was a regular occurrence for Stephanie. There were times when Stephanie would come and watch her friend do her thing and the two of them would entertain themselves by acting like they were on a cooking show. "Thank you, doll. I didn't disturb your sleep did I?" She reached out for the steaming mug and took a sip. "No, actually, I was out like a light. But I know that you don't sleep this long unless you couldn't sleep at all. Is everything okay?" "Yeah, I'm good." She brought the steaming cup back to her lips and took a long gulp of it. It tasted good. Stephanie always made the best coffee, using a teaspoon of nutmeg with grounded coffee beans. And she creamed it just right with French vanilla coffee creamer. No sugar. She was dressed already and looked freshly showered. Stephanie was a transfer student from Michigan with pale skin, blue eyes, and red hair. "I have to get in the shower." "Okay," Stephanie said. She placed the protein shake on the windowsill above the bed. "I'll let you get to it then." Adina smiled as she watched Stephanie depart. After downing the rest of the coffee she climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After a refreshing shower, Adina dried herself with her favorite plushy blue towel and slipped on her under garments, having a feeling that was usually accurate that Stephanie would be back in her room, probably on her bed. She wrapped herself in the towel and walked into the bedroom, and there Stephanie was waiting on her bed reading a Herbalife magazine that had been sitting on the desk. "You don't need to be on Herbalife," she said heading straight to her closet for something to wear. There were folded t-shirts on the above shelf inside her ridiculously small closet. Maybe it wasn't ridiculous, maybe she just had too many clothes, but she had to be careful not to knock anything over. She reached above her head for a random shirt, letting the towel pool around her feet. Stephanie smirked. "Neither do you, and by the way, the chili tastes awesome." "Really? I haven't tasted it yet." Stephanie looked up with a shocked expression on her face. "Serious?" Adina put a hand on her hip, poking it and her lips out and lifted an eyebrow. "Of course not." "I'm goin' to go get some more," Stephanie whispered hopping off the bed in a flash. Before she could reach the outside of the bedroom, Adina almost yelled, "Don't you dare!" It came out more like a scarily low death threat. Stephanie took a step backwards, crossing her arms across her chest petulantly. "I should eat it all; just for making me really think you hadn't tasted it. If you don't taste your own cooking then that tells me you won't miss it if it's gone." Adina pulled the shirt over her head. "Firstly, I'm not worried because I know for a fact that you cannot finish an entire pot of chili—that size— in under an hour; and secondly, on the contrary, I'd be pissed. I don't even know why you'd say 'I'm goin' get some more' out loud." "Dina, you're not going to wear that are you?" Adina looked over her shoulder at her roommate whose nose was upturned. She rolled her eyes, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Stephanie pushed her small form off the door frame pushing her bangs from her eyes. "That silly shirt is what's wrong. I thought you were going on a date. You don't wear that type of thing on a date." "It's not a date. It is a chili cook-off, hence why I was making chili. I don't want one of my good shirts ruined," she replied staring at the oversized t-shirt she was wearing printed with a panda on the front in the mirror. Stephanie was right, it was a silly shirt. With a groan she pulled the shirt over her head and with her hands on her hips walked to her closet. "What should I wear then?" Adina tried not to laugh as Stephanie, who stood only five feet tall, shimmied her way in excitedly between Adina and her clothes. She just loved dressing her. It didn't take long for them to become fast friends the very first day of move in. "I like that one babe." And it didn't take long for her to find a boyfriend either. "Adina, you've lost weight." Alarmed that she didn't have on a shirt and her scars and breasts were on display, she hid behind her closet door. Adina could see Brad as she peeked from the door in his skater get up. She just didn't know why guys insisted on wearing skinny jeans. And she really wished he'd cut his greasy hair. Stephanie held up a pink and white striped button up blouse in one hand and a red camisole with a plunging V-neck line in the front and back. "Yeah, I agree. This one's sexy Dina," she grinned holding up the red shirt. Adina looked between Brad and Stephanie with a look of disbelief. Shaking her head she nearly shouted, "I'm not trying to be sexy, and Brad I would appreciate it if you would knock before waltzing in here like that!" "Brad, what the hell! You don't walk into people's rooms uninvited like that! It's disrespectful," Stephanie yelled furiously, landing a punch to his chest. "Get the hell out!" It would have been a comical scene to watch an angry Stephanie trying to push a tall, bewildered Brad out the door, but Adina was too embarrassed and ashamed to laugh. She was too busy thinking about why Stephanie had a delayed reaction to the situation. "I'm sorry about that, Dina," Stephanie said apologized fervently. "Sometimes, I don't think he's even aware of what he does. I know I pushed the door almost closed when I came in here." "It's alright, Steph. I don't think he saw," she reassured wryly, even though she truly wasn't sure. 'I'll think about that later.' Stephanie reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "Okay, now," she said holding up the two shirts again. Adina bit her lip, uncertain as to why she was picking out a dressy shirt to wear. She lifted an eyebrow and a worried expression flashed across her face. "Can't you pick out something different, more casual?" Stephanie only gave her a look that told Adina she shouldn't argue. THE POT WAS heavy in Adina's hands as she stood watching the secretary behind her desk finish putting away a stack of papers. In the end she had gone with the striped button up blouse. It was tight, fitting her like a second skin that it made her apprehensive and self-conscious. Stephanie had insisted that she wear the first two buttons undone to show some cleavage. She glanced down at her breast, propped up and on parade, to make sure her bra wasn't showing. She noticed her hair was starting to puff when she glanced at the window behind the desk and wanted so badly to run her fingers through it. The pretty blonde named Lacey Flores cleared her throat and Adina met her friendly clear blue gaze. It hadn't been a long wait. She caught sight of the makeup smeared onto her face. Without so much mud and done the right way, she could look like a million bucks. Lacey insisted on showing her the way since she was just finishing up some last minute filing. "Right this way Ms. Richards," Lacey said with a charming smile. "Thank you," Adina smiled back at her. "What kind of makeup do you wear?" she asked nonchalantly as they walked side by side down the hall. Lacey giggled and glanced at Adina, "Greene told me you are a beauty consultant." "Did he?" Adina said lifting her eyebrow. "Yeah, and from what I can tell you seem like quite the makeup artist. But, I'm not really that interested in makeup." "Hmm," Adina nodded and then shrugged her shoulders as they turned the corner and approached the entrance of the auditorium. "You seem pretty into makeup to me. I was just wondering if you liked eye shadow. I know some really great colors that will make your beautiful eyes pop. You'd catch the eye of a lot of men; trust me." It was Lacey's turn to raise her eyebrows and Adina watched the woman struggle to find some words. She smiled gently at the young woman and winced slightly at the pull of her muscles she nodded in the direction of voices coming from inside. "Shall we? My arms are getting tired." Lacey blinked several times stammering, "Uh, yes. Come this way. I'll get you're chili set up with a number so it can be ranked. We've been waiting to see if anyone else would show up with a pot before giving out numbers." "Ah, I see." The two women walked inside the auditorium, and Adina had to stop her jaw from dropping. The brilliance of the decorations came close to that of Amos' Temple's annual barbeque, but the set up before her was better. Assortments of silver and gold balloons were tied to the back of every chair and all the tables present were cover in blue linen table cloths. The centerpieces on the tables were of a large white number twenty-five. There were children everywhere and a few infants either lay asleep in their car seats or were being cradled in the arms of their mothers and fathers. Most of the older men and women who worked on the force had families, and large ones too, Adina realized. This was a family event she had attended and she felt somewhat out of place. Lacey startled Adina out of her observations when she spoke. "If you think this is something, you should have been here at the Christmas party. It was all decked out with mistletoe and the works." "Are all these people the families of the officers?" Adina asked as she continued to follow Lacey to a very long table that contained all the pots of chili she would probably see at once in one lifetime. "No, a lot of these people are friends and acquaintances of the officers and us desk people," Lacey told her and winked. "Oh." Adina wondered if she was the only "case study" to make an appearance. The chili was the nineteenth one to be entered in and placed on one of the food warmers. After her pot was given the number twelve, Adina and Lacey parted ways. She straightened her shirt, patted her hair down and started looking around the masses of police officers for Andrew. He did invite her after all. Everyone present in the auditorium were all dressed casually and were either seated at tables with friends and family members or standing near smaller tables that held sweet treats like donuts and cookies, she assumed for the children present. She couldn't help but grin when she saw two men conversing while a little by stood in the middle of them. They were chomping on donuts with paper cups in hand, the little boy mimicking their movements by biting into his donut and then taking a sip of his juice from his Sippy cup. She tore her eyes away from the adorable little boy and after another quick glance around the room Adina decided it was time to venture out, and if she couldn't find Andrew, the least she could do was mingle so she didn't feel out of place. And then she spotted him standing next to Lacey and a few others, looking in her direction with an amazed expression on his familiar face. A smile etched on her face as she waved at him shyly. With a huge grin he handed his cup to one of the women excusing himself, making his way over to her in a blur, and the next thing she knew she was in his arms. 'Wow. That was fast.' She hesitated a moment before embracing him back, unsure as to why her body felt shaky. 'And he smells good too,' she thought as she took a deep breath to calm her pulse. Andrew's chest rumbled against her cheek when he made a sound that let her know that he was happy to see her. "Adina," he breathed in her hair as he squeezed her shoulders rocking their bodies side to side. "It's so good to see you." Sliding her palms around to his chest she pushed back a ways to look up at him. His hazel eyes were bright, crinkled at the corners as he beamed down at her. He looked like he could be a movie star with chiseled features and gleaming straight white teeth. Paying attention to his looks was not a priority of hers when they'd first met, but now that she was finally looking at him, she realized he had a very attractive aquiline nose. "It's good to see you, too," she said softly trying not to stare at him. She seemed to like looking at men and women for a long time as if searching for their personalities in their looks. On occasion, she had been mistaken for a lesbian and had either been scolded or hit on for staring at women she found stunning. There Will Be Time Ch. 02 She averted her gaze to her hands, which rested on his chest. His very muscly chest. Adina looked up at him again only briefly to see the stubble of hair on his chin. "Well," he said releasing her and looking her over. Taking her hand, he looped her arm through his and began leading her over to one of the snack tables. "You're looking very beautiful. Not that I didn't find you beautiful before," he laughed nervously. She narrowed her eyes at her boot covered feet—mostly at his compliment, and replied with a shred of uncertainty, "Thanks." And then she recalled Lacey's words. "So, you've been talking about me, I hear." "Oh, yeah. I mentioned you to a few people yesterday. I hope you don't mind." "No, not at all." She tilted her head slowly to the side and chanced a sideways scan. "Except you may have killed my chances at getting any new clients as far as a certain lady goes." He frowned down at her. "Hmm, who?" "Lacey." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Yeah, I was about to launch in about makeup and what kind she preferred when she totally shot me down. Didn't really see that coming, but what can you do? It happens," she shrugged. Andrew heaved a sigh, "I'm sorry about that. But between you and me, I don't think Lacey is very interested in stuff like that right now. She's had a rough time, just started working here a couple of months ago. Actually, this is my first time seeing her wear makeup at all. I don't think it suits her very much. Honestly, I think you are barking up the wrong tree. You should talk to Kathleen." He gave her a disarming smile then as he offered her a cup of punch. "Thank you," she said taking the cup, looking away trying to avoid looking at his face. She got the impression that his eyes wanted to captivate her, though looking at him wasn't as difficult as looking at James. And it was funny that she had no problem at all looking James squarely in the face, if she was boiling over with anger. "When do we start tasting?" she asked, forcefully pushing his name from her mind. Andrew pulled up the shirt sleeve of his left arm to look at his watch. "Right now." "Okay ladies and gentlemen. It's time for what we've all been waiting for! Please make a single file line at the pot number one! Please do not reuse the plastic spoons and miniature cups! There are plenty!" Adina looked past Andrew towards where the voice was coming from, seeing a large older woman whose voice projected over the entire room a few feet away from where she and Andrew were standing. She was dressed elegantly in a blue skirt and white blouse, her short graying hair in tight ringlets. Andrew folded his arms over his chest smirking. "That's Kathleen." Adina looked up at him dubiously, noting the exaggeration in his voice, and he gave her a look as they made their way towards the forming line. Turning her gaze back to Kathleen, she tried to appraise her inconspicuously. And that's when she saw it, comprehension of what that look meant lighting her face at once. At first glance, Kathleen was a very lovely woman, but now that she was looking at her up close, Adina noticed the caked mascara on her eyelashes and the blush that was too dark for her creamy skin. The red lipstick she was wearing looked cheap and the turquoise eye shadow had to go! The only thing the woman seemed to get right was her foundation. Piercing her lips Adina looked up at Andrew's entertained face and tried not to laugh. His eyebrows jumped up and down while his eyes darted between Kathleen and Adina. When she could hold it no longer, she chuckled silently and playfully slapped his arm, emitting from him a boisterous laugh she wasn't prepared for. "It's like Ursula from The Little Mermaid." "You are terrible," she scolded. "You're laughing, so, that makes you equally terrible," he chuckled. "Oh my goodness," Adina said massaging her cheeks with her hands trying to catch her breath. But she could still hear him laughing inaudibly, and that made her think of why they were laughing in the first place, and that made her body convulse as she tried to hold it in. "When you... stop laughing... then I can stop." "How is my laughter to blame for yours?" he asked incredulously, still laughing. "I'm not forcing you to laugh." "Because," she began but then stopped as more laugher racked her body. "'Because' isn't an answer you know." Adina took an exaggerated deep breath and then blew it out to get herself under control and then tried to look at him with a straight face. "Okay." She took a sip of her punch hoping the mirth had finally died down enough for her to swallow. He watched her expectantly, the humor still very alive in his demeanor. "Hearing you laugh reminds me of why we laughed in the first place. It's not nice. And we should feel bad for Ursula, no one loved her and I think that's all she really wanted. I also think that people love Kathleen, even if her makeup is atrocious, so she shouldn't be compared to a sea witch." Andrew snorted and arched his eyebrow at her making her blush. "Stop it!" she exclaimed slapping his arm once more, a giggle escaping her lips. "You made chili?" Andrew said more than asked. The smile on her face faded and she looked down at her feet. "Was that okay?" "Of course," he said rubbing her arm tenderly. She lifted her face and smiled at him halfheartedly. "It's just, you didn't need to go out of your way and do that. You're my guest, remember?" "Yeah, but I wanted to. I really enjoy cooking." "You really don't hear too many people say that around here. That's why there are only nineteen entries." Andrew smiled at her gently. "Ready to taste some chili?" "Why yes I am," she replied brightening. "Which one's yours?" he asked casually. "I'm not telling you. After you've tasted all of them, then you can make your guess." She patted him on the back and then picked up a spoon. The voting process was simple; you were to choose only three numbers, and out of those three you rank them from favorite to least favorite. Number five, made by a man called Lionel won first place. To Adina's dismay, towards the end of the gathering, her creation won number five out of the nineteen entered. She smiled to herself triumphantly when Kathleen graciously took her aside to tell her, glad that there were some people who enjoyed it. It was probably too spicy for some of the others. Andrew didn't know it, but hers was one of the ones he'd voted for. "So, what possessed you to make it?" Andrew asked as he followed her to the trash can. This was the fifth time he'd asked. Adina shook her head and said tersely, "I don't know." He made a noise with his thin pink lips. She looked up at him surprised. Their stare down was almost instant and she could see it all over his face that he wasn't going to let it go. Adina found it amusing that cops never seemed to follow their own advice. "I didn't get a good night's rest," she replied finally. "Was it a bad dream?" "Yeah." She walked away then to retrieve her pot. It was going on four o'clock and she needed to get home. Plus, her bad dream was something she wasn't inclined to talk about. "You can talk to me you know. Let me take that for you." She smiled sheepishly as he tugged the pot from her hands, and they began slowly making their way out of the auditorium. "Thank you. I had fun." Andrew cracked a smile. "I'm glad you did." "Yes." "So what are you going to do now?" "I have to get ready for a gig tonight. My brother and cousin are in a band, so, whenever they have a performance I go to root them on. This one came up suddenly out of the blue." "That sounds cool." "What about you?" she asked when they'd reached outside. A breeze had picked up causing Adina to reach up and button her shirt all the way up to her neck. The one button at her breasts refused to stay put though. They walked down the stairs silently, her clutching her arm against her breast and him wondering if what he was thinking of was alright, to the parking lot towards Adina's car and she pulled out her keys to unlock the back door. She waited patiently for his answer while he set the pot on the backseat floor. "I'm going to stay and help them clean up, and then I'm going to go visit my parents. Though I'd rather go with you to see the show," he said seriously, his gaze intense. Completely thrown by his honesty, Adina lips twitched. 'Say it isn't so.' Though she stood there staring at him boldly on the outside, on the inside Adina was off balance. He was so interested in her; she could tell this after spending a few minutes with him, but she was just sorry that she couldn't be mutually interested in him, and... She had another man on her mind, a man that she would possibly never see again. She smiled politely and said, "When I get wind of another performance ahead of time, I'll be sure to call you to see if you're free." "I'd like to see you sooner than that," he said huskily as he took a step closer to her. "You've changed very much, Adina, from the scared young girl I once knew to a very positive and social person that I'd personally like to get to know." He reached out to gently rub her arm with the back of his fingers. She winced at the sudden contact and edged away. Andrew appraised her for a second. "I'm sorry. I was too forward." "No, it's okay," she replied abruptly, worried that she'd caused him to think she was afraid. "How about lunch, later next week? As friends," she added quickly. A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Lunch sounds great. As friends." "Great," she sighed. "Excuse me, Ms. Richards." Adina turned around to see Lacey standing there wringing her hands. "Ah, yes? And please, call me Adina," she replied. "I think I might be interested in makeup after all. I didn't realize how bad I was at it," said Lacey who was staring at some invisible spot on her shoe. "I don't think you're bad at it. It takes practice. Here, wait right there while I get you one of my business cards." Adina turned around to find Andrew still there leaning against her car watching her. "Andrew, I have early classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. One of those days would be good for lunch." "Okay," he nodded. She opened the passenger's door, reaching in to pull one of the business cards from the glove compartment. They were double sided with her beauty consultant info and Herbalife contacts. Smiling as she stood to hand Lacey the card, she was elated that the woman changed her mind after all. "I hope to hear from you soon." "Thanks Adina. I'll give you a call later on this week." Lacey said grinning ear to ear looking at the pink card. It was the first real smile Adina had seen from her. "'Kay." "Hey." She started when she felt Andrew take her hand and turn her around to him, wrapping her in his arms for a long intimate hug. There was no space between them and Adina was sure he could feel her heart hammering. He rubbed her back up and down for a moment, sighing contentedly. "You get home safe. I'll call you later on this week to schedule lunch." "'Kay," she whispered, her face aflame with embarrassment and concern. After what seemed like an eternity to her, he finally let go. She, aware that Lacey was still standing there watching, walked awkwardly to the driver's side and got in. "Bye," she waved at them both. "See ya," he waved. Lacey waved back rigidly. THE SHOW HAD been long, and for once, Adina was glad that they had all driven in their own cars. While the others stayed to watch the rest of the performances, she decided to call it a night, the tiredness of the day washing over her. When she got home, she was grateful that Stephanie was out for the evening. Had she had been home, she would have been bombarded with questions. Andrew was a nice man and handsome too, with a smile that could outshine a thousand stars, but Adina wasn't ready to move on to the next. She wanted to find James, but she didn't know where to begin her search and fell asleep thinking about it. The lone patio looked over the calm waters of the ocean as a light evening breeze whispered in the air. Stunning black sand sloped evenly downward pausing at the very edge of the deep blue sea. All that was missing was the luminance of the breathtaking moon that was somewhere off in the universe, taking a well-deserved break from Earth. She took a deep breath inhaling the salty scent and dug her toes deeper into the sand reaching her hands up to the night sky. If only everyday could be like this. A mist was rolling in before she knew it, but she just wanted a few more minutes. It swept up the shore like a massive wave and she finally looked back towards the patio again to find it encapsulated in fog. Just a few more seconds, please! To feel the grains of sand between her toes and those little specks supporting her weight. She looked over her shoulder toward the clear side of the beach. A cozy little hut beckoned for her to come, but then she heard it. "Adin." The soft voice was coming from the mist rolling off the patio, almost inaudible, sending a chill down her spine. Something was telling her to stay away and to go towards the nonthreatening hut instead, but just like an invisible force, she found that her feet had managed to pick themselves up, the cozy housing becoming even tinier. Looking down at her body she finally took note of what she was wearing; robes. The tunic was beige and thin and went down to her ankles. A pink sheet-like sheer material was draped across a shoulder covering her bosom and hips and fell to one side at her feet. Her hands traveled over the material that felt like wool, soft against her skin, all the way up to her neck. Then she reached up to her hair with shaking fingers and found that it stopped short at the nape of her neck in wispy curls. She pulled the pink covering onto her head, sending one end over her shoulder. "Adin." Adina jumped at the sound, though nothing about it was startling. It was calm and patient and so very soft and inviting. She stood and gazed up at the purple curtains separating her from the entrance. When had she gotten to the patio? She wondered who was calling to her and something in her had to know. Swallowing her hesitation she stepped forward onto the platform and like magic they drew open for her presenting her with a tempting golden room. The floor was made of shiny marble and the walls and columns were unlike anything she'd ever seen, as if they were carved out of gold and jade. Each held a lit fire sconce that illuminated the placed. "So beautiful," she whispered in awe. She put one sand covered foot forward timidly wishing she had a towel to wipe them off. Well, it shouldn't matter since the location was a beach. The more Adina thought about it, the stranger it became. It was completely isolated and eerily comforting at the same time. And what was with this get up? Like she'd just stepped into a different era. And who was Adin? The sound of doors closing snapped her out of her reverie. She turned around to find that there was no longer a view of a beach covered in jet black sand. A gust of wind blew in from a different direction tickling her feet and she saw that the sand was being blown away. She stared down at her pristine feet for a long time trying to regain control of her heartbeat, but then looked up in time to see the sconces dim. Her breath caught in her lungs as the feeling that she was no longer alone became apparent. "You came," the deep rich voice said in relief from behind her. Adina let out a shuddering breath clenching and unclenching her sweaty hands, too afraid to turn around and face him. "This isn't the first time that I've tried to contact you. Why do you ignore me?" the unseen man asked in an even cold tone. Heat prickled her skin in an instant and she could feel his eyes boring into her back. His entire presence filled the room and she was flailing around in it trying to gasp for air. Her heartbeat was pounding against her breast and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't mean to," Adina heard herself squeak. She was so nervous that it felt like ants were crawling over her skin. "There's a lot for me to do other than," she swallowed hesitantly, "think of you." The last part came out as a whisper as moister broke out over her upper lip. James chuckled softly without any humor. "So you think of music and iguanas instead? Or, let me guess, your thoughts are filled with that detective guy?" He had no idea what he was talking about and she had no idea how to take his assumption. He reached up and took hold of the head cover on her hair and slid it gently away. His breath tickled the back of her neck while his chilly voice made her hair stand on end. She shook her head slowly and whispered desperately, "It's not like that, Khalid." Halting, she realized what she had just called him. The name was foreign to her, but somehow it felt right to call him this. "Oh yeah? You've lost weight, which I can't begin to understand why you have been working out so much. And what's with this new hair style? That's for him too?" She didn't know how to answer that, because in reality her hair actually had extensions and went about her shoulders, looking the exact same way it had when she'd gone to Wicked Vine that night. She could somewhat see a reflection of herself as she looked down at the floor. She thought the short hair suited her. "You don't like it," she said disappointedly completely ignoring the bit about her efforts to be healthy. It was silent for a moment and she turned around. He seemed so much handsomer than she remembered now that she was able to behold him again. His beard was nicely shaved as was the hair on his head. He looked different, definitely never looked forty-nine and if it was possible looked younger somehow, still hard as stone with his features, but more attractive. "It could be worse," he replied nonchalantly. "We could be listening to your brother's poor attempt at playing the piano." Heat rose to Adina's face at the mere mention of her brother. The remark was snide and misplaced. "He's a very good pianist, for your information. It's just that the band needs work." He chuckled darkly, "That band serves as a cover up for his lousy skill." Enraged Adina's palm collided with his jaw. The slap echoed in the room halting anything he would say next. "Don't you dare talk bad about my brother to me," she gasped drawing in deep breaths to quell the uncomfortable feeling of angry tears gripping her throat and ignoring the sting of her hand. James' eyes, alight with fury, brought her back to reality, so, she made to run. He roughly seized her shoulders in his hands and spun her to face him. "Don't ever do that again." She swore that smoke was steaming from his nose. His jaw clenched; his eyes grew dangerous as he glared at her. "Why didn't you come? Why did you run away when I tried to touch you? Were you hoping for him?" he sneered, his lips pulled back exposing his teeth and what she thought to be fangs that weren't there before. They were elongating right before her eyes. "What are you talking about?!" Adina let out the breath she was holding in her lungs cowering under his ferocious appearance. It was animalistic, beastly, unbelievable, and downright scary. Perhaps it was his true nature, she thought frantically. Maybe this dream was trying to show her his true stripes. She thought to scream, but nothing came out, fear and mostly shock freezing her vocal chords.