Unbound Faith (Bulletproof #1)

by J. L. Baldwin

  Chapter 14

  Jayde

  After my lunch date with Anna, I stopped by work and said that working from home the rest of the day would be easier. I needed time to think. When I walked in, Gwen was sitting at her desk. The poor thing nursed her hangover for two days after the bar night. I told her that the next time we go out, we’re wearing stinky shoes and eating lots of junk food because we’re going bowling. She seemed to like that idea and so I left it at that. When I got back home, I looked around the large space in which I grew up in. Sarah was right, maybe I should start looking for my own place, and become more independent. I certainly didn’t want to live at home anymore, but finding a job was going to be even harder. Sarah was and didn’t want to abandon our childhood home

  Taking the stairs two at a time, I march up to my bedroom. It’s quaint, but simple. Something out of a home improvement magazine. The way the wallpaper peeled off the wall indicated my room was in dire need of an upgrade, but that was for another time. “Time to grow up.” I mumble softly to myself and I grab my bag with my laptop and I open up to look at apartment listings. A few caught my eye but none of them stood out to me.

  As I scroll down the page, I notice a small apartment for rent. One bedroom, one bath, cute upscale neighborhood. Not too bad. Grabbing the pen and paper beside me on the desk, I quickly jot down the phone number to call them the next morning, hoping and praying this was the break I needed. The rest of the day was spent looking for apartment décor on Pinterest and thinking about Zac.

  That night, after tossing and turning for several hours, I finally get to sleep. Then I dream of him and all his glory. The way his eyes sparkled, and had a flicker of gold in them, made my insides melt. It was one of the most intense dreams I have ever had. During the night, his face never left my dreams. I woke up several times with my hands in my panties, getting myself off to just the sound of his exotic voice. The rough sound of his voice, mixed with a hint of a northern accent screamed pure manliness.

  A sudden, intense orgasm causes my body to spasm and shudder making my eyes snap open. My hands are still inside my panties and I’m soaked. God, I can’t remember ever waking up feeling so aroused. I glance around the room then realize it was only a dream. Nothing but a dream. I grab my phone and scroll through my contacts to make sure that part was real. Sure enough, there lies his number. Under the same single letter he put it in. Z. Huh, I guess now I can change it now since I know his name. Zac. Such a sexy name to match the sexy man in which it follows.

  Pulling back the covers, I sit up on the edge of the bed and take another look at my phone at the time. Three a.m. He’s sleeping, like everyone else on this half of the world is. But I can’t help the curiosity that hits me to think he still might be awake at this time. I pull up his contact number again and hit the message icon, which opens a new message.

  Fear starts to take over. And my mind wonders if he’s sleeping, or what he’s doing…or who? The unnerving jealousy hits me full force and I try to shake it off, but I can’t. Before I place my phone back on the nightstand and before I make a complete ass of myself, the screen lights up with an incoming message. Sucking in a sudden breath, I grab my phone and check it. Seeing his name flash on the screen, makes me smile.

  “Hey. You still awake?”

  He’s awake at this hour, and he wonders if I’m awake. Should I text him back? Or should I wait until morning and say I was “sleeping?” Would that be rude? But I don’t want to seem too eager. Too many questions. Like instinct, I grab my phone and hit reply almost instantly.

  “Yeah I’m awake. What’s up?”

  Dumbass question. He’s up obviously. His reply is almost instant, causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

  “We are obviously. Lol. I can’t sleep. Too much work to do and my brain won’t shut off. Too many…thoughts, you know?” ;)

  I smile again. And this time, it’s because he wants to talk to me. At three in the morning. Because he can’t sleep. I don’t wait too long before hitting reply.

  “Yeah well you know they say when you can’t sleep, it’s because you’re awake in someone else’s dream.” I hit send and shake my head at my stupid, cliché quote. The notification sound comes within seconds.

  “Oh yeah? Well I hope it’s yours then.” ;)

  I can’t help it. I let out a loud squeal like I’m finally getting the toy from Santa I saw in the window display for months.

  “Sorry, was that too forward?” He quickly adds and I let out a giggle. There was nothing he could do that would seem too forward.

  “No it wasn’t. I add on to my message. “I’m glad you told me your name today. It was driving me crazy.”

  The reply was longer to arrive than what I would have liked. “Haha. I’m glad I can drive you crazy. ;)

  Without thinking, I hit reply and smile as I type out the words circulating in my head.

  “More so than you could possibly imagine.” ;)

  Brazen. What happened to the shy girl I once was and who is this brazen girl?

  “Jesus babe, you do know how to make a guy…you know.” ;)

  When I go to hit reply, I get interrupted by a phone call and I grin when his name flashes across the screen. My fingers linger over the answer button before finally hitting it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey babe. I needed to hear your voice. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that beautiful voice of yours.”

  “Oh really?” Is this guy for real? I think to myself. May as well have some fun. “What else did you miss about me? You know we only met like three times so you couldn’t take in too much of me.”

  His chuckle is soft on the other end of the line, but it’s sexy as hell.

  “Well I did miss your smile. The way your hair fell delicately off your shoulders. And when you’re nervous, you look down at your feet an scuff them a little bit. Also your one ear is bigger than the other which is very cute. And I sound like a complete pansy ass right now.”

  He laughs again. My heart skips a beat and I smile widely. He got all that from three short interactions? There wasn’t a doubt in my mind he wasn’t perfect because he pin pointed my one major flaw and said it was cute.

  I look down at my phone and the clock reads four a.m. And it’s way past my bedtime considering I have to get up in a few hours to go to work.

  “Umm Zac? I got to get to bed. It’s really late and I have work in the morning. I hope we get to talk again soon.”

  The way his sigh comes on the other end tells me he doesn’t want to hang up, and to be quite honest, neither do I.

  “Okay babe, I’ll let you go now. Dream of me.” He says in a deep and husky voice. I bite down on my lip to suppress a smile. He seems to have that effect on me, causing me to smile for very little.

  And then, the brazen chick returns. “Of course, no doubt I will. As long as you dream of me too.”

  I can hear his smirk on the other end and I smile. “You know I will babe. Goodnight and sweet dreams.”

  “You too Zac. Goodnight.” And with that, we hang up the phone. I don’t know what I was thinking about trying to sleep. No way in hell that was happening. Guess it’s another night with my old Battery operated boyfriend.

  Chapter 15

  Jayde

  The next day was pretty much a blur. A huge blur of nothing and I can’t understand why somebody as good looking and god-like like as Zac would want anything to do with somebody who sported a size twenty-four waist. There had to have been a catch to his approach. That only happens in fairy tales, right? I barely held my breath the rest of the day after our run in at the café…twice.

  The gym makes for good conversation time. A real good environment for getting things off our chests, besides fat. I pick up Anna from her work and we head to the one place I should just dread.

  “You’re jealous, aren’t you?” I ask her as I crank the speed up on the treadmill. We hit the gym as much as we can and usually this is the way I de-stress after a h
ard day. Anna slows down her running so she was able to talk.

  “I’m not jealous, okay that’s a lie maybe I am a little jealous. I know growing up, I would flaunt what I had in your face and I feel horrible for that. I was a bitchy little girl who thought she was a princess, but I was wrong. Then when I moved away as a kid, you moved on. When we met again in high school, we grew closer because I grew up. I’m happy for you. I hope you guys hook up if you know what I mean.” She gave me a wink and I smile.

  “I’m pretty sure there will be no hooking up anytime soon.” I say.

  “Oh yeah, I doubt that.” She replies, picking up her towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

  “Want to bet?” I ask, which gets her attention. She presses a button, putting the treadmill into cool down mode and I do the same.

  “Hell yeah. If you hook up with him and I mean really hook up, sex and all, you have to buy me a new pair of Jimmy Choo’s…silver with a four inch heel.”

  “And if I don’t hook up with him?” I laugh.

  “Then I’ll buy you a new Gucci purse, and maybe a tote bag. But that’s not happening because you two totally are going to hook up. If you don’t, I will take him for myself.”

  I laugh. “That hardly seems like a fair trade Anna.”

  “It’s what I have to offer. Take it or leave it.” I smack her with my own towel. “Okay deal.”

  “Yes! I’ll get my shoes soon!” She shouts excitedly and I laugh loudly, causing heads to turn in our direction.

  “Don’t sound too sure of yourself. Whatever it is, it must be pretty good for you to bet on.” She nodded as we finished up our usual mile and come to a stop. Anna grabs my arm and smiles. “It totally is. But what if you invite him to the ball?” I raise an eyebrow, “Are you talking about the The Charleston Crescent Annual Masquerade Charity Ball? You mean the one ball I dread going to every year because I’ve never had a date, but you drag me too anyway?” She laughed. I really hated when she would drag me to that thing. Full of cranky old geezers who have more money than they will ever need.

  “Well this year you could very well have a date, if you get off your ass and asked him out. What’s the worst that could happen?” She asks.

  “He could say no, then laugh in my face.” I said.

  “You’re being ridiculous. What if he says yes?” She asks, looking at me with a serious glare.

  “Or he could say no, then laugh even harder in my face.” As we walk to the locker room, Anna pulls me into the corner and whispers so only I can hear. “When are you ever going to stop doubting yourself? Can’t you see how beautiful you are? This mask you wear and parade behind, is not going to keep people from noticing the real you. So I don’t know why you keep yourself hidden. Your laugh, your kindness, your smart ass mouth is what keeps guys like him going after you. Face it, you’re exactly the type of girl he wants. Zac doesn’t seem like the type of guy who wants a girl with skin and bones, he wants a girl who has beautiful curves, like you do. Trust me, he wants something to grab on to.”

  There was way too much self-doubting going on in my head, and at times like these is when I wish it would go away but then again when I look in the mirror, I’m reminded why I am the way I am. A size eighteen is what stares back at me. All loose and flab, no tone or muscle. Then you have Zac. Muscular, tanned, toned and all around a god. The pinnacle of manliness. Anna and I quickly change into our regular clothes after that intense, vigorous workout. What should be confidence is nothing short of self-doubt.

  “Do you think I should put myself out there and ask him out? What if he says no?” I ask and Anna rolls her eyes. “Then I’ll kick him in the balls until he bleeds out his ass, what do you think he’s going to say?”

  “He’ll say no.” I say, trying to suppress my laughter.

  “He’ll say yes. He has no reason not to. Besides, if you don’t I will. And trust me, I can sure make his day, night, week, and month, however long he wants to go.” Anna jokes, nudging me playfully. Surprisingly, her humor is comforting and I find myself laughing along with her.

  “Hey, I got an idea. Let’s go shopping. There is a cute little shop I’ve been dying to go into. They have a lot of homemade goodies to choose from.” Anna says, grabbing my hand to pull me along as we walk out of the gym and head down the street. I look up and notice the shop a few doors down and I’m suddenly aware I hadn’t noticed it before.

  The doorbell chimes as we walk inside and the aroma of lavender hits our nostrils. A quick scan around the shop shows everything is handmade. Anna walks towards the signs and my eyes catch something dancing against the front window. My fingers gently ran over the unique carving that was engraved in the wood.

  Another area of the shop catches my eye and I am in awe of the beautiful fabrics that are around the store. I look to Anna who is looking around the room in awe as well. She’s probably thinking the exact same thing I am. Soft pinks, blues and yellows fill the racks of the noticeable handmade dresses. Another rack shows darker colors; reds, blues and browns. One sparkling dress sticks out to me. I rush over to further inspect it and pull Anna behind me.

  “Oh my god, isn’t this beautiful? It’s so vintage and the beading is remarkable.” I say running my fingers over the skirt of the dress. The silky smooth soft pink material feels amazing. Beads line the skirt but not too heavily, just enough to give it a faint shine. My heart falls in love with it on the spot. Anna looks to me with a sad smile after checking the price tag.

  “Umm, honey? Look at the price.” I look to where she’s holding the price tag and I cringe. “Three hundred dollars?? I can’t afford that! I’ll have to write a hundred articles to pay for that.” Sadly feeling defeated, I place it back on the rack and turn to Anna. “I can’t get this dress.” I say heartbrokenly.

  There’s so much disappointment in my voice, I almost don’t recognize it myself. I don’t turn to look back at the dress because that would further deepen my disappointment. I don’t make a lot of money, and I still have some money left over from my father’s fortune but I don’t spend it willy nilly either.

  Anna smiled at something behind me and I turn around, watching an elderly lady approaching us. She has an allure about her that is charming and sweet, just like my late grandmother. “Can I help you dears find something?” She asks in a friendly tone.

  Anna smiles at her. “No thank you, we’re just checking out this beautiful dress.” The elderly lady smiles and walks around us to pick up the dress once more. Crap, I don’t want to see it since I can’t afford it. “Ahh yes, that’s one of a kind. One of my best creations. And one of my favorites.” We both stared at her dumbfounded. This dress was handmade?

  “You made this dress?” I ask her. The design was incredible. Not that I was doubting her skills. Her smile reaches from ear to ear, making me blush. Something about her is vaguely familiar. I can’t put my finger on it.

  “Yes dear I did. I was young when I made that. So it’s rather old.”

  “It’s beautiful. It has to be one of the prettiest dresses I’ve ever seen.” I say, touching the dress gently again. The beautiful silk feels right between my fingers. I can’t stop touching it. This dress has to be mine but I don’t have the money today.

  “Why thank you honey. And it would look lovely splashed up against your tan skin. I think it has your name on it.

  I smile sadly. “Sorry, I really wish I could but I don’t have the money for this dress.”

  The elderly lady smiles but places the dress back on the rack. I smile at her because she reminds me of my own grandma. God rest her soul. So sweet and kind.

  “Oh, it’s quite alright dear.” I could tell she knew how much I loved this dress. As she walks away, I take one last look before walking away from it. Anna comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my shoulders.

  “It’ll be okay. Maybe you’ll get the dress soon.” She says trying to brighten me up but it’s useless.

  The rest of the shop is vintage as well. Handmade craft
s fill some shelves and there are little treasures everywhere. Something catches my eye as it glimmers in the sunlight. Whatever it is, it’s bright. I walk to the front of the store to get a better look and I notice the shiniest trinket I’ve ever seen.

  “That’s called a wind dancer.” The elderly lady returns to our side, making Anna smirk. Her smile says ‘Damn, this woman wants to make a sale.’ I couldn’t help but think the same thing. I smiled and she reached up to pull it down from its display. That’s when I notice the intricate carving, the exquisite detail in the wood. “It’s beautiful. The design and carving is magnificent. How much for it?” I ask without thinking.

  “A hundred and fifty” She said.

  My eyes widened. “Dollars?” I quickly asked, surprised. Her nod made my stomach turn. Who in their right mind can afford something like that? Disappointment flooded me once again. I dropped my hand and shrugged my shoulders. “I’m sorry, I can’t afford it. Maybe some other time.”

  Before I could turn to leave, she grabs my arm and looked me in the eye. “Legend has it, a wind dancer is magic. Whichever direction the arrow is pointing at is where your true love shall be and waiting for you.

  Anna looked at the lady like she had lost her marbles. Was she being serious? “Well no offense lady, but I can find my true love without spending a hundred and fifty dollars on some wood. Let’s go Jayde.” Anna pulled me from the old lady’s grasp. I smiled at the lady as I was pulled outside.

  “You know. I do have a grandson who would be perfect for you. He’s in the back if you want to meet him.” No way was this woman for real, and yet, I can’t help but wonder if she was actually telling the truth. No, I won’t subject myself to some random hook up. Only one way to find out. “Umm, that would be nice ma’am, but I’m actually in a hurry and I must run. Maybe another time.” Anna grabbed me before I could change my mind as she pulled me out onto the sidewalk. “She’s nuts, but nice.” Anna says once we are outside.