Beautiful
Page 8
Tierra’s Blackberry began buzzing and woke her up from a deep sleep. She slipped her hand from under her blanket and snatched it off her nightstand. There was no way she would have over looked an appointment. That just didn’t happen… often. Besides, if she had an appointment, Terri would have reminded her yesterday before she left the office. But since she didn’t, why was her alarm beeping?
Lunch with Qu, 12PM, JC’s it read highlighted in neon green.
“Man, how did I forget that? It’s after 11:00, JC’s is in Amherst, twenty to thirty minutes away,” she mumbled tossing the covers off her head. If she was up, she might be able to get ready and be just a few minutes late. As it was though, she had a long night out playing Charlie’s Angels. The trio returned to Tierra’s house after they left Tigrez, and stayed up most of the night gossiping, drinking and watching Takers They teased one another, talking junk about what they would do to their favorite male character if given the chance.
“Brandon!” she yelled, nearly causing her head to throb.
“Yes Ms. Rodriquez,” a young, attractive Brandon, her domestic technician answered, leaning his head inside Tierra’s door.
“I think I had one too many Jolly Ranchers, or whatever those things were called Bridget had us drinking last night,” she confessed sitting up on the side of her bed. She looked up at Brandon as the room began to instantly spin.
She attempted to stand up, but her feet had other plans, “Whoa there Nelly…” she laughed softly, as Brandon rushed in to aide her. With his assistance she slid her feet into her slippers and made her way to the kitchen. He aided her onto an upholstered turquoise, brown and orange striped, high back bar stools at the center island.
Brandon knew exactly what to do next, and reached into the freezer for an ice bag for her aching head, then plugged in her Keurig. Once the green light came on he placed her new favorite mug on the stand, her favorite flavor coffee K-cup in its place, and pressed the button to make a full cup. As he moved about, she hoped what he was doing would be the cure for the nausea she was suddenly feeling.
“I better call Qu and tell him I’m not going to make it. I hope he hasn’t already headed out. He’s going to think I’m blowing him off. Brandon be a dear and grab my cell please, it’s on my night stand.”
While Brandon walked to her bedroom and picked up her phone off the nightstand, Tierra laid her head on the cool, granite counter-top. Attempting to shield her eyes from the pain the over-head kitchen lights, she covered her head with her hands.
“Here you go Miss,” he said sliding the phone in front of her. She slowly picked up the phone and looked through her contacts for Qu’s number, but couldn’t find it.
“Stupid! I never got his number. I bet he’s not at the office either. Its forty-five minutes from his office to the restaurant. Now he’ll really think I stood him up,” she looked around the room, at the calendar, and then into space, as if the number would magically appear. Finally giving up on that idea, she put her head back on the counter top and exhaled in an over exaggerated manner, causing her lips to flutter.
“Oh well, nothing else I can do Brandon. Do not disturb me!” she warned him, shrugging her shoulders. She took a slow sip of the cup of coffee he slid in front of her. Then slowly, and unsteadily, walked off towards her bedroom, resigning herself to her Jacuzu . There was nothing she could do about Qu, until he called. So she figured she’d try to soak her migraine away.
“Brandon, just lock up as usual when you’re done for the day. Okay?” was the last thing she said before she walked into her bedroom.
Why Him?