To You, Iyla, page 12
Copyright Kate Lauren 2023 thewriterkate1@gmail.com
CHAPTER NINE
I Y L A
“Where are they meeting us?” I asked Hallie as I brushed out my curls in the mirror.
“Just outside Dickson Court, according to Vic. It’s close to the School of Law building for you and not too far away from my classes either.”
The day had finally come. A big day, might I add: orientation day.
This was my chance to familiarize myself with the campus, meet some faculty and ensure I got started on the right foot. Thankfully, since Vic was a junior at UCLA, the campus environment was second nature to him.
In other words, not only would he be our personal chauffeur for the day, but he’d also be our campus tour guide—a role I’m sure he was utterly thrilled about.
On top of it being orientation day, today also marked one month since mine and Ambert’s second date. Since that night, I’d seen Ambert almost every day. We’d basically turned into Vic and Hallie.
“So…” Hallie took a seat on her bed. “How are things with Ambert? Are they good?”
“They’re more than good, to be honest,” I responded, trying to hide my lovestruck smile. “Things are great.”
“Oh…” Hallie raised an eyebrow suggestively. “I see. Lucky you.”
“Hallie, no.” I ran my makeup brush along my cheeks, ignoring her remark. “We haven’t even gotten there yet. Things take time, and it will happen when it happens. How long did it take you and Vic to…” I tried to beat around saying the word itself. “You know…”
“Have sex?” Hallie looked at me intently as she spat the words out of her mouth.
“Yes,” I mumbled under my breath, awkwardly meeting her eyes in the mirror.
“Well, it depends on the type of sex you’re referring to. If we’re talking about oral—”
“Hallie,” I cut her off. “You know what I mean. Please, don’t tell me about the other stuff you two get up to. God.”
“Fine, fine,” she caved. “I was trying to avoid saying this, but you’ve left me no choice…it was your birthday.”
“What?!” I snapped in disbelief, whipping around to face her.
“I said it was your birthday,” she repeated point-blank.
“You mean to tell me that you had sex with Vic for the first time on my birthday? Of all days, Hallie?” My shock was overtaken by a fit of laughter, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I was uncomfortable or if I genuinely found the thought of it funny.
“It wasn’t like you were having birthday sex, so I had to take one for the team.”
“What a sacrifice you had to make.”
“Oh, get over it,” she scoffed. “If it makes you feel better, it might not have even been your birthday ‘cause it was just before midnight. So, like, it could have started on and then ended after.”
“I get it.” I tried to stop her. “Trust me, I do.”
“Do you want to have sex with Ambert?” she caught me off guard with the sheer bluntness of her question.
“I mean…of course,” I replied, avoiding her very direct eye contact.
“Have you two gotten close yet?” she pried.
“A little bit,” I responded briefly, giving her little to work with as I turned back to the mirror and ran an applicator over my lips.
“What the hell does ‘a little bit’ mean?”
“We’ve gotten into heated make-out sessions. But I shut it down before things escalated,” I admitted, taking a seat across from her on the bed.
“How’d you shut it down?” Her brows creased in curiosity.
“I’d tell him that I wanted to take things slow. Or that where we were wasn’t the right space to, you know…go there. He understood, and he never made me feel bad about anything. He just reassured me and suggested something else for us to do.”
“How charming,” she responded. I couldn’t tell if she was impressed or being sarcastic. “Why is there hesitation on your part? It’s not like it’s your first time.”
“I don’t know.” I huffed in annoyance as I brought my hands up to my forehead, trying to process all the thoughts rushing through my mind. “Maybe that’s exactly why I’m nervous. I don’t want to open up to someone and get hurt again.”
Hallie opened her mouth.
“Don’t you dare turn that last part into an innuendo.”
She pouted. “You know me too well. But listen, Iyla,” she began. “Don’t let Dalton and his cheating ass stand in the way of you doing something you want to do with someone you care about. At the end of the day, do what’s best for you. If that means waiting, then that’s okay. But if that means going to the next step with Ambert, then that’s okay, too.”
I let out a breath, knowing damn well that everything she was saying was true. I couldn’t let the past affect my future or interfere with someone I cared about.
“Wait,” she added with a long pause. “Is Ambert a virgin?”
"I…uh…I don’t know, actually.”
“Does he give off virgin energy?”
“Virgin energy? What the hell is virgin energy, Hallie?” I felt so out of tune with her vocabulary. “Is that even something I should’ve asked him? Did you ask Vic?”
“You bet your ass I asked Vic. One, I’m nosy, and two, because I was curious.”
I frowned. “Sometimes I wish I had your confidence.”
“You do.” She stood up from the bed and pulled me up with her. “You’ve just got to find it within yourself.”
I pondered internally over her last sentence as we gathered some final things around the room.
“He wasn’t, for the record,” Hallie clarified after a moment. “Judging by the way that tongue worked, it was pretty obvious.”
“Okay, enough of this sex education conversation.” I headed towards the door.
“You’re right.” She winked. “We’ve got some hot guys to meet and hopefully some even hotter professors to talk to.”
“Fancy seeing you here!” Hallie squealed, running into Vic’s arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. At the same time, I walked over to Ambert far less theatrically and embraced him in a hug.
“Hey, Iy.” He pulled me in for a kiss as we interlocked our hands.
“So, Mr. Tour Guide,” I looked at Vic as he let Hallie down. “Where’s our first stop?”
“There are a couple of orientation events. Depends on what you three want to do first,” he responded.
“Let’s meet some of the faculty members first,” I suggested to the group.
“Oh no, it’s the fun police,” Hallie teased, nudging me with her shoulder. “But she’s right. We should focus on the school stuff first.”
Ambert nodded in agreement, displaying another thing I’d learned about him: his carefree and go-with-the-flow nature. As much as he’d say “sorry,” he’d also say, “sounds good,” or “works for me,” almost every time I’d suggest an idea.
“Okay, Iyla, that’s the law building there.” Vic pointed towards the building behind me. “Ambert, your classes are in Royce Hall, and Hal, you’ve got some classes in MacGowan Hall, which isn’t too far away from here.”
“Perfect!” Hallie clapped in excitement. “Let’s meet back here in an hour.”
“Works for me.” Ambert smiled, causing me to chuckle to myself.
See what I mean?
As Hallie and Vic walked towards the northside of the campus, Ambert gently squeezed my hand and rested his forehead against mine, clearly sensing the anxiety that threatened to wash over my face once the laughter had passed. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I responded, desperate to convince myself just as much as I was trying to convince him. “Just a bit nervous, that’s all.”
“I’m not nervous for you.” He kissed my forehead. “My girlfriend is going to blow everyone away.”
I still couldn’t get over how the word ‘girlfriend’ rolled off his tongue. It had only been a few weeks, but even so, the feeling hadn’t worn off. “I just want to make sure I leave a good first impression. They say first impressions are the most important, and if I mess this up, then—”
He pressed his lips against mine to cut me off; this tactic had somehow become our way of reassurance or confirmation—and I wasn’t mad about it.
“Just be yourself, okay? I know you, and I know you’ll do amazing.”
I took a final deep breath in. “I hope so.”
“No more stalling.” Ambert walked me towards the front door. “Now, it’s your time to shine.”
Copyright Kate Lauren 2023 thewriterkate1@gmail.com
The
Ninth Entry
C E L E S T E
July 21
As we pulled into the parking lot at Tim and Sally’s, I noticed Claire sitting on the hood of a blue sedan with Korey by her side. The two seemed to be engaging in a conversation that was soon interrupted by the revving of Zeke’s motorcycle as we pulled up beside them.
Claire’s jaw dropped as I removed my helmet and stepped off the bike. “Celeste?” she questioned, clearly in disbelief.
“Hey, Claire.” I smiled at her before her shocked gaze shifted and landed on Zeke.
“I don’t know who you are, but all I can ask is, how did you manage to get her on that bike? Do you know she’s always had a personal vendetta against them?”
Zeke smirked in my direction. “A vendetta?” he repeated.
“Not so much a vendetta,” I argued. “But a personal distrust in the safety and level of risk associated with motorcycles.”
“It’s a vendetta, Celeste.” Claire rolled her eyes as she walked back over to Korey. “Hey, can you feel my head? I think I might have a fever. Too much is happening this morning.”
“You’re fine.” He laughed, pulling her to his side as they embraced in a kiss.
Claire and Korey were an immediate match. It was as if I could see their whole future in just a few seconds as they stared at each other.
A big house, dream jobs, kids running around. That cookie-cutter life, the one Claire always wanted. The one she deserved.
“It’s great to see you again, Celeste,” Korey spoke up in my direction. “And Zeke,” he shifted his attention. “You remembered how to get here?”
“It wouldn’t be my first time,” Zeke responded, prompting a momentary pause.
“Well, all right then. Let’s go get some food, shall we?”
We followed Korey as we made our way inside.
“I thought you said you never break your rules,” Zeke whispered into my ear as we inched towards the door.
“I don’t,” I hissed back, doing my best to ignore the heat that soared to my core as a result of his warm breath.
He cocked an eyebrow, amused at how every syllable that left his mouth always forced a redness to my cheeks.
“Usually,” I muttered as the door chimed once we’d walked through the door.
“Welcome to Tim and Sally’s!” a man appeared from behind the counter, pausing when he recognized Korey’s face. “Korey? What are you doing here?”
“What? I can’t stop by to support my best friend’s business?” Korey mocked.
“Is that what you call it when you want someone to cook for you?” he shot back, brushing some flour off his hands and onto his apron.
Korey rolled his eyes as he gestured towards Claire. “Timmy, this is Claire. Claire, this is my best friend, Timmy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Claire.” He waved. “And don’t listen to anything Ree-Ree tells you. It’s Tim.”
Korey’s face turned red as Claire burst into laughter. “Ree-Ree?” she repeated.
“What? He hasn’t told you what his mom calls him yet?” Tim’s eyes sparkled with delight as he playfully teased him.
“No, but after this conversation, I know exactly what I’ll call him from now on.”
“Okay, okay.” Korey put his hands up in mercy. “Let’s continue with the introductions, please. Zeke, you’ve met Tim.” He emphasized his name. “And Celeste, this is Tim. My annoying best friend, who happens to own this coffee shop with his wife, Alma.”
“It’s great to meet you, Tim.” I reached over the counter to shake his hand. “The food smells amazing and I’m ready to eat.” My stomach rumbling confirmed my words.
“Whatever you guys want, it’s on the house!” Tim smiled. “Alma would kill me if I made you pay for anything.”
“What would I kill you for?” A pregnant woman appeared from the back. “Oh, hi, everyone.” A grin formed on her face as she examined ours. “Tim, you make sure everything is on the house for them, okay?”
“What did I tell you?” Tim shook his head and took each of our orders before we found a comfortable booth by the window.
Zeke sank down beside me, Korey and Claire sat across from us, and Alma pulled a chair from an empty table to join us.
“I’m Alma,” she more formally introduced herself. “And this…” she placed her hands on her swollen belly. “Is the bun that needs to get out of the oven.”
“Can I?” Claire reached to place her hand on Alma’s stomach, who nodded agreeably.
“Do you like babies?” Alma asked as her eyes shifted to Korey with that “I like her already” look.
“I do,” Claire responded, not catching Alma’s glance at Korey. “I can’t wait to have my own.”
I shook my head internally, knowing just how much Claire did, in fact, love babies, kids, and any children for that matter. Claire had always talked about being a mom. She’d told me she wanted to have a baby within a year of graduation.
“Don’t you want to work a little bit?” I would ask her, questioning why that was her plan after spending so much time in school.
“Being a mom is work,” she’d scold me. “But this way, I’ll be an educated mom who will begin her career after she’s had all her babies.”
“Alma!” Tim shouted from across the restaurant, breaking me out of my flashback. “Could you give me a hand?”
“I’ll be right back.” She slowly got up from her chair and waddled behind the counter.
I looked over to Zeke, who had been awfully quiet throughout the entire exchange. “You said this isn’t your first time here, right?”
“Yeah, it’s not. I’ve been here a few times before. With Korey, of course.”
I gave him an affirming smile as I placed one of my hands on his leg, hopeful that he’d remember our conversation back in the elevator.
“I want to hear you talk.”
“I’ll say whatever you want to hear.”
“So, Korey,” I butt in. “How long have Tim and Alma owned this place? And how come it’s called Tim and Sally’s, not Tim and Alma’s?”
Korey smirked at my curiosity. “Full of questions,” he remarked with a cock of his eyebrow, wrapping an arm around Claire. “They’ve owned it for about a year. Sally is a nod to Tim’s grandmother—the person who got him into cooking. Not some other lover, so don’t worry.” He winked.
“How old are you?” Claire asked Korey in an attempt to continue the conversation.
“Twenty-five,” he responded.
“You better watch out, Claire,” Zeke finally spoke up. “Korey’s an old man.”
“Zeke.” Korey sighed, seemingly unimpressed. “I’m one month older than you.”
“Still older, Ree-Ree.” He wrapped an arm behind me as I settled in, a faint laugh escaping my lips.
“You know what?” Korey crossed his arms. “You guys are being childish. And besides, age is but a number. I’m seasoned. I’m ripe.”
“That you are.” Claire raised her eyebrows suggestively, prompting my cheeks to redden.
“I’ve got goodies!” Alma sang out, working her way back over to the table as she carried an assortment of baked goods and drinks. “Enjoy your brunch, guys. If you need anything, let us know.”
“This smells amazing!” Claire reached for her croissant and what I assumed was a chai latte as I grabbed my blueberry scone and tea.
Zeke had ordered a modest black coffee and a sesame bagel. In contrast, Korey must’ve been ravenous, considering he ordered a donut, breakfast sandwich with a hash brown and a large orange juice.
“Zeke?” Claire peered up at him after a few bites. “Tell us more about you. How long have you worked at Club Affinity?”
“A couple of years,” he answered briefly as he sipped on his drink.
“And how do you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s okay.” He shrugged. “Spring break tends to be a nightmare, so I take the week off.”
His response made me think. “Then why were you there yesterday?”
“I got called in.” He looked over at me, but my gut told me that that was far from the truth.
As if he could see my mind piecing together the follow-up questions I had already formulated, Zeke started to slide his way out of the booth.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“Just to the bathroom.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
As he fell out of earshot, I looked over to Korey. “Is he always this mysterious?”
He shrugged. “Yes and no. I told you, it really depends on the day with Zeke.”
“Well, what do you know about him? He said you guys were good friends.”
Korey let out a sigh. “Zeke’s complicated. Let’s just say that he’s been through some tough shit, and I helped him for a while.”
“What did you do?” My eyes carefully scanned the café for any sign of Zeke returning. Nothing yet.
