Sold
“Girl, you have been in a serious daze lately. What is going on with you?” Tini asked.
“I got passed over for another promotion.”
“I don’t know why you even bother applying, you know that damn director has it in for you.”
“That may be true, but I have worked my ass off elevating and organizing that place. The foot traffic has increased substantially since I have been working there.”
“Maybe it’s not the books that are attracting the readers as much as it’s your sexy ass traipsing around in them tight ass skirts. You are a walking wet dream for many men and probably some women. The sexy librarian,” she purred with her lips puckered. “And you wear glasses too, you are the best porn reenactment if I ever saw one.”
“One, my skirts are not that damn tight; two I need the damn glasses to see. Hell, I’m blind as shit without them. And three, ain’t nobody coming to the damn library trying to see me. It’s the damn library, HELLO. They are coming to check out books because they like to read, you should try it every once in a while.”
“Bump you, I know what I did read lately. That big ass SOLD sign in your yard.”
“And now you know my other dilemma,” I sighed. “I now have to find a new place to stay and the clock is ticking.”
“It was a shithole anyway. The landlord never fixed any damn thing.”
“It paid to work at the library, those fix it yourself books worked in my favor.” I grinned. Truthfully, I loved books and my prior place of employment became too overwhelming with some hidden danger. A change was definitely needed. “Plus, it was affordable. Without that raise, I don’t know how I will be able to find anything new.”
“I know how, your old spot is just waiting to be filled.” The look I gave her must have hit its mark because she started to laugh. “Why are you looking at me like I have a huge alien size head or something? That body is built for the stage. You could make more in one night than you make at that stuffy library in a month.”
“Not gonna happen chick, give it a rest.” I warned. She was always trying to get me back into the club scene. Stripping was a thing of the past.
“Fine, what are you going to do then? Continue to wallow in your struggle chronicles?”
“I hate you, struggle chronicles, really?” I laughed with her and her crazy ass sayings. “When I figure it out, I will let you know.”
Two weeks later, and I’m still in this damn rut. Every place that I have applied for has yet to call me back or they want too much money up front. Though I have a small nest egg in my savings, blowing it all on a place that I don’t own is out of the question.
“May I help you?” I asked the gentlemen that stood on my porch. He was dressed in business casual attire, khakis and a polo shirt. The brother was fine, no doubt about that.
“Good afternoon, my name is Tyler Murphy and I am the new owner.” He introduced himself with a handshake. His voice alone made me swoon, but the touch of his hand surrounded me like a warm blanket in the summer heat. “Are you alright? I apologize for…” Tyler began as I realized that I had yet to speak.
“No, I mean yes. I am fine just a little shell-shocked.” I shook my head in embarrassment for staring at the man. “Would you like to come inside?”
“I wouldn’t want to impose but I do need to survey the inside of the property to access the areas that need attention.”
“Of course,” the smile I once had wiped away. This man was the enemy, because of him I no longer had a place to live. While he went about looking over the property, I began working on dinner. In my own mind, I couldn’t help but harp over the shit-show that was my life. Nothing about what was happening to me was fair, but it was LIFE. Unfortunately, I was born into shit and I will probably die in even more shit.
“You know, I searched high and low for this place.” His voice shook me out of my trip down shitty lane.
“Oh yeah?” I frowned at his conversation starter. “How did you find the listing?” “It wasn’t listed as much as I sought out the owner to demand he sell.” He chuckled darkly.
“Why is that?” I shakily asked. The familiar uneasy feeling crept down my spine and I cursed myself for being so vulnerable.
“I think you know why,” he said from directly behind me. Eyeing the butcher knife in the block, I contemplated on the quickest way to reach for it. “Don’t even bother, you would only further piss me off.” His big hands gripped the sink where I stood, trapping me against it.
“Yo-you are him, aren’t you?” I stammered over the words already knowing the answer.
“Him who?” He asked. “Say it aloud so the class can hear.”
“My stalker,” I whispered in disbelief.
“Stalker,” he questioned. “Stalker?!” I jumped at the hostility in his voice.
“No sweetheart, I prefer protector or benefactor. Better yet, consider me as your man in the shadows. I was there for you every step of the way before you decided to uproot your life and make some drastic changes. I protected you against any threat that ever came your way. You never wanted for money since the first day that I met you.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“Don’t worry, we have a lifetime to get to know one another better.” His once smooth as silk voice now took on a sinister vibe. From what I could detect, I have officially slid down the slippery slope of despair with no clue of how to get out. Just as I suspected, I will die in shit and he introduced himself as Tyler Murphy, my stalker.
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