5. Think About It 🤔

Zeke tried to talk, but I was pulling on the door handle to his car. He caught up with me and unlocked the doors. I sat in the passenger's seat, looking out the window. After a few minutes, I realized we weren't moving. I turned to face him. "Zeke, I want to go home now."

"Can I make my case first?"

I rolled my eyes. "Was this a date or were you trying to feel me out so you could get me to go with you to California? I'm not that type of girl." Thoughts of my past triggered me.

Zeke said, "You have a great voice, and I know that I can get you in places on that alone."

I listened.

"Let's help each other. All your expenses will be on me. That way, you can focus on singing and writing. In return, I need you to be present from recording sessions and business meetings to performances. I need you committed 110 percent."

I looked at my hands. "You don't even know me to do all this."

Zeke replied, "We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."

"How long will this take?" I asked him.

"As long as it needs to take. When is your apartment's lease up?"

"In three months," I answered him.

"I'll pay for that, too."

This was sounding way too good to be true. I was hesitant.

Zeke placed his hand on my shoulder. "Jamie, I know what you're thinking."

"How could you possibly know what I'm thinking? I make minimum wage for a living, I don't have a social life, and I have really bad anxiety. When I'm singing and by myself, it just feels like the only thing that can help me get through the day. I thought I'd have it all figured out by now, but no one ever really figures it out unless they're rich." I ranted.

Zeke started the engine. "I'm not changing my mind anytime soon. You have my number."

I loudly exhaled.

"I get it," Zeke spoke, "Do you really want to know why I haven't been involved in the music industry like my dad and my brother? I love music, but I want the control. And just to let you know, being rich doesn't mean I have life all figured out."

The entire drive was silent. I didn't mind it, because I was able to think. The pros were definitely outweighing the cons, but something was still tugging at my heart. Again, it seemed too good to be true.

Before I could get out the car, Zeke said, "I had a good time, Jamie. If we never see each other or talk to each other, again, I'll never forget about East Grove's talented singer, Jamie Sawyer."

Hearing that made me smile. "Well, I will never forget this day. I'm going to think about it some more. Just give me some time, and I'll let you know." I took off his jacket.

"Fair enough. I can walk you to your door."

"No need. Once I'm inside that gate, it's just me and all my neighbors." I got out the car.

"Good night, Jamie."

"Good night, Zeke."

Once I made it inside my apartment, I took off my shoes and the majority of my clothes before crashing onto my bed. I was supposed to rest my eyes, but I ended up falling asleep. When I woke up, I had a smile on my face. I just had the most satisfying dream I've ever had. There was no better way to describe it than to write a song about it. At 6:30 in the morning, I was singing and writing in my bed.

My jam session ran longer than it was supposed to as I glanced at the time on my phone. "I hate Mondays."

I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. After getting dressed for work, I gathered my things and left my apartment. The entire drive to work, my song played in my head. I wish I could go back to sleep and have that same dream.

I parked a few feet away from the building. With my keys in hand, I got out my car and walked to the building. I was ready to unlock the doors, but they were already unlocked. I looked back at the parking lot and saw my boss' car. Normally, he wasn't here on Mondays. I walked inside the store and turned on the lights. "Mr. Dave!" I called out.

"I'm here." I heard him say from his office in the back.

I went to the break room to put my things away. Then, I went to his office. "Good morning."

Dave looked up from his laptop as he sat behind the desk. "Morning. You know anyone looking for a job?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Larry quit. He's gonna be on that new American Voice Factor talent show."

I completely forgot about Larry telling me he was picked to be on the show. "Really?"

Dave sighed, "I'm gonna have my nephew come in later. How long you staying today?"

I looked up at the ceiling. "Nate said he'll close today and tomorrow. So, I'll leave at three on both days."

"I'll tell my nephew to be here at 1 p.m. so you can train him."

"Okay. I better get to work."

I walked to the register and grabbed the broom and dustpan. Might as well do a little housekeeping. As I swept, my mind went back to my dream. In it, Zeke and I were official. We went everywhere together from the red carpet to elite parties. Paparazzi was being very creative trying to snap our photos, too. I don't know how so much happened in one dream, but we went from dating to being married and becoming parents. We had a little girl. She looked exactly like Zeke. We had a large house with an ocean view. I had fortune and fame. People were calling me by my middle name.

Princess!

I never thought to use a stage name, but I like it better than Jamie Sawyer. The fans were the best. They told me how much they loved my music. Zeke was always there, too. Just like he said, he helped me and I helped him. We were a power couple, a rich family, and we were committed and faithful to one another. The way he looked at me was the way everyone wishes someone would look at them. It was love.

"Excuse me." Someone tapped my shoulder.

I snapped out of my daydreaming to see a man standing in front of me. "How can I help you, sir?"

"I'm A.B., Dave's nephew."

My eyes grew big. "Oh! Is it one o'clock, already?"

"Two o'clock," he stated. "He said you leave at 3 p.m. I figured it wouldn't take long to train me."

"Umm, okay. Do you want the typical first day training or the advanced level training?" I walked from behind the counter.

A.B.'s features took me by surprise. He was even more handsome up-close.

"Whatever you can teach me, works. I catch on pretty fast."

I asked, "Will you be working here?"

A.B. shrugged, "I haven't decided. I know I want a business like this one day. Just not sure which market to get into. My mother owns a bakery, and my other uncle owns a shoe store. All my cousins went to college and got corporate jobs. And I'm telling you this like you care to know it."

"I don't mind. I have two neighbors, Paulette and Joey, who tell me a lot of things that I don't want to hear." Totally came out the wrong way. "I mean, with them, it's old stuff that they forgot they've already told me. I'd rather hear about you."

A.B. said, "Well... to be honest, I didn't know what I wanted to do after college."

"What school did you graduate from?" I asked him.

"East Grove Community College. I got my associates in Computer Science. I still haven't used it."

I chuckled, "Don't rush it. You still have time."

A.B. laughed, "That was ten years ago."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 31."

I was baffled. "I'm sorry. Mr. Dave talked about you like you were a teenager."

"I'm his nephew. I'll always be a kid in his eyes."

I asked, "Have you been here before?"

"When I was in elementary, this was my afterschool," A.B. told me.

"I guess we can skip the tour, then. As you know, this is a music store. We sell instruments and repair them. We use a third party to repair the instruments, and we have a system that stores all our vendors that we buy the instruments from. We're like the middle man. We also buy instruments from customers and sell them used and new in the store as well as on our website and Amazon." I held up a finger. "And yes we sell music, but the kind that teaches how to play it not the radio kind."

A.B. laughed at my salesman's voice. "You must have to say that a lot."

I rolled my eyes. "It's engraved in my brain."

"Interesting. I didn't know my uncle did all that here."

The entrance door opened and one of my co-workers walked inside. "What's up, people?"

I waved at him. "Hey Nate. You okay with running the store until close? I'm training someone."

Nate's brows met. "Yeah, Jamie. I've done it before."

"Jamie," A.B. said my name.

I looked at him, waiting for his question.

"You didn't tell me your name," A.B. told me.

I was having a whole conversation with him, and I didn't tell him my name. "I'm sorry. My name is Jamie."

"Nice to meet you, Jamie," A.B. held out his hand for me to shake.

I trained A.B. on the register, I showed him the system we use to contact our vendors. He seemed to understand how everything worked. Finally, the clock struck three.

"You sure you don't have any questions about the store?" I headed for the door.

A.B. was right behind me. "Nah. It seems simple."

"Okay! Bye!" I walked out the door, and he followed me to my car.

I unlocked my car door, and he opened it for me. "Thanks." I got in and he closed my door. I rolled down my window. "Do you live around here?"

"No. I left East Grove after I graduated from college. For now, I got a room at the hotel across the street. It's close to the store. You have a good night, Jamie. Get home safely," he told me.

"I will. Bye, A.B."

As I drove home, I wore a smile. It's been a while since I met a regular, nice guy. Yes, he was attractive, but even if he wasn't, his personality was gold. Now that I think about it, he would be perfect for Monica.