True Fate (3 page)

Mid giggle Nia finally answered, "I don't
know but I sure hope so! He just moved here and wants to know where the
'locals' hang out. I got his number and gave him mine."

Amarie smiled now too. "Well I think he's
nice... and nice to look at!" Now they were all laughing together.

They had a ways to go to drive home, they
exchanged the afternoon's stories and cranked the radio. Nia found her mind
drifting to Aaron though. She wondered if and when she'd see him again.

Pulling up to their house was always an awesome
sight. It was hard to get used to the enormity of it. They had bought the
property in Manvel, Texas two years ago and had built a house from the ground
up.

Manvel was close enough that they could drive
into Houston and it not be too far. They finally moved in a few months ago and
were just getting settled. White brick and pillars in beautiful plantation style.
The large windows were one of Nia’s many favorite features to the gorgeous home.

The wrap around porch was Nia's favorite part of
it especially the back side that was screened in. It had the most comfortable
chair on the entire property! You could sit at least two people in the hammock
style "cloud" as Nia affectionately called it. She could read or
listen to music in it for hours at a time. Especially on days like this when
the sky was so blue against the contrast of the rich green of the grass. It was
hard to even go inside now.

She got out of the car and sighed with a stretch
eyeing the hammock that hung under two pecan trees about six feet from the
swimming pool, just waiting for her and a book. That was her second favorite
spot. She absolutely loved October, it brought the breeze and gave them a break
from the scorching hundred plus temperatures that they usually had.

She helped her sisters with their bags and they
went inside. It looked like an old movie to Nia. Her mother clearly spared no
expense on their dream home. It wasn't opulent but, old plantation meets
comfortable, livable spaces. The wood floors were a deep mahogany and strewn
with rugs. It was quickly becoming home. Nia carried the bags upstairs and left
them in the hallway, she didn't really know whose was whose anyway.

She opened the door to her room which she loved.
After all it looked like a library with a bed in it. Her mom searched high and
low for the black and grey baroque wallpaper that graced her walls. The four
poster, queen sized bed took her like a second to pick out! The long black
material draped at each corner fully enclosed the bed if she wanted. Her
bedspread was black with red throw pillows and white ones too.

The built in shelves were her mom's surprise
reveal when she showed her the finished project. They were a semi shiny black
and just perfectly matching her bed and her heavy antique desk.

If Nia could claim an obsession she indulged in, it
would be her book collection. She had her favorite classics like Bronte,
Austen, Shakespeare, and her favorite book in her collection was Camille by
Alexandre Dumas, she treasured that book. It was a beautiful pristine edition
and her most valuable possession to date. And then she has a collection of
Young Adult books they are her absolute favorite genre! Dystopian and
Paranormal are second followed by her newfound love, New Adult.

Her Twilight signed special editions are on
display behind glass which gets her laughs from newcomers but she couldn't care
less. Her battered copy of The Host sits by her bed, along with Clockwork
Prince, which is what she'd been currently reading. She is obsessed with her
manga and her Emily Strange!

 
Her walk-in
closet slash dressing room was a little wrecked but she would clean up before
bed. Kicking off her favorite pair of black and white checked Vans, she threw
her black hoodie over her vanity chair. The door to her black tiled bathroom was
open and she decided to shower. Nia put the shower in waterfall mode then
ventured back into her room to turn on some music, loving that she didn't have
to blast it just to hear it in the bathroom anymore. The speakers in her
dressing room, bathroom and bedroom were her dad's gift to the entire house on
her nineteenth birthday.

Nia stripped down and threw her clothes at the
hamper missing it by an inch, as Mazzy Star began to flow through the speakers.
Fade Into You was her absolute favorite. Stepping into the shower she moved
under the warm stream of water and couldn't help but let her thoughts drift to
Aaron. Switching the shower to rain she wondered how soon he'd get in touch
with her. She could picture his deep blue eyes and the way he bit his lip with
his dimple showing itself when she made him laugh. She wanted to do that a
million more times. Whatever this was going on between her and this stranger,
she was definitely willing to find out.

Nia had always been reluctant when it came to
guys having her fair share of boyfriends but they only wanted one thing and she
wasn't about to give that up to just anybody. The moment they figured out she
wasn't going to put out they were full of excuses as to why they needed space.

Why on earth do guys have to be so ridiculous
about breakups? Nia mused lathering the strawberry shampoo into her long hair.
I mean couldn’t they just say what they meant for God's sake!
'It's not you,
it's me'
was her least favorite cliché. She couldn't stand the softened
blow. Just say I'm sorry I had no idea you weren't willing to let me take your
virginity and I need a girl who wants to. Ugh...

She knew for a fact she'd never been fully in love
before although her relationship with Jude in her senior year sure came close.
But she was in love with him and he was pretending very well too. She was
snowed and had her heart handed to her on a silver platter on her prom night.
Watching him leave with a random girl was world shattering. She hadn't even
given a guy the time of day since then, but after meeting Aaron she felt her
heart melting a little and her carefully constructed wall beginning to crumble.

Drying off she heard her message tone ring and
wrapped her towel around her to go see who texted. It was her mom.

Mom: Hey sweetie can u please bring Lena 2 me n
pick up our dinner on your way? Going to be a late night w/ this inventory
;)
 

Nia: Sure :) no prob.

Mom: K thanks n I ordered Italian. It's under my
name

Nia: Of course mom see you soon <3

 
Dressing
in her jeans and Texas A & M sweatshirt she ran a brush through her hair
and pulled it back in a smooth ponytail. She grabbed her bag, MP3 player, keys
and phone and went downstairs.

She found Lena in the kitchen with her teacup Chihuahua,
Viggo. Yes, Viggo because she was absolutely obsessed with his character
Aragorn on The Lord of The Rings movies. She didn't want to name him Aragorn,
so she opted for Viggo Mortensen. The entire family called him Viggo though. He
has full reign of the house until they leave, then its kennel time.

"Mom said I'm supposed to take you to her,
she has inventory late tonight." Nia said checking the caller ID on the
house phone.

Lena put Viggo in his cage petting him then
securing the latches, "I know, she texted me."

"You ready then?” Nia asked getting a water
out of the fridge.
 

"Yeah let me grab my stuff." Lena took
off upstairs.

Nia's phone buzzed yet again and she wondered
what mom forgot to tell her. But it wasn't mom.

It was Aaron.

Aaron: Had a great time today, wondering if u were
free tomorrow? I kind of took the day off hoping u might be free.... =)

Nia felt like a fool but hopped up and down a few
times with a giggle.

Nia: Let me check in with work... I'll get back to
you ASAP! ;)

She typed with shaking fingers laughing at
herself.

She looked up at Lena coming down the stairs with a
backpack and a smile on her face.

"What was all that craziness about!?" she
asked Nia.

"It was Aaron.” she replied with a smile.

Lena's eyes went wide, "Wow, he sure didn't
waste any time," then she giggled right along with her on their way out
the door.

Nia locked up and left a note just in case dad came
home earlier than expected.

She opened the garage door revealing her precious
baby. She got her 2013 Dodge Charger with a HEMI on her nineteenth birthday she
put the down payment all by herself. Her dad helped her locate the perfect one
too. She loved the Mini Cooper her parents got her when she was sixteen but
American Muscle had always been her favorite. Her dad didn't care though he was
proud of her for doing it for herself and for her choice in American cars.

She ran her hand across the side of the sleek black
body then unlocked the doors and reminded Lena to fasten her seatbelt and they
were on their way.

Her phone rang through the speakers and she
pressed the button on the wheel to answer it.

"Hello?" Nia said.

"Hey!” an all too familiar voice rang
through the speakers.

"Hi Rhea." Nia replied.

"What's up, girl?" Rhea said while
crunching on something rather loudly.

"Will you please stop chewing in my ear?"
Nia chuckled out, "You are so gross, Rae."
 

Lena gets an evil little grin and blurts out,
"Rhea hi! Guess what!? Nia's got a boyfriend!!"

Nia smacked her arm, while Rhea's crunching
stopped and she choked out a garbled, "What?" and proceeded to start
coughing.

"OMG! Are you okay?” Nia says in a concerned
tone, "and no, I do not have a boyfriend. Jeez I just met him!" she
exclaimed.

Clearly recovered Rhea asks "Who are we
talking about here?"

Lena answers before Nia gets a chance, "His
name is Aaron Pierce or Peters or something and he is so cute you should
totally see him!"

"Okay, okay, enough." Nia interjects.

Rhea laughs, "Okay and when were you going
to tell me about this?” she says in a pouty voice.

"Actually I was going to see what you had
planned for the rest of the day. I'm coming to town to leave Lena with Mom.
It's an inventory night.” Nia explains.

"That's perfect! Dad is leaving in like
thirty minutes he'll be overnight at the docks.” She told Nia.

 
"Awesome! Sleep over then?" Nia
asks.

"But of course darling.” Rhea shoots back.

"Oh, and Nia...” Rhea adds.

"You will spill everything and I do mean
EVERYTHING!” Nia laughs and says "Bye!"

Of course she had every intention of telling her
absolutely everything even the strange charge brought on by his touch. Maybe
Rhea can help her make sense of the feelings she's been having. She couldn't
possibly be this drawn to a complete stranger.

Lena asks if she can DJ for the rest of the ride
and Nia doesn't mind. She's lost in her head anyway.

Parking in a spot in front of Zio's they get out
to grab the food. Once back in the car Nia turned the radio down. Driving in
the city takes a little bit more concentration.

Once they made it to her mom's studio they parked
around back next to Margie's Chocolate Porsche Cayenne and Amarie's red Jetta.
Inside they found her mom, Margie and Amarie laying out a plan for their
inventory team. Lena hugged their mom then went to sit at the break room table
waving at Dana their mom's assistant on the way. Nia kissed her mom's cheek and
explained her plans for the night while giving Dana a hug.

"Don't forget to call your dad and let him
know where you'll be. He is the worry wart after all." Nia nodded knowing
she needed to call him anyway about the work schedule.

"Okay mom I will. Love you! Bye Lena, bye
Amarie. Bye happy inventory team.” Nia said waving both hands. They all responded
in unison, "Bye Nia!" She laughed all the way out the door.

She really was glad her mom has a great staff. It
wasn't always that way but her mom was a lot happier now that she finally has
people she can count on.