Slice (The Elledge Family #1) (4 page)

Every word out of his mouth was damned poem. “A date sounds like a great way to start off the year.”

“Great,” Lucas slid me his notebook and I read over the words. I had a date with Mr. Literary genius and then my life was getting better immediately.

Chapter Two

Cypress

Colorado Springs had gone from strange to perfect in a matter of a week. I was still new and it made outings hard. I really only knew Lucas and I really didn’t know him. Hopefully this trip to the Summit would change that. I had to admit it was rather weird going from Tennessee to Colorado. The mountains were hypnotic, capped with white snow and ranging in colors. It was a dream or at least it seemed like one.

I had spent a ton of time with Lucas in the past week and it was weird because after the hell I had been through it was the last thing I needed. I honestly was still reeling from the fact that he had asked me out in the first place. He was a handsome guy and not in the American way. His locks hung in his face most of the time. Even when he pulled them into a messy bun on the top of his head they still found a way to escape. His eyes were like two emeralds with hints of blue blazing through the stark green, and his smile caused my heart to skip a beat every time he flashed it. It was hard to not stare, more importantly to make a conversation worth having when he was around. Lucas made me nervous and I was afraid that the butterflies that were hidden inside would try to escape. He made me feel something new, not fear or anxious reeling.

Friday had snuck up on me quicker than expected.  I had shopped for a perfect outfit to wear to The Summit, based on what my only friend and neighbor had told me, it was not a dressy place. I decided to go with a sleek cream dress and some pastel floral heels, I’d found at a thrift store. Then there was my disarray of sandy brown curls that could never be tamed. My mom had passed her curls to me and I loved them, but they made it hard to tame them. I brushed them into a bun and then put on my glasses.

Lucas was to be here in ten minutes. The apartment was cleaned; though there was barely anything in it. I didn’t want to buy furniture until I knew I had a job. I tossed my backpack I the empty, guess room. And there was a knock at the door.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
I knew he was prompt. Every morning he was in class like he never slept. But these final ten minutes for me were crucial. I couldn’t decide on lipstick or eye shadow at the moment. I kicked off my heels and bustled over to the door. I barely busted my face on the corner of the door. Thank God for quick reflexes. I swiped down my dress and opened the front door.

“Tell me this is your outfit!” Shia, my neighbor, smiled as she walked in the apartment. She so far was my only associate in the area. I hadn’t got out enough to have more than her. She was dressed up as well. Her petite stature was far different from mine. Not to mention the Brunette was first runner up for Ms. Colorado last year. It was her best feature, or so she said.

“It is,” I smirked. “Should I toss on some red lipstick or perhaps this coral?” I held the two cylinder tubes up in front of her.

“No, leave it simple with the coral.” She bounced into the apartment and closed the door behind her. I could smell her Chanel No. 5 clear across the room. She was drenched in money.

“Where are you going?”

“I actually got an invite to The Summit too! I got one from Mark, do you know him?”

“I’ve heard of him.” I lied. I applied the coral lipstick and pressed my lips together. Coral was a good decision with the gold eye shadow I had laid out. I patted down my face lightly with bronze finishing powder and then spritzed some generic perfume on. Fancy was not the way around here.

“Well, he is taking me there. He said he should be over to my place in a few minutes. I came to see if I looked okay?”

My eyes rolled as I looked her over. Shia looked like she stepped out of a magazine. She knew she looked beautiful. I glanced over her long brown hair, it cascaded down her back. She didn’t have a damn once of body fat on her. Unlike me who was blessed with too many curves. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you Cypress! You look cute!”

Cute, I looked back in the mirror. “Perfect.” I nodded as the melodic tone of the doorbell filled my apartment.

“I got it!” Shia waltzed over to the door as if her name was on the lease and posed in the jam of the door. “Hello.”

“Uh… pardon me is this Cypress’ apartment?” Lucas sounded confused and not the least bit amused.

It made me chuckle as I shoved my makeup in the kitchen drawer. God, I needed furniture.

“Yes, come on in, my name is Shia.”

“Well actually if you are Shia my brother is across the hall waiting for you to answer your door… could we switch and I take Cypress off your hands and you take me off of his?”

He was so charming. He literally had just kicked her out of the apartment and she politely made her way out with no fuss.

I waited patiently for the door to close and then turned to him. He was dressed simple. Dark denim jeans with a pin striped black and white top that hung off of his arms. The short sleeves revealed a sleeve of tattoos that I never knew existed. But it made him all the more attractive. My eyes made their way up to his face. He was so clean shaven and neat to be so rugged. His hair was pulled into a bun and he smiled at me.

Lucas handed me the small bouquet of yellow daisies. I couldn’t contain the smile on my face. “Thank you.”

“You’re so pretty.” He paused. “Beautiful actually.” He whispered. His eyes wandered over my body and he smiled a small smile. “I’m happy you said yes.”

“Me too.”

It was so quiet but I felt like there was something being said. He broke the silence. “I didn’t know your apartment was so new I would have bought a vase.”