Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Princess and The Playa, Part Four

Previously on “The Princess and The Playa,” Sarah was still riding high on Cloud Nine after that wonderful encounter with Duane. As she anticipated their first lunch date, she still faced hell on her job with Wendell and Brenda. Would she be able to ignore the negativity and focus on the good?

Let’s all find out together, as we take you to Part Four of “The Princess and The Playa.”



It was Wednesday, and Sarah was all smiles. In a few hours time, she would have her big lunch date with Duane, and she knew just what to wear. She picked out her “sunset” sundress. She gave it this nickname on account of the blends of orange, fuchsia, and purple. Sarah accentuated the sundress with a lovely purple sweater, matching purse. and orange open-toed shoes. She had painted her nails in fuchsia the day before. She checked herself out in the mirror, swiveling her hips and blowing a kiss to reflection.

As usual, Sarah got to work early, so she went about her normal routine and finished up ten minutes before time to open. She sent a text to Natalie and Melissa: “Girls, today is the big day—pray for me.” Natalie and Melissa replied with almost the same response: “You be sure to tell us every little detail about Mr. Duane, LOL!.”

As soon as Sarah opened the door, she took a deep breath and said a prayer. Nothing changed—Wendell was still acting like a douche bag, and Brenda was still on the right road to a good ass-kicking. However, Sarah remained calm and professional, though it wasn’t easy. As Sarah was doing her work, she thought about walking out on the job right then and there, but she thought better of it. She even thought about cussing out Wendell and Brenda, but thankfully she didn’t. Besides, she wanted to be in great spirits when Duane stopped by her office.

Around 11:55 a.m., Duane walked into her office with an orange rose. Sarah put her hand over her heart and batted her eyes, as a flirtatious smile ran across her face. Her knight in shining armor had arrived.

“Are we ready, Miss Sarah?” Duane asked as he raised one eyebrow.

“Ooh… Lord, yes!” Sarah answered as she grabbed her purse and let Wendell know that she was heading to lunch. In the process of leaving, Sarah subconsciously hooked on to Duane’s arm. Duane smiled at the gesture, but that’s about all he did.

Duane took Sarah to the pizza place that he suggested, and even offered to pay for her lunch. Sarah didn’t want to put Duane through that trouble, but she appreciated the offer. Perhaps it was fate, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but they both got the pizza pita special with a side salad and garlic bread. As they enjoyed their lunch, Duane told Sarah a little about himself—he was born and raised in Los Angeles, the eldest of three, and he was also the first in his family to attend graduate school. He was also a big sports fan; his favorite athlete was Trevor Armstrong of the Los Angeles Condors.

It was Sarah’s turn to tell a little about herself. She only mentioned that she was the middle child of three, and that she was born to write. “There’s a running joke in my family that I was born with a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other,” she chuckled.

If only for one hour, Sarah was able to forget about her problems and enjoy a wonderful lunch date with Duane. Amidst the conversation, Sarah found herself genuinely giggling at Duane’s witticisms and jokes. Duane couldn’t help but acknowledge Sarah’s gorgeous laugh, even pointing out the way Sarah’s crystal blue eyes twinkled when she smiled. As Sarah began to blush, Duane said, “And my goodness—even your nose is cute.”

“Awwwwwwww—thanks, Duane. That’s really sweet of you to say,” Sarah said as she put her hand over her heart. “I wish I could just go home after this, but I gotta go back to that hellhole. I’m trying not to think about it.”

“Can’t be that bad, can it, Liz?” Duane asked.

Sarah sighed and dropped her head in disbelief. With genuine concern, Duane caught Sarah by the hand and asked if everything was okay. Sarah took another deep breath and briefly explained to Duane the hell that she had been going through at work. “Something’s got to give, Duane,” Sarah lamented. “But I’m holdin’ out as long as I can, at least until my change comes.”

“Liz, your blessing is on its way,” Duane said as he lightly squeezed her hand. “There’s a reason why you’re going through what you’re going through, and trust me when I tell ya—God’s got something big in store for you.”

“That’s what my pastor said at church this past Sunday,” Sarah said as she looked up to the heavens. “I just hope it gets here soon.”

“It will, Liz—it will,” Duane assured her as he lightly caught her by the chin. “You just keep your head up and keep on shinin’ through the darkness.”

“Thanks for listenin’, Duane,” Sarah said, as she leaned over and kissed Duane on the cheek. Duane looked at Sarah and raised his one eyebrow, then he nodded appreciatively.

Well, Sarah had ten minutes left in her lunch break, so Duane drove her back to her office. Sarah picked up her purse and her orange rose, and thanked Duane for a lovely lunch. Just as she was about to walk into her building…

“Oh, Liz—I almost forgot!”

Sarah turned around, and Duane approached her. He caught her by the hand and said, “I hope you’re not busy this weekend, because I’d like to get to know you a little better.”

“I’d love that,” Sarah said as her eyes sparkled. “I’ll call you this evening after I leave Bible Study.”

“It’s a date!” Duane said as he squeezed her hand and kissed it, then he returned to his car.

On her way to her office, Sarah sent Natalie and Melissa a text message: “Girls, is it possible to be on Cloud Ten?”

Natalie responded: “Oooooh, Girl! Do tell!”

Melissa responded: “I’m callin’ you soon as I clock out!”






TO BE CONTINUED ON FEBRUARY 18, 2011

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