Calling harder

Valerie.

The car came to a stop on the usual spot in the school's parking lot. I rushed to meet Blake in the hallway. I found him standing and looking out like he was waiting for me. I couldn't help but notice the ugly look he had on his face like he was bothered about something. Of course, he was. It was too early to forget about earlier today at my house.

"Hey," I said as I came to a stop in front of him.

He nodded his head to me and beckoned for me to follow him. I followed him towards Mr. Donovan's office. He stopped outside while I proceeded inside to see him seated in his chair, his slim glasses seated on top of his slim long nose bridge as he peered into some papers displayed over his desk in front of him.

Mr. Donovan was an elderly man, probably in his late 60's but he was understanding. Well, most of the time he wasn't really cooperative or understanding, but I just prayed he would this time.

"Hey, Valerie." He called, optimism ringing in his voice.

"Mr. Donovan, I. . . . " I took the seat in front of him carefully. I had my hands tightened together to suppress my nervousness. "You asked to see me?"

"Yes, Miss Valerie. Blake told me you wanted to skip my paper?"

"Yes sir, something came up. I'm really sorry. I know I should have. . ."

"Come to me by yourself? Yes. That was the reason I asked to see you personally. I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth and to know why exactly I need to reschedule my exam for you."

"Well. . . I. . . Ah. . Have a show to attend on the 20th and I must get there before the end of the week."

"Care to elaborate more on this?"

"Well. . . . My boss wanted me to attend this gala, but it's just for the advertising part of it. This gala is for the Baratheon Royal family of Vidin Kingdom."

He looks up at me through his slim glasses before straightening up and saying. "Did you say the Baratheon Royal family of Vidin Kingdom ?"

I nodded fiercely, a big smile on my cheeks.

"Well. . . I'm not letting you go because it's their gala, but just be back on time to take the exam."

"Yes!" I screamed. "Thank you, sir!"

The instant I walked out, I threw myself on Blake, crushing him in a tight hug before he could even finish the question he started asking.

"Okay. . . . Seems it went well then." He said.

Pulling away from him, I started rummaging through my handbag for my phone.

"I need to call Angelo and tell him that I'm totally free for everything and then call my mom!"

"Okay!" Blake replied festively. "You should do that." He encouraged with a bright smile.

I picked out my phone after the long search and dialed Angelo's number. He picked up almost immediately.

"Hello? . . . " He was saying,

"Get my things ready, Angelo, we're going for the gala!" I cut him off, not waiting for his long reply before disconnecting the call.

Looking back at Blake whose smile was unfading, I decided it had been a really long time since we actually went out to eat together and just talk. With my job and school. . . We've both been so distant for a long time.

"How about. . . . " I said with a big smile, pulling a hand on my hips so he would put his inside ". . . We go somewhere quiet so we can eat and talk?"

"And then you can call your mom?" He asked teasingly, putting his arm inside mine.

"And then I'll call my mom." I repeated his statement before we both walked back to my car and I asked us to be driven to one of our favorite spots.

EAT OR TAKE was just around the corner of the busy street, its glass walls shining in the early afternoon light.

Blake and I sat at the front table, me going through the menu for the hundredth time since the last thirty minutes.

"Are you gonna keep staring at that menu? Or are you gonna just order black salmonella?" Blake finally commented, causing me to look away from the menu only to look at him for a second, exhaled, and looked back into the menu.

"Why do they even call it 'black salmonella'?" I asked absentmindedly, still looking for the perfect meal to order.

"Uh, because it's black?"

I gave him a look before closing the menu and sliding it across the table. I waved a hand at the waitress who had served us earlier, who also couldn't get his eyes off Blake since we walked in here.

She was beautiful, a blond with busts that were obviously too big for her thin body to carry. I'd totally get it if Blake finds her attractive though. I mean, men like girls with big busts and asses.

She stopped before me, the permanent smile on her face.

"You're ready to order now, ma'am?"

"Yes. I'd like to have a plate of salad. Only veggies. Thank you."

She nodded with a broader smile before walking away.

Looking back at Blake who seemed distracted by the lump of meat he was eating, I said. "I saw how that waitress kept looking at you."

"I'm not looking for a waitress, Val. But I could take her for the night if she's down for it."

I chuckled lightly and replied. "What kind of woman are you looking for?"

"A fearless type. The one who would fight for the one who she truly loves."

I laughed hard and replied. "I take it that you're looking for a woman who would ask you out on a date then"

He shrugged, grabbing his wine glass to drink out of it. Just then, the waitress came back with my order. I saw how Blake checked her out now before she walked away.

I thought about teasing him about it but the thought of the man back at my house crossed my mind again. I felt like I needed to talk to somebody about him but I didn't know if Blake was the right person to talk about that with.

He already showed his disapproval back at the house earlier today, imagine me telling him now that I'm thinking that same man should remain at my house until he was ready to leave. Blake would go blister.

Luke had said someone tried to kill him and he didn't even know this place. He probably didn't know where he was from and as creepy as that sounded, it didn't seem to bother me much.

I knew if he was going to be staying at my house, he needed some clothes to wear, and I wasn't about to ask Blake to lend him some of his when I could just buy him some. It was not like he could borrow some of mine. I'm hilarious, really.

"Is something going on in your mind? Wanna talk about it too? " Blake asked, finishing the last piece on his plate.

I nodded before replying. "But I don't think you'd wanna hear it."

"What? It's about the guy at your house?" He said, disgust evident in his voice. I knew he would easily guess it.

"His name is Luke, Blake." I told him as slowly as possible.

"You even know his name, Luke! That's a fancy name, don't you think?"

"Blake please, I just wanna help him."

"I understand that Val, but putting him in your house and putting your life in harm's way? It's dangerous, and you know it."

"He's not like that . . ." I trailed off once I saw him giving me the look that said 'What? you know him now?'

". . . I mean, Blake, come on! Nothing's gonna happen. He's probably gonna be here for a few days and then he'll be gone."

Blake stared at me contemplating for a moment before replying "Alright, Val. This is your decision and I respect that. If you feel like keeping him, then I'm with you then."

Somehow, him saying that felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off my tiny neck and I could finally breathe well.

"But I'm gonna need your help," I told him, causing him to pause from putting the wine glass on his lips. "I need to get him some clothes." I continued. "He needs something to wear."

"You've never bought me clothes." Blake pouted and I almost smashed his shoulders. I'm being serious here. Why can't he see the urgency of the matter?

"Blake, come on. . . ."

"Fine." He threw out his arms in utter exasperation. "Where do you want us to go?"

I squeaked in excitement, restraining myself from throwing my hands apart like a schoolgirl.

After finishing my meal, we drove to one of the closest male wear boutiques across town. Blake barely did what I needed him to do for me, he didn't contribute to choosing the right outfit for Luke. All he did was agree to any color of shirt or pants that I picked and stood at a specified spot throughout the shopping. It was boring but kinda nice cause he kept making me laugh. He wouldn't stop whining about how he thought this was still a bad idea. The bad idea is the fact that I'm keeping Luke at my house when I could've helped him enough by shipping him off to a hotel or something.

But the truth remains that I didn't feel okay letting him go just yet: I didn't know why or just haven't figured it out yet maybe because we've barely been able to sit and talk but. . . . . Maybe we'd get there, and we will.

After selecting a couple of pants and shirts, Blake finally decided to help me move them over to the cashier where I paid and got them bagged. For a moment I didn't know if it was proper for me to buy him some boxers but it sure wasn't embarrassing for Blake when he screamed across the mall to tell me that I forgot to buy Luke some "Dick packers"

Like, who does that?

I personally found it disturbing and privacy disrupting to get him stuff like that. It was not like he was going to be living with me forever. Surely he had some. "Dick packers" stashed somewhere in his house. But later, I did get him some boxers. Not so embarrassing after all.

Blake and I didn't really have the quality time I expected we'd be having at the restaurant earlier after I brought the whole "Luke" thing up and I completely forgot to talk about my mom and the gala.

As we walked out of the boutique and towards my parked car, I made a mental note to call my mom later when I'm settled in bed. That'd be nice. We'd finally be able to talk for long.

Blake offered to escort me back to the house before heading back to his and I really did appreciate that. I knew he wasn't happy about Luke staying at my house, but at least he was still taking me home just to make sure I was fine.