Chapter 3
By noon Dwight’s mood swings were in full effect and his text messages seemed to be coming from more than one individual. Dwight’s personality A wanted Natalie to forgive him for any and all things he had done during this sixty some odd day relationship to hurt her. Dwight’s personality B wanted her to ‘live ya life girl don’t wait for me!’ Natalie was just an emotional wreck and found it hard to focus on her secretarial duties for the remainder of her shift. On top of the chaos she had a headache and an upset stomach. By lunchtime, she was texting random coworkers who were quite possibly resting at home to see if she could find a replacement.
Upon hearing the common chirp she once again pulled out her iPhone and was relieved to see that this time it was, in fact, her phone that went off and not one of her other coworkers. iPhone issues, she thought to herself. When she picked up her phone she found it wasn’t someone to cover her shift, it was just Jade checking on her.
She glanced over at the four beds in front of her behind the glass. Her patients were fast asleep so she called Jade to blame her for not being able to keep any food down. They laughed and talked. Natalie’s goal was to convince Jade that she wasn’t as stressed out about her situation. Natalie did not want to tell Jade the redundant story of the text messages but it was evident in her tone that something was wrong. Jade’s advice any and every time was to leave him alone. Send him packing. Natalie believed that Jade didn’t understand the whole easier said than done cliché. They dealt with guys in distinct ways. If a guy crossed Jade he’d do good to join a witness protection program. Despite Natalie’s efforts, Jade was still able to coerce the truth out of her.
“You deserve so much better Nat,” Jade informed her best friend, and not for the first time either.
“Yea I know,” she replied with tears threatening to fall once again.
Natalie checked her watch as she sat talking to Jade who was still trying to console her
yet some of what she had to say was as cold as the newly fallen snow outside. That should have been no surprise since they were exiting the lips of the ice queen herself.
“Listen, honey, you know I’m gone tell you how it is… You can’t keep blaming just Dwight. If you allow a man to screw you without a title you are in essence screwing yourself honey. You know that. What you think he’ll come around?” She went on.
“But…”
“He won’t honey,” Jade answered, her Jersey accent in full effect, “He just won’t. You two are more on again off again than that damn light post by your house! And that’s real honey!”
Just as it was starting to feel like time was on strike and just when she thought she
wouldn’t make it to the end of her shift relief came in and she was free to go.
D's Quest for Extraordinary Pebbles 