Wednsday Morning

Ŧ Ella.

Okay, waking up early, isn't really my strong suit. I woke up fifteen minutes later than when I was supposed to and now I was rushing around my room trying to find my suitcase and my messenger bag. I was already dressed, wearing jeans and a black t-shirt and a white vest over it. Sarah called me last night and said she ordered me an outfit, and when I got it, I immidiately put it in my case and zipped it shut. I don't know when I'll need a little black dress, but if there is a formal event, I'm set cause there was no way I was wearing that to meet them.

I already put on my black heels that looked like sneakers and I lugged everything down the steps and into the foyer, where my mother was talking to a large man dressed all in black. The thing that I noticed right away was that his head was totally shaved, and when he looked to the left, he was wearing a clear little wire that connected from his ear to a piece in this suit.

Men in Black started playing right away in my head. I quickly scoffed a laugh and went over to my mom and gave her a quick hug.

"I have my cell phone on in case you need me or anything, just call and I'll come home." I said as the bald guy took my suit case out to the black Tahoe that was looking nice and shiny in my driveway.

"Oh honey, I'm not going to need you. Just have fun and be safe, you know . . . just in case . . . " She looked at the floor and my face turned really red. I quickly grabbed her for a hug so that she couldn't finish the safe sex sentence.

"Mom, I don't think James would like that. But thanks for the advice anyways . . . I'll miss you." I said gripping her tighter as another bald guy came in to lead me to the car.

"Ms. Vexx, you're ride is ready. The band and Mr. Richer are waiting at Calipso." The name Calipso immidiately clicked in my brain. It was the famous building in the middle of town that had all the rich clients all around the world, and they sometimes handled million dollar business affairs that someone like me could only dream about.

"Thanks, bye mom. Love you!" I said as I nodded my head and walked out the front door to the driveway. I kept my messenger bag with me, it had all of my carry-on things for the plane too. Books, ipod, sunglasses, earplugs, headache medicine, the works.

I climbed into the back seat as the taller bald guy opened the door for me and I buckled my seat belt and set my messenger bag on the seat next to me. We pulled out of my driveway and I looked through the back window and slowly saw my house get smaller and smaller as it faded from my sight.

The two bald guys in front were quiet the whole way there, speaking nothing except little pieces of small talk that almost made me sick. Finally, they introduced themselves to me an hour into our little ride.

"I'm Ghetty and this is my partner Topher." The bald guy driving pointed to himself and the other guy in the seat next to him as he introduced themselves. Okay, do not laugh at the name Topher. That is the only thing that I could think of, besides the band that I was meeting. I am practically ready to jump out of my seat I am so excited.

''So boys, do you mind me asking about the band that I'm meeting?" I asked as I leaned forward inbetween the two front seats. It was around noon now and we were pulling into a Chick-Ful-A for lunch. We were now in line for the drive through when Topher spoke to me about the band, while Ghetty ordered for us.

"They are really fun, but sometimes they can be a little . . . Ghetty, can't they get a little . . ." Topher didn't have the right words to describe the band, so he looked to Ghetty who just confirmed our order and was going to pull around to the second window.

"Oh yeah, they can get a little wild some of them, but they are really sweet guys." Ghetty pulled out a twenty and rolled down his window and handed it to the acne covered teen at the window.

"Thanks sir, please head to the first window." Ghetty nodded to him and drove forward a few feet to the first window.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys? There are no girls in this band?" I asked as Ghetty got our food and handed me a packet of waffle fries and a regular coke. I can't stand that diet crap, the taste is just so nasty to me. I popped a few waffle fries in my mouth and then I looked at Topher who was getting ready to scarf down a packet of chicken strips.

"No way hun, no girls, just guys. Lucky you." Topher said.

"It'll be hard to keep your hands off some of them." Ghetty said as he sipped his Pepsi and then put it back in the cup holder as he slowly pulled onto the highway so that we could get into the city by two.

"Oh, I don't think so." I mumbled as I stuffed another waffle fry into my mouth.

"Oh yeah, the guitarist is a little player and so is the drummer. Beware." Topher stated as he grabbed a napkin to touch up a little bit of ketchup that got on his white button shirt.

"I think I can handle myself, thanks. So you guys work for . . . " I couldn't place it, they either worked for the band or the record label and I was praying they worked for the band. I was getting to like these two.

"We work for the band's manager, thank you very much and we have strict orders not to disclose any information about their idenities to you." Ghetty said as he pulled onto another exit that would take us to Calipso in a shorter time limit.

"Christ, all I asked was who you work for." I said as I leaned back in my seat and looked out the window at the passing cars and blue sky rushing past us as we drove about 70 miles.

In my mind, falling asleep would be a way to pass the time until we actually got to the Calipso; not like stupid 1 and stupid 2 would talk to me the rest of the way. So I did, I closed my eyes gently and waited for sleep to wash over me.

I'm assuming that I fell asleep because a few hours later, I woke up, my face full of leather and my ears now hurting with the sound the the busy city we had entered. The city of Inverna was packed like New York City on somedays, but not always. Today just happened to be a busy business day and I looked out the window, still a little groggy.

The city was beautiful, skyscrapers and tall buildings reached towards the now midday blue sky. I heard car horns and buses and trains passing through as we drove down a busy block completely lined with people. The city was everything that I hoped it would be.

I had been asleep for over an hour and I didn't miss anything, Ghetty and Topher were still hardly talking to one another and I was stuck in the back seat for another half an hour.

"Hey, can I ask you guys something?" I said, wanting to know what to do about Tom. After James left last night I didn't really have a chance to talk to my mom since I had to sleep before I had to get up this morning. I didn't really want to talk about it to her either, considering she would probably say that it was my choice and would refuse to give me her opinion.

"Sure Ms. Vexx whatever you need." Topher said as he pointed out a 'No Turn Left' sign to Ghetty and he quickly turn right on the busy street.

"Please, call me Ella and I know you guys are . . . men and all but I need some advice if that's okay." I don't know what to do so I just had to ask.

"Na, we don't mind. Do we Topher?" I saw Ghetty ask his partner.

"Okay . . . there's a guy I know and I don't know if I really like him, he's known for playing and womanizing and shit, but there's that one little part of me that does have some microscopic feeling for him. Don't get me wrong, he's nice, it's just James is . . . "

"Oh this is interesting, so this guy, how long have you known him?" Topher asked, really getting into the subject.

"Ummmm, I met him Monday actually. But it's so wierd, I feel so close to him, like I've known him forever. He's the type of guy who would do literally anything to get in a girl's pants." I stated as he scratched his chin.

"And this Jake guy, how long have you two been together?" Ghetty asked as he pulled into a back parking lot behind a large glass skyscraper.

"James," I corrected him "we've been together for about . . . six months give or take. But he's been getting . . . rough lately, but I don't know. I still have feelings for him." I sat and looked up at the two, then turned and grabbed my messenger bag thinking we were going to get ready to go in.

"Well, this James guy sounds like no good to me, pick the new guy, could lead to something special." Ghetty turned around and winked at me then got out of the car to open the door for me.

"Na, James is the one with the commitment, you said yourself that this new guy was a player, so why's he even worth it?" Topher got out of the car too, probably to get my bags from out of the trunk.

"I have no idea." I stated calmly.

Ghetty opened the car door for me and extended his hand, just like Tom did when he was helping me up after he knocked me over. For a small instant, I saw Tom standing there, but I quickly shoved that memory aside and took Ghetty's hand and stepped out of the car. I turned and saw that Topher had already grabbed my suitcases out of the car and walked around to another car with my trunks. I swear I did a double take when I looked at the other car that he was putting my bags in, it wasn't even a car, it was a limo. Classy. Very classy.

"Ms. Vexx . . . er . . .Ella, whatever you choose, I advise you to be safe." Ghetty said as he let go of my hand and waited for Topher to load the suitcases in the back of the limo. When he was finished, they both walked in front and behind me guiding me to the front steps to the Calipso.

It felt wierd, like I had body guards or something. When we walked through the doors my eyes squinched a little. The glass building reflected all the sunlight from outside and all of it came pouring inside, through all the windows and sunroofs. Ghetty and Topher were lucky, they both had shades on covering their eyes. All the people passing through were either in work clothes or dressy suits, because it was a big day for board meetings. I didn't really feel under dressed, my jeans and black t-shirt and white vest were better than any other suit. All the people that passed us as well, they either knew Topher or Ghetty and nodded and smiled to them, or they said 'Good Afternoon' in a very poilte manner. I never wanted to be one of those stuck up snobs who sit in desks all day, that just wasn't for me. I liked to be envolved with my job, and people have told me that I am very good with a blowtorch.

They both led me to a glass elevator, and I stepped in without a word. Going up was like a killer sensation in the pit of my stomach. Almost like riding a roller coaster, but a little shorter. We were on the 12th floor in no time at all, and the elevator doors slowly opened in front of me.

"Where-" They were both moving into another room, when I thought we were going another way, leaving me in the middle of a lobby.

"We are going to tell them you've arrived, wait here till Alex comes and gets you. We'll be seeing you." Ghetty said as he gave me a little salute, signaling that I would be seeing them in a little while. I sighed and smiled, waving a little bit to them as they stepped through some oak board room doors, leaving me in the lobby, alone.