"Are you sure it was him?" Cheyenne asked Kim again as they walked into their apartment.

" Tall? Caramel Skin? Dark curly hair?"

"Sounds like him... so he has a girlfriend. That's why he has been acting weird". Cheyenne sets her and on the dining table and plops down on one of the brown the cushioned dining chairs. She rests her hand on her cheek and signs heavily blowing a lock of her hair upward.

" Don't be like that honey" Kim says recognizing her roommate's dismay. " For what it's worth it seems like they are having trouble. Maybe in a week they'll be broken up and you can swoop in to comfort him in his vulnerable state".

Cheyenne cracked a smile. " I aint no rebound chick".

"The possibilities are endless my darling" Kim said while taking off her uniform in the living room. " What do you want for dinner?" 

" Why didn't you tell me sooner? You heard me moan on about this guy for over a week"

" I know I know. I am not sure why, maybe I wasn't sure if it was him. Maybe I needed the company in moany town. I moan about my job, you moan about ... Michael  right?"

" Yes Michael jeez. I want pizza."

"Done. Cookies and cream ice cream plus a new episode of 2 Broke Girls".

" Aww you know me so well!!!" Cheyenne gushed. She leaves Kim in the kitchen half naked ordering the pizza. I need a bath. Maybe on Monday I can talk to him. Just be cordial . Maybe.

......

Cheyenne steps out of the elevator with 3 sets of printed drawings in hand, a cup of coffee and some files. She slowly rounds the corner in order to avoid any accidents with on-coming persons entering the elevator. No such luck. The lunch hour rush was in full swing as seemingly everyone on the floor pushed pass her to cram into the elevator. They knock into her causing her to scatter all the drawings and files on the white high gloss ceramic tiles. Thankfully the coffee is safe she thought as she set it down on a nearby counter. She bends down to gather the papers when she hears... " Need some help?" in a rich but shy manly tone. She knows the voice but looks up as Mikey bends down to help her. 

She hadn't seen him all day to talk to him. He must have gone on the road with his supervisor. He was wearing a dark blue suit and a matching checkered tie with a crisp light blue shirt. He smelled delightful. An intriguing blend of aftershave and yumminess. 

" Thanks you don't have to..."

" Its ok. I see the whirlwind knocked you over". Cheyenne smiles. 

" Yes I should know better than to be travelling up in that traffic". They stand and Mikey hands her the pile he had gathered. Their eyes meet for  a hot second as she says Thank you. Flashes of the brief moment they shared in the elevator came crashing in. His smell, the softness of his lips, how he felt beneath her touch. Something about his eyes made her think he was thinking the same thing.

" Well I was heading to lunch so.... I am going to go for lunch" He goes to press the down button.

" Michael wait". He turns. " Let me come with you. We can have lunch together. I feel like we haven't talked since... you know".

" Uhhh yea... ok sure"

" Let me just go set these down. I'll be right back" She scurried to the office, her heart inexplicably racing. Calm down Cheyenne. He has a girlfriend remember. This is just an attempt to clear things up. Maybe be friends. Who knows?

" Ready?" He asks as she walks back toward him. She nods her head yes. He then presses the down button once more. They step inside, relieved to see a young lady going down. Thank God. I do not need the heavy awkward silence. 

" Where do you want to eat? I wasn't planning on going to the cafeteria but if you don't want to that's fine"

" Its okay. I'll go anywhere you go." She manages a smile. Okay Cheyenne way to sound creepy.

......

They enter the restaurant together 10 minutes later. The room is filled with red, green and yellow stripes, with a mostly wooden decor. The walls are adorned with old rusty artifacts, some of which are paintings of Bob Marley. The restaurant has a homely feel as Don't Worry by Bob Marley plays in the background. The hostess greets them with a smile , she too has on the signature red, green and yellow colours. Mikey notices her name " Shantel" Sounds Jamaican. 

"Welcome to Reggae Beats Restaurant, seating for two?"

" Yes please"

" Right this way".

There is a fair number of seated guests however they weren't as busy as expected at this time. They sit at their table that is next to a huge floor to ceiling painting of a mother and her two children. One of which is a baby that she holds close to her chest seemingly wrapping him in her love. Must be nice having a mother's love Mikey thought bitterly as memories of the previous week  replayed in his mind.

" This is a nice place. Never been here before. How do you know about it?" Cheyenne asks looking around.

" I ... uhhh.... my father, whenever he took me to the city, would come here. They serve the best Jamaican/Caribbean style food here. It used to remind him of home. Its almost as good as the original"

" Really? your father is from the Caribbean? Which country?" Cheyenne asked intrigued to learn something new about this man.

" Um yea, he was Jamaican. Born and raised till he moved here with my grandmother when he was 19? I think."

" Wow, so your Jamaican? That's so cool"

" Half Jamaican, my mother is Caucasian".

" Ooohhh... That would explain the skin tone and curly hair, and the exotic eyes..." Cheyenne caught herself. " I mean .... umm... you look mixed so yea". Oh God Cheyenne get a grip.

"Um yes I am" Mikey says awkwardly. Their waitress comes to take their order.

" What is good here?" Cheyenne asks the petite waiter. 

" Every ting good man we have fry chicken, stew chicken, barbi fry chicken, stew pork, bbq pork, curry goat, red peas soup, manish wata, and rice and peas. Jerk pork and chicken special today with bammy and fritters."  

Cheyenne looked up at the waiter mouth gaping. " Ummm, What did you just say?"

" Mi seh...."

" Its Ok " Mikey chimes in, "we will both have ... wait do you like spicy?" He whispers to Cheyenne  as if the waiter cannot hear them.

" I like spicy" She smiles. Wow. She is gorgeous.

" Uhh so we will have the jerk chicken with both bammy and fritters as well as some raw vegetables on the side"

" Weh ya drink?"

"Tropical Punch please"

" Soon come with you order sir"  The waiter turns and leaves.

Mikey starts laughing. " Haha you should have seen your face... haha you were so shocked man"

" Hey that's not nice. Was he speaking English?" She gently shoved his shoulder over the table.

" Oww that hurt. And he was partially speaking English, its called patois, Jamaican creole"

"So you understood him?" she asks " What am I asking of course you did"

" That was pretty funny." Cheyenne rolls her eyes " Whatever"

.....

They finish their food and sit back appreciating the meal they had just devoured. The jerk chicken was very seasoned but not too spicy. The bammy and fritters were fried to a golden crisp. The lunch conversation was light, mostly about work and a little bit about where Cheyenne was from. Mikey appreciated the company and was grateful for the distraction from the turmoil in his life. Hopefully we could be friends?

" Listen" Cheyenne starts in a more serious tone, much different from the lighthearted one she had throughout the meal. " About the kiss... I am sorry. It should not have happened. I shouldn't have thrown myself on you like that. I'm usually not that reckless. I'm usually focused and organized so I should not have and I am sorry again."

Mikey looks at her unsure of what to say Its ok, I liked it? I did like it. But I cannot she is great but no Michael.

" Its fine." Is all he could manage.

" Your girlfriend must have been upset and now you are here oh gosh"

My what? Girlfriend? What?

" I mean I should have known you had a girlfriend but you came up to me in the bar so it was very confusing. But I should have known that with the way you reacted the next day instead of giving you the cold shoulder. I thought you were just being an ass."

"An ass? what?"

"Yes an ass. The way you just avoided me the next day. Didn't look or talk to me"

" Oh I am sorry, I didn't mean to, it's just that..."

" Its fine. you don't need to explain" Cheyenne looks at her watch. 

" I actually have to go now, it's almost 1:30 pm"

" Um okay" Mikey takes out his wallet and sees Cheyenne reaching for purse.

" No don't, I'll take care of it"

" This wasn't a date. We can split"

" I insist" Mikey says, dropping the money on the table.

"No  I insist, we are friends, friends split bills" she drops her cash as well. " Going to the bathroom"

Mikey waits until she is out of site and takes up the cash she left ans slips it in his pocket. By the time she gets back the waiter would have collected. He waits by the entrance for her.  

He sees her maneuvering around the tables, walking towards him. It is then that he notices the gentle sway of her hips as she walks. Her arms swing slightly and her legs look flawless and amazing in those black heels. This is the third time this week I've seen her wearing them, she must like them

"Ready to go?"

" Yes, let's get back to work".