Page 7 of Man Seeking Woman

Chapter Two

Ella

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Brring. Brring. Brring.

Groaning, I rolled onto my side and opened my eyes. My head was pounding and foggy, and I had no idea what the hell that ringing noise was.

Blinking, I tried to look around the room, but I couldn't focus on a damn thing. Everything was fuzzy and my stomach felt a little queasy. Balling my fists, I rubbed my eyes, doing my best to get my sight back.

Blinking wide, I rested my hand on my stomach and started to massage the sour heaviness that rested in my gut.

What the hell is that sound? What day is it?

Staring blankly at the coffee table, it suddenly hit me.

Shooting up straight, I spotted Kayla sleeping in a small ball in the chair and realized that I had fallen to sleep on my loveseat. The ringing was growing louder and louder as my ears adjusted and I remembered that I was supposed to be substituting that morning.

Grabbing my phone, I checked the time and saw that I had fifeteen minutes until class started.

Shit!

Launching off the couch, I ran into my room and scrambled to find a outfit. I hadn't prepared anything the night before. Kayla and I had drowned ourselves and our worries in alcohol, to the point I wasn't even sure what time we fell asleep.

"El, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice groggy and scratchy.

"I'm supposed to teach this morning downtown. Fuck, I'm going to be late." Slipping a flower print, t-cup dress over my head, I slid my feet into a pair of low heels, and threw my hair up into a messy bun.

"Can I do anything to help? Want me to call the school and tell them you might be tardy?" Chuckling, I heard her shift in the chair. "I'll pretend I'm your mother, they'll understand."

"Not funny, Kay, I can't be late, fuck, I can't be late." Without looking in the mirror, I put on a pair of dangly gold earrings blindly. "Stay as long you want, just lock up when you leave." Grabbing my keys and my purse, I ran my hands down the front of my dress, and adjusted the sleeves. "Do I look alright? Professional enough?"

"You look fine, just go." Waving her hand, she shooed me out the door. "I'll text you later."

Taking a bus downtown, it dropped me off less than a block from the school. I had never moved so fast in heels in my life. And still it felt like it took way longer than it should to get there.

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