She laughed with me. “You bitch.”
“So, did you go on a date with that guy?”
“Girl, no. Every damn restaurant was closed. He said I could still come over. Fuck that. I told him to save his money and take me out when the state opens up again. You’ve got to pay to play.”
I lay back on the bed and continued to catch up with my friend. While Karen was more forward than me, I understood her point. Perhaps I was overthinking. The most I could do was simply take each day at a time.
We yapped on the phone for close to an hour, complaining about the government’s handling of the pandemic and catching each other up on our families. When we finished, exhaustion took me over. I set my phone on the nightstand and closed my eyes.
Maybe, Kamal and that kiss will make more sense tomorrow.
In my nightmare, I stood in the center of a grocery store that I’ve never been in. People packed the place. Everyone kept six feet.
“What did I come for?” I pulled out my shopping list. Nothing was written on the paper.
“That’s okay. I’ll get it.” I crumbled the paper up and moved forward. “Where is it?”
Nothing sat on the shelves.
“Where is it?” I searched aisle after empty aisle.
Other customers glanced my way, holding the same panic on their faces that I felt in my chest.
I continued walking around, hoping to find what I had come for.
And then a glow came from the corner of my eye.
I turned that way and spotted a pack of toilet paper. “There it is!”
But I said it too loud.
Others saw what I was looking for. Several raced forward.
“No!” I increased my pace. My legs burned. My heartbeat fast in my chest. “It’s mine! You can’t have it!”
Luckily, I got to the toilet paper first and dove for it, crashing to the floor and shoving an old woman out of the way. Pain exploded on my side. It didn’t matter. The toilet paper lay within my arms.
“I did it!” I rose from the ground, dusted my butt off, and stood to catch my breath.
But, the people who had been running for the tissue continued.
My voice went shaky. “It’s mine.”
They continued my way.
“No.” I spun around and raced off in the other direction. “Get away from me!”
A man yelled in a dark voice, “Catch her!”
“Get her!” another woman tried to grab me on my right.
Twisting around, I screamed and picked up my speed. “Leave me alone! Get away from me!”
“We’ve got her!” a woman yelled.
Sprinting, I checked over my shoulder. Over forty angry people raced my way. And they were so close. Fury covered their faces. Some had red eyes.“No! Please!” I woke up, screaming into the darkness and sitting up in bed. “Leave me alone! It’s mine!”
“What’s wrong, Jade?” On my other side, Kamal jolted awake and instantly pulled me into his arms. Shirtless, his warm muscle wrapped around me, comforting and pushing my fear away.
Panting, I hugged him close. “Oh my God. That was a stupid nightmare.”
“It was.” Kamal ran his fingers through my hair. “You’re here with me. No one is going to get you.”
I focused on my breaths.
“What was it about?”
I blinked and thought back to it. “Oh, God.”
“What?”
“I’m not telling you. It was stupid as fuck.” I let go of him.
He put me right back in his arms. “Tell me.”
The more I thought about my running away from people with toilet paper the sillier I felt. “You have to promise not to laugh.”
He leaned back. “Of course I’m not going to find your nightmare funny.”
I leaned against him, loving the feel of his hard, muscular body. “So. . .I was in a grocery store.”
“The one from today?”
“No. This was one I never saw.”
“Okay.”
“At first it was completely empty.”
“Sounds like a dream about our future.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Sorry. Go ahead.”
“Anyway. . .” I leaned away from him and gazed at those gorgeous eyes. “I found a pack of toilet tissue and grabbed it really quick. Suddenly, everyone began chasing me, trying to take it. And it didn’t seem like they would be nice about it.”
A grin broke out on his face.
I frowned. “Don’t you dare.”
He laughed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t.”
“I know. It’s a silly dream.”
“You had a nightmare about an angry mob trying to take your toilet tissue?”
“It felt real.”
He chuckled and patted my back. “Oh, princess. That’s so horrible. I’m here for you.”
I sucked my teeth.
“I’m consoling you.”
“And having fun.”
“It was a dumb dream.”
“Yes, but not too far from a possible future reality. We did just steal toilet paper from another person and New York hasn’t even been locked down for a week.”
“Correct.” I looked back. Moonlight flowed through the open window. “What time is it?”
“Probably around 4 or 5. I didn’t get into bed until two.”
I dropped my arms. “Thanks for consoling me.”