Suds – Season 1, Episode 8

… a mini-soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama

[Last time on Suds, Darien turned Shantel down for God! Deep gasp… I’ll give you a minute to recollect your thoughts… Ready? Good, because while Shantel was busy not getting busy, Terrance played the role of roadside assistance and scooped up a Leilah in distress. Innocent right? He’s just being helpful. Well, can someone tell my why Mr. Inquisitive – who just professed his love to Shantel in episode 2 – turned his cell phone ringer down to silent mode?]

Leilah grinned, instantly averting her eyes when she realized the level of his friendliness had increased from cordial to inquisitive. She considered various possibilities before blinking away all thoughts. Allow me to reintroduce you to your roommate’s boyfriend, she said to herself, determined not to fall for a taken man.“Terrance, I really appreciate all your help,” she said watching the mechanic replace her blown tire. “But you don’t have to stay.”He nodded and said, “I know,” Pressing a button on the side of his phone, he turned the ringer off.

Leilah traced the lines stretching across her palm, feeling the heat radiating from the leather passenger seat. Uncertain of what to say, she remained silent, anxious to be back in her car, alone.
“Really, you don’t have to stay,” she offered again.

Terrance jerked out of his down coat, tossed it into the back seat, and repositioned himself. “I heard you the first time.” Reclining his seat, he closed his eyes. “You should probably get a few minutes of rest.”
Leilah snapped, remembering the bags under her eyes, “Just what are you trying to say?”
He chuckled, covering his face with his arm. The dark semi-circles on her lightly bronzed skin were hard to miss. “Girls are always trying to twist words around,” he said. “We still got about two or three hours on the road. Unless you think I’m about to steal your purse or something.”
There’s nothing in it genius. Leilah rolled her eyes away from the smirk on his face. The mechanic was taking an eternity to replace the tire. “I wonder what’s taking so long.”
“I don’t know, but wake me up when he’s done.”

~~
Shantel paced the span of her tiny dorm room three times in a row before dialing Terrance’s cell phone number. Why isn’t he answering?
“What’s up this is Terrance. I'm busy. Leave a message. Beep.”
“Hey Baby, what’s up? You haven’t returned any of my calls or messages. I left about five of them. Pick one and call me back.”

Shantel tossed her phone on the bed, exhaling deeply before laying down beside it. Where is he? If he left at two, he should be here by now. She glanced over at the bright red digits on her alarm clock. It’s almost nine o’clock. She muffled her face in agony from being alone. Not that she couldn’t breathe without a guy, but at that instant, she needed a rock. She needed someone to make her feel worthwhile. Shantel climbed under her blanket in her fitted day dress, and dialed Terrance’s number again.

“What’s up this is Terrance. I'm busy. Leave a message. Beep.”
“Baby,” she cried, wiping away the tears as they fell uncontrollably. “I – I need you.” Shantel’s voice quivered and her body shook. She covered her mouth to silence the desperation. “Um…” she said in a more normal tone, “Call me when you get a chance. I hope everything is alright.”

Disconnecting the call, she covered her head under the blanket, and her body convulsed from the weight of her sobs.

~~

“So, how much do I owe you.” Leilah asked the shaggy mechanic.
“Already taken care of.” He nodded toward Terrance who was leaning against his truck several feet away. Leilah stared at him, bewildered before walking over.

“So, how much do I owe you?” she insisted.
Terrance smiled, causing her insides to contract like a young girl with her first crush. Leilah suddenly felt a need to look elsewhere and cross her arms protectively across her chest.
“You owe me,” Terrance grinned, “a phone call.”
“A phone call,” she asked, meeting his gaze. “What kind of phone call?”
“Not that kind,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m tired,” he pointed to himself, “you’re tired. If we’re talking to each other, it will lessen the chances of someone falling asleep at the wheel.” With a grin, he added, “Otherwise you’ll be using my phone to call roadside assistance again.”
“Whatever,” she laughed.
“For real, let me give you my number. We can keep each other company.”
“We don’t have anything to talk about.”
“Cross that bridge when we get there.”
Leilah sighed in defeat, “What’s your number?”

~~

Shantel woke up, groggy. She stared at the blurry numbers on the clock before her eyes adjusted to the shape. It was almost ten o’clock at night, and Terrance still had not called her.

Fishing through her contacts, she found a number and dialed.
“Shantel?”
“Yeah, Darien, it’s me.”

[Stay tuned: We’ll be back on Monday with a frothy combustion of soap kissing water.]