Chapter 4

Jae finished clearing off the table as her brother and his family went out the door, promising to call them later in the next week to go over there for dinner. Thank God, that was over now, she thought to herself as she rinsed all the dishes off and put them into the dishwasher. Family can be such a pain, telling her this and that, how she should be, how she isn't something that she claims to be. How would they know? She only visited them when she could, between work and, well, and nothing else, she didn't have a lot of time to just hang around.

Jae slammed the door to the dishwasher in frustration, this was turning out to be something really difficult, she decided. Maybe she should just ask some random person to help her, maybe Mrs. Fischer would. No, that would be taking her back steps instead of forward. Oh my gosh, she thought, I know I'll ask Chase. He should be able to help me, all I'd have to do is actually ask him, Jae kept thinking as she whipped open her door and walked across the hall. Before she could stop herself she knocked 3 times on his door, and then paced in front of it figuring out what she was going to say.

"Jae, you okay," Chase asked as he opened the door.

"Yes, I'm fine; I do have a question for you though if you have a moment. I'm sorry to have interrupted you." Jae replied, still pacing.

"No bother, what's up?"

"Well see I've been thinking about making some changes to myself so that I can be happier and I know we don't know each other but I don't know anyone else that I can ask. My family seems to think that I am doing this for all the wrong reasons and they don't want me to get hurt or whatever other thing they could come up with. So, would you help me?"

"Help... you with what exactly?"

"Make changes that would make me more appealing to a man"

"Are you serious?"

"Very."

"Why, me?"

"I don't know I just decided that I would ask you, you don't have to help me if you don't want to. I just figured you would know what a guy looks for, any type of guy and could help me to make changes."

"What kind of changes?"

"Like the type of clothes I wear, how to flirt, how to act on a date, I don't know different kinds."

"Okay but I don't know about everything that you would have to know."

"I know, I need to find a female to help me too."

"Okay, well let me think about this and I'll let you know tomorrow."

"That's all I can really ask I guess, thanks Chase. I... this is very strange since we don't know each other but I figured it would be better cause then you don't know stuff about my past and what not that might get into the way of things, ya know?"

"Sure, I'll stop by tomorrow and give you my answer."

"Thanks"

Jae turned and went back into her apartment leaving a stunned Chase in the hall. She stepped inside and closed the door, leaning against and wondering if she really just did what she thinks she did. She whirled around and looked through the peep hole, oh God, she did. Chase still stood in the hall staring at her door looking like he thought she was crazy. Which, she thought, I probably am crazy, asking my neighbor of 5 hours if he would help me change myself so a guy would find me appealing. God, I'm a nut case.

Jae pushed away from the door, turned and locked it, then went toward the steps. Might as well go to bed, she thought, she had nothing else to do this Saturday night. Jae stopped at the based at the bottom of the steps and turned to look in her living room. Dark colors, it looked kind of gloomy. The couch set was new, leather, like a dark grey color. The entertainment stand against the wall was top of the line, or so the salesman had told her. There were a few pictures on the wall, which a street artist had done for her when she first moved into this neighbor hood. One was even of herself; he had portrayed her as a beautiful woman. Jae stared at it now, wondering what that guy had seen that she couldn't. It amazed her, how she looked in that one picture, hair flowing behind her, eyes lighted up with happiness.