“I look forward to it, Mr. Calloway.”
I ended the call with a smile on my face.
“Hey, bro. How did it go with Rachel last night?” Steven walked in my office and playfully punched my arm.
“No complaints.” I smirked. “By the way, stop taking pics of me and posting it on your social media. My father saw it and he wasn’t happy.”
“Come on, Chase.” He laughed. “How else do you think you’ve been named L.A.’s sexiest and most eligible bachelor?” He grinned.
Chapter Three
Kinsley
As soon as my feet hit the pavement of Los Angeles, California, I stopped and stared at the beautiful sight before me. The palm trees, the mountains, and the hustle and bustle of people all around. I took in a deep breath as a man approached me.
“You need a cab, lady?” he asked.
“Actually, I do.”
“Right this way.” He smiled.
I climbed into the back and the cab driver looked at me through his rearview mirror.
“Where to?”
“I don’t really know.” I bit down on my bottom lip.
His brow arched as he turned and glanced at me.
“Have you never been to California?” he asked.
“No. I just decided this morning that I was moving here.”
“Wow. Okay. So, I take it you don’t have a plan?”
“No. It was rather an impulsive decision. Well, actually, it’s something I’ve dreamed of ever since I was a kid.”
“Ah, something or someone pushed you here before you had the chance to really think about it?”
“Yeah. You could say that. I came here to reinvent myself. Start my life over.”
“Well, then, welcome to the City of Angels.” He smiled. “I’m Reece, by the way.” He held back his hand.
“I’m Kinsley.”
“Nice to meet you, Kinsley. Tell you what. My cousin owns the Coral Sands Motel in Hollywood. I’ll take you there and make sure you get a room. Rates are cheap. You can start there and then figure things out.”
“Thanks, Reece. I appreciate it.” I kindly smiled.
He pulled up to the curb of the Coral Sands Motel. After I paid him his fare, he took my suitcase out of the trunk and walked me through the door.
“Reece!” an older woman from behind the counter exclaimed. “What brings you in here?” She smiled as she hugged him.
“Madeline, this is Kinsley. Kinsley, this is my cousin Madeline.”
“Nice to meet you.” I extended my hand.
“Kinsley just moved here, spur of the moment type of thing. She needs a room.”
“Ah. I see.” Madeline smiled. “I can definitely help you with that.”
“You’re in good hands, Kinsley,” Reece spoke. “Here’s my card. Whenever you need a ride, call me.”
“Thank you, Reece. I will.” I took the card from his hand.
“Good luck. Hope to see you again soon.”
I handed Madeline my driver’s license and credit card.
“The rate is $90 a night and you will be in room 24, which is on the 2nd level. If you need anything at all, please let me know.”
“Thank you. Do you know where the closest phone store is around here? Preferably within walking distance?”
“There’s actually one about two blocks from here, but I’m afraid they’re already closed. They’ll open again tomorrow morning at ten.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
I pulled my suitcase behind me out the doors to the courtyard and up the steps to room 24. Once I was inside, I let go of my suitcase and looked around. I was surprised at how nice and clean the room was. The walls were colored in yellow with a double-size bed, two nightstands that each housed tall lamps, a small round table with two chairs, a TV, and a microwave and mini fridge that sat in the corner. I pulled the drapes closed and went into the bathroom for a bath. I was exhausted and needed to relax and think about my next move.
As I lay there in the hot water, I thought about the events of today. My eyes swelled with tears as the scene of Krista and Henry played over and over in my mind. Had I moved here a year ago like I wanted to, I would have already been settled. Damn Henry for coming into my life. I kept telling myself that everything happens for a reason. It was what I’d told myself since I was sixteen years old and worked for Mrs. Buckley at the antique shop. It was what she told me.
“Kinsley, everything that happens to us in life happens for a reason. There are no coincidences. Never forget that. Every event and situation will only make you stronger for the next challenge.”
And she was right. I was stronger because of my childhood and life. She was like a mother to me. This sweet, frail seventy-year-old woman whose life was her antique shop. Her husband passed away when she was fifty-five and they never had any children. I worked for her for six years and saved every penny I made for when this day would come. I didn’t make very much, but it didn’t matter because Mrs. Buckley was like family to me and I loved working for her. The year she died, I’d finally had enough money saved to leave Indiana, but then I met Henry, and somehow, he swept me off my feet. I thought maybe he’d make my life better in Berkshire. Since I decided to stay, I ended up taking a job at Freddy’s diner. A grease pit where I worked for a year as a waitress, being treated like shit and getting groped by the pigs that dined there frequently. But I could handle them.
Maybe finding out about Krista and Henry was a blessing in disguise. Who knew and only time would tell. I was here now and today was the start of my new life and I would never let another man deter me from my plans. In fact, I was staying away from all men for a long time.
After my bath, I changed into my pajamas, grabbed my laptop, and climbed into bed. First things first, I needed to find a job ASAP. Even though I had quite a bit of money saved, it wouldn’t last long without a job, especially with what things cost in California. After an hour of searching and just finally applying to a temp agency, I decided to pull up apartments for rent. Where did I want to live? I didn’t know. I knew nothing about California. My eyes kept closing, so I shut down my laptop and went to sleep.
Chapter Four
Chase
I slowly opened my eyes as the sun pierced them through the blinds.
“Ah.” I placed my arm over my eyes as I turned my head.
“Good morning, handsome.” Isabella smiled as she stroked my chest. “You were amazing last night.”
“Why, thank you. You weren’t so bad yourself.”
I climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
“You can get dressed now and go,” I shouted from the bathroom. “I’m sure you have plans today.”
“Actually, I don’t,” she spoke.
“Well, I do.” I smiled as I emerged from the bathroom. “I have some waves to catch with a couple buddies of mine.”
“Super cool. Can I come?” she asked in her way too high-pitched voice.
“Sorry, darling. Men only.” I winked as I picked up her clothes off the floor and tossed them at her.
“When can I see you again, Chase?”
“Well, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you at the office on Monday.”
I walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen for some coffee.
“But we’ll both be working. I meant when can we go out again?”
“Oh.” I turned and looked at her. “I’m not sure. I have a busy weekend. I’ll be in touch.”
She stood in the middle of my kitchen and began to cry. For Christ sakes.
“Why are you crying, Isabella?”
“Because I get the feeling that we won’t be seeing each other again and I really like you.”
Rolling my eyes, I walked over to her and gripped her shoulders.
“You’ve only known me twenty-four hours. That clearly isn’t enough time to decide if you like someone.”
“So, you’re saying you don’t like me?” The tears streamed down her face.
“No. No. I
didn’t say that. It’s just I’m a very busy man and I see a variety of women. It seems to me that a girl like you is looking for some type of relationship.”
“So?”
I sighed. “I’m not a relationship type of person. We had fun and everything and now it’s time to part ways.”
God, how I hated explaining this to women.
“So, you used me?” Her teary eyes turned to anger.
“Sweetheart, we used each other. It was all in fun.”
“But I thought you really liked me.”
“I do, but not in a relationship type of way. Would you like some coffee before you leave?”
“Ugh. You’re just like all the other douchebag men out there in the world!” she shouted as she turned on her heels and headed towards the front door.
“I do believe I’m one of a kind,” I shouted as the front door slammed.
Shaking my head, I picked up my coffee cup and took a sip. After popping two aspirins with a shot of scotch, I showered, grabbed my surfboard, and headed down to the beach.
“Bro, what took you so long?” Steven asked.
“Yeah, we were getting worried something happened to you,” Alex spoke.
“I was dealing with a little problem named Isabella.”
“Isn’t that your dad’s temp?” Steven asked.
“Yes.”
The three of us put our boards in the water.
“Dude, she’s one smokin’ hot ass chick. What was the problem?”
“She didn’t want to leave, and she wanted to know when we’re seeing each other again.”
Alex laughed. “Obviously, she doesn’t know a thing about Chase Calloway.”
“She does now, and she left crying. I hate when they do that.”
“Just another broken heart amongst all the others in the sea of Chase Calloway.” Alex smiled.
“She’ll be fine once she gets me out of her system,” I spoke.
Steven and Alex were my best friends. My bros. My buds. We’d been friends since freshman year in high school. All three of us grew up rich and we all attended Stanford University. Steven and I obtained degrees in Computer Science while Alex pursued a degree in Biochemical Engineering and now worked for his father’s pharmaceutical company. We were roommates in an off-campus luxury three-bedroom apartment during our college years. In between studies, we partied as if our lives would end tomorrow. Hell, we still did. Some things never changed. Except for Alex. He met Lindsey and fell in love. She changed him, and Steven and I didn’t like it.
We were out and had just caught the last wave that hit. The three of us were chilling with our boards in the water, waiting for the next one, when Alex said he had something to tell us.
“I’m going to ask Lindsey to marry me and I wanted the two of you to know first,” he spoke.
“Dude, you sure you want that?” Steven asked.
“Of course I want that. I love her.”
“You two already live together. Why do you need to get married?” I asked.
“Because it’s the next step in our relationship. I love her more than anything in this world and I want her to be my wife. Why is that so hard for the two of you to understand?”
“Because it’s not natural. Marriages don’t last, dear friend, and you know it,” I spoke. “Besides, who wants to be tied down to the same pussy for the rest of their life?”
“I do, and you know why? Because for the hundredth time, I love her, and I can’t imagine my life without her. But the two of you wouldn’t know anything about that because all you care about is getting drunk and fucking a different woman every damn night.”
“And? What’s wrong with that? You were one of us once. Don’t forget that!” I pointed at him.
“Yeah, bro,” Steven spoke. “You were just as bad as we were.”
“Yeah, the key word being ‘was.’ But all that changed when I met Lindsey. Nah, forget it. You two will never understand.” He waved his hand. “I thought you’d be happy for me. You’re my best friends.”
“Look, man, I’m sorry,” I spoke. “We are happy for you. We know you’re happy with Lindsey and she’s a great girl. We just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I’m not going to get hurt. I love her and she loves me.”
“Love fades, bro,” Steven said.
I turned and splashed water at him.
“Not ours. I’m asking her to marry me tonight. In fact, I’m going to head back to shore. I want to make sure everything is perfect,” Alex spoke.
“I’m done anyway,” I spoke. “You coming, Steven?”
“I guess.” He sighed.
****
“He’s making a mistake,” I spoke as I poured two glasses of scotch.
“No shit,” Steven spoke as he took the glass from my hand.
“Why the hell would anyone want to commit to one single person for the rest of their life? Everyone knows it won’t last. They just try to convince themselves that it will for some kind of temporary happiness. My father is the perfect example of that.”
“I don’t know, bro.” Steven shook his head. “Obviously, Lindsey put a spell on him.”
“I agree.” I held up my glass. “No woman will ever do that to me. I don’t and will never give anyone that kind of power. Fuck no.”
“Yeah, bro! Fuck no!” He tapped his glass against mine with a smile.
“I need to get laid and drunk,” I spoke as I finished off my scotch.
“Me too, man.”
“Shall we hit the Skybar tonight?” I asked with a grin.
“God, I love the women at the Skybar. I’m going to go home and take a nap first.”
“Sweet dreams, bro. I’ll pick you up around eight o’clock,” I spoke.
Chapter Five
Kinsley
For the first time in my life, I woke up feeling free. Free from the bondage that kept me tied to Berkshire. I lay in bed as my mind woke up and started going crazy with everything that I had to do. I pulled a pad of paper and pen out of the drawer in the nightstand and began to write down my goals and my tasks. I’d always found that if I had everything in my head written down, I could complete each to do item with ease and no stress.
1. Go to bank and open an account.
2. Go to phone store and buy a new phone.
3. Look for an apartment.
4. Look for a job.
5. Look for a car.
6. Go to the beach and let the water sweep over my feet.
I tore the paper from the pad and put it in my purse. After I showered and got dressed, I opened the curtains to let the beautiful California sun into my room. A smile swept over my face as I stood there and stared at the palm trees that gracefully danced as the light wind took its lead.
I left my room and walked across the street to a coffee house and grabbed a coffee and a scone to kick off my day. I walked the couple blocks, found a phone store, and got myself a brand new iPhone and a new number. Because I was a new customer to the provider, I only had to pay forty dollars for the phone. Things were already starting to look up. I pulled Reece’s card from my purse and dialed his number.
“Reece here,” he answered.
“Hi, Reece, it’s Kinsley.”
“Kinsley, my girl. How was your first night in California?”
“It was good. Thanks. You said to call you if I needed a cab. Well, I need a cab. Are you available?”
“I’m just dropping off someone now. Are you at the motel?”
“Yes.”
“I can be there in about twenty minutes. Hang tight.”
“Thanks, Reece.”
I ended the call, walked back to the motel, and sipped my coffee and ate my scone while I waited for him. It had been twenty minutes on the dot when he pulled up to the curb.
“Where to, Kinsley?” He smiled.
“Well, I need to buy a car. Are the dealerships open on Saturdays?”
“Yep. They’re open until two o’clock, so you have plenty of time
. There’s a used car dealership not too far from here. Wanna check it out?”
“Yeah, I do.” I nodded.
I glanced on his dashboard and saw a picture of a beautiful woman with long dark hair and three children, all boys. A picture I didn’t notice yesterday.
“Is that your family?” I asked as I pointed to the picture.
“They sure are.” He proudly grinned. “That’s my wife Nadia and our boys, Samuel, Jacob, and Luke.”
“Names from the Bible.” I smiled.
“Yes. That’s right. They are my world. Samuel is ten, Jacob is eight, and Luke is four. We planned on stopping after Jacob, but God had other plans for us.”
“They’re beautiful.”
“Thanks. What about you? Do you have any family?” he asked.
“Not really. I have a mom back in Indiana. That’s about it.”
Reece could hear the somberness in my voice, and as much as he wanted to know why I suddenly hopped on a plane and moved here, he didn’t ask. He was a nice guy. Early forties, short black hair, brown eyes, and an overall good attitude about life.
“Hey, Reece, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, Kinsley. You can ask me anything.”
“Why do you drive a cab?”
He let out a laugh and looked at me through his rearview mirror.
“I drive a cab because it’s in my blood. It’s my company. My father handed it over to me when he retired. Plus, I love people. Everyone has a different story to tell, but in the end, we’re all the same.”
“Nice.” I smiled.
He pulled into the used car lot and walked around with me while I looked at cars.
“Hello there.” A jolly older man approached us. “Looking for a car?”
“I am. My name is Kinsley.” I held out my hand.
“Nice to meet you, Kinsley. I’m Bill. So, tell me what you’re looking for?”
“Anything that is reliable and will cost me no more than four thousand dollars out the door.”
“Okay. I have just the car for you.” He grinned. “Follow me.”
He led us over to a silver Ford Focus.
“This here is a 2010 Focus. It’s the cheapest car I have on the lot and probably one of the most reliable. It has a hundred and eight thousand miles on it. But don’t let that scare you.” He put up his hand. “Under the hood is all pretty much new parts. It runs like a charm.”