CHAPTER 45
MEADOW
It was a beautiful night. There was a light breeze in the air, but it was still warm enough to not need a jacket. I decided to turn my walk to the mailbox into an enjoyable evening stroll. I knew I’d eventually pass by a store where I could pick up some gin and tonic to bring back to my room. Despite the fact that my cheating ex-husband had just tracked me down and stolen my car, I felt surprisingly calm.
It was almost like his taking the car back freed me from his grip. Sure, that money was comforting to have, but it came with a heavy emotional price tag. I was glad to be rid of it. I’d been working full time at the café and my tips were getting bigger each day. I knew I’d be fine. I’d be better than fine without any attachment to Matt.
It felt pretty amazing to realize he was loosing his grip on me. Telling him to send through the divorce papers felt even better. I hadn’t realized it, but in the last week, I didn’t think of Matt once.
It was Kane who consumed my mind and heart now.
As I walked down a side street, a saw a tiny pub I hadn’t noticed before. I took a few steps back and peeked in the front window. It wasn’t too busy and had a certain old fashioned charm to it. I decided to go in and have a drink.
I walked in and went straight to the bathroom to fix up my hair and makeup first. Then, feeling freshened up, I grabbed a seat at the counter. The bartender came over and I ordered the gin and tonic I’d been craving all night.
I took my first sip and that’s when it hit me. It had only been a little over a week since I’d arrived in Pismo Beach, but it was like I was already a new woman. When I first showed up and went to the brewery for food and a beer, I’d been so nervous.
Terrified!
I dreaded that I had to go in and eat on my own. Tonight, I just walked right in, sat at the bar, and ordered a drink like it was nothing. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t even thought twice about it.
My job at the café was doing more for my confidence than I realized. Not only was it giving me a steady cash flow, but it seemed to have been working wonders on my self-esteem. I felt like I had purpose, like I was a part of something. I loved working with Sandra and the rest of the staff and getting to serve all kinds of different people. With each shift I could feel myself getting better at it, and Sandra never failed to see it and encourage me.
I knew it was just a waitressing job, and I couldn’t even imagine what my family or old friends would say if they found out I was a waitress, but that didn’t matter. I loved it.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a man walk in and look for a seat at the bar. All of them were taken except for the one beside me that I’d put my purse on. I moved it off and hung it on the back of my chair. He smiled and thanked me as he took the seat. I told him it was no problem as I reached back into my purse to grab my phone.
Still no word from Kane, but both Sandra and Paul had texted to make sure I got my car back. I sent them back the same message saying things were all good. I thought it was a vague enough answer and would do the job until I explained in person what happened. I was still in the gin and tonic processing phase, and was ready for my second.
“And bring another gin and tonic for the beautiful woman sitting next to me,” the guy said to the bartender.
I looked at him with a curious, raised eyebrow. I couldn’t figure out if he’d just read my mind, or if I’d spoken my thoughts aloud.
“I hope you don’t mind. I noticed you just finished your drink, and I was worried you’d leave before I had the chance to say hello.”
He was undeniably charming.
I smiled and thanked him. The bartender put our drinks down in front of us and we raised them to cheers.
“That’s quite the purse you have. I bet it says a lot about you,” he said.
“Oh really? Like what? That I shop at gas stations?”
“Well, I just noticed how colorful it is. A colorful purse for a bright and stunning young lady.”
“Oh, well thank you,” I said, a little embarrassed.
“I like it. You never know where you’ll find things of beauty, you just have to be open to finding them,” he said.
This guy was smooth.
I turned to face him as he was obviously trying to have a conversation with me. He seemed nice and was very handsome. I wondered who he was. He was laying the cheesy compliments on thick. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t making me smile though. The attention felt nice.
I could tell he wasn’t a local. He was lacking that sexy, relaxed surfer style. He was fair skinned and dressed in jeans and a blazer, which was attractive but smarter than what the local guys tended to wear.
“I just arrived in Pismo Beach today,” he said.
Knew it.
“I work for a big tech company. I’m here for work.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with the tech world, but I could have guessed that was where he was from just by looking at him. He certainly didn’t come from the Beach Body Automotive and Marine Repair world.
Regardless, he was charming, and next thing I knew, we were three drinks in with each other. With each drink we got a little closer, and the physical touches became more frequent.
“I can’t get over how stunning you are,” he said, letting his hand rest on my knee. “What do you say we get out of here?”
He leaned in closer and put his hand on my upper thigh.
“But I’m not done my drink yet,” I said.
He was a nice guy but something stopped me from falling for his offer. I knew I should give him a chance, and I was trying to, but I just couldn’t. It was weird. I was having a perfectly enjoyable time with him. I couldn’t deny that much. His compliments and flirts were hitting me right where I needed. And for the first time in my life, I was a free woman. I could do whatever I wanted. I could do whoever I wanted. It was finally my turn to sow some wild oats.
I was no expert at picking up men in bars, but it was impossible to ignore that things with this guy were heating up. But the second he suggested leaving, I froze. I knew I didn’t want to leave with him. I didn’t want to be with him.
He stood up from his seat and leaned in to me, his lips touching my ear.
“I’ll be right back for you, you irresistible woman.”
I watched as he made his way toward the men’s room.
I couldn’t blame him for thinking he was going to get with me. I was totally responsible for giving him all the green lights. With each drink, my green lights only became more frequent.
I knew I should have wanted to sleep with him. He was ready and willing. But I just wasn’t. I couldn’t even imagine it. I wanted to leave before he got back, but I hesitated too long and he was back before I could escape.
Before sitting back down, he kissed me on the neck.
“Looks like you’re done your drink,” he said with a look that said he was sure he was about to get laid.
When he kissed me, Kane’s face flashed before my eyes. The look on his face before he orgasmed inside me. I almost burst into tears at the memory. It brought back so many emotions.
“I really need to get going. I work early tomorrow,” I said, retreating from his next advance.
“I can come help you relax,” he said as he reached around my waist and put his mouth on the back of my neck again.
“I said, no, buddy.”
“Oh come on,” he insisted, this time letting his hands slide up over my breasts.
That’s when I got mad. Who the fuck did this guy think he was. Maybe Kane was gone forever, maybe I’d never see him again, but until I knew for sure, I was going to consider myself his girl and I wasn’t going to let this guy get away with any more liberties.
With all my might, I drove my elbow into his stomach, sending him doubled over in pain.
“I said, no thank you.”
I got up from my seat as he struggled to get his wind back.
“What the fuck, lady? I just bought you three drinks.”<
br />
He put his hand on my arm and I looked down at it. For the first time I noticed the tan line on his finger, right where a wedding ring should have been.
“Well, maybe you should have bought them for your wife, asshole,” I said, driving my knee into his nuts.
I fell back, knocking over a table and sending glass crashing all over. I couldn’t believe it. It was the second time in less than two weeks that I’d sent a guy falling into a table full of glass.
I reached into my purse and took out the twenty dollar bill I’d taken from the envelope.
“Here, consider yourself reimbursed.”
Then I flicked back my hair, grabbed my purse, and strode out of the bar.
CHAPTER 46
SANDRA
“We brought drinks!” I exclaimed as I held up two bottles of champagne.
Meadow opened the door and welcomed Paul and I into her new apartment. It was the night of her housewarming.
“Thank you guys!” she said, hugging us both. “And don’t worry Paul, I stocked up on beer from the brewery for you.”
“As if I’d show up empty handed,” Paul said, whipping out a case of beers and strutting through the door.
“Meadow, your place looks amazing. I can’t believe all the work you’ve done. You’ve got incredible style” I said as I made my way to her kitchen.
“Seriously,” Paul said. “I can’t believe this is the same place we checked out three weeks ago. You’ve completely transformed it.”
“Thanks,” Meadow said, beaming with pride.
“I should pay you to redecorate my place so it doesn’t look like a frat house,” Paul added, cracking open a beer.
“Really? Do you guys like it? I was on a really tight budget.”
“Could have fooled me,” I said. “It looks like something straight out of a design magazine.”
“You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for. Here, follow me, a few others have already arrived,” Meadow said, leading us through to the next room.
Paul and I said hi to everyone while Meadow went to answer the door again. There was a mix of people she’d met over the last month from working at the café and hanging out at the brewery. She had really settled into Pismo Beach and was now just a regular part of the gang.
She was a completely different woman than the one who showed up a mess and in tears. She arrived with nothing and figured out how to start a new life all her own. Over the last few weeks, Paul and I offered to help set up the new place but she always refused. She said she wanted to do everything herself and she meant it.
When her divorce papers arrived, we all got drunk at the brewery and she signed them on the beach at a lifeguard tower she said held sentimental value to her. I’d never been so proud of her as I was at that moment.
I watched as she lead the next batch of people into the living room. She looked so beautiful and confident as she showed off her new place. She was proud as a peacock showing off it’s nest!
“Hey, Paul, do peacocks have nests?”
“What?” he said from across the room. “Someone had a few pre-drinks.”
I gave him my guilty as charged smile.
“Speaking of drinks, where’s your drink, Meadow?” I said as she sat down next to me.
“Oh, I’ve got a glass of wine somewhere. I must have left it in the kitchen,” she said as she adjusted the snacks on the coffee table.
Just as she started to sit back and relax with her guests, there was another knock on the door and she was up again. As she walked out of the room, I caught Paul’s eyes glued to her ass.
“Enjoying the view?” I said with a playful nudge.
“I didn’t mean to stare, but she did not have that ass when she first got here. Must be all those shifts at the café,” Paul said, leaning over to watch her walk away.
I hit him playfully on the arm.
“Once an ass man, always an ass man,” Jason added from across the room.
“You could bounce a quarter off that ass,” Paul added.
The guys all started debating the pros and cons of being an ass man or a breast man. The room seemed fairly evenly split. I added my two cents, asking the girls if they were into men’s asses. Next thing I knew, all the men were standing up, bending over and displaying their butts. It was going to be a hilariously fun night for sure. Meadow came back in the room and didn’t quite know what was going on.
“Does anyone have a quarter?” Paul asked when he saw Meadow back in the room.
The guys all laughed. Meadow looked at me and I just shrugged.
Jason leaned over and reached in his pocket, handing Paul a shiny new quarter.
“What’s going on?” Meadow said.
“Meadow,” Paul said, “we’re conducting an experiment. In the interests of science, would you please bend over?”
Meadow looked confused but obliged. Paul flicked the quarter at her ass and it bounced right off. All the guys howled in laughter and I grabbed Meadow.
“The guys are all in agreement,” I said to her. “You have the best ass in the room.”
“Do I say thanks or pretend to be offended?” Meadow said, laughing.
“It’s a compliment,” Paul said.
“Well, turning down your offer to use your spare car was the best decision I ever made. I’ve never walked or biked so much in my life.”
“Here’s to Meadow and her killer ass,” Paul said as he held his drink in the air.
“Not only her killer ass, but her amazing new bachelorette pad,” I said, holding my drink up too. “We’re so lucky to have you in Pismo Beach, Meadow.”
The whole room cheered for her.
CHAPTER 47
MEADOW
“Thanks for coming you guys,” I said as I closed the door behind the last of the party guests.
Well, not the very last. Sandra hung back and insisted on sticking around to help me with the clean up. I made my way back to the kitchen where she was already clearing the plates.
“Well, what do you think? A successful party?” I asked as I pulled up a seat to take a load off my feet for a minute.
“Very successful. People had a great time. Look how late they stayed.”
“Good. I’m so glad,” I said as I picked at some of the leftover food.
“Meadow, I can’t get over how amazing your place looks. It was a dump when you first got here. You’ve totally transformed it. You’ve got a serious gift for design.”
Sandra was always so generous with her compliments.
“Thanks, Sandra, that means so much to me. I’ve always been interested in interior design. I read all the magazines and obsessively watch home makeover shows. It’s funny, Paul joked about paying me to redo his place, but he’s not the only one tonight who mentioned it.”
“I don’t think Paul was kidding. I mean, it’s safe to assume he’s always joking about something, but I could tell he meant it. Who else asked you?”
“Reagan asked me to come help her update her bedroom, and Rachel and Chris asked if I’d be interested in doing their entire home,” I said.
“That’s amazing. You absolutely should follow up with all of them. Maybe this is a whole new career opening up for you, Meadow!”
“You think? I had so much fun doing my place. But don’t think I’m going to drop my shifts at the café anytime soon. I love it there.”
“I know you do,” Sandra said. “I need you to know how impressed I am with you. You are such an inspiring woman. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how far you’ve come over the last month. I know it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve shown such strength.”
Maybe it was the wine but I was starting to feel emotional. My eyes filled with tears.
“You’re the best friend I ever could have wished for, Sandra. I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”
“You’ve worked hard, Meadow. You got your first job ever and now you’re living off your own hard earned cash. You scored an apartment and transformed it into y
our home. Your freaking car was taken from you and you hardly blinked. You just cut your loss and found the perfect bike to get around town. You even signed your divorce papers. You’re happier and healthier than the woman who first arrived here. You should be so proud.”
“And you’ve helped me every step of the way, Sandra.”
I hugged her as hard as I could. To hear those words from her, and know she’d noticed everything I’d done meant the world to me.
“Sandra, you’re such an incredible friend. I’m not joking when I tell you that every night I thank God for bringing me a friend like you.”
Sandra held up her wine glass and I looked around for mine so we could drink to our friendship. I found it by the sink. We clinked glasses, which, to adult women is essentially the equivalent of a blood pact.
“Wait a minute. Is that the same glass you poured when I got here hours ago?” Sandra said.
“I think you’re right. Crazy. I was so busy I forgot to drink! Speaking of forgetting, I’m starving. I’ll take the spinach dip and you grab the rest of that nacho dip. Let’s go relax on the couch for a bit.”
I picked up the dip and bread and with my free hand, deciding to grab the bowl of chips while I was at it.
“Want me to bring your wine?” Sandra said, still in the kitchen.
“No thanks. I don’t think I’ll finish it. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling so good when I woke up this morning. I better take it easy. I’ve been a bottomless pit for eating, though. I haven’t stopped eating all day. It must have been my nerves from having everyone over for the first time.”
We sat quietly on the couch as we enjoyed the leftover party snacks. I turned to her to say something, but just as I opened my mouth, a big dollop of salsa fell from the chip I was holding, right onto my blouse. Sandra saw the whole thing and we both burst into hysterical laughter. We couldn’t stop. If we even so much as made eye contact, the laughter only got louder. I tried to compose myself and regain my breath.
“What I was trying to say was …” I started, as Sandra put a piece of bread in her mouth and let it roll out.
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