by Hope Stone
Whoever said it doesn’t rain in California has obviously never been here during an El Nino year. It wasn’t just raining, there was water slamming out of the sky. I was actually sorry I’d given my umbrella to that homeless guy at the bus stop. Okay, no I wasn’t, but I was sorry I hadn’t replaced it.
Street parking was a disaster on rainy days and I had to park two blocks away, which meant that I was completely drenched by the time I got to the car. “You owe me big time, Bailey,” I muttered under my breath.
“So. How's life treating you, Paige?” My mother sat at the kitchen island drinking a cup of tea.
It was pretty obvious from my damp clothes and hair and the scowl on my face that life was not treating me well at the moment. But I forced a smile on my face and said, “Things are great, Mom. Thanks for asking.”
I glared at the stairs. What was taking Bailey so long? We weren’t going to prom together. It was a concert.
“Any luck on the job search?” Mom asked.
I did not want to talk about this, so I just said, “Yes. I have a few leads.” I then looked at my phone and yelled at the stairs. “Come on, Bailey. Traffic is bad because of the rain.”
I didn’t really care about being late for dinner, but I wanted to get away from my mother’s inane questions.
Finally, I heard her clomping down the stairs. I was surprised. She wasn’t wearing a stitch of makeup, and had on a pair of sweats and a hoodie. This was what I’d been waiting for? An overstuffed backpack completed the ensemble. Frankly, she looked more like she was going camping for the weekend than to a concert.
I didn’t care. I just wanted to leave. “Do you have everything??
“I think so. Let’s bounce.”
I was so ready to bounce I could have tried out for the Lakers.
We were pulling out of the driveway and I could barely see a thing through the rain. “You were smart to wear a hoodie. This weather is crazy.”
Bailey just grinned at me and pulled the hoodie over her head, revealing a skimpy tank top. Of course. Why hadn’t I seen that coming? The old “cover up for the parents” trick. My guess was that she had a miniskirt under the sweats and makeup in the backpack.
“So where are we meeting these people for dinner?”
“It’s this Italian place on third street. La Passarella. Lily says it’s one of her favorite places in town.”
Great. Just my luck. The pimply-faced kid wants somewhere nice and I’m dressed for a night out at Chipotle. Since when do kids eat at fancy Italian places?”
“When you’re done with that eyeliner, can you enter the address into the GPS?” I could barely see the cars in front of me because of the crazy rain. At least one of us would look good tonight.
Forty-five minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic later, we were on third street. We were twenty minutes late for dinner and I couldn’t find parking. “Why don’t you get out and meet them and I’ll park the car?”
I had to admit, Bailey looked gorgeous. Her blonde hair was down and brushed, her makeup was gorgeous, and she looked happier than I’d seen her in a long time. Whoever this new friend was, she was having a positive influence on Bailey.
“She’s just so real, Paige,” she’d said on the drive over. “She hasn’t had an easy life. Her parents were killed in a car accident but she’s keeping it together. She’s dating this older guy and even though he says he loves her and all, she’s waiting until they move in together to have sex. She says she wants to make sure the guy means it.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. How old was the guy? Was having sex at sixteen so common? Did this mean Bailey wasn’t a virgin? There were too many questions so I said, “Sounds like she’s got a good head on her shoulders.”
Now, as she slammed the car door shut and ran into the restaurant, I realized that she was closer to being a woman than she was to being a girl. When did that happen?
I got completely drenched again from the car to the door of La Passarelli. Everyone else had umbrellas and raincoats and I looked like something that had washed ashore.
Whatever. I’d have some dinner, drop the kids off at the convention center, and go home.
The smell of garlic bread hit my nose as soon as I walked in the place, making me realize that I was starving. I hadn’t had a decent meal out since I moved to La Playa. This was the kind of restaurant I went to all the time in Verde Hills. Upscale, with a warm family vibe.
“Welcome to La Passarelli. I’m Lisa, the owner. Table for one?”
The place was packed. Photos of Lisa and a woman who appeared to be her mother were on the walls, along with other family photos. Frank Sinatra crooned softly on the radio, and each table was filled with happy, laughing people enjoying family style meals. Red and white checkered tablecloths and green ivy completed the scene.
“Actually, my sister just came in. She was meeting some friends?” I started to scan the room for Bailey and the pimply-faced kid and his sister.
“Oh! Of course. I should have known. She looks just like you. Follow me this way.”
As I watched her walk ahead of me, I wondered how Lisa spent every night in those high heels. Her feet must have been a mess.
We walked around tables and squeezed through tight corners. I saw Bailey sitting next to a dark-haired girl and a guy with brown hair, who had his back to me.
“They’re right over there,” Lisa said. “Your server will be with you shortly.”
There was something strangely familiar about the brother. I couldn’t see his face, so it must have been something in his body language or demeanor.
Honestly, he reminded me a little bit of…
And then he turned around. “Ryder?”
“Paige?”
Of course. Of course I would run into him looking like this. Between the wet sweatsuit I was wearing, my ridiculous hair, and no makeup, I looked like I’d just come out of the ocean sporting a terrible hangover.
Ryder, on the other hand, looked so sexy I could die. He wasn’t wearing his jacket, but instead had on this black Polo shirt that hugged his biceps. I wondered how often he got to the gym, because guns like that don’t grow on their own.
I couldn’t see under the table to see his pants, but he had a five o’ clock shadow thing going on that made me instantly wet. I wanted to rub that beard all over my—
“What are you doing here?”
Twenty-One
Ryder
I hated to admit it, but Lily’s friend Bailey was nice. She seemed intelligent and had a lot more class than most of the other girls I’d seen Lily hanging out with. Pretty, blonde, and you could tell she came from a good family with a lot of money. I was glad they’d met, although I’d never gotten the full story of how it happened that Bailey was at some random Mexican market in North La Playa.
Looking around the cozy restaurant, I was glad that Lily had suggested coming here. I’d told the other guys that I’d be getting to the concert before it started, but after they set up the security perimeter. We weren’t primary security, just backup to the LPPD. The police often called us to help out for major events like this because of our long history with the community. Between the fun runs and other events, Padre had done a good job of keeping a good relationship with the police. The bribes helped, too.
Lisa walked past us to get to the kitchen and stopped to say hi. “I can’t believe how beautiful you are, Lily,” she said. “You’ve become a proper young woman.”
We didn’t come to La Passerelli very often, but when we did, Lisa treated us right. Her husband had died of cancer and she’d raised two boys on her own while running the restaurant. She’d become friends with Padre, and then we started having Lily’s birthday parties here.
We were supposed to be meeting Bailey’s sister, but she was parking the car or something. The last thing I needed right now was some babbling blonde older sister telling stories about pilates class or whatever chicks were into these days.
Honestly, the only woman I found m
yself wanting to talk to these days was Paige, but I hadn’t seen her since I’d talked to Sofia. In fact, I thought it must be my imagination when I heard her voice. “Ryder?”
“Paige?”
“What are you doing here?” we both asked at the same time.
“You guys know each other?” Bailey asked.
“Oh my god. Your sister is that waitress at Tiny’s.” Lily looked shocked.
We were all shocked. Somehow, Paige’s sister and my sister had managed to meet and become friends!
“What a small world,” Paige said as she sat down next to her sister.”
As soon as I saw them side by side I saw the resemblance. Bailey looked exactly like what I imagined Paige did at sixteen.
What a weird fucking coincidence. If I believed in fate, that’s what I would say this was. Here I’d wanted to ask Paige to dinner and the next thing I know she walks into the restaurant I’m in so we can have dinner together!
The girls were chattering about the concert and Gerard Way’s baby.
Paige tried to smooth down her wet hair and said, “If I’d known it was you I’d have dressed a little better. Honestly, I thought you were going to be some twenty-year-old kid and we’d be having Chipotle.”
I had to laugh. “You look fine. Beautiful, actually. And if I’m being honest, I was expecting some ditzy bimbo.”
“Oh, hey. The night is young.” She laughed and I felt it all the way down to my soul. Suddenly I wanted to become Jimmy Fallon and make her laugh again.
“I wish,” I said, picking up the menu. “I have to…work. My…friends and I are helping out with security for the concert. I actually should be there now, but wanted to meet who Lily was going to the concert with.”
“Yeah, me too. You never can be too careful these days.” She was looking at me and I sensed a double meaning in her tone.
“No. It’s important to have protection.”
“Well, there are times when protection is overrated.”
“Ew. Are you guys doing that again?” Lily wrinkled her nose and turned to Bailey. “The day we met your sister they were doing this gross flirting thing there, too.”
“Oh, really?” Bailey grinned at Paige as if she’d discovered a huge secret. “Is that so?”
Fortunately, we were interrupted by the waitress who’d come to take our order.
I barely ate my lasagna. Lisa’s food was as good as usual, but I was in a complete daze from running into Paige like this. It takes a lot to rattle me, but this did it.
When the girls got up to use the restroom after dinner, I finally had a chance to talk to Paige alone.
“I’ve been wanting to run into you again.”
“You have?” She was just finishing the glass of red wine she had with dinner.
“Yes. There was…” the words caught in my throat, but I remembered Sofia’s advice. “There was something I wanted to ask you.”
“Oh? What?”
“I wanted to see if you’d like to get dinner sometime?” I was actually starting to sweat! This was ridiculous.
“You mean like we’re having now?” She smiled and my heart melted. Paige was what my mother used to call “a heartbreaker.”
I laughed. “Well. Yes. Like now. But more of a…”
“More of a date?” She was looking at me with those blue eyes and I almost forgot where we were.
“Yes. A date. I wanted to know if you would go out on a date with me.” I felt like the biggest idiot on the planet. This was so awkward!
When she grinned, it showed deep dimples at the corners of those luscious lips.
“A date, huh? Well, I don’t know. You might need to ask my dad.”
“Your dad?” It was then that I realized she was teasing me. “Oh. Yeah. Well, I promise to have you home by midnight. You think that’ll fly?”
“Who’s going to fly?” Lily asked as she and Bailey came back from the bathroom. “I love airplanes.”
Twenty-Two
Paige
“Thank you for dinner, Ryder. I really appreciate it.” The whole meal seemed to have flown by.
“Yes. It was so good! Thank you!” Bailey added.
Thankfully, the rain let up so we wouldn’t get drenched walking back to our cars. Since Ryder was going to the concert anyway, he agreed to give the girls a ride there and then bring them back to my place after. Bailey had begged for Lily to spend the night and even though I really didn’t have any space other than my couch, I agreed. I remembered what it was like to be sixteen.
“I’m this way,” I said to Ryder, as we stood outside the front of the restaurant.
Ryder handed his car keys to Lily. “You girls go wait in the car. I’ll be right there.”
“Oooooohhhhhhh,” they called as they giggled and walked away.
“They’re funny,” I said.
“Quite a pair, that’s for sure.” He stood there looking down at me. “I wanted a moment alone with you.”
“Yeah,” was all I could manage to say.
He took both of his hands, cupped my face, and kissed me. “I’ll see you later. After the concert. Okay?”
“Okay.” My head was spinning. What was happening to me?
Ryder then took off running in the direction the girls had gone. Within a minute, I was standing there alone.
“He’s quite a catch.” I swung around and Lisa was standing there smiling.
“Yeah.” That seemed to be all I could say. It sure wasn’t like me to be this tongue tied.
I was on cloud nine the whole way home. Usually it depressed the hell out of me to have to go from the beach back to North La Playa. But while I wished I could afford to live in a better neighborhood, this was giving me the life experience I needed to relate to the people in the very community I wanted to help.
I’d grown up with all the resources I needed. I didn’t know what it was like to not be able to afford food. To have to use a calculator when I went through the grocery store so I wouldn’t be embarrassed at having to put stuff back. I had access to health care and was able to see a doctor when I needed it.
The people I’d worked with at the free clinic in Terrance knew the struggle. And even now, while I paid my bills with tips earned as a waitress, I knew that I still had it better than most. If I got into real trouble, all I’d need to do is call my parents. A lot of folks around here didn’t have that luxury.
But tonight, the city looked beautiful. The rain had made everything glisten and sparkle, and the air was heavy with moisture. The music on my car radio provided a soundtrack that made me feel like I was in some kind of movie. A movie where this was the scene when the woman realized she was falling in love.
Love? Hardly. I was being a bit dramatic, probably from the little bit of wine I’d had with dinner and the whole ambiance of the evening. It was far too soon for it to be love. Lust? Yes. Like? Definitely. Was there potential? Who knew?
But, he’d sought me out to ask me to dinner. On a date.
My inner thighs tingled at the thought of that. Dates meant kissing. Kissing meant hands exploring. I wanted his hands to touch me everywhere.
Yeah, my mind and body were made up. Love or no love, I definitely wanted to have sex with Ryder. The only question would be when. Would it be tonight?
I kept my eye on the clock as I dried my hair. I’d taken a nice warm shower, shaved, and used my loofah glove. I’d put on scented lotion—not for Ryder, I told myself. For me. Because I am a woman and I enjoy feeling soft and smelling good.
If Ryder happened to benefit from it…that was fine.
I even had a rare glass of wine from a bottle I’d brought with me from my parents’ wine cellar. Well, “glass” of wine wasn’t exactly the right term. More like a “plastic cup” of wine. My mom would shit if she saw me drinking a $100 bottle of red wine out of a plastic Wonder Woman cup I’d gotten with a combo meal at the drive thru.
“Well, she’s not here, is she?” I said to no one, as I set the bottle on the kit
chen counter. The place was kind of a mess, but hey. I lived alone and could do what I wanted.
The concert would be in full swing by now, so I decided to climb in bed and think about work. They should be here in about three hours, which would give me plenty of time to brainstorm ideas. There had to be some way for me to have a hands-on role in this community. All of the other applications I’d sent out had gone nowhere.
I must have sent out fifty applications in the LA area. I didn’t have enough experience for most of them, or the right educational background. My cover letters were strong, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they all just saw me as some rich white girl trying to have an adventure instead of a person with a passion for helping girls and women get the care they needed.
I never really knew where my passion had come from. It was just always there.
Frustrated, I threw off the covers and got out of bed. “There has to be a way.” Suddenly, I heard the musical horn of the food truck that showed up about this time every Saturday night. “Andy’s Asada” came by and the smells of freshly-made carne asada came wafting through my window. I’d never gotten any, but I appeared to be the only one in the neighborhood who hadn’t. Within minutes each week, there was a line going around the building.
“Maybe I ought to start a food truck,” I thought, wryly.
Then it hit me. Maybe I really should!
Twenty-Three
Ryder
The traffic heading up Pacific Coast Highway to the convention center was a disaster. Bumper-to-bumper. The concert had sold out within minutes of the tickets going on sale, and from the line of cars, it looked like every one of the twelve thousand people had taken separate cars.
I’d be there already if it was just me on my bike. But I had a couple of very excited girls in the backseat.
