by Jenna Brandt
“Miss Cruz, Miss Cruz, can you tell us how it feels to be a sudden billionaire?” one reporter asked, shoving a microphone in her face.
“Miss Cruz, what was your relationship like with your father before he died?” a different one yelled.
“What do you plan to do with your money next?” a third reporter questioned.
As the reporters and cameramen pushed in around her, Erica was starting to feel faint. The attention was overwhelming and she didn’t know how to handle the situation. She avoided answering their questions, and tried to push past them to get to her car, but the harder she tried to get away, the more tightly they formed the circle around her.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and yanked her from the crowd. “If you’ll excuse Miss Cruz, she needs to be going,” she heard the authoritative voice of Zach say next to her.
Her eyes fluttered up to meet his, and she could see the need to protect her reflected in them. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, shielding her a bit from the paparazzi. He guided her over to his Porsche Coupe and helped her into the passenger seat. He then rushed around to the driver’s side and climbed inside.
“Are you all right?” Zach asked, putting the car into drive and taking off out of the parking lot.
“I think so. A little shaken up for how crazy it got, but I’m okay,” Erica whispered. “Why were you at my place?”
“I was dropping Aiden off after our latest call out. His car’s in the shop so he needed a ride. He invited me in for breakfast and I overheard you talking with Lindsay. I figured you could probably use the back up.”
“If you’re just getting off work, where’s Harley?” Erica asked, glancing around for his K-9 partner.
“I left her over at Aiden’s place. I’ll pick her up later.”
“I want to thank you for helping me out back there,” Erica said with gratitude. “I honestly had no idea how I was going to get away from all of those reporters.”
“It was no problem. This whole thing’s got to be difficult for you. I told you, if you need anything all you have to do is ask.”
“I appreciate that,” Erica stated with a smile.
“Were you heading to the gym?” Zach inquired. When Erica arched an eyebrow in surprise at his accurate guess, he added, “I could tell from what you’re wearing and the bag you were carrying.”
“Oh,” she mumbled, glancing down at her outfit. “I was hoping to run to take my mind off all of this. Do you mind dropping me off? I can catch an Uber afterward.”
“Actually, I keep a set of gym clothes in the trunk of my car. I could use a work out myself.”
After arriving at the Clear Mountain Fitness Club, they made their way inside. Zach glanced down at his watch, then back up at Erica. “How about we meet back at the front in an hour?”
Erica nodded. “Sounds good.”
They separated and went into the different changing areas. Erica pulled her hair back into a ponytail, retied her sneakers, and then placed her bag inside one of the lockers.
She decided to start out on the indoor track, knowing a good run would help her release some of the anxiety she had pent up inside. She did a couple of quick stretches before taking off at a moderate jog, then moved up to a full run. She pushed herself, wanting to go faster and faster, her training from her days of being a high school track star coming to the surface.
A half hour and four miles later, Erica was exhausted but the stress of the morning had slipped away. She patted her forehead with a towel, then put it around her neck before deciding to go into the weight room. She could use a little more time away from all the chaos.
As she entered, several people turned to look at her with recognition including a set of women who immediately started whispering back and forth. Was this because of the article? Clear Mountain was a small town, so she often ran into people she knew, but she never had this type of reaction from random people. Maybe it was time she called it quits at the gym for today. She didn’t want to work out with people watching her.
As she turned around to exit the weight room, an unfamiliar female voice said from behind her, “What are you doing here working out with all us regular people? I’m surprised you haven’t already bought yourself a big mansion with your own gym inside it to avoid us.”
Erica stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Pardon me?”
“I think you heard me,” the woman said, placing her hand on her hip. “You don’t need to come in here and flaunt your money at us.”
What on earth was this woman going on about? Erica was doing no such thing. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she stated in confusion.
“That Apple watch has to cost like $1000. Who goes around wearing one of those?”
Erica glanced down at the watch she had bought the other day. The model usually did cost $1000, but it had been on sale and Erica had used a coupon, reducing it to almost half the cost. She thought she was making a smart decision since it could track her exercise and calendar and link back to her cell phone. It was the one thing she had bought for herself since inheriting the money because her old watch broke. She had no idea it was going to cause someone to react this way.
Crossing her arms defensively, Erica stated, “I don’t really see what I spend my money on is any of your concern.”
“Don’t you mean your father’s money? Don’t act like you did anything to deserve it but happen to luck out by being born into a rich family.”
This snooty blonde woman didn’t know anything about Erica. The way she was acting, it was as if she assumed Erica always had an easy life, which couldn’t be the furthest from the truth. However, she knew trying to explain herself to the stranger wasn’t going to do Erica any good. It was better to just walk away.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have to be going.”
“That’s right, go on and run away. Can’t be seen with the likes of us, right.”
Erica rushed from the room and headed straight for the changing area. She wanted to grab her bag and get out of there as quickly as possible.
Was this going to be her new normal? Were strangers going to assume things about her that weren’t true? Was she going to have random co-workers and church members texting her like they were best friends simply to get close to her because of the new money she had? She hated the idea that she would have to be skeptical of every person she met now, because she had to wonder what they wanted from her.
Just outside the changing area, Zach was leaning against the wall. He pushed off of it as she came out, and moved to her side.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, glancing at her Apple watch, but only feeling regret from buying it now that the awful woman from the gym embarrassed her about it. She yanked it off and threw it in her gym bag.
“I got done early. Thought I would wait for you here. What’s the matter?” Zach probed, his brows furrowing together in concern. “I thought you’d be more relaxed after working out.”
“I was, until all the weird looks and rude comments I got inside the weight room.”
“Oh man, that stinks,” Zach said with a shake of his head. “People can be so stupid. You can’t let what they did and said get to you.”
“That’s easy for you to say; you don’t care what people think of you.”
Zach tilted his head to the side and Erica could have sworn she saw a look of hurt cross his face. “That’s not exactly true, Erica.”
She stopped walking and turned to face him. “I’ve never gotten that impression from you, Zach. You always seem like you couldn’t care less if what you said or did bothered other people.”
“I think everyone cares what people think of them, some of us are just better at hiding it than others.”
“Then why do you always act the way you do? Sometimes you can say the meanest things. Granted, you disguise it behind humor, but it’s still mean.”
Zach let out a heavy sigh, and after a moment, he whispered, “When I was young, I was really small for my age, and the ot
her kids were pretty relentless about making fun of my size. It’s probably why I relate to Alex so much; I totally get how he feels about being small. Anyway, I decided I had to do something to take the focus off my size, so I practiced telling jokes for an entire summer. I came back to school the next year armed with a plethora of laugh-bombs. It worked. They stopped teasing me and started laughing at my jokes instead. I figured out really quickly it was easy to hide behind laughs and sarcasm.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but doesn’t it keep people from getting to know the real you? Maybe that’s why you’ve never had a relationship that’s lasted past a couple of dates.” The words slipped out and Erica realized that even if it was true, she shouldn’t have said it.
Zach’s face hardened before he turned towards the door of the gym and held it open. “We should probably get you home. I’m sure we’ve both got a lot to do.”
Erica wanted to apologize. Part of her knew she was angry and misdirected it at Zach. He opened up and told her something very personal and she used it to make a point.
After climbing into his sports car, Erica whispered, “Zach, I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you were right. How I behave has cost me any chance of having a real relationship. It’s something I’m trying to work on.”
Erica could tell Zach was still upset, but she knew there wasn’t anything she could do to minimize the hurt. They drove the short distance back to her apartment in silence. Erica climbed out of the car, pushed past the reporters, and made her way inside, welcoming the safety of her own place.
Eleven
Zach entered Clear Mountain Assembly, still contemplating the conversation he had with Erica the previous day. He’d never told anyone about what happened to him as a kid. He still didn’t know why he had told Erica.
When she pointed at the zinger of the truth about the consequences from acting that way, Zach had wanted to be angry with her. He realized quickly, however, it was disappointment he was actually feeling. Disappointment that he had figured out too late that he needed to change. If he had done so before meeting Erica, she would have seen him in a different light and wouldn’t have been so jaded about his past. Part of him wondered if she would ever be able to get past how he used to be and give him a real chance to show her he was changing.
He saw his group of friends sitting towards the front of the church, but Zach didn’t want to join them. Today, he wanted to focus on what the pastor spoke about and figure out why he kept coming here.
After the worship was over, Pastor Steve came to the front and started to speak. “God’s put it on my heart today to talk about being broken. From experience, I know there’s a lot of broken people here. I know, because I used to be one, until I accepted God into my life.
“Broken people have sharp edges. Many of you have been hurt by past traumas and betrayals, and you wear your sharp edges like a shield. The problem is, the shield keeps the good and the bad out alike, and you will keep yourself from the good in life as much as the bad. The good news is, you don’t have to stay that way. If you turn your past hurts over to God, He can heal your pain. Through that process, He can remove the sharp edges, leaving you able to have meaningful relationships again. If you have sharp edges you want God to remove, I urge you to give your life to the Lord today. He wants to meet you where you are and help you become what you’ve always been meant to be. Let’s pray.”
Zach felt a stirring in his heart. When the pastor asked for people to raise their hands if they wanted to give their lives to God, Zach’s hand shot up without hesitation. He was tired of living his life one empty booty call at a time. As he repeated the words of the prayer, the burdens of his past lifted and a peace entered his heart, confirming he had made the right decision.
In the lobby, he found his group of friends. He couldn’t wait to tell Aiden about his decision. He tapped his friend on the shoulder. “I’ve got something to tell you.”
“What’s that, Zach?”
He glanced skeptically at the group, but realized he didn’t need to hide what he did. He pushed back his shoulders and said, “I raised my hand during the prayer. I decided I want to be a Christian.”
Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention towards Zach. There were several shocked looks which quickly turned into happy ones as they congratulated him. The men patted him on the back while the women gave him hugs.
Erica was the last to speak to him. She gave him a tentative smile as she said, “I’m glad to hear the decision you made today, surprised but glad.”
“Thanks,” he said, returning the smile. “Now that I’ve done it, I can’t figure out for the life of me, why I was so resistant. I mean, it feels good, really good.”
She nodded. “You’ll always feel like you made the right decision, even when tough times come. There’s a peace in knowing you’re never alone.” Erica glanced at her watch. “I have to get going. I have a few errands to run. I’ll catch you later.”
Zach watched as Erica took off through the lobby, stopping to say a quick “hello” to a few people before exiting the church. Though he wished for there to be more with Erica, he was at least grateful that the hostility that used to exist between them seemed to disappear.
“Are you going to come to lunch with us, Zach,” Connor asked, bringing Zach’s attention back to the group.
“Sure, though I have to admit, it’s tough being the third-wheel, or in this case, ninth-wheel.”
“You’ll find someone soon enough,” Lindsay said with a smile. “You’re a good guy, Zach, especially now that you’re letting God get rid of those sharp edges.”
Zach knew the problem wasn’t finding someone, it was finding the right someone. All these years, he didn’t focus on a woman’s character or personality, but just her chest size and ability to hold liquor. Now that he saw the differences when comparing that type of women against others like Lindsay and Erica, he realized he’d been focused on the wrong things. He didn’t want a superficial relationship anymore, but wanted to build a relationship with someone of substance.
“I’ll meet up with all of you at the restaurant,” Zach said, realizing he wanted to catch up with Erica before she took off. Maybe he could catch her before she left and give it one more try by asking her out again.
He rushed outside and into the church parking lot. He scanned the area for her silver Toyota Camry and spotted it in the far corner. He hurried down the steps and over. As he approached, he noticed her forehead was propped against her steering wheel and tears were trickling down her cheeks.
He tapped on the window, startling her. She brushed the tears away and rolled down the window.
“What’s wrong?” Zach asked. Not liking seeing her upset, he inquired further, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Do you have any jumper cables?” she asked with defeat in her voice. “I can’t get my car to start.”
“No, but I have a friend at the tow yard. Do you need me to call him so you can have it taken to a shop?”
“I don’t even know if it’s worth taking it to one. She’s been on her last leg for a long time. It might be better to just have her taken to the scrap yard.”
“I can call and have Mark do that,” Zach said, pulling out his phone, “but what are you going to do for a ride in the meantime?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been saving up to replace her for a while now.”
Zach paused for a moment, Erica’s inheritance coming to the forefront of his mind. Should he bring it up? He didn’t want her to get the wrong idea because he didn’t care about her money, but if she needed a car, she had the money to get one now.
“How about after we get this squared away, I take you car shopping?” Zach offered.
“You’d do that?” she asked with shock.
“Hey, I’m a guy, we live for car shopping. Besides, it’s not often that someone gets to go with somebody else that has an unlimited budget.”
She let out a small laugh. “I never thought about it that way, but I guess you’re right.” Then giving him a skeptical glance, she added, “Don’t get your hopes up though, I’m not buying any Lamborghini or Rolls Royce.”
“It doesn’t mean we can’t test drive them though, does it?” he teased back with a lopsided grin. “Don’t take all the fun out of it.”
Two hours later, they were standing in the Boulder auto mall, walking through the rows of new, modest, sedans.
“You seriously want a sedan, not a Porsche or a Mustang?” Zach asked with distaste. “You can get whatever you want, and you’re looking at Toyota Avalons and Chevy Traverses.”
“Hey, Lindsay really likes her Chevy Traverse. Plus, I’ve ridden in it, and it’s smooth with lots of room.”
“You got a secret closet full of children I’m unaware of?” Zach countered.
She laughed, shaking her head. “No, but it’s not like I don’t want to someday. Why not plan ahead.”
He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “It’s your car, so we’ll look at whatever you want.”
A car salesman came running up with a giant grin on his face. “Miss Cruz, Miss Cruz, I thought that was you I saw out here.”
Erica and Zach turned to face the man, both surprised to hear him address her by name.
“What can I do for you? Would you like a bottle of water, a cup of coffee, while you’re looking?” the man rattled off, “Is there a specific type of car you’re looking for? If we don’t have it, I can order it for you. We can fully customize whatever you want.”
Erica glanced over at Zach, who was watching with amusement as the man pandered to Erica. “Our newest and best models are on display inside the showroom. I can take you in to view them, if you’d like.”
Erica’s eyebrow arched in puzzlement. “Do you treat all of your customers like this, or just ones you happened to see in the newspaper recently?”
The man’s eyes grew wide at the fact that she was calling him out. He stuttered out, “I’m…I’m sorry, Miss Cruz, if I did anything to upset you. It’s just when a customer of your caliber comes in here, we want to make sure you have all the best of our amenities during your purchase experience.”