by Adele Huxley
“Are you sure we aren’t going to run into Kevin?” I asked suspiciously.
“You know, I forgot to charge the tracking tag I pinned to his ear the last time I saw him,” she countered with a smirk.
“Yeah, yeah. You know, I could seriously get used to this,” I said as I scanned the restaurant. “Sun, beach…” I leaned forward onto the table and dropped my voice, “and everybody is so goddamn gorgeous.”
Lourdes laughed and twirled the celery in her Bloody Mary. “True, but I do miss New York. There’s so much character and personality. Starts to feel like everyone is a slightly different version of the same person here.”
It was the first time I’d heard her sound legitimately down. Given her almost pathological optimism, I was immediately concerned. “What’s up? What aren’t you telling me?”
She gave me a dull look and laughed. “I should’ve known better than try to keep anything from you.”
“Okay, now I’m really worried.”
She sat up and put both her elbows on the table. “It’s really not a big deal… but it kind of is. Ugh,” she groaned, pushing her glasses up into her hair. “I’ve been offered a sponsorship for my channel, a big one.”
“But…”
“But they’ve made some requests about my appearance. Apparently they like how I can corner the ethnic market,” she said with air quotes, “but want me to lose weight so I appeal to a broader audience.”
I slow blinked a few times to show how utterly ridiculous that comment was. “You’re absolutely gorgeous. That’s so stupid. How can they ask you to do something like that?”
Her expression twisted with disgust. “It’s all done without actually asking. They contacted my agent and made suggestions. Lose weight, change my hair, get a dog…”
I scoffed at the last one. “A dog?”
“Apparently vloggers with pets get more viewers,” she said with an eye roll. “It’s just the way it is out here. Everyone loses weight, gets work done, and that’s how we get the cookie cutters.”
I stared off into the distance, disbelieving that this was the world she lived in. I had no idea the kind of pressures she was under. I’d thought it was more of a hobby type thing that had taken off and started to earn a little money.
“You shouldn’t have to put up with that sort of thing,” I said quietly. A movement in the crowd caught my eye, something familiar that niggled at my subconsciousness.
“Girl, I know. I freakin’ slay, but money like this doesn’t come along very often.”
I tried to focus on Lourdes but I realized the familiar movement was coming from a guy in the crowd who looked suspiciously like… holy shit. Holy shitting shit, I thought as I frantically looked away. I slumped in my chair, pulling my glasses back down over my face. Why did I say we had to sit out on the patio? Why? If I had just sat inside we wouldn’t be in this mess…
Lourdes squinted at me. “Hangover hitting you hard?”
“Something like that,” I replied quietly. He was only a few feet away, walking alone without headphones on. If he heard me speak, he might stop.
“Talia? Are you gonna puke?” Lourdes asked with a touch of panic.
At the sound of my stupidly unique name, Clint glanced over. He frowned at Lourdes and then looked to me, the woman in dark glasses trying to do her best impression of a chair. He stopped dead in his tracks as I was frantically shaking my head and trying to signal to Lourdes to shut her loud mouth.
“Talia?” he asked, pulling his glasses off.
And here’s where I did the worst impression of Talia surprised to see Clint.
“Clint! Oh my gosh, I didn’t see you! What are you doing here? I’m here visiting my friend. Lourdes, this is Clint. Clint, this is Lourdes.” This entire sentence came out in one long, ridiculously fast breath.
The pair of them gave me the same blank stare but I held strong, doing my best to act like I wasn’t currently having a stroke. With a few slow blinks that were too similar to the ones I’d just given Lourdes, Clint turned and offered his hand.
“Nice to meet you. Talia, I had no idea you were going to be out here,” he then said turning to me.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment type thing.”
His dimples appeared as the corner of his mouth curled. “Does Ms. Greene think you’re home nursing a fever right now?”
I sputtered for a second before giving in. “Stomach bug.”
“Ah,” he chuckled followed by a strange pause. “It’s uh, it’s good to see you out of the office.”
“She was just saying how she could get used to this sort of lifestyle,” Lourdes said. Her knowing expression made me nervous. She’d never do anything to purposely embarrass me, but she was putting too many dots together too quickly. “How do you two know each other?”
I opened my mouth to reply but Clint swiftly cut in. “Talia is kindly helping me whip my book into shape. After she tore it apart with the first read-through…”
“I didn’t,” I interrupted.
“You did. I loved that you did. You have a way of making things better,” he added without a touch of self-consciousness.
Lourdes exhaled loudly and snapped her gaze to watch my reaction, which was a ridiculously loud awkward laugh. “Oh, that’s not true.”
Clint was unfazed, as always. Maybe it was the hangover clouding my perception, but it almost seemed like he was looking at me with a kind of… affection. I tried to convince myself it was more likely friendliness and that Oliver had sent my sex drive into hyperspace.
Thankfully, the server arrived with our food and saved me from any further embarrassment. Clint took it as a cue. “Well, I’ll let you two enjoy your morning.” He leaned closer, his hand reaching out to the railing by my arm. “How long will you be out here?”
“I’m flying back tomorrow afternoon,” I replied, feeling the blush creep up my neck.
He nodded as if storing away that information. “Great. Okay then, nice to meet you. Speak to you soon, Talia,” he said, giving the railing a little pat.
I pinned my eyes to the fruit plate in front of me, but I could feel Lourdes smile from across the table. I spoke without looking up. “Don’t.”
“What?” she replied innocently. “Do what?”
I violently stabbed a piece of watermelon as a warning and looked at her reproachfully. “You know exactly what.”
She pressed her lips together, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Even with my warning, I knew she’d come up with something to say. After a few moments, she dropped her fork to the plate with a clatter.
“I can’t believe this. I totally forgot to order the most important part of breakfast.”
“What?” I asked, confused in her shift in tone.
“An English muffin,” she smirked.
It took a half second to register what she meant. Plucking up a piece of juicy cantaloupe, I chucked it across the table at her. “I warned you.”
Lourdes held up her hands defensively. “All I’m saying is no offense to Zach, but pfwah, that guy is hot.”
“Two hot men can exist at the same time, you know,” I said sullenly.
“And whether you admit it or not, they’re both into you.” She punctuated the last three words by pointing her finger at me.
I sighed and sank back into my chair. “If I drown you in mimosas, do you promise to stop?”
“Only one way to find out,” she replied as she signaled to the server.
“I’m so sorry, but I need to record a few videos, edit one, and do a bunch of other stuff. Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” Lourdes asked with unnecessary concern.
I looked around the huge living room, decked out with plush furniture and a TV the size of a wall and nodded. “Um, yeah. I think I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I feel really bad.”
“Woman, I invited myself over. You do what you gotta do. I’ll be more than okay.”
Lourdes frowned again but I could tell she was itching to ge
t upstairs. “All right. If you need anything, text me. I’ll probably be recording but will feel it vibrate.”
And that’s how I found myself with some alone time in one of the most gorgeous houses I’d ever seen. Feeling like a kid left in a candy store, I quickly changed into my suit, grabbed my Kindle, and lounged in a shady spot by the pool.
It was a conscious effort to block out all the stuff waiting for me back in New York; Anette, Zach, Clint, work, the blog. Every time I felt my mind drift off towards a not-so-peaceful place, I pulled it right back like an annoying toddler on a leash. Instead, I focused on the fun and satisfaction I’d had the night before.
See? Impulsive, careful, but free choices can be some of the best. It’s not that I have to give up on dating… maybe it’s that I have to stop expecting so much. I didn’t come out here looking to hook up with anyone and now I can cross a major thing off my sexual bucket list: sex with male model in an infinity pool.
I was feeling good and mostly in control. I could dissolve those dark clouds with a couple happy rays. It worked until one of the very things I was trying to ignore called me directly on my phone.
Holy shit, I thought as I gripped the phone with both hands, staring at the screen. Almost on autopilot, I swiped to answer.
“Hello?”
“Talia, hi,” the deep accented voice replied.
“Clint, hello. How are you?” I asked nervously.
He chuckled a little. “Since I last saw you, fine. You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m good, thanks. How are you?” The instant the words dropped my lips I wanted to slap myself. Ever the gentleman, Clint brushed past my awkwardness without comment.
“I was wondering if you might be free right now. My afternoon suddenly opened up.”
I very nearly made an excuse about being too busy but had a sudden change of heart. I’d literally just had an epiphany about how much fun embracing spontaneity had been and here I was about to shoot it in the foot. Plus, he’s probably just worried about the book. It’s not like it’s something you can really turn down if it’s related to work.
“Uh, yeah, sure. I can step out for a couple hours,” I replied with a tremor to my voice. This man makes me so nervous! “I don’t actually have your manuscript or any of my notes on me.”
“Great. No need. Text me where you are and I’ll come pick you up. See you in a few.” I thought I could hear a smile through the phone.
“Great. Bye.”
With shaky fingers, I sent him the address and then typed out a text to Lourdes telling her I was leaving for a few hours. Just as I’d collected my things and was walking inside to get changed, Clint replied.
“What the hell?” I muttered as I read it over.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive on the right side of the road?” I called out to Clint.
He grinned at me, his eyes obscured by dark sunglasses, hair flying around in the wind. He slammed his foot on the gas and whipped past the car in front of us, grinning in response.
“Yeah, yeah,” I laughed.
Scratch another thing off my bucket list. Riding in a Mustang convertible down the Pacific Coast Highway, sun on my skin, wind in my hair. I was close to giddy with excitement with how alive I felt just to be doing this. With my head leaned back, I closed my eyes and soaked up the sensations and sounds. For the briefest moment, the past few months disappeared. I wasn’t sad, desperate, alone Talia struggling to come to terms with her breakup. I was alive, spontaneous, fun Talia who embraced life… and had a gorgeous English boyfriend. My eyes snapped open as I shook the thought clear.
“Fall asleep?” Clint asked, glancing over.
“No, just relaxing,” I lied, resisting the urge to call him a cute pet name.
“Oh! I forgot about this place,” he said pointing to busy fruit stand up ahead. “It’ll be perfect for supplies.”
“Supplies?” I asked, my question drowned out by the crunch of gravel under the tires as we pulled into the dusty lot.
It became shockingly quiet with the engine, music, and wind gone. “They have the best fruit. You can wait here and I’ll go grab some for the walk.”
“Walk?”
Clint shut the door and leaned into the car, his forearms pressed on the edge. He’d lowered his sunglasses and was holding me with a steady gaze. “I want to take you to one of my favorite places out here. It’s a bit of a hike, but worth every step. Are you up for it?”
“Absolutely,” I lied again, hoping I could fake this spontaneous streak long enough it’d eventually stick.
As he strode away, I watched him through the side mirror. As attractive, interesting, and alluring I found him, getting involved was out of the question. How would Lisa look at me if I started screwing the first client she’d given me? What could that possibly do to my career? I took the time away from him to recenter my thoughts. Stay professional, keep the conversation to work only. Keep your damn hormones in check and try not to jump him.
An hour later, I didn’t want to jump his bones. I wanted to kill him and hide the body. What started off as a mild stroll along a well-worn path had turned into a steep scramble uphill. Sweat dripped into my eyes, under my breasts, down my sides… all while Mr. Adventure walked along like it was nothing. I’d given up pretending to be okay about a half an hour into the ascent. I was so winded, at least I didn’t have to worry about putting my foot in my mouth.
“You hanging in there?”
“Uh,” pant, “huh,” pant. I kept my eyes pinned to the trail, sure that one wrong step would send me toppling over the edge and into the canyon below.
“We’re almost at the top now,” he replied, turning up the path. “I promise it’s worth it.”
Even watching his ass and legs from this angle wasn’t enough motivation. Really, the only thing keeping me from stopping and turning back was my vivid imagination. I was positive the moment I broke away to head back to the car, I’d wander off into the bushes never to be seen again. The creative curse…
With tunnel vision and I’m pretty sure a gallon of sweat soaked into my clothes, I crested the top of the mountain. It was probably technically a hill but in my mind, I might as well have just summited Everest. Clint was thankfully about fifty yards away, far enough he couldn’t hear my wheezing and coughing. After a few minutes to recover, I made my way over to him, the sweeping view taking my breath away all over again.
Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and the other urban areas lay off to the left. The vast Pacific Ocean swept all the way to the horizon, and a curl of golden, sandy beach stretched along the coast as far as the eye could see.
“It’s beautiful,” I mumbled as I came up to his side.
“It’s mesmerizing, isn’t it?” he replied with almost the same dreamy tone. “I come up here whenever I’m in L.A. There’s something about feeling so far from civilization yet being able to see it right down there.”
“Connected but disconnected.”
Our eyes met and I felt that odd zap of electricity pass between us. “Exactly.”
I quickly looked away and wiped my face with the collar of my shirt.
“Let’s grab a spot in the shade,” he suggested.
There were more people up on the top of this mountain than I would’ve expected, but we were lucky enough to find a bench under the shade of a small tree.
He twisted off the cap on a blue jug of water and offered it to me. “So, how are things going with you and your roommate?”
I swallowed the cold water with hungry gulps and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand when I was finished. “Honestly? So much worse than it was before.”
Clint tsked and took a swig of water. “That’s shit. My sterling advice didn’t help any then?”
I chuckled as I pulled my hair off my sweaty neck. “That’s not your fault. I didn’t give you the full story. You were advising on partial information.”
He pulled out a small basket of fruit and set it between us. He shifted on the bench, pulli
ng his knee up and throwing his arm over the side. “I have all the time in the world.”
I huffed a little and grappled with the desire to tell him everything. To be honest, I would’ve loved to hear his take on the whole situation but I wasn’t quite ready yet. So I pointed the conversation away.
“It’s so beautiful up here. How did you find out about it?”
Clint regarded me for a moment before replying, almost like he was giving me a chance to reconsider changing the topic.
“My ex, actually.”
“Ah,” I breathed. A few heartbeats of silence later I added, “I’m sorry,” because it felt right in the moment.
He laughed self-consciously. “No need. I think I might’ve mentioned her when we had dinner in New York.”
“I think so…”
Intrigued, I didn’t press him further. I felt like he was trying to find the starting point in a story that might not really have one. We sat in silence as another couple’s laughter carried along on the wind.
“I met Alison at an odd time in my life. At first, I thought she was exactly what I needed. She was full of life, always up for an adventure.”
My heart thudded in my chest. Shedding a little more light on the mystery that was Clint English was irresistible. But he paused… and it was long enough I was afraid he might be second guessing his confessional.
“But she wasn’t?” I gently coaxed.
He snorted and grabbed a strawberry from the container. “Ali is a force of nature. You know how hurricanes gain strength when they head out over warmer water? I think that’s what happened to her. We met when she still lived in New York, but the moment she moved out here… Let’s just say I wasn’t the only person she was going on adventures with.”
I nodded, my eyes going out to the blue line of the horizon. “California changes people.”
Peripherally, I saw him agree. We sat with our thoughts for a few quiet minutes. It was an odd thing for me. Sharing the same space with him but not feeling the compulsion to fill the air with chatter was an exposing moment. But like a wisp of a dream you’re trying to remember, it dissolved the second I realized it.