California Sunshine

Chapter 1

              I grabbed my coffee cup and looked at the calendar. I couldn't help but smile, today marked seven months since I caught Lance cheating on me. I smiled, taking a sip from my mug. I could smile now, six months ago I couldn't. Now I was proud of where I had made it to, and who I am. I'm no longer the girl that needed somebody. Sure I still get lonely from time to time, who wouldn't after being in a relationship for three years? But now? Now I could come and go as I please, not answering to anyone. I could spend my money on myself and not answer questions as to where it was going. Although he never did tell me where his money was going, of course, that question was answered the night I found him in bed with Janet. Our bed.

              I looked at the clock on the stove and noticed that I still had an hour before I had to leave to go to work. I set down and opened my laptop, quickly signed onto Facebook and began scrolling. Of course, it was the same thing, pictures of friends kids, couples looking oh so in love. I quickly tired of scrolling through the monotony. Just as I was going to log out my computer dinged with a message. I looked down and saw that it was Ashley.

              "I need to talk to you." I cocked an eyebrow, my heart beating furiously in my chest. I never liked hearing those words. Whether they were read or spoken out loud.

              "Okay?" I quickly typed and hit enter with a little more oomph than I had meant to. I cringed and gently patted my keyboard and muttered a quick apology.

              "Michael and I want you to come to Cali. We'll pay for the plane ticket, you can stay with us. You need a vacation."

              I knew why she insisted I needed a vacation, but she was wrong. I needed to work, I needed to carry on. "I need a vacation huh? You do know I'm fine right?"

              "I know every morning you wake up with the same routine. Coffee, calendar, Facebook, work. Lather, rinse, repeat. Be spontaneous."

              "Remember what spontaneity got me seven months ago?" I asked.

              "Yeah I do know what it got you, it got you the truth. And, you just confirmed what I already knew. I'll send you the ticket. Love you! Have a great day at work, call me tonight." And just like that the green dot beside her name disappeared and I was left sitting there feeling like a child that had gotten caught telling a white lie. If anyone knew me, it would be Ashley, and sometimes I think she knew me better than I know myself.

              I quickly logged off, shut my laptop, shoved it into my bag and headed for the door. As soon as I walked out my front door I was congratulating myself on wearing a tank top. It was already hot and muggy, and it was just going to get worse.

              I slung my bag into the front seat and hurriedly turned the a/c on. As I sat there letting my car get cool, I began to think about what Ashley had said. "I know every morning you wake up with the same routine." She was right and part of me hated her for it. Then again, there was a part of me that absolutely adored her for seeing the parts of me that I always kept hidden. She knew I constantly lied about how I was feeling, why should I tell the truth? Most of the time when somebody asked how you were doing it's not because they actually cared, it was more of a formality. I shrugged as I looked in my rear-view mirror so that I could back out of my driveway and that's when I really noticed someone else's face staring back at me. I also knew that Ashley was right about the vacation.

              I hadn't been at work more than a couple of hours when Alicia came in. "Hey Joanna, there's someone here to see ya."

              "Man or women? Name?" I asked, looking up from my computer screen.

              "Man, his name is David," She replied.

              "I'm assumin' he probably wants me to listen to his demo." I groaned standing and following her to the door.

              "I'm not sure. He said that he had an appointment with ya later today, but wanted to come by earlier." She whispered before going back to her desk.

              As soon as I spotted the antsy guy I recognized him and everything came back. "David! Hello, how are ya?" I asked as I shook his hand and led him back to my office. I pointed to a chair and he took a seat once I was sitting.

              "I'm fine ma'am. Sorry for droppin' in unannounced, but I wasn't gonna be able to make my appointment this afternoon." He replied, looking worried and like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

              "That's fine David. A phone call would've been appreciated, but by the look on your face somethin's wrong. Ya can tell me or not, that's up to you, but do ya have your demo?" I asked. I hadn't meant to come across so angry and standoffish but I had to get down to it. I couldn't sit around all day trying to conduct small talk.

              "Yes ma'am I do. Here ya go." He handed me a CD and set back down. "Well, my wife's havin' our first baby. She's in the hospital right now."

              I looked at him in shock and couldn't help but to smile. "David, get your butt to that hospital. I'll call you in a few days to let you know. Go see this miracle and spend time with your wife, she's gonna need you."

              He nodded furiously and almost ran out of my office. I sighed, leaning back in my chair as I began to listen to his demo.

              I had just packed my things up to leave for the night when my cell began to ring. I sighed, put on a smile and answered. "Hey Ash."

              "Hey, so I ordered your plane ticket. You leave the seventh, you'll be back home by the twenty-first--"

              I cut her off. "Wait, what? Two weeks? Ashley, I cain't do that. I've got work--"

              "Not for two weeks you don't. I called Richard, 'cause if we're being honest he told me you needed outta there."

              "Really, really?! You called my boss?! Ugh! Fine, if it'll get you off my damn back, fine! I'll go. What's the weather like there?" I asked.

              "Hot. So bring shorts and I'll take you shoppin' for a bathin' suit. But bring a sweater, the nights can get a little chilly."

              I had to smile, "You suck, and I wanna hate you, but I just cain't." I replied.

              Ashley laughed, "You'll never hate me. We've been friends for twenty-two years, so suck it up buttercup. You're stuck with me."

              I laughed, "I wouldn't exactly say stuck, but I get it. Hold on I'm gonna put you on speaker, I'm goin' home." I quickly sat my phone in its holder and turned the speaker on. "Can ya hear me?" I asked as my stereo came blaring on. I spun the volume dial and it died down.

              "Damn, you were jammin' weren't ya. Yeah I can hear ya. Mike's excited to see ya, he says hi." She said.

              I smiled, "Hi Mike. So I'm sure you have a whole slew of stuff planned for us. My question is, am I gonna be hangin' out alone while ya'll work?"

              "No ma'am. I'm off for the first week you'll be here. Then after that yeah, you'll probably be on your own." She replied and for a second I thought I could hear a hint of something else, but I shrugged it off.

              We had talked for a while before we hung up and I took a shower. I was sitting Indian style in bed, tablet laying in front of me. I was trying to concentrate on reading, but I couldn't. I was too interested to know what all there would be to do in Los Angeles. I took a sip of my water and kept scrolling when I spotted it. The Griffith Observatory. I knew I had to go, and I knew I had to have Ashley take me. She loved stars just as much as I do, definitely not more, but just as much. I smiled to myself as thought about seeing her and Mike. It had been at least a year since I got to hang out with them, and I always missed being with them, around them, like crazy.

              I shut my tablet off, sat it on my side table and laid down in bed. My mind was racing a mile a minute, nights always ended up like this. I sighed, staring at the ceiling fan watching it make its rounds. Over, and over again. Around and around. I curled up on my side, still sleep didn't come. Finally, I threw the blankets off and grabbed my tablet once more. I brought my e-mail up and spotted the one that had my ticket. I smiled and realized that I was more excited than I wanted to let on. I quickly googled how long the flight would be and was pleasantly surprised when it said only three hours and fifty minutes. I would be flying from Nashville International to LAX. I'd be staying with Ashley and Michael in their house, a house I'd never seen other than in pictures and video. It was a gorgeous place, Ashley had said that it was a three bedroom, something they had planned for when they began to have children. I rolled my eyes and giggled, "Children." I thought. I wasn't sure I ever wanted any, and after what had happened between Lance and me, I wasn't even sure I ever wanted to get married. That's when I spotted it, the red dress I wore to go out with Lance on Valentines. I smiled sadly, but it was a mixture of missing him, and a sadness I couldn't quite wrap my head around.

              I closed the closet doors and found my way in the dark to the kitchen. I turned on the light which seemed uncharacteristically bright tonight. I squinted and rummaged through the fridge until I found what I was looking for. I pulled out a bottle of Angel's Envy Bourbon. I sat a shot glass down on the counter and poured. I tossed it back, letting the warmth of the amber liquid warm my less than warm soul. I sat the bottle back in the fridge because I knew if I didn't stop now I would find myself on the floor, too drunk to make it through the day. I double checked the doors, they were locked, so I made my way back down the hallway. Back to bed, I go. Staring at the ceiling for the millionth night. I thought as I climbed back into bed.

Chapter 2

              Today was the day! I was so excited to be leaving for California, I still hadn't told Ashley, though by now I'm pretty sure she knew I was excited. That girl could sense excitement across the world. It was like her superpower. I grabbed my boarding pass that I had printed off, double checked my carry on bag and grabbed my suitcase. I locked the doors and walked next door to Mr. and Mrs. David's house. They were like parents I had adopted when I had moved in. They were the first ones to welcome me to the neighborhood, and they were there when I had breakdowns the first couple of months. Maryann had invited me over for dinner so many times that I lost count after a few months. Of course I had them over for dinner as well, I loved to cook and always made way to much.

              I rang the doorbell and waited patiently. I was staring out across the street, up into the sky when I heard the front door open. I quickly turned to see a bright, smiling Maryann.

              "Hey, sweetie." She said, opening the door so that I could come inside.

              I smiled in return, "Hi."

              She hugged me and when she pulled away she looked at me curiously, "You're not leavin' us are ya?"