CHAPTER TWO - 5 days
I had arrived in Los Angeles and it was now a my time to explore my apartment and my new surroundings. to be honest I'm quite familiar with la as I've been on holiday here a handful of times. Charles had ranged my apartment to be fully furnished so I didn't have to worry myself with that.
jet lag had really kicked in and my first day of being in la was pent sleeping. I was like an owl, sleeping through the day and and awake at night. I had woken up with an email from a promoter asking me to attend Today's tennis tournament. I get paid for these sort of things as I have a wide Instagram following. I post images and get paid.
I get driven to the venue by a car that has been sorted for me by the venue and when I get there I am introduced to the promoters. They take a few pictures of me against the board with the products on and show me my seat. From being five years old mum had me take tennis lessons so I know pretty much everything about it. But let's be honest, I'm not the best at it. I love playing tennis but when your watching it's a pretty amazing atmosphere. The game begins as hits are made. The score gets higher and higher for the player I'm meant to be supporting (but in reality I hate this one). I of course was here alone and I'm quite used to it, however every time I'm at a venue surrounded by rich thirsty men I get so agitated. There's a man behind me with girls all over him and surrounding him. I turn around to glance at his face to see all of his manly features. His toned muscles, freshly shaved cut, sparkling white teeth and amazing sense of style. What a dream. When I turn around again I see him look at me. His deep brown eyes Pearce through my pumped lips. He smiles politely at me, laughing as he whispers to his friend. I mean who does he think he is. He may look attractive but attractive men sometimes don't have the best personality and that's the most important thing. I turn around once more when I hear girls cheering and giggling. He was once again giving me they eye so the bitchy looking me, rolls my eyes and focuses on the game.I woke up with an email from a promoter asking me to attend Today's tennis tournament. I get paid for these sort of things as I have a wide Instagram following. I post images and get paid. I got dressed into a long tight black dress and added some trainers as it was a sport event. I often switch my hair colour, I mainly have it black or blonde.
I get driven to the venue by a car that has been sorted for me by the venue and when I get there I am introduced to the promoters. They take a few pics frites if me against the board with the products on and show me my seat. From being 10 years old I've took tennis lessons so I know pretty much everything about it. But let's be honest, I'm not the best at it. I love playing tennis but when your watching it's a pretty amazing atmosphere. The game begins as hits are made. The score gets higher and higher for the player I'm meant to be supporting. I of course was here alone and I'm quite used to it, however every time I'm at a venue surrounded by rich thirsty men I get so agitated. There's a man behind about twenty four with girls all over him and surrounding him. I turn around to glance at his face to see all of his manly features. His toned muscles, freshly shaved cut, sparkling white teeth and amazing sense of style. What a dream. I shake of the thought not wanting dad and Charles to hear of any ideas. When I turn around again I see him look at me. His deep brown eyes Pearce through my pumped lips. He smiles politely at me, laughing as he whispers to his friend. I mean who does he think he is. He may look attractive but attractive men sometimes don't have the best personality and that's the most important thing. I turn around once more when I hear girls cheering and giggling.
||5 days after arriving in LA||
Behind me, the sun was setting behind the lifeguard tower, its dark shadow sliding down the path like melting wax to overtake me. When i was a child we used to make our elongated shadows have gun battles, our street the O.K corral. I picked up my things and began to walk home. There are 158 steps between the beach and my apartment, but it can stretch to 180 if you are not in a hurry. I passed the bakery where only the locals attended (68 steps), and could just see the beginning of my street. lily's car was outside, which meant she was not on another date. I opened the door, the warmth hitting me with the force of an air bag; my mum is martyr to the cold and keeps the heating on all year round, so i can say i've inherited it from her. My dad was always opening the windows, complaining that shed bankrupt the lot of us. He used to say our heating bills are larger than the GDP of a small african country.
"That you, Rendall?"
"Yeah" i flopped my shoes of where they fought for space amongst the others. Lily was an old family friend, we met her here in la on holiday. there's four years between us and herself and Charles had a holiday romance when we last visited. Lily had been known to party for days on end and her very first job here was a party rep. I popped my head into the living room to see what mess i was going to be faced with today. "I know what your thinking ren, are you proud?" i looked up to see her standing with cleaning spray and the vacuum. "No shopping and hundreds of outfit changes today i guess?" when i normally come home from a day out exploring the city and working in the local cafe im faced with clothes spread everywhere. Lilly was the equivalent to a shopaholic and she changes her outfits at least 10 times a day. "You know rendall, i love how we get along. We are so different yet so close. Its amazing in fact!" i laughed at her idiotic comment reminiscing back to our old times.
The next day had started like any other day. Everyone i knew hated Monday mornings, but i began to love them since moving to LA, in fact i began to love every day more and more. I headed into the local cafe i walk past everyday and happily where i work. I love the fuggy bacon- scented warmth of the cafe, the little bursts of cool air as the door opened and closed, the low murmer of conversation and when quiet, franks radio singing tinnily to itself in the corner. It wasn't a fashionable place - its walls were covered in pictures of surf competitions that have took place since 1989. working here for 2 weeks since arriving i've gotten to know each and every customer. I liked kev and angelo, the plumbers , who came in most mornings and teased frank about where his meat might have came from. I liked the dandelion lady, nicknamed for her shock of white hair, who ate one egg and chips from monday to thurdsay and sat reading the complimentary newspapers and drinking her way through two cups of tea. I always made an effort to chat with her. I suspected it might be the only conversation the old women got all day. I liked the tourists, who stopped by on they're walk down and up from the park, the regular business men and ever so often my favourite customers, Lilly and her friends. They'd always leave me a generous tip and say it was from one of their boy-friends. (I didn't need the job dad had money going into my bank every week but I had nothing better to do with my time and needed a normal hobby other than something like polo). They always tried every morning to get me to go on a blind date with him but i refused every time. There was only one reason why i kept on turning down the other and that was because of a magazine story i had read when i was 10. It was my grandmas and every story was true, it was different to vogue and GQ. the story was about a young women who went on a blind date and the man ended up to be her murderer, i could never! Its scared the crap out of me ever since.
I was refillig the shelfs with fresh cakes when i heard the bell on the door ring. "Hi babe"Lilly said while walking towards the counter. "hi babe, you wanting the same again yeah?" She nodded and we began talking about our plans for the day, I never get to see her in mornings back at the apartment. She's always zonked. "Rendall please just give Taylor a shot" i looked towards amber who was giving me the puppy dog eyes and forming her hands into a begging sign. "Urgh i dont know him" i groaned.
"Well then go on the date and get to know him"
"Believe me rendall he's a good looking chap but with you he is punching"
I thought about the story in the magazine "so he's definatly not a serial killer?" they both grinned and began creasing and headed out with their order.
My question was unanswered ...
I was on my way home from the cafe. Bringing with me Lily's cakes, this was a day to day basis. Unexpectedly my phone started to vibrate. It was an unknown number so of course I automatically thought it was a prank.
"Hello is this Rendall?"
"What do you want?"
"Lily gave me your number, I'm Taylor"
I can't actually believe the girl, I love her but she can't just be handing my phone number out like that can she? maybe I'm just getting paranoid over all the horror stories I hear. I'm never going to find anyone if I keep this mindset am I.
"I'll be waiting for you at the Alyn Williams at the west bury. 6pm on Wednesday. See you there"
