Page 29 of Fragile Kiss (Fragile 2)
“Great. Talk to you soon.”
“Send me the guy’s details, all right? The new trainer guy.”
“I will. See you.”
Janine hung up halfway through her saying goodbye. Cayden took a breath, still mentally tired. Today was hangover day. He didn’t want to be doing much of anything, especially anything that required more than a little mental energy. Despite his awesome breakfast that filled a void he didn’t know he had (and included a little too much grease), he still had a hint of the lingering headache. He couldn’t tell whether it was from interviewing so many trainers and asking the same questions over and over, or if it was a reminder of last night’s party.
Whatever it was he was hungry again, and he needed food before working out with Katharina. He remembered that on the way to her house there was a burrito place he had been wanting to try, and suddenly his energy came back full force. Locking up, he began the mile-long jog over toward Katharina’s neighborhood.
I wonder if she knows we live so close, he wondered.
The sun shone down, threatening his eyes again, but his dark sunglasses helped shield against the brightness. If I were to stay here, he thought, I could get used to the great weather. I wonder if I’d need to bring my heavy jackets from home.
He stopped, realizing that he had just touched the idea of leaving his home and making Los Angeles his new one. No, he scolded himself, that wouldn’t ever happen unless Lillian was with me. There’s no other way.
A little taken aback at where his thoughts had wandered, he absentmindedly jogged up to the part of the burrito place that offered outdoor orders, chose the heartiest beef one, and sat on a plastic chair to wait. Although there were very few clouds in the sky, the sun’s rays weren’t beating their flaming fists down on his skin.
How could I be thinking these things? Of course he would do well here. This city was fun, and the people seemed to like him a lot. They would like Lillian, and she would flourish here as well. He just knew it.
Maybe I could bring her here, he mused, trying to make himself feel less bad about his selfish thought earlier. I could tell more people about what she does. She would have work set for the rest of her life. She coul
d make more money, and so would I, and we could travel together.
He got lost for a couple of minutes in visions of him and Lillian together, making this city their new home. They could share an apartment and go to the beach on weekends. It would be perfect.
“Here you go,” said a voice, startling him out of his trance. The kid who had taken his order handed him the burrito. Still a bit dazed, Cayden handed him too much money and told him to keep the change. With a thrilled thank-you, the teenager ran to collect his tip and Cayden slowly walked off, burrito in hand. The smell shortly wafted into his nose and his mouth began to water so, while he kept trying to figure out what he wanted most, he devoured the hot burrito.
That is the best damn thing I have put in my mouth all freakin’ week, he mused, his attention suddenly totally diverted to the food in his hand. I have got to come here more often.
He turned onto a smaller side street, leading into a neighborhood where most of the houses had gated driveways. Looking down a few of the paths, he saw huge porches that wrapped around the homes, enough windows to set records, and...
Look at their yards, he drooled. At one point he was stopped in his tracks by a yard so beautiful, it almost brought tears to his eyes. He was transported back home to his own quaint little yard, so small and humble compared to these gardens. The last bites of the burrito were forgotten as he scanned the yards from side to side, making mental notes about how he could improve his own back home.
Maybe I’m not ready to sacrifice my yard for a successful life in Los Angeles, he thought, the nostalgia for his box bushes and hibiscus plants tugging at his heart. He forced himself to continue walking to Katharina’s house, which was just up ahead, and stuffed the last bits of the burrito in his mouth. Awkwardly holding the wrapper he hoped she had a trash can somewhere outside her home, so he didn’t appear—well, trashy when he met her. He snickered at the pun, and for a moment thought about how much appearances mattered in his line of work.
Always have to be professional, he mused as he walked up to Katharina’s driveway. At what point does a client become a friend enough that I can be more casual? He was already pretty casual; granted, it was his natural demeanor, but it was also to make his clients feel comfortable from the first time meeting him. He hadn’t known Katharina very long, and although she was friendly—he couldn’t decide if it was too friendly or not—he didn’t feel comfortable traipsing into her personal home before a workout with his old burrito wrapper.
Maybe it was because that was, strangely enough, a little bit intimate. He would walk into Lillian’s house and throw it away in her trash can. But Katharina? Nah. Not within the foreseeable future.
He pressed the button on her gate. The speaker blared out a ringing-telephone noise that was as dainty as her gentle, sultry laugh, and after two rings she picked up.
“Hello?” she answered, sounding more like she was greeting whoever stood at her gate than asking who they were. There was some noise in the background.
“It’s Cayden,” he said loudly, putting his face close to the speaker. He wasn’t sure where the microphone was, or how loudly he was supposed to talk.
“Oh! Hi, Handsome! Yes, I’m so glad you’re here.” Katharina said something he couldn’t understand; it sounded like she was talking to someone else. He heard someone respond, but couldn’t tell what they said. It sounded like a female voice. She’s got someone over helping her clean. Maybe that burrito was going to have a chance to settle before they started working out. It would give him a chance to go through the equipment in her gym again.
“Come in,” she said suddenly, and Cayden heard the gate click and slide open just enough for him to walk through. “Did it open?”
“Yep, I’m coming.”
“Excellent.” She hung up, but just before she did he heard the background voice clearly, asking her for help moving a table.
He froze.
No. No freakin’ way. Was he still drunk?
That voice was way, way too familiar. He must be hallucinating. In the last remnants of his hungover state, his mind must be playing tricks on him.
