Contents
Chapter Two
CHAPTER ONE
The plane from Chicago to Los Angeles was packed. I was stuck in the middle aisle, surrounded by people on both sides. My claustrophobia was starting to kick in and I had to take in deep, calming breaths to stop the impending panic attack that tightened around my chest like a vice. Beside me, a heavy-set man with a way too tight, blue dress shirt jabbed me with his elbow as he typed away at his laptop, trying to look important.
“Excuse me.” He said, as an afterthought.
I glared, my green eyes narrowing in frustration. I really didn’t have the patience to deal with someone like this. “No, excuse me. I need to get to the bathroom.” I said, pressing my lips together, trying to remain polite despite the situation.
Slowly, he stuffed everything back into his briefcase and stood up. Even so, there wasn’t much room for me to get by and I had to squeeze against him to get to the aisle. There, a flight attendant pushed a cart full of snacks and beverages, blocking my way to the first-class bathroom. Groaning, I turned around and walked down the small aisle, passing children, parents, and a red-faced crying baby.
I made it to the bathroom, only to find it occupied. I cursed under my breath in exasperation. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse. I tapped my foot against the floor. My shoes had a few scuff marks on them. Knock-offs weren’t usually my style, but under the circumstances, they were the best I could do.
Finally, a middle-aged woman with wild brown hair emerged from the bathroom, looking rather flushed. She smiled before walking away. I watched her sit down in a nearby seat before I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door, breathing a sigh of relief. I closed my eyes as a wave of memories flooded my thoughts.
I couldn’t believe I was here. After everything that had happened, I had been reduced to this - flying out to Los Angeles just so I could crash with my old roommate from college. Makenzie had even helped me pay for the plane ticket. I had never been so humbled in my entire life than when I checked my bank account to find that I didn’t have enough money to pay for a taxi to the airport… let alone a flight across the country.
She was the only person who was kind enough to help me when I was down. I didn’t know how I was ever going to repay her.
Letting out another sigh, I straightened myself out and tip-toed toward the mirror, feeling the rumble of the plane’s engine under my feet. I clutched the counter and gasped at my reflection. I looked horrible. I didn’t have a smidge of makeup on my face. My hair was pinned into a messy bun. My lips were chapped. I groaned at the image. How had I come to this?
***
It all started a year ago. I was ready to launch my fashion website and it was going to be the biggest achievement of my life. I had dreamed of starting my own high-end fashion business for years and First Date Boutique was going to be the realization of that dream. Or, so I thought… It seemed foolproof. A website that sold a curated collection of women’s designer outfits while also featuring dating and relationship advice articles from a variety of well-known writers. What well-to-do woman wouldn’t want such a service?
I know I did. Ever since college, I had been building up this dream, only to have it crushed and shattered in the blink of an eye.
I can remember it as if it were only yesterday. My accountant had called me – she didn’t even bother to tell me the news in person. Her words still ring in my mind to this very day.
“Ms. Winslow, I’m sorry to inform you that your main financier has been taken over by a competitor and they’re pulling the plug on First Date Boutique.”
That was all she said before I hung up and collapsed to the ground. I knew I was ruined. The way the contracts were set up, I was to be the sole owner of a company that at that moment had half a million dollars in startup costs to pay.
That day was exactly a week after the launch date. I had felt my heart crumble to pieces. I had cried harder than I had ever cried before. But I couldn’t allow that sorrow to last long. I scrambled to find the funds to pay the staff in order to go through with the launch. I called on old friends for favors. I put in ads everywhere. I sent out more emails than I could care to count, but in the end, none of it amounted to anything. The moment my backers stepped out of the business transaction, I was ruined. My dream was snuffed and I was left with a debt I couldn’t hope to repay.
My staff abandoned me. The site crashed and burned. Even after an additional $100,000 loan, I was no better off than the day my accountant called me. And then it was my turn to call her. I had no other choice but to swallow my pride and declare bankruptcy. I had broken down. I hadn’t even completed my sentence and my accountant knew what was going on. She filed for bankruptcy and now I was depending on the generosity of my best friend as I flew to LA to try and pick up the shattered pieces of my life.
***
I finally opened my eyes. Reliving the past made me feel queasy. I splashed some water onto my face and tried to take in a deep breath. I was doing this for a fresh start. To get back on my feet. Nothing more. I would be back in the fashion industry in no time. I looked into my bloodshot eyes, realizing that this setback had sapped me of any and all motivation. What was the point of even trying if everything could be gone in the blink of an eye? It wouldn’t make much of a difference… would it?
Overhead, the seatbelt sign glowed and seconds later, the pilot announced our landing. I scrambled out of the bathroom and back to my seat, buckling up. After a dragged-out fifteen minutes, we arrived at the airport and I weaseled my way to the front of the plane, ready to leave the enclosed space.
Outside, the air was fresh and crisp. The sun shone high overhead, lighting up the runway. I followed the crowd into the airport and quickly made my way through security.
With a heavy heart, I walked out to the receiving area, my bag in hand. I was terrified of facing Makenzie after my fall from grace. What if she thought less of me? Getting through college, we were both motivated, pushing each other to do better - to strive for more and now, I was essentially homeless.
I gulped down my fears, looking around the crowd for my former roommate. She was standing right in the front, waving excitedly at me. “Haley!” She called out, beckoning me toward her. There was a bright smile on her face and it served to calm me down a little.
I walked up to her, my legs feeling like jelly. The second I was close enough, she lunged forward, pulling me into a tight embrace. “How was the flight? Are you okay? Is that all you brought with you?” She bombarded me with questions. Makenzie always was a bubbling ball of excitement.
“The flight was fine. I’m fine. And yes, this is all I brought…” My voice faded at my last statement, embarrassed by the fact that in just a short amount of time I had gone from having a walk-in closet to owning a few shabby outfits and a couple of knock-off shoes. Essentially, all my possessions could fit inside my carry on luggage. Just thinking about it caused a lump to form in my throat.
“Well, c’mon, I’m sure you’re exhausted.” She guided me to the parking lot. Her car was a brand-new Lexus that sparkled in the light of the dying day. She popped the trunk with her keys and helped me toss in my bag.
“Really, it’s not that heavy.” I protested, nearly jerking it away from her hand. I didn’t want her to realize just how light it really was. Carefully, I stowed it away before jumping into the passenger seat.
She waited for me to buckle up before pulling out of the parking space and onto the open road. Silence settled between us. I fidgeted in my seat, my fingers clenching and unclenching around the fine, genuine leather of the cushion. “Makenzie…” It felt like there was a rock lodged in my throat as I thought about what to say to her. What could you say to someone who saved you from complete ruin? She was giving me a second chance. There was nothing I could tell her that would ever express my gratitude. “I…”
She reached over, grabbing my hand and squeezing it gently. “You don’t have to say anything.” She glanced over quickly before returning her eyes to the road.
“But… what you’re doing for me…”
“I know you would do the same for me if I was in your situation. We’re best friends. Don’t sweat it.” She smiled, exiting off the highway and entering a quaint little town. “Besides, it’s not like I’m letting you live in my home for free.”
“About that. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Cook. Clean. You name it. Then as soon as I get back on my feet, I’ll get out of your hair. I promise.”
“I’m not rushing you. I could probably use the company. I spend most of my days with the cows and pigs. It’ll be good to have another person in the house with me.”
I nodded, falling quiet. I couldn’t help but wonder what my life would be like from this moment forward. Makenzie owned her own biopharmaceutical company. Most of her ingredients were completely organic and natural. In fact, most of the time, she used ingredients from the animals she raised herself on a farm behind her house. When she first told me about her venture, I had thought it was crazy, but now, seeing how successful she was, I quickly learned to bite my tongue.
I was about to start working on that farm. Makenzie hadn’t yet told me what I would be doing, but I had no doubt that it would be world’s apart from my sedentary lifestyle as an online fashion curator. But, I just had to accept this opportunity and make the best of it. Without Makenzie’s help I would be on the street, the least I could do was give her a helping hand. Still, the thought of shoveling cow waste, or cleaning a pig trowel made me cringe. I had been on the highway to success, how had I managed to fall so far so quickly?