Chapter One
Veronica
It's a beautiful October day in Southern California – the kind of day that reminds me of why I moved out here in the first place. The sun is out but there's a cool ocean breeze carrying the scent of the ocean. New York – where I grew up – had its own charms, but I actually feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. Much to my mother's chagrin.
The weather isn't the only reason I bailed out of New York, but it certainly helps. No, I needed to leave some things in that past – where they belong – and start fresh. For us. We needed a new, blank page to start building our life on.
I look down at Justin, my five-year-old son, and can't help but smile. He's the light of my life. My world. There is literally nothing I would not do for my boy.
We're sitting on the patio of Oscar's, a quaint little cafe that sits just off PCH, giving us a view of the Huntington Beach pier and the Pacific Ocean. Brunch at Oscar's has been a tradition for a little while now – just me, Justin, and Caleb.
“What are you thinking about?” Caleb asks.
I take a sip of my mimosa and smile. “Just enjoying the day,” I say. “And a little quality time with my two favorite guys on the planet.”
Caleb raises his glass. “I'll drink to that.”
I giggle. “You'll drink to almost anything.”
He shrugs and gives me a grin. “Guilty as charged.”
“Is that good, sweetheart?” I ask.
He nods, smiling around the big piece of his chocolate chip pancake he had stuffed into his mouth. Justin makes some sort of grunting noise I can only interpret as an affirmative response to my question.
“Smaller bites next time, please,” I say. “You're a five-year-old boy, not a wild animal.”
“Experts say both groups have a lot in common though,” Caleb says and winks at Justin.
Caleb is my best friend. I met him shortly after I'd moved to California and we'd dated briefly. But the connection – that spark – just wasn't there between us. But we've been best friends ever since. I honestly cannot picture my life without him in it. I don't think I'd want to, to be perfectly blunt. He's my rock. My emotional support. When the whole world is falling apart around me, I know that Caleb will always be there to help me put it back together again, no questions asked.
“So, how did your date with little Miss Prom Queen go last night?” I ask. “Did you have her home before curfew?”
“Oh, you've got jokes this morning,” he chuckles.
I shrug. “When your best friend is dating a girl, who looks like she's in high school, the jokes kind of write themselves.”
“For your information,” he says. “She's a sophomore at UCLA. She's studying – something. I actually forgot her major.”
“Oh, she goes to an actual college. That's impressive,” I reply. “And here I thought if she wasn't still babysitting, she'd be in cosmetology school or an online college or something.”
“Lots and lots of jokes today,” he says.
“You'd be disappointed if I didn't give you a hard time.”
“This is true.”
“So?” I ask. “How did it go?”
He shrugs. “It was okay,” he replies. “Turns out she and I don't have a lot in common. Not a lot of chemistry there.”
“I could've told you that,” I say. “Other than looking amazing in a tight dress – and believe me, I'm jealous as hell of how she looks – there didn't seem to be a lot going on upstairs.”
He grins. “No, there really wasn't,” he says. “The conversation was less than lively. And you'd look just as great in that dress.”
I scoff at him. “Hardly.”
“It's true.”
The waitress comes by to check on us, refilling our mimosas and ruffled Justin's hair, making him giggle uncontrollably. She gives us a smile and leaves again.
“What about you?” Caleb asks.
“What about me?”
“When are you going to dip your toes back into the dating pool again?”
“Probably when this one goes away to a good college.”
I take a drink of my mimosa and look over at Justin, stroking his soft, dark hair. I'm glad to see that he took after me a bit more than the sad sack of an excuse for a father he has. Except for the eyes – Justin's steely-grey eyes are definitely his father's. They'll knock the girls dead, but they're a reminder to me of the terrible man I'd allowed myself to get wrapped up in.
But then, without that terrible man, I wouldn't have this little bundle of awesomeness in my life. Have to take the good with the bad, I guess. I just hate the idea of Justin getting old enough to start asking about his father. What am I supposed to say? As far as I know, his father – a scumbag named Glenn – is still doing time back in New York. Rikers or Sing Sing or someplace like that.
The only thing I know for sure is that I'm glad to be out of there and away from all of that. Once Glenn went inside, I'd made up my mind to pack my things and head for California. I needed a fresh start for me, but most of all, I needed to put as much distance as possible between my son and that scumbag Glenn. There is no way in hell I'm ever going to let Justin have anything to do with that man. Never.
“Come on, Veronica,” he says. “Don't you think it's time you get back on that horse? It's been how long since your last date?”
My laugh sounds a little more bitter than I intend. “I think the last date I went on was with you.”
“Exactly,” he says. “That was what, three years ago?”
I shrug. “Give or take.”
“You deserve to be happy. To have some fun,” he says and takes a sip of his mimosa.
Justin looks up at me with wide eyes and a smile stretched across his face, pancake crumbs clinging to his lips. I pick up a napkin and wipe them away.
“My life is all about this one right now,” I say, tweaking Justin's nose.
“And nobody's saying you have to give that up,” Caleb says. “But leaving a little room for you to enjoy your own life at the same time isn't a bad thing.”
I give him a soft smile. “Well, maybe if I find a good guy, then I'll reconsider,” I say. “Until then though, all I need in my life is the both of you.”
Caleb smiles back at me. “And we're lucky to have you,” he says. “But I've got some friends who might interest you –”
“Jesus, Caleb,” I laugh. “You're starting to sound like my mother.”
“We both obviously just want the best for you and we're just afraid you're headed down the path to crazy cat lady status,” he says. “And we both apparently want to head that train off before it gets rolling. Or rather, rolling along any farther than it already has.”
I put my hand over Justin's eyes and shoot Caleb the finger, unable to suppress the smile. He laughs and shakes his head.
“Honestly, Veronica,” he says. “I just want to see you happy.”
“I am happy,” I reply. “I've got you and Justin here. What more do I need?”
“Honestly?” he asks. “You need to get laid. Maybe worse than anybody I've ever known.”
I burst out laughing and feel my cheeks burning – I have no doubt they're bright red.
“Oh my God, shut up,” I howl.
“Just making an honest observation.
Justin giggles along with me and I'm thankful he's too young to understand what Caleb just said. He wasn't wrong – it had been a hell of a long time since I'd been with a man. So long, in fact, that I'm pretty sure I'm a virgin again.
“I'm not even going to dignify that with a response,” I say, finally getting my laughter under control.
“Well, when you're ready,” he says, “let me know and I can set you up with a really good guy. Somebody who will treat you right.”
I raise my glass and tap it against his. “I'll do that.”