Chapter 10
Life went on and things returned to normal upon Hannah’s arrival back in Los Angeles. Zach was waiting for her at the gate to welcome her with a large bundle of flowers and the two wined and dined in the city’s finest pizza parlor laughing hysterically. Enjoying her freedom and the love and friendship coming from these new faces Hannah felt a release for the first time in months. She no longer carried around the burden of an abruptly ended relationship without closure.
Once back at work she quickly reviewed the photos and her notes before writing out her article and sending it off without a second thought. Putting that night and part of her life behind her she settled for the joys that surrounded her. She welcomed them, not just tolerated. When sitting with Darlene watching the latest Backstreet news on Entertainment Tonight she was truthfully able to say she had moved on. “It’s done,” she nodded. “It was great while it lasted but it’s done.”
And now everything was falling into place and she was coming into her own. She cried on the day of her father’s birthday, tearfully remembering all the happiness they had shared over the years. She called her mom and the two fondly recalled past celebrations and she hung up knowing that he was in a better place smiling down proudly at her. If she’d accomplished just a portion of what he’d envisioned she had succeeded. He had always looked at her with stars in his eyes. He always told her she’d change the world some day and those dreams of his remained her drive, beckoning her to rise out of bed all those mornings she’d wanted to hit the snooze button.
“Do you think you’d manage to survive if I moved out?” Hannah asked sitting down across from Darlene at the library as the two studied for upcoming finals.
“Wait, did Zach ask you to move in with him or something? That was quick,” she whispered leaning across her books.
“No,” Hannah shook her head, “Come on. We haven’t even slept together yet,” she shrugged her shoulders highlighting a passage in her text.
“Are you kidding me? I could have sworn you two hooked up a long time ago. Wow,” she returned to her studying. “Well if it’s not Zach, why do you want to move out?”
“I was just considering it. I loved having my own place over the summer and you know how much I hate living in the dorm. I’m a year older than everyone and the only one with a real job that I have to focus on.”
“Ah,” she teased, “Now that you’ve been published you’re way too good for us. I see how it is.”
“Who told? I didn’t want anyone’s feelings to get hurt,” she played along. “No, in all seriousness I just want my own place.”
“Well I suppose it’s alright, just so long as they don’t try to push a new roommate on me,” she jokingly shivered writing down some notes. “I have to say though, you’ve been a real positive influence on me cause before we met I never studied. I didn’t even know what a post-it was.”
“That’s because you always left your dye into long,” Hannah pointed out, making fun of her friend’s blond hair and remembering just how much of a flake she used to be.
“Alright, keep it up and I’ll be glad you’re moving out.”
* * * *
Immediately the exhausting search for an apartment began. Between classes and work she snuck in showings wherever she could and wore out the real estate section of the paper. Being her mother’s child she was extremely picky. Finally her realitor showed her something worth seeing and Hannah’s eyes perched as they passed through each room. “I’ll take it,” she shook the woman’s hand with a glow on her face, she’d found her home.
“Ok, so if you had to choose between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise who would you pick?” Melissa asked as she and Hannah sat having the lunch.
“Neither, I don’t think either one of them is that great.”
“Riight, this spoken from the girl who left a Backstreet boy for simple guy Zach,” she rolled her eyes and flipped to another page in the magazine she was reading.
Putting her hands on her hips Hannah defended Zach, “Hey now, he’s a great guy. True he doesn’t have the most ideal of jobs but he’s got the charm of a prince.”
“How does everyone but me land these guys that shower them with admiration and love? Just once I’d like to meet a guy whose idea of a romantic gift was not some kind of electronics and knows that Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a movie not a meal.”
Hannah laughed at her friend who had been dealt a series of bad luck in the men department. She had dated just about everyone in the state of California. “Sounds to me like you need to start looking in the rainbow room,” she suggested. "Just remember, no matter what...hands off Zach, he's mine!"
“As if I could even intrude. He’s so caught up on you it’s pathetic. No it’s more than pathetic, it’s sickly wrong. You’re too lucky Han.”
“That’s not a way I’d describe myself. But please, by all means steal this so called luck of mine cause it’s certainly ruining my life.”
“Who are you kidding? You’re the first person I’ve seen at your age as an intern to get an article published, you have a full scholarship to one of the country’s top schools, you’ve got a great new apartment, a boyfriend who adores you…how is that not lucky?”
Hannah sipped her lemonade and grinned shrugging her shoulders, “Alright, maybe things are going extremely well but it came at a price.” The cost of her life was not a cheap one either, she had to hit rock bottom…start from nothing to get where she is today. Appreciating the winning streak she was able to finish her lunch discussing decorating ideas for her new apartment and just how good it felt to be loved again.
* * * *
“Hey baby cakes,” Zach kissed her cheek coming from behind her and took a seat at the booth. “Sorry I’m late, there’s this huge accident just around the corner that held me up.”
“Don’t worry about it, it was nice to sit here alone for a while,” Hannah smiled opening the menu to their favorite restaurant.
“How was your day?” he asked glancing over the specials.
“Simply wonderful, I think I’ve come up with some great ideas for my place and I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to move in next week.”
“Great, let me know when you want me to help you start taking things over.” The server took their order and brought out their drinks and some bread to start. “I can’t believe I was ever a waiter,” he smiled shaking his head as he watched someone drop a tray on the floor and shatter glass and food everywhere.
“Yea me either,” Hannah agreed remembering when that had happened to her. “Talk about unnecessary chaos. I so hated that job.”
“I didn’t know you were ever one,” he sat back looking at her, “I can’t see you as a waitress.”
“Oh well, I was and probably would still be if it weren’t for a miraculous mistake.”
“Oh yea…what’s that?”
“Ni…I…I served alcohol to a twenty year old cause I didn’t card him,” she admitting hoping he would not push on the issue because he was the last thing she wanted to talk about.
“Naughty,” he shook his finger at her with huge grin that accentuated his gorgeous dimples before changing the subject. “So tomorrow’s Thanksgiving…what time does your mother fly in tonight?”
“10 o’clock. She had to work today.” Hannah had invited her mother out to see her new place and the life she was living in Los Angeles. “You sure you don’t mind the two of us joining your family for dinner?”
“Not at all, I’m really excited to meet her and introduce you to everyone.” Hannah and her mother were joining his family for the holiday…first sign that things were getting serious.
Chapter 11
Lost in the Rain Main
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