called Jake and
asked to meet with him, now she was on a bus to the airport. She had spent the
last of her saving on a plane ticket, and she desperately hoped Jake wouldn’t
turn her away.
~
Andrea disembarked the plane and collected her luggage;
the handful of possessions she’d thought important enough to take with her from
her old apartment were all packed into a single bag.
At the baggage claim, a man in a suit held up a sign
with her name on it. She’d seen such things in movies, but never thought she’d
be important enough to warrant something like that. Normal people just pick
each other up from the airport; in fact, it was almost a test of friendship.
She wondered if she should be flattered that he sent a driver just for her, or
insulted that he didn’t come himself.
She introduced herself to the driver; he took her
luggage and beckoned her to follow him. Andrea was a little worried about how
far Jake might live from the airport; she was generally a quiet person and
wasn’t looking forward to a long drive with a stranger.
Once outside, the driver led her to a limousine and
placed her bag in the trunk. Andrea had never ridden in one before; her friends
had rented one to take to the Prom, but she’d thought it was much too expensive
and insisted on saving the money for college instead.
The driver held her door open for her, and rather than
feeling like an invalid, she felt like royalty. The inside was luxuriously
furnished with black leather seats and wood trim. An ice bucket held a bottle
of champagne, and two glasses were secured next to it. With regret, she tore
her eyes from the bottle – she could really use a drink right now. I’m not
pregnant anymore , she painfully reminded herself. She popped the bottle
open and poured herself a drink.
She was relieved when the driver took his seat and left
the partition up as he drove off. She was grateful for not having to make small
talk with the man. She didn’t want to talk about herself at all; hell, she
didn’t even want to think about her life right now.
Instead, Andrea tried to figure out the best way to
plead her case to Jake. She was terribly uncomfortable with the situation; in
the past, she’d never been one to ask for charity. She had paid her own way
through college, hell, even when she was a kid she never liked borrowing money
from her parents. Now she had to ask a man she hadn’t seen in years for more
help than she’s ever needed in her life. Andrea had always been so careful to
avoid debt, but when you’re pregnant and need medical attention the bills pile
up real fast. There was no way she’d ever be able to pay them off now that she
was out of a job.
All too soon, gravel crunched beneath the tires, as the
limousine slowed to a stop outside a surprisingly modest country house. Andrea
had been so occupied running line after line through her head, that she hadn’t
even noticed when the car had left the city. The asphalt and skyscrapers had
given way to mountains and forests, and the car had pulled off onto an unmarked
driveway.
The house was by no means tiny, but it was a still a
great deal smaller than what Andrea had been expecting. It bore no resemblance
at all to the stately mansion she had envisioned, and she couldn’t decide if
she was disappointed or charmed.
It looked to be a normal, well kept country home. The
siding was wood, painted white, and the windows were adorned by ornamental blue
shutters. Flowers blossomed in beds all along the front of the house, and they
were alive with butterflies and hummingbirds.
Not a moment after the vehicle had arrived, the large
front door had opened and Jake was standing on the rustic porch. Andrea’s
breath caught in her throat. The awkward looking, scrawny boy she had grown up
with had turned into quite a man. His time as a marine was evident; he appeared
impeccably neat with closely cropped hair, just barely long enough to part
asked to meet with him, now she was on a bus to the airport. She had spent the
last of her saving on a plane ticket, and she desperately hoped Jake wouldn’t
turn her away.
~
Andrea disembarked the plane and collected her luggage;
the handful of possessions she’d thought important enough to take with her from
her old apartment were all packed into a single bag.
At the baggage claim, a man in a suit held up a sign
with her name on it. She’d seen such things in movies, but never thought she’d
be important enough to warrant something like that. Normal people just pick
each other up from the airport; in fact, it was almost a test of friendship.
She wondered if she should be flattered that he sent a driver just for her, or
insulted that he didn’t come himself.
She introduced herself to the driver; he took her
luggage and beckoned her to follow him. Andrea was a little worried about how
far Jake might live from the airport; she was generally a quiet person and
wasn’t looking forward to a long drive with a stranger.
Once outside, the driver led her to a limousine and
placed her bag in the trunk. Andrea had never ridden in one before; her friends
had rented one to take to the Prom, but she’d thought it was much too expensive
and insisted on saving the money for college instead.
The driver held her door open for her, and rather than
feeling like an invalid, she felt like royalty. The inside was luxuriously
furnished with black leather seats and wood trim. An ice bucket held a bottle
of champagne, and two glasses were secured next to it. With regret, she tore
her eyes from the bottle – she could really use a drink right now. I’m not
pregnant anymore , she painfully reminded herself. She popped the bottle
open and poured herself a drink.
She was relieved when the driver took his seat and left
the partition up as he drove off. She was grateful for not having to make small
talk with the man. She didn’t want to talk about herself at all; hell, she
didn’t even want to think about her life right now.
Instead, Andrea tried to figure out the best way to
plead her case to Jake. She was terribly uncomfortable with the situation; in
the past, she’d never been one to ask for charity. She had paid her own way
through college, hell, even when she was a kid she never liked borrowing money
from her parents. Now she had to ask a man she hadn’t seen in years for more
help than she’s ever needed in her life. Andrea had always been so careful to
avoid debt, but when you’re pregnant and need medical attention the bills pile
up real fast. There was no way she’d ever be able to pay them off now that she
was out of a job.
All too soon, gravel crunched beneath the tires, as the
limousine slowed to a stop outside a surprisingly modest country house. Andrea
had been so occupied running line after line through her head, that she hadn’t
even noticed when the car had left the city. The asphalt and skyscrapers had
given way to mountains and forests, and the car had pulled off onto an unmarked
driveway.
The house was by no means tiny, but it was a still a
great deal smaller than what Andrea had been expecting. It bore no resemblance
at all to the stately mansion she had envisioned, and she couldn’t decide if
she was disappointed or charmed.
It looked to be a normal, well kept country home. The
siding was wood, painted white, and the windows were adorned by ornamental blue
shutters. Flowers blossomed in beds all along the front of the house, and they
were alive with butterflies and hummingbirds.
Not a moment after the vehicle had arrived, the large
front door had opened and Jake was standing on the rustic porch. Andrea’s
breath caught in her throat. The awkward looking, scrawny boy she had grown up
with had turned into quite a man. His time as a marine was evident; he appeared
impeccably neat with closely cropped hair, just barely long enough to part
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