Unlikely by Sylvie Fox Page A

artistic talents and belittled her achievements. Selena’s perfect grades were the stuff of family legend. It’s what made her parents proud. Although she hadn’t realized it then, she’d desperately wanted their attention and if she couldn’t get it for the positive things she did, then the fourth or fifth earring and purple hair at her sister’s prep school graduation surely did.
    Resigning herself to her chosen fate, Sophie pulled out multi-hued blue tie dyed overalls and a sports bra. She laid the clothing on the bed then rummaged through her jars of temporary hair dye that lined a small shelf in her closet until she came upon royal blue. If a change was in order, today was probably not the day to go cold turkey.
    She let Sasha out and made sure her neighbors could check on and feed her if she got back later than the dog’s dinnertime. When Nick’s father Dominic pulled up in his white pick-up truck, Sophie jumped in, ready to get on with the day. Now that Holly was dating Nick, she didn’t feel bad taking advantage of his father’s generosity. She’d known Nick since he got to L.A., and Dominic was always offering to help “the kids”—as he called them. Now that they were practically family—she let him help.
    “Well, you give new meaning to idea of a blue-haired lady,” Dominic said, chuckling.
    “Thanks for carpooling with me,” she said, ignoring the friendly jibe. “You know your way around the L.A. area better than anyone I know. There’s no reason for me to get lost trying to find this Korby Center.”
    “For you, pretty girl, it’s no problem,” he said, winking at her, and then returned his eyes to the road.
    Sophie had never been good at accepting compliments. Deep in her heart, she simply didn’t believe that anyone could mean them. Her mother had been stunning when she was younger. Selie was pretty, downright beautiful if she made any effort at it. Sophie had always been the plain one. Her gray eyes weren’t the brilliant blue of her mother and sister. Her hair, which had been the bane of her existence as a child, had dulled from a frightening carroty orange to what she thought was a nondescript reddish blond. And while she knew that the rest of her features wouldn’t scare off children at Halloween, they were, in her opinion, nothing special. Certainly, no man she’d dated had ever said so.
    Dominic knew all the shortcuts and they made it to the Korby Center in Compton with time to spare. Even though Sophie’s best friend Holly arranged a number of volunteer events for Equia, one of L.A.’s largest companies, she was occasionally shorthanded, especially when the projects were in the less desirable areas of town. Sophie was always available to lend a hand for a good cause and to help her friend.
    Sophie was in the center’s recreation room, bent double, rolling up her pant leg and tightening the fraying laces on her ancient Chuck Taylor’s, when she heard the man speak.
    “Well good morning to you, Ms. Sophie Reid,” he said.
    She looked up, startled to see Ryan. “How did you find out my name?” she asked ungraciously. Her mother would have been apoplectic at her horrible manners.
    Holly, who had just walked into the room to drop off paint and supplies, tut-tutted Sophie. “Don’t be so rude, hon. I didn’t think your name was a state secret. It just so happens that Ryan and I both work at Equia. He mentioned saving a red dog with a yellow haired woman and I just knew it was you in all your rainbow glory. It was funny though,” she said with a quick grin, “he didn’t seem to have any idea what your name was. Imagine that?” Holly left the room as quickly as she had entered, and Sophie and Ryan were completely alone for the first time since she had run from his house, proverbial tail between her legs.
    “Ha, ha, Holly,” Sophie grumbled to her friend’s retreating back. “Good morning to you too, Mister Ryan Becker,” she said, continuing to crouch down to tend