The Parking Space (21 page)

“Okay, sounds good. Have fun on the rest of your honeymoon.”

“Thank you. Good luck on finding him.”

Tears welled in my eyes, threatening to fall down my cheeks the whole way back to my apartment. Traffic didn’t ease the tension, either, and by the time I punched in the code to the parking garage gate, they streamed down my face as I waited for it to open.

What would I do now? Call the reporters and give my side of the story? Call the magazine? All the while, hoping and praying that people would believe me—a nobody—over Hollywood royalty? Does this mean I have to move? I certainly can’t work real estate in this city again.

A never-ending string of questions replayed as I drove through the garage, but as I rounded corner they silenced and my foot slammed on the brake.

Of all the times to see that stupid car parked in my space.

The taillights lit up with a bright shade of red that caught my attention. I inched my car closer and closer. Finally, I’d get a good look at the person. Finally, I’d know who had been torturing me for the last month.

The royal blue Cadillac CTS-V coupe backed out of the parking space. The driver whipped around, hitting the gas for a split second before slamming on his own brakes.

We stared at one another. Our eyes wide and my mouth gaped open.

Rick opened his door and slid from the seat. He sauntered around to the front of his car and leaned against the hood as he stuck his hands in both of his pants pockets.

I caught my breath, holding it as I got out of my car and made my way to his side.

“So you’re the one who has been parking in my space,” I joked, trying to ease the tension in the air.

“And you’re the one who has been leaving me those nasty notes about parking in your space.”

“Not all of them were nasty. Just the last few.”

“That’s true.” He gave a fleeting smile. His gorgeous eyes darkened, though, eclipsing the green I remembered from the first time I saw him.

“So why did you keep parking there if you knew someone owned it?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just, what did that one say, a rude jackass who lacked intelligence . . . or something like that.”

“I went by the clinic this morning.”

“I don’t practice there anymore.”

“Yeah, that’s what they told me.” Although, I had to ask, I didn’t know if I truly desired the answer. “So did you take the job with Natalie?”

“Yeah, I did.”

My heart dropped into my stomach. I folded my arms across my chest and rubbed my shoulders. I had wanted this conversation ever since I’d watched him sail away on the boat dock at the resort, and yet, the thought of it terrified me.

“I’m so sorry for what happened that day in the lobby and the day before at the clinic.”

“That man in the lobby . . . that was Tom, wasn’t it?

I reached out to grab his arm, but stopped myself and clasped my hands behind my back. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you.”

“He told you that he still loved you, did he?”

“Yes, he did.” I exhaled a deep breath. “But he didn’t mean it. He thought he did, but he didn’t. He was just going through a bad relationship and thought I’d be stupid enough to take him back.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“To go pound salt.”

Rick chuckled and shook his head. Tension eased in his shoulders. “Where on earth did you learn a phrase like that?”

“My dad use to say it to people when I was little. I always thought it was just something different.”

“Well, I guess that’s one way to tell someone to leave you alone.”

“Rick, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you and if I could do it all over again, I would have done everything differently.”

“I know you would.”

“You do?”

“Well, I didn’t at the time or for most of the flight home, but when I finally got through the messy junk in my head, I knew you didn’t do it on purpose. I’m sorry that I didn’t give you the chance to explain. I heard you call after me and saw you at the deck, but I just couldn’t face you.”

“I don’t blame you. No matter how much I wished you would have talked to me, I understood why you left. I just wanted to talk to you so bad. I rushed home and tried Logan’s door first. He wasn’t home, though.”

“Yeah, he’s on a business trip.” He pointed behind him with his thumb like he was trying to catch a ride while on the highway. “I just came by here to leave you a note. It’s taped on your door.”

“Which is why you haven’t been home.”

“Huh?”

“I went into my office and called you, but you never answered.” I shifted my weight, leaning against the hood of his car next to him. “And then I got fired from my job.”

“You got what?”

“I got fired.” Saying the words aloud hit me with a powerful blow that I hadn’t seen coming. The reality slapped me in the face for the first time since I walked out on the office door.

“Why did they fire you?”

“Issues with a lying client. It’s something I know I have to deal with, but right now I don’t know how.” I shook my head. “So when are you moving?”

“As soon as I can get all the paperwork in order.”

“And then you’re going back the island?”

“Yeah.” He pushed himself off his car and moved toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Helen, I . . . I had the most amazing time with you. I’m sorry for the things that I said the day at the clinic.”

“I’m sorry too.”

“I would have never regretted not taking the job because of you. Meeting you was the best thing that has happened to me. I never could regret that. Not for any job in the world. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“So here’s a crazy thought . . .”

“What?”

“Why don’t you just come with me?”

I sucked in a deep breath.

I PACKED THE bubble-wrapped plate into the box. It clanked as it landed on the one beneath it even through the puffed up protection. My apartment resembled the perfect advertisement for a moving company with empty walls, not a lot of furniture, and boxes in every available space.

“When did your mom pick up Charlie?” Lisa wiped the tears from her red face. Her ragged tissue nearly in shreds, she blew her nose in the last little corner.

“This morning. I miss him already.”

“Do you think she can take care of him?”

“I gave her enough money to handle his care for a few years. She should be fine. Plus, if she ever needs money for him, I’ll send some to her.”

“I still don’t understand why you couldn’t just take him. I mean, he’s going to live with one of the only two vets on the island. Isn’t that enough to get him out of quarantine?”

“No. Their laws are very strict. I’m actually shocked that Rick got his
permis de travail
when he did. We weren’t going to press our luck.”

“What’s that?”

“His work permit. It took them three months to get the paperwork approved.”

“That’s a long time.”

“It’s actually not. That was a rushed application. The Bouveaus really helped us get the paperwork and appointment. It’s been a process, but at the same time, we were happy with the three months time. It’s taken us that long to get everything in order.”

“I can’t believe you’re leaving me.”

“I’m only going to be a plane ride away. Besides, you guys are more than welcome to visit whenever and for however long you want.”

“It’s still not the same. No more going out to lunch. No more playing hooky to go shopping. No more weekend trips to Napa.”

“I know it’s not the same.” I folded down the top of the box and grabbed the tape, holding it up as I mimicked an old-fashioned weight scale. “But Napa . . . Bora Bora . . . there really isn’t a comparison.”

“Yeah, yeah. But what about me against Bora Bora?”

“Now
that
is harder.” I winked.

She shot me a glare. “I don’t understand how you can be so calm.” She grabbed the box of tissue and yanked a few from the plastic. “I’ll go finish the bedroom.”

As she stomped down the hallway, blowing her nose for the hundredth time, Ben slammed the door, walking into the apartment with several large amount dollar bills in his hand.

“Cheap jerk, trying to talk me down. Does he not know who he’s dealing with?”

“Obviously not.”

“Obviously. Well, here you go, the couch, table, coffee table, and your book cases are all off to new homes.”

“Thank you so much for helping me.” I grabbed the money from his grasp, folded the bills, and shoved them in my pocket. “I can finally mark all those off my list.”

Sobs echoed from the bedroom. Ben and I glanced at one another, and while I gave him a sympathetic smile, he rolled his eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving me here alone with her. You know she’s going to bug me about a vacation at least once a month.”

“Well, we will have plenty of room.”

He pointed a finger at me. “Don’t you dare put the idea in her head. Do you know how much flights are? You are like the sister I never had, Helen, but four thousand dollars in airfare a month is a bit much.”

“Oh come on, you just spent how much on your wedding?” I teased.

“Yeah, and now we’re broke.”

“Well, I plan to come back to San Francisco, too. Which now that you guys are taking my bedroom set, you’ll have a guest room.”

“We’re taking the two television sets, too, right?”

“Yes, and the washer and dryer for her parents.” I pushed aside a couple of boxes, moving them toward the wall with the rest of them. “Everything else is going to Goodwill, who should be here in about ten or fifteen minutes to pick it up. I specifically told the lady I had a schedule to keep. My flight leaves at nine o’clock tonight.”

“I can go back downstairs to wait for them. I have to wait for the moving van for our stuff anyway.”

“Okay.”

“So what are you going to do for work there?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Unfortunately, unless all the real estate agents suddenly leave the island and they are in desperate need, I’m not going to be able to get my license or a work permit.”

“You’re just going to be a housewife?”

“Actually, within the last couple of months, I’ve published tons of freelance articles about buying and selling homes. They’re growing in traffic, and I’ve even built up a website and have been in contact with people who need help. Kind of like an online agent, but without the commission.”

“That sounds lucrative.” He snorted a laugh.

“Eh, it’s still something. I still have a sizable chunk of money in my savings, though, so it will allow me to take my time. Have a little fun. Maybe I’ll play around with another career. Rick has a savings built up, too, plus his salary more than covers our bills, so . . .”

“Do you guys have a place to live, yet?”

“Rick found one last week in the town of Vaitape. It’s under our budget, but still in our preferred location.”

“Sounds like all your ducks are in a row, then.”

“We’ve tried to be organized, but moving outside the country is far more involved than moving across the country or even to another state.”

“Eh, I’m sure you’ve done everything you can.”

Lisa appeared from the bedroom. “Everything is packed and ready to go. I wrapped the mattress for transport and covered the bed frame and dressers.” She dabbed at her eyes again and inhaled several deep breaths.

“Thank you.” I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. “Why don’t we get a few bottles of wine, order some food, and sit on the floor just like we did when we got that apartment on Elmore Street. Remember that place?”

“Oh my, do I. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that crappy building. The rent was cheap—”

“And for a good reason.” I pointed at her for a second then grabbed the phone book.

“Holes in the walls, broken cabinets, and remember that closet door that nearly took your hand off if you tried to use it?”

“I just remember the carpet. I felt like we lived in a 1970 disco gold hotel room in Vegas.” I laughed.

“And we had zero furniture besides our beds.”

“It took us a good six months to get a couch, and even then, it was a secondhand love seat that smelled awful.”

“Even after the cleaning and a cover.” As Lisa laughed, her body softened and the sadness faded.

“Sounds like a lovely place,” Ben chimed in. “Well, I’m headed back downstairs. I’ll bring the movers up when they get here.” As he shut the door, Lisa and I glanced at one another.

Memories still lingered in my thoughts. “Those certainly were the days, huh?” I said.

“When we were carefree and young.”

“We’re still young. Don’t go putting us in the old-folks’ home, yet, although some of them are nice. But I think our lives have turned out quite better than we thought they would.”

“Of course, you do. You’re moving away to an amazing tropical island people pay thousands to visit for a week vacation.”

“True.”

Although I laughed with her words, a few of them stuck in my mind—
you’re moving away
. Words I never thought I’d utter when I thought about my life.

She grabbed the phone book and flipped it open to the yellow pages. “Where do you want to order lunch?”

“How about Fernando’s?”

“Well, duh, of course, our favorite place.” She fetched her cell phone from her purse. “Do you want your usual?”

“Of course.”

*              *              *

I stepped off the plane onto the familiar blacktop runway. Rick stood by the airport hut. His face beamed with a smile that nudged at my heart and set my body on fire. He trotted over to me, embracing me with a tight hug and a passionate kiss.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

“Your clothes arrived yesterday. I would have unpacked them, but I didn’t know where you wanted everything.”

“That’s okay.”

“How many bags did you travel with?”

“Just two.”

He laced his fingers in mine as we strolled to the luggage carts. I fetched the two bags, handing one of them to Rick.

“Are you ready to see our boat?” he laughed.

“I still can’t believe we bought a boat.”

“Well, around here, it’s like having a car.”

“But we do have a car for getting around the island, too, right?”

“It’s that old Jeep, but I’ve done some repair work on it. It runs like a champ, now.” He pointed toward a path leading away from the airport. “We’re down this way.”

As we descended the steps, the view caught my breath. Although only away from it for a few months, a part of me had forgotten the beauty. How, I didn’t know. How could one ever forget this place? Perhaps because of the stress and rush of getting my affairs in order, my mind focused too much on the pressures than the destination.

A motorboat bobbed up and down in the waves. Bigger than I thought it would be, its condition appeared nearly brand new. With white paint, and green and tan sparkling stripes, the white leather interior gleamed in the sunlight.

“Rick, it’s beautiful.”

“I thought so too. Cost about as much as my car sold for, but it will last us a long time.” He tossed my bags into the hull and jumped down onto the floor, turning to help me.

“How long is our boat ride?”

“About ten minutes. I hope you like the house.”

“Well, from the pictures, I don’t think I’ll have any problems with it. I can’t believe we were able to find a beach-front property.”

“We were lucky that Franck and Natalie knew the owners.” He flipped the key of boat and the engine rumbled, vibrating underneath the seats.

My heart pounded as the boat sliced through the ocean, bouncing with each wave it hit. Water sprayed my face, the spatters refreshing in the heat of the sun as my hair whipped in the wind. The mountain ranges of island rested in the distance. The bright greens of the palm trees contrasted against the teal water and white beach.

Curving around a lagoon, Rick finally slowed the boat down and meandered through the marina. He pulled into an open space and jumped out onto the dock to secure the tie line to the post.

“Look at you, already tying the perfect knot.” My tone mocked with amusement.

“Took me forever to learn. The guy I bought the boat from had to show me at least a hundred times.”

I held up my bags for him to take before he helped me out of the boat. Men, women, and children scattered all around, shouting in different languages of French, Spanish, and a few English, as we made our way to the parking lot.

“How far is our drive?”

“Not far. It’s less than ten minutes.” He tossed my bags in the back of the Jeep that was now missing its hard top. “I’ve made friends with our neighbors, a born and raised local couple on one side and transplants from Florida on the other. I believe they are retired and moved here to get away from everything.”

“I don’t blame them.”

“They’re all excited to meet you—especially Betty, the woman from Florida. She retired after thirty years with a real estate company.”

Just as Rick said, ten minutes later we stood in front of the little hut that I’d now call home. Square in shape, the light tan siding, and brown shake roof peeked through the trees. Surrounded by a grassy yard and sporadic palm trees that shaded the cottage, flowered bushes lined the tiny front porch with red and pink petals.

“Are you ready to see the inside?”

“I think so.”

My heart pounded as I walked down the tiny cobbled path, and I clutched my throat as I crossed the threshold.

With an open floor plan, the living room, kitchen, and foyer blended as one. The dark kitchen cabinets matched the hardwood floors, and yet, contrasted with the white marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Throughout the living space, giant palm-weaved fan blades spun from the ceiling fans.

“This is so much nicer than the pictures.”

“And it gets even better.”

He led me down the short hallway to the one and only bedroom. “Unfortunately, Lisa and Ben will have to stay on the sofas, but I just couldn’t pass up on the place when we found it.”

“Nah, I’m sure they won’t mind.”

“Of course, we have a private deck and since we are on the end, our part of the beach is secluded. I’ve actually spent a couple of nights on our back porch.”

With a cozy bed and a couple of dressers in one corner, and a sliding glass door the size of the wall in the other, the room mimicked the living room with dark hardwood floors and brown window trim and baseboards.

“Oh, wait until you see this.” Rick scurried over to the handle of the glass door. With a flick of the lock, he slid the door all the way across the frame, opening the entire wall to the deck outside.