New Beginnings: Stories from Beauville

Chapter 8-2

The light from the sun heats my face. I need to get out of bed and face the day. Face my family, and face life. I turn over and pull the covers over my head and groan. Last night, Hae-in was there for me. Put me up in this pricey hotel room and stayed on the phone until he knew I’d arrived safely. His concern for me is a balm to my wounded pride. He took care of things when I couldn’t.

There’s a knock at the door. “Room service.”

I jump out of bed, wipe the corners of my eyes and rush to open my bedroom door. What greets me on the other side is fresh fruit and toast. I’m not hungry, but my stomach says otherwise. When I pass the main hall, I notice the flowers have changed and there’s a card sticking out. I pull the card out of its holder and sit down to breakfast.

I hope your day is bright. Stay healthy.

Hae-in.

It’s short and to the point. He wants me to have a good day and stay healthy. Roger that. I polish off breakfast and go in search of my phone. It’s somewhere in the bed. I don’t have to look hard; I hear it ring and reach for it, thinking it’s Hae-in.

“Hae-in.”

“Who is Hane?” Lola asks.

“Hey, Lo, Hae-in is a friend.”

“Cool. Cool. Where you at, b***h? I’m on your porch.”

“Not at home, Lo.”

“Why the hell not, heifer? Your plane landed last night.”

“Couldn’t go in. Slept at a hotel.”

“Oh,” is all Lola says.

“Give me like an hour. If it’s not too much trouble, can you pick me up? I don’t feel like using a car service. I’m at The Belly on 5th.”

Lola whistles.

“The Belly, huh? That’s pricey. You know you could have come over to my place.”

“I got in late. Are you coming or not?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

Lola hangs up, and I go through the routine of getting dressed for the day. I shower, put on jeans and a tee with my Converse and pull my hair up. If everyone is meeting at my place, it means Lola wants us to beat someone’s a*s. No reason to get dressed up for a throwdown. An hour passes all too quickly and Lola shows up on time, coffee cup in hand. She loves me.

“Here ya go, sis.”

“Thanks, Lo.”

Lola nods and looks around the room. “I know you and Anna run Event Pics but y’all ain’t balling like this, are you?”

“Lo, I can afford The Belly if I don’t want to eat for a year. But I didn’t pay for the room.” I take a sip of my coffee and sigh. I missed Beauville. I know they made this at Ouisas, and she never skimps on the whipped cream.

“You banging hottie one and hottie two again?”

Laughing, I shake my head.

“No, Hae-in paid for the room.”

“Who the hell is Hane, and how does he look?”

“It’s Hae-in, and he’s just a friend.”

Lola tosses me a look that screams, yeah, right!

“I’m serious. I don’t have any room for a relationship right now.”

“I get you, India, but you’re not dead. Something happened with Hae-in.” She puts special attention on the in in his name. “No one is going to tell you not to date. Don’t block your blessings. Give that man some a*s. He deserves it after paying for this kind of spread.” She looks around the room and whistles again.

“Lo, hush up.”

“I’m just saying, sis. No one should ever turn it down when it comes around. You feel me?”

“Why are we focused on me?” I ask.

“What does the dude look like? Is he tall, dark and handsome, or—”

“Lola,” I interrupt. “It doesn’t matter what he looks like.”

“Hell, yes, it does. You know, I’m a free woman now.”

Lola puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head. “Bear doesn’t realize what he’s done. A fuckup of epic proportions. I’m gonna screw big d**k, little d**k, white d**k, black d**k, purple d**k, alien d**k. I don’t give a shit.”

“Seriously, shut up, Lo.”

I’m sure if Hae-in saw Lola, he’d be interested. She has legs for days and a face that got Bear into a lot of fights when they were back in high school. She’s taken care of herself and to this day she still has the single men of Beauville throwing out compliments when she walks by. There’s a knock at the door. I’m not expecting anyone else. I look to Lo for answers. Maybe she brought Anna with her.

“Don’t look at me. I came alone.”

I walk over and open the door to a gigantic bouquet of fresh orchids and a box. “This is for you, ma’am.”

“Girl, who was you boning in South Korea?” Lola reaches for the box.

I roll my eyes. Inside, I’m smiling. I’ve only been away a day and Hae-in’s already sent me flowers and a gift. “Excuse you,” I say, moving out of reach so she can’t take my box.

“Hurry and open the box. I want to see what’s inside.”

“Isn’t Bear the issue?”

“Girl, his a*s can wait. I want to see what’s in the box.”

I raise a brow at Lo and say, “You act like the contents of this box belong to you.”

Lola bumps my shoulder and eyes the box. The box itself isn’t large, it’s the size of something I’d expect to have books or something in it. It’s not the stuff I bought while I was in Hongdae either. I walk over to the desk and grab the letter opener to split the tape. Inside is a letter and two DVDs, along with a CD.

“What’s all this?” Lola snatches the letter out of my hand and tears open the seal and starts reading.

“Dearest India.”

“Lola, give it back.”

“You were over in SK f*****g, weren’t you? ‘Dearest India, it’s been less than twenty-four hours since we last saw each other. I promised you a drama, and I added in some music.”’

“Lola, seriously, can you stop? Do I go through your s**t at your house?”

“This is a hotel, so it’s free range.”

“That’s some bullshit, Lola.”

Lo grins but hands me back the letter. “Sounds boring anyway. He could have at least sent you a d**k pic. Two movies and a CD, what’s that going to do for your v****a? Nada. That’s what.”

“We’re just friends,” I argue.

“Sure, whatever. That’s what they all say. You probably went over there and put it on him, and that poor man doesn’t know how to act now that he’d done gone and went and got him some of the Danvers super vag. Our s**t is a potent, powerful mistress. Once you’re caught in the clutches of our famous super grip.”

“Oh my God, Lola Danvers. Shut up!” I laugh. “I swear we’re only friends. I don’t have time for a relationship. I only have time to heal. Now knock it off.”

Lola pulls me into a hug. “You’re right, honey. Apologies. But if dude shows up in Beauville, you better act fast. He puts up the place for the hotel, sends you fresh flowers, and some thoughtful gifts. He wants to put it on you. No matter what you say, Mr. Hanes is looking for some sexy times.”

“It’s Hae-in, not Hanes.”

“Right, Hane.”

I shake my head at Lola, she’ll eventually get it right if I say his name more. But will I though? It’s hard to maintain long-distance relationships.

Wait.

This isn’t a relationship. It’s a friendship.

I grab my things and head out to meet the girls with Lola, that lasting thought still in my head. We’re just friends.