ROYAL TOWERS ~ 1 ~ HOLLYWOOD & VINE
Hanna plopped down on top of her suitcase desperately trying to shove it closed. She bounced up and down trying to compress the trapped air inside and then slowly struggled to zip it up. Shoving the random garments into the suitcase, she managed to squeeze the zipper shut. Panting and out of breath, she hopped off the suitcase and stood it up against the half dozen others stacked by the door.
"All done?" Travis asked.
Hanna looked up. He was leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed across his chest, trying to hide a smirk as she dusted off her jeans.
"Don't look at me like that," she replied. "It's not that much."
"Tell it to the guy who now has to drive a fourteen foot truck instead of an SUV," he scoffed. "Oh wait, that's me."
"I thought we weren't going to mock my shopping addiction," she glared at him.
"I'm kidding," he told her. "I guess the mean streak is coming out because I'm going to miss you."
"You can come visit whenever you want," she smiled. "You can stay on the couch that you kindly helped transport into my new apartment."
"Come on," he grabbed two of her suitcases. "Let's hit the road."
Between the two of them they managed to load her suitcases into the moving van. Then she hopped into the passenger seat and helped Travis navigate onto the highway. After a few hours on the road, Hanna turned to him.
"So," she smiled, "how long do you think the drive will take?"
"Based on what the internet says," he replied, "it's probably forty hours. If we're lucky that's two days but probably three or four."
"I should have just shipped this," she groaned, "and flown out."
"It's a little late for that now," he told her.
"Always jumping in with the logic," she laughed. "Thanks for that Travis."
The two chatted amicably as they continued on the drive. Finally, after nearly ten hours of driving, it was pitch black on the road and they had run out of carrot sticks and wheat crackers. She could tell Travis was getting tired so she turned to him.
"Hey," she said, "maybe it's time to pull over."
"Uh yeah," he replied. "I saw a sign for a motel about ten miles from here. We can pull in there."
Sure enough, ten miles later they approached a seedy motel. Travis parked in the lot and Hanna hopped out to secure a room. A few minutes later she was unlocking the door to the only suite left on the second floor. She opened the door to find two beds pushed up against the cracked wallpaper. A bathroom with an accordion door could be seen from where she stood and a rickety desk was propped up in the corner next to the television which was clumsily secured to the wall.
Hanna walked across the room to drop her overnight bag on the far bed, but noticed the ground shook underneath her with every step she took. Travis gave her a panicked look when he noticed the same thing.
"Some five star accommodations we have here," she laughed.
Travis smirked as he sat down on the edge of the bed. The other end lifted a few inches off the floor and he stood up almost immediately.
"Well," he told her, "it's probably best to try and distribute weight evenly on the bed."
"Is that your sly way of suggesting we stay in the same bed?" she teased.
Travis blushed and shook his head.
"That came out wrong," he said.
"Hey," she smiled. "I was kidding."
"So," he breathed sinking back onto the bed much more carefully this time.
"So..." she echoed.
"I'm still wired," he told her. "Do you want to go for a walk or something? I could use a chance to stretch my legs."
"Yeah," she smiled standing up. "Sounds like a good idea."
She followed him out the door and they headed down the road for a brisk walk. She dug her hands deep into the pockets of her sweatshirt and swayed as they strolled on the dirt path. Finally he turned to her.
"It's a little weird," he said, "that you're moving across the country."
"It's crazy," she sighed. "I'm going to miss my mom. I'll miss you and the girls, but you know, I saw an opportunity. I can grow do so much more in Los Angeles than I can in Rosewood."
"I know," he told her. "You were always meant for a big city. I just hoped it would be a little closer to me."
"Come on," she laughed. "I'll be home for the holidays and you can always visit."
"Yeah," he took a deep breath, "maybe we should head back. I'm ready to hit the hay."
"Okay," she said as they made their way back to the motel room.
They both got ready for bed and within minutes the lights were out and they were sound asleep in their respective beds. This became the norm for the next few days. They traveled during sunlight hours and laid their heads down to rest in seedy motels at night. In four days, they crossed ten states and visited a dozen roadside diners. By the time they arrived in Los Angeles, Hanna was desperate for a warm shower and a proper bed, but her exhaustion fell by the wayside as she encountered the pretty lights of the big city.
It was getting dark when they turned off the 101 onto Sunset. Travis maneuvered the truck like a pro as he navigated the busy streets of Hollywood. Finally, he turned onto a side street and pulled into the parking structure attached to Hanna's new building. She pulled her access card out of her bag and got past the security to find her assigned parking spot. With only a little difficulty, Travis wedged the truck into her spot.
"We're here," she breathed realizing she was about to embark on a brand new adventure.
"Yeah," Travis laughed. "Let's see this place."
They hopped out of the truck and Hanna led them to her apartment overlooking the city. She unlocked the door to reveal a huge open loft letting in a flood of light through the floor to ceiling windows. Her mouth dropped open as she looked around. She had seen the photos but they definitely didn't do the building any justice. This apartment rivaled the size of the house she had grown up in and it was all hers.
"This is huge," Travis breathed.
"I know," she smiled. "It's awesome!"
"So," he replied, "ready to unload?"
Hanna's excitement was brought to an abrupt halt when she realized she now had to endure the tumultuous misadventure of actually moving her belongings into the apartment. With Travis' help they lodged as much as they could into the elevator and then dragged them toward her apartment door. It only took a couple hours before her furniture was delicately placed around the room and a dozen boxes were stacked neatly in the entryway.
"I'm exhausted," she said finally collapsing on the couch.
"Me too," Travis replied.
"And I'm starving," she groaned. "Think anything's open here after midnight?"
"Something tells me," he said looking out the window, "this city doesn't really shut down at night."
"Come on," she stood up. "Let's find something to eat."
They skipped out of the apartment and made their way to the ground floor. They crossed the street and found a brightly lit movie theatre with a few eateries in front. They picked up some food and headed back to her apartment to eat.
"Hey," she said as she picked at her salad, "thanks again for helping me. You're a good friend."
"Hanna," he smiled, "you know I'd do anything for you."
"I know," she replied. "You saved my mom from a lifetime of orange jumpsuits and you've been awesome ever since."
"Glad I could help," he told her.
A few minutes later, they were cleaning up the scraps left from dinner. Travis tossed the empty containers in the trash while Hanna accommodated the leftovers in her empty fridge. When she shut the door, she stood up and found Travis standing dangerously close to her.
"Oh," she breathed turning around. Barely an inch separated their bodies. "Uh..."
"Han," he smiled.
Her heart beat quickly as she anticipated what was to come. Slowly, Travis lowered himself to her level and in a swift motion his lips met hers. Taken totally by surprise, she froze for a moment before finally pushing him away.
"Travis?" her mouth dropped open. "What...?"
"Sorry," he replied. "I just...I couldn't leave you here without letting you know how I feel."
"Really?" she asked. "You thought this was the best time for you to tell me you have feelings for me?"
"Hanna..." he breathed.
"This is just..." she let out a small laugh.
"Sorry," he replied. "I think I misread the moment."
"Look," she said, "we've known each other for five years and you don't say anything until I move to the other side of the country?"
"When you say it that way..." he sighed.
"Even if I felt the same way," she continued, "how would it even work?"
"If?" he asked defeated.
"That's not what I meant," she shook her head. "I just never thought about it."
"I understand," he said solemnly. "I should probably go."
"Wait, Travis," she grabbed his hand before he could leave. "You just drove me three thousand miles across the country. Like hell am I letting you leave like this. At least stay the night? I'll even give you the bed."
"Okay," a smile spread across his face. "Sure."
After having moved past the awkward moment in the kitchen, they relaxed. Travis managed to hook up the television and they picked up a basic cable channel playing an old movie but they only got a few minutes into it before they were both fast asleep.
Hanna abruptly woke up to find she had passed out on the couch. Her head was planted firmly on Travis' shoulder but he was fast asleep. She could hear a rhythmic banging sound coming from the only shared wall in her apartment.
"What the fuck?" she breathed.
Travis stirred and rubbed his eyes.
"Hey," he smiled at her. "What time is it?"
"Almost three," she answered.
"What is that sound?" he asked.
"I think the neighbors are getting frisky," she replied.
As if on cue, there was a shrill screech followed by a final thud against the wall. A photo of Hanna and her friends, which was the only decorative piece she had managed to hang up yet, came crashing down to the floor by the fireplace.
"Holy shit," Travis breathed.
Hanna's mouth dropped open in shock. Both she and Travis exploded into a fit of giggles. Then the sounds started up all over again.
"Alright," she stood up, "I have to do something."
"You're going over there?" he asked.
"Well, I'm not going to get any sleep if they keep it up," she explained. "Besides, it's good to meet the neighbors."
Travis smirked as Hanna stood up. She grabbed her keys and opened the door before crossing the hallway to the next door. The wails and thuds were even louder in the hallway. She took a deep breath and then knocked loudly on the door. There was no response. She knocked again.
"Is someone knocking?" a woman's voice said from inside.
Hanna knocked again. This time harder.
"Let me check," a man's voice said.
Hanna heard creaks as someone approached the door. She took a deep breath to try and calm her beating heart. The door opened and her mouth dropped open in shock when she recognized the tall dark-haired man standing in the doorway wearing just a towel.
"Hanna?" he asked
"Were we being too loud?" the woman called out. "Sorry!"
"Caleb?" Hanna tried to pry her eyes away from his bare chest as she struggled to process the scene.
"Caleb, who is it?" Hanna heard the woman's voice once again.
"Just a minute," he turned to yell back.
His grip on the towel loosened and Hanna's eyes landed on the perfect curves of his backside. He turned back around and smirked noticing Hanna's gaze. She shook her head and faced him again.
"I have to go," she spat out and ran back into her place.
I hope you guys liked it. Ten reviews for the next chapter :)