Lindsay Monroe had never felt so out of place before. The week before when she had been packing, the thought of her not fitting in didn't even enter her mind. After all, she'd moved before and each time did so, she never seemed to have a problem adjusting. This time was going to be different, though. She could just tell, and she hadn't even gotten out of her car yet. All she had to do was glance at the other cars around her to notice that her brother's old jeep that she was driving definitely stuck out. The car next to her was a brand new Lexus. The one in front of her was a Mercedes. And Lindsay hadn't seen any of the drivers behind their tinted windows, but she could probably assume that her thrift store clothes didn't meet the standards of these people, either.
For a moment, as she drove past more expensive cars, Lindsay wondered again what she was doing there. She was fully aware of the fact that this town would probably eat her alive. Her mother had even told her so just a couple of days ago.
"Beverly Hills is no place for a country girl like you," she had said.
She knew her mother was right, but she didn't care. Moving to Beverly Hills meant she could start over, and anyone who knew Lindsay knew that she needed a fresh start.
Lindsay had planned on leaving Bozeman as soon as she graduated high school. Her hometown was a constant reminder of who she lost in the diner that horrible night, so all Lindsay wanted to do was escape from those memories. She was going to pack up her car with all of her stuff and then leave that town for good. She'd find a random place on the map and she'd make that her new home. But then during her senior year of high school, she met Phil Harrison. Somehow, Phil managed to sweep Lindsay off her feet and by graduation, the two were engaged. Instead of leaving like planned, Lindsay stayed in Montana for college. All during her college years, Phil promised Lindsay that they would leave after she graduated. Lindsay believed him, which thinking back on it, was probably the worst mistake she could have made. If she had just gone with her instincts and had left on her own after college, then all of the pain from that relationship could have been avoided.
The abuse didn't start until about a month after they moved in together. In the beginning, Lindsay stayed with him because she still thought that she loved him. After awhile, though, she stayed because she was afraid. If she left, she had no idea what he would do. So she stayed, fooling their friends and family into believing that they were happy together.
After four years of living with the abuse, it was Lindsay's brother, Chris, who found out about what was going on. It had taken a lot of convincing, but Lindsay finally agreed to leave Phil. When he was at work one day, Chris helped Lindsay pack up her stuff and moved her into his place. When Phil came looking for her, Chris had chased him off the property with a shotgun, threatening to kill him if he ever came close to his little sister again.
That had been three weeks ago.
Now Lindsay was in Beverly Hills, ready to start her new life. She was excited for this big change, and she couldn't wait to see what this town had in store for her.
At the next stop sign, Lindsay took a right and drove until she got to a gate. She slowed her jeep to a stop and watched as the guard stepped out of the guardhouse, clipboard in hand.
"Name, please," he said.
"Lindsay Monroe."
The guard flipped through the pages on the clipboard, then nodded. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Alright, Miss Monroe, I hope you enjoy your time in our community," the man said, still smiling at her. He then stepped back into the house and pressed a button that opened the gate. Lindsay waved, then drove into the community.
Lindsay knew that gated communities were usually where the rich people lived, so she knew the houses would be nice. Still, as Lindsay drove past Mediterranean mansions, she couldn't help but stare at them in awe. It was one thing seeing them on television, but seeing them in person was incredible. She couldn't believe that people could actually afford to live in places like this. She couldn't believe her best friend, who she would be staying with, could afford a place like this. It was incredible.
It didn't take long for Lindsay to find her friend's house. She pulled into the driveway and compared the address on the paper to the one on the mailbox, just to double check if she was at the correct location. When she was positive that she was, she stopped the car and stepped out of it, taking in the mansion in front of her. It was, of course, gorgeous. It was unlike any place she'd ever been to before.
Just as Lindsay was about to grab her bags from the backseat, she saw the front door to the mansion open. She grinned when she saw her best friend step outside.
"I thought I heard country music blasting out here," Don Flack teased as he hurried over to her, pulling her into a hug.
Lindsay sighed, looking up at him. "Are you ever going to stop making fun of me being a country girl?"
Don thought about it for a second, then he shook his head. "Nope, that's never going to happen." He smiled at her as he ended their hug. He then reached for her bags and began heading to the house. "Come on, let's get you settled, then we can talk."
Unlike Lindsay, who was a country girl, Don Flack was from the city. He had been born and raised in New York, and his and Lindsay's paths would have never even crossed if it hadn't been for one fateful summer when he was thirteen and she was eleven.
During that school year, before summer had even began, Don had started to get into trouble. He was becoming more that his mother could handle, so when summer came around, she decided to ship him off to camp, just so she didn't have to deal with him all summer long. The camp that he was sent to was in Montana, and Lindsay had been going that same camp since she was seven. When Don arrived, Lindsay developed a little crush on him. Actually, all the girls at camp had a crush on him, but Lindsay was the only one Don seemed to notice.
They spent all summer together, and he was even Lindsay's first kiss. As the summer came to an end, they exchanged phone numbers, promising to keep in contact. They kept their promises, and when the next summer arrived, Don, much to his mother's surprise, was more than happy to go back to camp. As they grew older, they quit going to camp, but they always stayed in touch. Lindsay's parents used to joke about the fact that the two of them would probably end up getting married. Lindsay would usually make a face and shake her head, knowing that would never happen. Except for that first summer, she didn't have any romantic feelings for him. He was her best friend, and most of the time, she referred to him as her brother.
Lindsay hadn't planned on telling Don about the abuse, but when he had asked why her and Phil broke up, she told him about everything. He, much like Chris, wanted to murder the person who had hurt Lindsay. It had taken an hour for Lindsay to calm him down. She kept reassuring him over the phone that she was fine, and that things were going to be okay. Finally, after he was calm, Don suggested that Lindsay move out to California. That way she could have a fresh start. At first, Lindsay hadn't been so sure, but then she thought back to all those days of her dreaming about getting out of Montana. Don had just given her a chance to do it, and there was no way she could turn that down.
"So," Don asked as he set a glass of iced tea in front of Lindsay, then took a seat across the kitchen table from her, "now that you're out here, what's your plan?"
"Well I've already talked to the school here, and they said once I get my license, they're going to hire me as a first grade teacher," Lindsay said, smiling. After taking a sip of her tea, she then added, "Maybe I'll be teaching Elliott and Christina one day."
Don nodded, grinning at the thought. "Yeah, maybe."
"Speaking of the kids, where are they?"
"Jess is picking Elliott up from school and she took Christina with her. They'll be home soon," Don responded.
Ever since they were teenagers, Don would tell Lindsay that in the future, he'd never settle down. He was planning on being a playboy for life. Then he'd met Jessica Angell, and that's when Lindsay started to get phone calls about how in love he was. She had laughed, not sure whether or not Don would actually give up his playboy status for good. To Lindsay's surprise, he had, and now he was happily married and had two children.
"So," Lindsay began, but she was cut off by the ringing of Don's phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and groaned when he saw it was his boss calling.
"Yeah, it's Flack," he answered. "Yeah...alright. Sure, I'll be there in few."
"You have to go?" Lindsay asked before Don could say anything.
"Yeah, I do. Some kids found a dead body in the park."
Lindsay nodded as she watched Don stand up and put his phone back into his pocket.
"I'll see you later, then," Lindsay said.
"You'll see me at seven. Jess and I are taking you out tonight. Plus, there's someone I really want you to meet."
The last part of Don't sentence came as a shock to her. She hadn't planned on meeting anyone that night, and she definitely didn't have anything to wear. She prayed they were going to some crappy bar, because that's the only place she knew she'd probably fit in. Judging by their location, though, she pretty much assumed they wouldn't be going to a place like that.
"Jess, you really don't have to do this," Lindsay said for what felt like the millionth time.
"Really Lindsay, it's fine," Jess assured her.
Lindsay sighed, realizing she probably wasn't going to win this arguement, so she continued to follow Jess down the hallway and into her bedroom in silence. She had only met Jess a few times before, and even though the two really liked each other, Lindsay still thought it was awkward that the woman was letting her borrow her clothes. But Jess insisted that she do so, saying this way, she wouldn't stick out so much when they went out that night.
When Lindsay entered Jess's closet, which was probably about the size of her old bedroom and living room combined, she considered switching her career choice. Obviously, in Beverly Hills, the real estate industry was booming. Lindsay was curious to know just how much Jess made, but then she realized it didn't matter. If she made enough to pay for the mansion they were in and the entire wardrobe of designer clothes, obviously it was enough.
Lindsay watched as Jess expertly skimmed through the racks of clothing, trying to find something. Finally, she pulled a simple black dress off the hanger.
"This would look incredible on you," she said, handing the dress over to Lindsay. "You can pick any shoes you want, and the purses are hanging in the corner. And feel free to use any of my make-up."
Lindsay could only nod in response. Jess smiled, then turned to walk away. As soon as she was gone, Lindsay took off her old jeans and T-shirt. Deep down, she was dying to put on that dress, just to know what it felt like. Before she did slip into it, she took a look at the label. It was Stella McCartney. Lindsay shook her head, amazed at the fact that there she was, holding an expensive designer dress. Never in a million years did she think this would ever happen.
After putting on the dress, Lindsay searched through all of the shoes and finally settled on a pair of Jimmy Choo's. She then grabbed the first clutch she could find and tried not to drool over the fact that it was Chanel. After applying a little bit of make-up, she determined that she was ready to go. As she was leaving the closet, she caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror. Shocked by what she saw, she turned around and walked up to it, staring at the transformation. She marveled at how the dress showed off her curves and at how the make-up seemed to light up her eyes. She smiled, definitely liking what she was seeing.
The bar was crowded when Jess and Lindsay entered it. They stood in the doorway for a few seconds until they saw Don sitting at a table, waving them over. As they walked over to him, Lindsay could feel the eyes of men staring at her, which was something she wasn't used to. People usually associated her with the word cute, but never hot. Lindsay sort of liked the attention now.
"Wow Monroe," Don said after giving Jess a quick kiss, "you sure do clean up nice."
"Thanks," Lindsay said, taking a seat next to Jess. "So who is this person you want me to meet?"
"I've told you about my friend Danny, right?" Don asked.
"Yeah, of course."
"He's here tonight and I figured I'd let you meet him."
"Really?" Lindsay asked excitedly. "I finally get to meet the same Danny you've been talking about since high school?"
Don nodded, then pointed across the room. "Here he comes now, actually."
Lindsay turned in the direction Don was pointing, then she saw the person he was pointing at. She noticed that the guy looked familiar, and it took her a moment to realize why. When she did figure it out, her jaw dropped, and she turned to look at Don again.
"Are you serious? That's Danny?"
So how do you like it? Should I continue?