I've been thinking about tackling a Sunlight Jr. fic since the movie came out. I found the movie itself to be rather dull, an indie melodrama where nothing actually happened. I was, however, enthralled in the total twenty minutes that Justin was in the movie. Honestly, who didn't watch the movie for the soul fact that Norman Reedus was in it?
It took me a while to decide exactly what I wanted to do and perfect it. As a result, this fic is very personal for me, from the OC's personality and career to the settings and the time period.
As this is the first Sunlight Jr. story that I have ever seen, it's taken a while to get my head straight, as I only had the movie to go by. That has both made this little venture a blessing and a curse. I had to decide what I wanted to do and how I would proceed, but it also left me a lot of room for error.
Much love and thanks to PrincessPipi who encouraged this idea when the film came out. Also, a huge thank you to Alva Starr who was my little guinea pig for this chapter to help steer me in the right direction. We chatted a lot back in forth and she really helped fortify all of these ideas. She really is the best.
Please, if this is something you are interested in, leave me a review or PM me and let me know. Is this something I should continue? I'd love to hear what you have to say, good or bad.
November, 1998
Show me love, show me life
Baby show me what it's all about
You're the only one that I ever needed
Show me love and what it's all about, alright
Don't waste this love I wanna give to you
Tell me what you got, show me what you can do
Show me love, show me everything
I know you've got potential
So baby let me in and show me love
"Show Me Love" by Robyn (1998)
The drive to Florida had been, easily, eight hours of hell. Parking the car at the apartment complex seemed like heaven after all that time behind the wheel. Staying up all night hadn't exactly been a joyous process, but it was something that Victoria was used to. She had been a nurse for the past three years so her sleeping schedule was flexible at best.
When her job at St. Francis had requested their staff to transfer to a sister hospital because of cut backs, Tori had been one of the first to volunteer for reassignment. She was in need of a change, after all.
She hadn't banked on it being so easy to land a job at St. Anthony's in St. Petersburg Florida. She jumped at the opportunity, looking up information for her housing situation as soon as she got the call.
The first number she found was for Palm's Property. After that, the rest was easy. She did a simple over the phone interview and got an appointment to look at a rental apartment a few miles from her new job.
The phone interview had been with a woman named Noreen who owned the apartment complex as well as several houses in the area. She had asked simple questions like name, birthday, and race before moving on to more basic renter questions.
"When do you expect to move in?"
"As soon as possible."
"Why are you moving, dear?"
"I got a job in the area."
"Really? Where at?"
"St. Anthony's. I'm an RN in the emergency department."
"So you make good money, huh?"
Tori was a bit put off by the question, but replied as a common courtesy, "I'm fiscally comfortable."
"Is it just you, then?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"You'd be okay with a small appartment?"
"Sure, I don't need a lot of space. I spend a lot of time at work, anyway."
"No pets or anything?"
"No."
"Do you smoke?"
"I'm a nurse."
"So, that's a no?"
"No, I do not smoke." She reiterated.
"Have you ever been convicted of a crime?"
"No."
"Have you ever been evicted before?"
"No."
"Have you ever been sued for rent or property damage?"
"No, I'm always prompt and current with my bills and a bit OCD about cleanliness."
"Sounds great. I will need a copy of your driver's license, social security card, and a reference from your current landlord. Other than that, everything looks to be in order. I can't wait to meet you!"
"Yes, ma'am. See you soon."
Taking a break from life in South Carolina wasn't going to be so bad. Life had been strained since her younger brother, Aaron, had started classes at the University of South Carolina. His major was law and he was interning with their father on the weekends. He was well on his way to being a miniature version of their father and Tori couldn't stand it. The man had left them ten years prior, divorcing their mother and moving to Columbia. He was now one of the most successful criminal defense lawyers in the state, which meant he had little to no time for anything else.
At a young age, Victoria had showed an interest in the medical field, playing doctor with her stuffed animals and playing Operation! with Aaron. From that moment, her father decided she should be a surgeon. He layered on the pressure until she dropped her pre-med courses freshman year and focused on nursing, succumbing to all the pressure of people relying on her for their lives. After she changed majors, her father layered on the guilt.
Their mother, on the other hand had been nothing but supportive. She was a total free spirit, being a chef in southern Charleston. Victoria never understood the relationship between her parents. They were a true testament to the statement 'opposites attract.' They managed to make it 15 years before finally calling it quits.
She sat in the parking lot of Alta Mar Apartments when a red Jeep Grand Cherokee pulled up beside her. A chunky blonde woman stepped out holding a clipboard. She looked at Victoria through the windows of her car and motioned for her to get out. Already, Victoria could tell she was all business. She had on far too much makeup and most of her lipstick was on her teeth, but she barely tried with her clothing, wearing khakis and loafers with a simple, grey button-up that she hadn't bothered to tuck in or even iron.
"You must be Victoria."
"Please, call me Tori." She said, extending her hand. She knew her appearance must be haphazard, after driving all night with no sleep, only stopping at McDonald's for a sausage biscuit and a large coffee before finding the complex. Still, she had at least put forth some effort, tying her hair back and changing out of her sweats before coming.
"Well, Tori. I'm Noreen. We spoke over the phone. It's nice to put a face with the voice." She smiled.
"Yes, ma'am. I brought copies of what you asked for." She added, leaning through the driver's door to get the papers she had placed on the passenger's seat for easy access. She also grabbed her purse. Upon retrieval, she shut the door to her black BMW M3 and handed the papers over.
"Perfect." The tiny woman said. "This isn't all of your stuff, is it honey?" She asked, more out of her own interest then genuine concern. She stared at the few boxes in Victoria's backseat.
"No, ma'am. A moving van should be here in a few hours."
"Alright." She nodded. "Let me show you around."
They went for a walk though the complex. The building was in the shape of a large, square horse shoe, compiling of two stories. In the center of the horse shoe was a large, very empty, in ground pool. Noreen explained that there were twelve apartments, eleven of which were occupied. She took Victoria up to the top floor of the West wing, showing her apartment number seven.
"This will be yours." She explained. "Central heating and air, patio. There are four rooms, five if you count the wash closet. It's small, but it's cozy."
"It's perfect." Tori noted. The apartment may have been small, but the rooms were open. The kitchen and breakfast nook connected to the living room and across from the entry door was a large set of French doors that opened to a small, fenced in verandah.
Noreen walked into the kitchen, running her hand over the convection oven. "All of the appliances are up to date, but I can't replace them anytime soon, so be gentle. If anything happens it'll come out of your rent."
"Okay." Victoria nodded.
"You can take a look around. I'll finish the paper work. First and last months rent is due before I ca give you the keys. Is that okay?"
"You mentioned that." She said, reaching in her purse, handing her an envelope. "Cash only, right?"
The tiny blonde smiled. "Even better. I'll take this today, here on out, you'll have to pay my son in apartment six. He runs the apartment complex. Rent's due on the 15th every month."
Tori nodded. "I can do that."
Noreen pocketed the money and started wrote something on her clip board. Tori took this as an opportunity to check out the rest of the apartment. To her left was a door, leading to the bedroom. It was a decent size. Her queen sized would fit nicely against the left wall, leaving floor room between the end posts and her chest of drawers. Adjacent to the kitchen was the bathroom. It wasn't overtly large, but big enough for a shower/tub, vanity sink, and toilet. The basic necessities.
This would be her new home.
Through the open front door, Victoria heard obnoxiously loud rap music. She recognized the voice as Jay Z. It was followed silence, then by the slam of a car door. "Tori, honey. Come here." Noreen called from the front door. Victoria followed the older woman's voice to the walkway on the top floor of the complex. The woman was gazing down, towards the East wing of the building, straight to the first floor. She followed Noreen's line of sight to see an attractive, dirty blonde boy leaning against the window of apartment six. He had on Oakley sunglasses and was smoking a cigarette. "Come on, sweetheart. I want you to meet my boy, Justin."
From the moment they descended the stairs to when they had made it to the ground floor, Victoria could feel Justin's hot, crystal gaze on her, drinking every bit of her in, even through the polarized lenses of his shades. From her long, pale blonde waves to her long, lean legs and every delicious, womanly curve in between. His eyes locked on her hips, wide set despite her size. Tori was aware she had an hourglass figure, even though she was still thin. Justin watched her, cigarette perched between his thin, wet lips as he waited for his mother to speak.
After the initial shock of him checking her out wore off, she couldn't help find herself smiling at his fashion choices. He wore a loose, white wife beater under a black hooded jacket with black and red board shorts in the middle of November. She knew it was warmer here, Florida barely having any type of winter weather to break the heat and humidity, that wasn't why she was smiling. She was laughing inwardly at the Velcro sandals with tube socks pulled up his calves. The socks, at least, were black to match the rest of his ensemble.
"Justin, dear." Noreen spoke up. "Meet our new tenant, Victoria."
"Tori." The girl corrected. Her large, hazel eyes never left his young face. He was strikingly handsome. She noted his cheekbones, protruding slightly under those red frames and two slight moles, one larger than the other, just beside his left nostril. Even though he was smoking, one of Victoria's turn-offs, she couldn't help but be preoccupied with his lips. His tongue danced along his lower lip just as he blew out curls of smoke.
"Sorry. She'll be staying in room seven. She's about your age, baby. Isn't that nice." Noreen added.
"What's it to me?" The boy finally spoke. His mother shot a wicked glare his way and he rolled his eyes. His voice was liquid honey, raspy and husky utterly sensual. "Welcome to the neighborhood, Vicky."
"It's actually Tori."
"I like Vicky." He shrugged, pulling the butt from his mouth and stamping it out on the heel of his sandal before tossing it in the pot of a plant near his door. With no warning, he pushed himself off the window and stepped inside his apartment, shutting the door in her face.
"You'll have to excuse him. Not exactly a morning person and, from the look of things, he hasn't slept yet." Noreen sighed. "He's a nice boy, really. You kids will have plenty of time to get to know each other now, anyway. You must be exhausted. I'll let you get settled. Again, Victoria, welcome to the building."