10.05.1999
City Of
Did I mention that moving to Los Angeles from Sunnyhell (formally Sunnydale) was a really, really big mistake? And here I thought that I would be able to start over in a new city. I'd have a new start and a new life, a chance to do all the things that I wanted to after high school. WRONG!
My parents cut me off so I basically had no money at all, and that's saying a lot since I was rich since me life started. I only knew how to be rich and being poor has kind of messed up my style a little bit. Before I was "Queen C" the richest bitch in Sunnydale High School, and now I'm just a bitch with Wal-Mart brand jeans and Payless shoes. I should just go back to Sunnyhell and beg for my father's forgiveness.
No. I can't do that. Then I would be admitting defeat and Cordelia Chase doesn't back down AT ALL. My mother still sends me money when I'm low, but even though I do miss her the most, I don't think I could bring myself to even try to go back there and face my father gloating about how I couldn't make it on my own. Then I would be forced to marry some forty-year-old with old money and my father would be happy that he wouldn't have to support me anymore. Wow, I'm really feeling Daddy's love right about now. Jerk.
As soon as I decided I needed to get out of that hellhole, which happened to be right after I graduated from high school, I figured I would come to LA, the City of Angels. I would work my way to my inevitable stardom, marry a famous movie star and retire on some island in the Caribbean. Wrong again. I can't count the number of auditions I've had on my fingers and toes (there are too many) and I've still only been cast as a girl in a string bikini trying to sell suntan lotion. I couldn't begin to tell you what that did for my career. Sometimes I think they only want me for my body…haha…who am I kidding? They DO want me for my body.
I realized that I needed to find a job so that I could afford a decent apartment, one where the roaches didn't decide to live, so I got a job at a coffee house. Most of my money went to my agent, who wasn't doing such a great job…obviously. So I started working at a coffee house and then I had to get a second job to pay for my roach invested apartment and my overly priced agent. I started working at a local bar downtown as a waitress, which really helped my rolodex because I met a lot of people serving drinks, unfortunately not my situation. I had to fire my agent and start looking for auditions myself, as well as new living arrangements. I drew the line when a roach crawled out from under my bed sheets.
That's when I met my angel in the City of Angels.
I ran into him when I was walking out of the coffee house. It was my day off, but one of my friends who worked there, Winifred Burkle (we just call her Fred for short), was still working and she was pretty bored there all by herself. I didn't have anything better to do so I strolled on over there with my newspapers and we looked for apartments together that sounded decent enough but were within my price range.
I had circled some promising ads in my classic red pen and then got a coffee to go.
"Thanks a bunch Fred. I really should go scope out these apartments before someone snags them and I get left with the roaches," I sighed, grabbing my steaming cup of coffee. It was autumn in California and the weather was just right. Cold enough for a nice warm cup of coffee and a light jacket, but not cold enough to go outside and lose all your toes within a matter of minutes.
"I agree with ya. Too bad I can't go too! I'd rather be doin' that then havin' to stay here and work. Tell me why we do it again?" Fred joked, ringing up my coffee but putting in some of her own money. She gave me a look that silenced my complaint before I even got it out of my mouth. "I'm payin'. Back home, people would just smile and say thank you when people do stuff like this," she commented seeing my almost-evil look.
Her home was Texas. She would tell me about it all the time and I sometimes wondered why she didn't go back. She always told me the same thing: that she wanted to see the world and not have to stay home and be sheltered her whole life. "Los Angeles just seemed like the place ta be."
I waved goodbye and told her that I would call and we could go out for a drink later. She nodded and began helping the next customer. I opened the door to the coffee house, sipping on my fresh cup of Joe, and looked down at the newspaper with all the circled apartments. This one on West Lane looks pretty—
I suddenly ran face first into a brick wall; at least that's what it felt like, especially as my ass started to plummet towards the concrete. Just as fast, a pair of arms latched themselves around my waist, stopping me from falling. I had closed my eyes and I still had them shut tightly as someone stared down at me, their face so close I could almost feel their breath on my cheek.
I cracked one eye open and saw the most beautiful face I'd ever seen. He was staring down at me, still holding me in his firm grasp. His arms were huge and muscular and his chest broad and hard. I could feel his stomach muscles working, stretching under his thin cotton shirt. Hello salty goodness…I opened both my eyes and smiled up at him…right before my coffee spilled all over my white shirt.
I jumped out of his grasp and started streaming curses out of nowhere. I tried to brush the excess coffee off my shirt but then I just ended up burning my hand in the process. The man picked up my newspaper off the ground, apologizing all the while.
"Don't apologize," I said rather harshly. "You didn't spill the coffee on me. I did," I corrected trying to make my voice sound sweeter.
"Here. I didn't want you to fall, but it was my fault. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," he replied, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck as I grabbed my paper from his outstretched hand. I didn't peg him to be the shy type.
"No biggie. I was reading the paper so I was my fault too. I'm Cordelia."
"Angel. It's nice to meet you. Let me at least pay for your dry cleaning. It's the least I can do," he explained, reaching for his wallet.
I was almost tempted to take his offered money, but I refused profusely. "Don't worry about it. This old thing? I was planning on throwing it away," I lied. It was the nicest white shirt I had hanging in my closet. I silently cursed at myself for being stupid enough to spill something on it.
"Still, here's my card," Angel replied handing me a white business card. Angel Investigations, we help the helpless. "If you change your mind."
"Private investigator?" I asked, nodding towards the card in my hand.
He nodded. "Well I better get going. I was supposed to be meeting a client. It was nice to meet you Cordelia."
"You too," I answered watching as he waved then walked away. I looked back down at the card and smiled. Maybe I would change my mind…
posted by shoegalCC at 10:28 PM