Chapter 5
The sun rays were creeping thru the blinds. Tara groaned as she turned over, her head pounding. "Fuck, I drank too much," she whispered to no one in particular.
"We sure fucking did," whispered the voice next to her.
Tara opened her eyes and saw her beautiful cousin laying next to her, her arm thrown over her face, blocking the sun rays.
"Good morning, Kitty Kat."
"Baby T, I am a bonafide New Yorker. There is no such thing as a good morning, specially after all the booze we drank last night."
Tara chuckled as she swung her legs out of her bed. "I'll go get the coffee started."
"Bring aspirin with it too!"
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Tara parked the Cutlass in front of Hannah's.
"I am telling you, Kitty Kat, Hannah's has the best French Toast in the West Coast."
Tara got out of the car and slammed the door shut.
"Fuck that. The best breakfast, you'll ever have would be from a Bodega down the block from where I live. A bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel with a light and sweet coffee. Now, that's breakfast," countered Katie as she walked inside with Tara.
"What the hell is a Bodega?" laughed Tara.
"A Deli! It's Spanish for deli."
Tara and Katie sat in a booth and ordered coffees and their breakfast from the waitress, Magda.
"You have no idea how great it feels, Tara. To constantly be on the go. The city always going and you shifting your energy to match it. The endless possibilities and dreams."
"Katie," warned Tara.
"No, no listen," Katie grabbed Tara's hands. "I know your boyfriend will be here soon to drive us to the Sacramento airport, but listen to this. I wasn't completely forthcoming with you Tara," whispered Katie as she leaned in to talk to her cousin. "When NYU offered to pay for this conference in LA, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to see you and convince you to move back East with me. In my purse, I have college applications for Colombia, NYU, Barnard, and Baruch College. Now, you won't be able to matriculate this upcoming fall but the fall of next year, you'll be golden, if you submit your application by the end of October. That gives you enough time, Tara. We are in April now, graduate from the little nursing program you are enrolled in then save up enough money to move out East. You could stay with me until you get use to the lifestyle over in New York. You don't have to worry about rent or food or any of that for the first couple of months. Just think about it, ok?"
Tara swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat. "Why are you doing this Katie? Why?"
Katie squeezed Tara's hands, "Cause before she died I promised your mother that you wouldn't become like her. A girl stuck in this Charming town with no way out."
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"Thanks for the ride, Op."
Opie nodded as Jax jump of the truck just as Tara and Katie were just exiting Hannah's. Jax flick his cigarette to the ground as he made his way to his girlfriend and her visitor.
"Hey babe," he placed a brief kiss on her lips. "Katie," he nodded to the redhead.
"Jackson," she mocked back, rolling her eyes. Katie saw Opie and pucker her lips making kissing sounds to his best friend. Opie put the truck on reserve and peel out of the lot before tongues started wagging in Charming.
"You sure didn't learn from last night." Jax wrapped his arm around Tara's shoulder.
Katie turned to look at him, her green eyes the same shade of his girlfriend. "Hey Jax, next time you see Donna, tell her that thanks for the beer. It did wonders to my hair's volume and shine."
Tara laughed as she unlocked the Cutlass's door. "Come on, baby. Let's get crazy over here to Sacramento before she starts more trouble."
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"I hate that you are leaving," Tara hugged her cousin tightly.
"Me too, Baby T."
"Promise you'll call when you arrive in LA." Tara broke the hug. "And when you get to San Diego too. And New York."
"That's a whole lot of phone calls there, Baby T," teased Katie. She pulled away from Tara and reached into her oversized bag. She took out a manila envelop and handed it to Tara.
"Katie, I can't take this," whispered Tara. She felt Jax's eyes on her but she kept her eyes locked with her cousin.
"Take it. Just so you have options. There is a whole world out there, waiting for you," whispered Katie. "Call me if you need the money to fly over there. I'll pay for it even if it means doing extra shifts at work. Just don't give up on your dreams. Please Tara. Take the envelop."
Tara reluctantly took envelop. She noted how Jax crossed his arms in front of him, his impatience clearly written on his face. She gave him a small smile and he remained in his spot a couple of feet away from them. Tara turned her gaze back to Katie.
Katie gave her a watery smile and hugged her cousin one last time. "Remember, you have six months to fill out these applications and a little over a year to make your way out East. Ok?"
Tara nodded. "Ok."
Katie pulled away from Tara and stroke her cheek. "Remember this, Tara. If he loves you as much as you say he does, he would make his way out East with you too. The club and his Momma be damned."
With that said, Katie grabbed her suitcase and made her way to the security point.
Tara waved at her cousin even though Katie never turn to look back.
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"What's in the envelop?" Jax took a drag of his cigarette as he drove down to Charming.
"Just some papers Katie thought I should have," Tara replied looking out the window, the envelop in between them.
"You had fun?"
"Yes, I did. I missed her. A lot actually. And she did too."
"Funny way she got of showing it. We been together for a while and you barely ever mentioned her and she has never come to visit."
Tara sighed. "Shit with Katie is complicated. She barely gets along with her mom. She left and moved to New York on her own as soon as she turned eighteen. Worked her ass off to get into NYU. Now she is there finishing up a degree at Tisch, NYU's theater school. Barely makes it out West. Works like a maniac in order to keep up with New York's expenses."
"Interesting." Jax took another dragged from his cigarette. "So, what did you ladies talk about during breakfast?"
Tara's heart pounded in her chest. "Stuff. Her life there, my life here. My Dad's endless bullshit. Her Mom's crazy behavior."
"Is that all?" asked Jax with an eery calm that had her hands sweating.
"Yea," she whispered as she closed her eyes, nausea taking over her body.
She has never lied to Jax and she did not like the feeling of it. Not one bit.
