CHAPTER TWO

The terms were simple; get to Jacob Black, have a conversation with him for at least thirty minutes and I wasn't allowed to use money in anyway. That last part was the tricky term and I had until Christmas Eve to conquer this feat.

I arrived home and went straight to work. I was determined and rejuvenated with a sense of purpose. No more Ben and Jerry's reality television couch days for me, I had a job to do. My first task was to find out anything and everything about the celebrity in question.

I fired up my computer and spent my day looking over articles, interviews and TMZ to find out what Jacob Black like to do, where Jacob Black ate and just who was Jacob Black. He was partier that was for sure. No problem there. He spent the bulk of his money apparently on fast cars and gambling and his big scandal was that he has had two DUI's in two years. Dumbass! I may drink and party but at least I call a cab.

Upcoming projects has him in town till the end of the year, thankfully working on a sequel to his last film, Everybody Kills. This film is entitled Everybody Dies ans was set to start filming at Paramount this month. Maybe I could get a job at Paramount, or better yet maybe I could get a job working for Jacob Black.

Reality hits me in the face when I realize how impossible it will probably be to get a job when I have no skills and just a high school diploma. I'm not allowed to use money so there is no way I can buy my way in.

I sighed and sat back in my chair, my computer screen littered with Jacob Black. I'm only two hours into this stupid bet and I already saw myself failing. I click mindlessly through the image gallery on Google, picture after picture of perfect Jacob Black with his perfect smile. Pictures of him at premieres and parties. Pictures of him doing charity work. Pictures of him jogging through Griffith Park…jogging! That's it! I can get a hold of him through jogging.

I jumped up from my computer and it became clear to me. I printed the picture out and raced out of my house. We need to do some shopping. I had no clothes to go jogging in or shoes for that matter so I tapped into my phone and found the nearest sporty store.

I am incredibly excited as I entered the store, thinking that this whole messy bet could be over as early as tomorrow morning. Based on the sky in the picture it looked as if Jacob Black jogs early in the morning. I probably over bought since I can't decide what outfit I want to wear when I finally make contact so I decided to leave that for later. I found matching tennis shoes in all sorts of colors. Who knew they had so many workout shoes, it's like they made them to match every outfit so that even when you worked out you could be color coördinated.

I arrived back at my house and laid out all the different outfit considerations to try to get ready for the morning. I have a cute outfit, check. I have a bottle of water, check. I have my phone good and charged and a photo of the place Jacob Black had been seen jogging and now all I needed was a good night sleep.

"Tomorrow, we go hunting."

I probably should get a cat or something to talk to but even my loneliness can't hold me back today because I had a mission.

I woke up at six am the next morning and I had forgotten what it is to have to be up before the sun. I shower, get my makeup all applied and put on my cute pink and black jogging outfit with my new cute pink puma's and headed out for Griffith Park. I have never jogged before in my life. I have never even been to Griffith Park so I am a little overwhelmed when I finally got there and stepped outside of my car.

Now what?

I tentatively walked toward the trail and I saw a few people already getting going. I looked at my picture and noticed that this looks like it could have been taken anywhere. How am I ever going to find the point of origin? I tried jogging a little but after a few minutes I am already winded and my makeup has melted down my face especially since the sun is up now and beating directly down on me. I look around and try to find a good place to rest. Maybe I should just stay in one place and have Jacob Black come to me.

I wasted the better part of my day out there in that god awful sun waiting for that bastard. By noon I had enough and decided to call it quits. My makeup made me look like a damn Picasso and I was sure I smelled as bad as the trash can near the exit.

I needed to regroup and come back with a better plan tomorrow. I got into my car and put the top down, not wanting my stench to stink up my car. I'm drove down Sunset and suddenly I couldn't believe my eyes, standing next to the Mobil station is my homeless man…well not my homeless man but the guy who called me names.

I pulled into the Mobil station and jumped out of my car.

"Hey you." I called.

I got his attention and he cautiously walked over to me.

"Is that you…Richie Bitch?" He looked me over, "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

Why am I here talking to this guy? Why did I pull over?

"You just look like a box of crayons that's been out in the sun too long." He smirked.

"Screw you, dude. I have had a really bad morning. You have no idea how hard it is to work all morning in the hot sun and still have nothing to show for it."

Homeless dude shook his cup at me, "No…I have no idea how that is. Please enlighten me."

"That's not what I mean. Ugh…never mind, anyways I just wanted to stop and tell you that you're wrong about me. I'm not as big of a…Richie Bitch as you thought. I gave a homeless man a thousand dollars the other night. He didn't ask me for it, I just gave it to him…on Sunset Boulevard, in the middle of traffic…so there."

"Really?" He asked taken aback.

"Don't believe me?"

"No…I believe you…I know that man you gave that money to. He came into the soup kitchen with tears in his eyes and then gave that thousand dollar bill to the owners."

"What? Why would he do that? I gave him that money so that he could do something with it." I exclaimed.

"He did do something with it. He gave back because…the soup kitchen has always been there for him and he wanted to repay the debt."

I slumped against the car completely flabbergasted shaking my head.

"You don't think he did the right thing?" he asked.

"No! I mean, he could have rented a cheap motel for a couple of days and had a real meal instead of some slop from a soup kitchen. I should have given it to someone else."

"Most people would feel happy hearing that their money went to a good cause…most people think that you give a homeless man money, he'll just go and spend it on liquor."

"Yea, I suppose that liquor would be worse. Anyway, I have a lot of work to get done…I should get going."

"Work? Finally decided to not live off your parents?" he questioned.

"No…I just…have a project I'm working on. I'm sure to you it's stupid but to me it's…personal."

"What project? Is that the reason why you look like a paint pallete?"

"I don't want to tell you, you'll just think it's stupid and shallow. I've had enough judging from you for a day."

"Uh…Miss, that's all you do of me. Just tell me the project. I will try not to make you feel bad about yourself."

I rolled my eyes and still don't know why I am standing here talking to this man, especially out in the open where we can be seen.

"I made a bet with a friend and the stakes are really high." I sighed.

He waits for me to continue.

"I have to meet Jacob Black and hold a conversation with him and I only have until Christmas to do it."

"The actor?"

"No, the president. Of course the actor." I mocked.

"So…why don't you just have your daddy buy you a part in his next movie or…something."

"Because…I can't use money." I huffed dramatically.

The homeless dude stood there staring at me for a long second and then flew into a fit of laughter.

"I love it. Oh my god do I love it!" he said through tears, "It's like the perfect irony."

"Hey, you said you weren't going to make me feel bad." I reminded him.

"Sorry…so what is up with the workout gear and Jackson Pollack painting on your face?" he waved a hand at me.

I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to look away, "I saw that he jogged in Griffith Park…I worked really hard on picking out the perfect outfit and shoes to match and that bastard didn't show. I waited for like five hours on that hot horrible trail and the only thing I'll probably catch is skin cancer. Fucking unreliable actors."

"Did you know he was going to be there? Did you like call his assistant and check before waiting out in the sun for five hours?"

"Do you really think that his assistant is going to tell me that information?" I rolled my eyes at his stupidity.

"Maybe you should have tried his publicist. Tell them that you're a photographer wanting to get a great shot for the Enquirer and wanted it to be him jogging since those always sell well. Most publicist, you'd be surprise sell out their clients whereabouts if they know there is good publicity in it."

I stepped back kind of astonished. "That's…actually a really good idea. How did you know that?"

I could see that I struck a chord, homeless dude stepped back a smidge and then tried to brush it off.

"Common sense…I guess." I looked at him sharply trying to figure him out but then he changed direction, "If you really want a chance to meet Jacob Black, you could try the soup kitchen."

I crinkle my nose, "Uh…no offense but he can afford a decent meal."

Homeless dude shook his head and rolled his eyes at me, "I meant that he comes every year to do his annual goodwill publicity tour. He always stops in on Thanksgiving at the Horizons Soup Kitchen to shake a few hands and serve a couple of bowls before dosing his hands with sanitizer and jumping into his Lamborghini to jet off. Personally, I think he's an asshole but…go get him. I'm sure you and him would make perfect money-grubbing babies."

"Fuck you, homeless dude!" I pulled open my car door and slide into my seat. "Maybe if you were a tad nicer, you wouldn't be standing there with a quarter in your cup."

I started the car and I can see him look down to his cup, "A quarter and nickel for you information. Mind helping a homeless dude out before you choke him with your exhaust fumes?"

"Suddenly I have something better to do."

I sped off in my car making myself not look back in my rearview mirror. I didn't want to feel any kind of guilt for leaving him once again without even a penny. I thought back over our conversation and for a quick minute it saddens me that even though I was thoroughly pissed off and disgusted by homeless dude, I kind of… actually…maybe…liked talking to him. Even though he was horribly rude and obscene sometimes, he never lied to me at least.

I was headed toward home knowing that the rest of my day was going to be me talking to my walls as I tried to figure out my next move for Jacob Black. Don't get me wrong I was much happier after I had showered and changed back into normal clothes but I didn't want to spend my afternoon and evening thinking about homeless dude.

I needed help. Someone who could point me in the right direction and give me some strong advice. There was only one person who I could think of that would actually want to see me. I changed clothes again knowing that my grandfather never liked seeing me in "club" clothes. That was what he would call clothing that he deemed unprofessional or too short. I dressed appropriately because my grandfather lived near the Calabasas Country Club and that is usually where I would find him.

With my churchy clothes on I drove the distance to go and visit my dad's father. Grandfather and I actually had a pretty decent relationship. He never turned down a visit from his only granddaughter.

"Is that my little Belly?" He stood up from a table inside the club restaurant.

"Grandfather." I greeted with a hug. "I'm so happy I found you."

My grandfather wasn't anything like my father. He was kind and patient. He had spent the better part of his life building his company but when he reached fifty, he retired and left it in the hands of my dad. He always said that the gates of heaven would be lost to the men who spent their lives looking down for quarters in a sidewalk crack. Meaning that he didn't want to always be looking at his bank account when there were far better uses of his time.

"What do I owe this pleasure…it's been far too long." He said taking my hand and sitting me beside him at his table.

"Well, I know that it's been awhile and…well…you're the only one I can go to when I have problem. It's a stupid problem I warn you but…you always had the best ideas."

"There is no problem that is stupid. If it matters to you then it's not stupid at all."

Just wait until you hear it.

"Why don't we order up some dinner and you can you can tell me all about it." He suggested.

"Dinner? It's like four o'clock."

"Yes, and at my age I have to get a full night's sleep if I'm going to make tee time at seven a.m. You have no idea how hot it can get out here during these late summer months. I can't wait for autumn other than that nasty wind always wanting to blow my ball into the damn pond."

"Oh grandfather, you crack me up."

We ordered a meal and while we waited for it to arrive I told him all about my stupid bet.

"Your father will never lend out his yacht to your friend I'm afraid. This is a pickle…which means you have no choice but to win."

"It was stupid for me to agree to this, wasn't it?"

"Awe…bets can be fun but it's always good to have your ducks in a row. So tell me what have you tried so far."

"Well…this morning I spent the better part of my morning at Griffith Park trying to find Jacob Black but all I ended up finding was two mosquito bites and really great tan." I sighed. "Homeless dude told me I should go to the soup kitchen on Thanksgiving because he always shows up there."

"Homeless dude? What is a homeless dude?" My grandfather asked.

"He is…just a…"

"Spit it out, Belly." My grandfather is always quick to the point.

I sulked, "He's this guy I met on the street…he's a homeless…dude." I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know what to say about him, other than he is rude and insulting and he calls me Richie Bitch."

My grandfather started laughing.

"Hey." I complained.

"Richie Bitch…that's a good one."

"Grandfather." I chastised.

"I'm sorry sweetheart but were you acting like a Richie Bitch at the time?"

I looked down at my plate. "It's not my fault…he was panhandling and I told him about what dad always said about helping yourself…"

"Oh Bella." My grandfather smacked himself on his forehead. "Your father, my son is a twit. Don't turn to him for advice about humanity." He paused for a moment and reflected before continuing. "Do you want to know my biggest mistake in life? You should listen to this because I don't want this to be yours. My biggest mistake was ever taking money seriously. I wish I had never made that company."

"But why? It…you were successful. You made something of yourself and if it wasn't for that company, you wouldn't have had the things you have…my father wouldn't have the things…"

I wouldn't have the things I have.

"But you know what I would have had?"

I shook my head.

"My family." He looked out the window to the golf course and I can see him swiftly wipe his eyes. "All the money in the world…it's not worth the price. Your father…I could have been a better father and then maybe I would get a visit instead of a bottle of scotch for Christmas. Now the bastard makes so much money that I can't even bribe him to come see me."

I don't know what to say because I feel exactly the same way about my dad. I didn't even get a visit; my bottle of scotch was a generic card with a thousand dollar bill inside.

"You should apologize to this…homeless dude. I think you could learn a lot more from him then from a lot of people. So about this soup kitchen…"

"Well, Jacob Black uses it as his "charity" he shows up and shakes a couple of hands and gives out some soup…for the cameras of course. Apparently he does this every Thanksgiving for the past…couple of years or so."

"Then I think that is where you should focus your efforts." My grandfather declared.

"Soup kitchen? I'm not homeless…I don't think it would be right to walk in with my Fendi bag and eat the free food just to get near Jacob Black."

"No Bella…of course I don't think you should go undercover as a homeless person. You should go and volunteer." He stated matter of factly.

"Volunteer?" I gasped.

"Take that look off your face. I refuse to believe that my granddaughter is too good to volunteer her time to a worthy cause." He replied harshly.

I instantly try to wipe the horror off my face at his proposal.

"You don't have a job…I think it would be good for you to see the other side of the fence."

Somehow I don't think it will be greener though.

"Isn't it just as wrong to go and volunteer for something when I have a self-serving hidden agenda?" I asked.

"Well…I doubt anyone would care as long as you really put some effort into it. The people who run those places are usually just happy for the help. You have no idea the amount of work that goes into a place like that and I really think that this is the best way to win your bet and maybe you'll even have a…revelation."

I sighed and focused on the table-cloth. Was I really even contemplating this?

"Also if I were you I'd start volunteering now because they usually only invite the volunteers who have been there awhile to something like that. You'd be surprised how many people will show up on Thanksgiving ready to help out but then will go back to their lives the moment its over patting themselves on the back the whole way for a job well done."

"I'll think about it." I replied softly.

"Please do, Bella. I know you'll do the right thing. I have always had faith that you would be the one in our family to really…be someone."

I barked out a laugh. I of all people would never be "someone." I didn't have Michael's fancy education or my father's work ethic. I was starting to wonder about my grandfather's senility.

I went straight home after I promised my grandfather that I would think about what he said and keep him abreast of my progress. It was such a stupid thing for him to be involved in but I think he kind of got a kick out of it.

I practically walked straight into my personal sauna just so I could clear my head before any thoughts were to be had. The steam always helped me relax and pull out everything negative from my mind. It was perfectly cleansing.

I tried to rid my mind of Jacob Black and my grandfather's ideas. That seemed easy but the one thing I wanted to go away just stayed there nestling itself good and deep into my brain; homeless dude. I looked around at my mini sauna and wondered where he would be sleeping tonight? Would he go to a shelter? Would he sleep in park or under a bench? Did he make enough money to at least buy himself some dinner?

Probably not and that's your fault Bella. You could have at least given him a couple of dollars. You gave a complete stranger a grand and you won't give the man who may have sent you on the right path for your bet, a fiver?

The sauna did not work at purging my thoughts. Sleep was my only salvation now. I went to bed deciding to leave any and all decisions aside for tomorrow when I was better rested. I crawled into my amazing bed and settled down in.

Sleep came quickly but it wasn't the sleep I needed. Nightmares. Lots and lots of nightmares of my homeless dude. Nightmares of him starving. Nightmares of him freezing. Nightmares of him getting hurt. I had the opportunity to help out another human being and instead I chose what I always chose; myself.

AN: Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to review! I am completely honored that so many of you have followed me over from my other fics. Thank you and I will try and not let you down!