"Mmm, smell that fresh polluted air." We all piled out of the van at the hotel. Nick was exactly right. L.A. air was a killer. I loved it, though. I grew up on it. The reality of the fact that I was back in L.A. hadn't hit me yet.
"How's it feel to be home?" Brian asked when we walked into the hotel room. Then, it hit me.
"Weird." Was all I could say. I walked out onto the balcony and viewed the city. My house wasn't far. Only about ten minutes away. I felt AJ's arms go around my waist. I layed my head back on his chest and closed my eyes.
"You know...if you want, we're off tomorrow...I could go with you to your house. Or, anywhere else you want to go." AJ suggested. I took in a deep breath and turned to face him.
"Okay." I couldn't believe it. I had actually agreed to go home. My real home. Was it because I really wanted to go, or was it just because AJ was beautiful? Sorry...that had nothing to do with the story. All these thoughts ran through my head. Then, AJ kissed me.
"Is that all you two do?" Howie stepped onto the balcony. We pulled apart. I walked to the railing and let the wind sweep across my face.
"Baby, I gotta go. We've got to be in the studio in fifteen minutes." AJ said. He kissed my cheek and left.
"Good morning, star shine." AJ whispered in my ear. I rolled over in the bed to see his beautiful face. I looked over to the bed next to me. Danielle was still asleep. We had all paired up in rooms. It was Danielle and I, Fran and Angela, Brian and Layla, Nick and AJ, and Kevin and Howie.
"You're gonna wake, Dani." I told him.
"She's not asleep. Her eyes are just closed." AJ grabbed a pillow and chunked it at Danielle's head. Danielle mumbled something before rolling over and going back to sleep.
"Better be glad she didn't wake up." I looked to see the door cracked.
"Wake up!" Nick yelled coming into the room. Kevin and Angela followed.
"You people, shut up! I'm trying to sleep." Danielle said putting a pillow over her head.
"Baby..." Kevin slowly removed the pillow and kissed her.
"Get off of me, Kevin." Danielle pushed him off. "Come back in an hour."
"Sorry." Kevin stood up and straightened his clothes trying to cover up the situation.
"Go get ready." AJ told me, ignoring all that was going on around us.
"Turn left here." I told the cab driver.
"He knows where he's going, baby." AJ pulled me back in the seat. I couldn't help but be nervous. It'd been a year since I'd been home.
"Um, Ma'am, this is the Cole residence. You can't even get through the gate." The driver said.
"I can." I climbed out of the car. "Thank you." I payed him his money and he drove off.
"Brian, said he'll pick us up in an hour or so." AJ told me as we walked to the gate.
"Okay."
"Do you know the password?" AJ looked at the panel.
"Yeah, it's Carlon." AJ looked confused. "My parents said it's the only thing they'll never forget." I punched in the letters and the gate opened.
"Wow." AJ said. We stood at the end of the long driveway admiring the mansion before us. "You lived here?" He asked.
"18 years." I took a deep breath before walking to the house. I got to the door and pulled the key out of my pocket.
"This is so beautiful." AJ said when we stepped into the foyer.
"They told me that some woman has been coming to clean every month or so. Not like anyone's gonna be living here." I said. I led AJ up the long and winding staircase to two huge double doors.
"Was this their room?" He asked.
"Yeah." I layed my purse down on the bed and walked into my mother's bathroom. Tons of makeup lie on the cabinet. Her walk-in closet was the size of a small bedroom. I walked in to see her clothes lining the walls. "It still smells like her." I told him. I exited the closet and walked into my father's bathroom on the other side of the bedroom. I went directly to the sink. There was a framed picture sitting there.
"This is her." I ran my fingers across her face. "This is my Mom."
"She's beautiful." He said leaning in to get a better look. She was beautiful. The picture was taken of her while she was in college.
"My dad took this picture." I told AJ. "He studied photography in college. His professor gave them a project. They had to capture the beauty of life. Dad had never met Mom, but he said when he saw her...that "the beauty of life was right before him." So, he asked if he could take her picture for a class project. Mom thought he was just coming on to her, so she agreed. She came over to his apartment and he took the picture. Then, they started dating. Dad didn't tell her the truth about it really being for class until a year or so later. That's when he asked her to marry him. By that time they were both in the public eye. It was called the "wedding of the year" in Hollywood." I smiled remembering how many times I'd heard that story growing up. I can remember sitting on my Dad's lap while he shaved and looking at the picture. I'd ask him to tell me the story and he'd talk for hours about her.
"You look just like her." AJ told me. Her hair was naturally wavy. It flowed all the way down her back and when the sun hit it...it looked golden. Her eyes held a reflection of the sky in them.
"Thanks." I sat the picture back down and
paused. I picked it back up and held it in my arms.
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