My heart bloomed.
Vanessa was right before when she said I was living my best life.
I was staying in a dreamy five-star hotel, with the sweetest, kindest, hottest guy that ever walked the earth, enjoying amazing sex and now I was a step closer to pursuing my passion.
If I looked up the definition of being on cloud nine, there’d be a photo of me with a big cheesy smile.
The only snag was that things with Jake were temporary.But I wasn’t going to dwell on that.I wanted to focus on the here and now.
Maybe we could talk about the future later in a few days.I didn’t want this to end and I was pretty sure that Jake had feelings for me too, so there was still hope.It wouldn’t be easy, but I’d like to at least try.
The same went for my career.
I could do this.
I owed it to myself to give it my best shot.
‘I’m sure I’ll see you before you leave,’ Jasmine added.‘But if I don’t, good luck with your nail business.I’m sure it’ll be a huge success!’
Warmth flooded my stomach.
Just like Jake, Jasmine and Sammie really believed that I had talent.
Jasmine had no idea how much her words meant to me.
I didn’t even have a nail business, yet, but seeing how happy and impressed Jasmine and Sammie were made me more determined than ever to turn my dream into a reality.
41
JAKE
I rested my guitar down on the daybed in our villa’s garden and exhaled.
Another song written.
That made six this week, which was a new record.
It was always impossible to predict how long composing a song would take.Some of my biggest hits were penned in minutes.Others I’d mulled over for weeks, months and even had a couple that I’d started, but only been able to go back and finish years later.
But over the past few days, the words had flowed right out of me and straight onto the page.
I wrote that first song about Halle on Monday once we’d got back from Venice Beach.
On Tuesday, she was gone for a couple of hours doing Sammie and Jasmine’s nails and during that time I wrote another.
But on Wednesday night after Halle and I got back from checking out some farmers’ markets in Malibu and watching surfers at the popular Surfrider beach, magic happened.I’d told her I was gonna take her advice, call Roger and ask to meet so I could collect my guitar because I was on a roll with the songwriting.
But when I’d opened the door and stepped inside the villa, my eyes popped because right there, propped up on the sofa, was my guitar.
Halle had looked up the company Roger worked for and called him to ask if he could drop it off at the hotel because she knew it would help me write.
Damn.
I stood there in shock for minutes before I could speak.That was one of the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for me.
Once I’d made sure I showed Halle my gratitude, I’d put her to bed, then taken my guitar, phone, notepad and a lamp to the beach.
I’d walked to the same hammock we’d used on Monday, sat in it and with just the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the light from the lamp, I’d written two more songs.Another one about Halle and one about Minnie.
