Physically.
Mentally, I’m a ball of nervous energy. I add some accessories and check my wallet three times for my ID, cards, and cash. My ride into the airport, check-in, and boarding was completed in the same mental state. I settled into my seat and check my phone. Butterflies encompass my body when I see Axel’s name.
Axel: What did you decide?
Me: I’m still thinking about it.
Axel:??Come to me, Heaven.
Me: Are you supposed to be working?
Axel: I am…kinda. I’m texting during a meeting. Don’t tell anyone.
Me: Where do you work anyway?
Axel: Wassergott Surfing Company.
Me: Wassergott?
Axel: German for Water God. It was a nickname I was given back in my champion surfer days.
Me: Champion Surfer? Interesting.
Axel: It is. You would know more about me if you’d let me buy you a ticket.
I smile to myself. At that moment, I decide not to call him when I arrive. I will be bold and surprise him at work.
Me: I have another engagement. I’ll talk to you in a few hours.
Axel: Wait!
Me: Yes?
Axel: Can we video chat tonight?
Me: You bet.
Heaven
I’ve meant to come to Los Angeles before. The stars had never aligned and every previous opportunity was lost. But, now that I step out of the airport, I feel the excitement override my nervousness. I’m a grown, self-sufficient woman. If reuniting with Axel doesn’t go as expected. I have the time and money to explore a new city on my own. That resolve comforted me.
I ordered a Lyft when I landed because I prefer to observe the driving habits and traffic patterns of new cities before I jump behind the wheel. I watch as we weave through crazy airport traffic. I take a picture of the LAX sign and the ‘Welcome to Los Angeles’ sign. I send them to the girls to let them know I made it. I’d pulled up maps and typed in the name of the company. A Los Angeles and a Malibu location popped up. I’d taken a gamble and secured my ride for Malibu.
The cocktail of my eagerness and anxiousness makes the standstill traffic almost unbearable. I’m going stir crazy. I’ve tried a crossword, an ebook, an audiobook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram. I swear if Mr. Aquavelvet doesn’t get there soon, I might cry. The traffic gods took mercy on me, moving us along at a much faster pace. I’m usually a ride chatter. I have no problem talking to the people that pick me up, but my attention span is not there today. Outside of him being an older man named ‘Javier,’ I know nothing about this driver. I appreciate the cleanliness of his car though.
We pull into a shopping center, and I’m back to full-blown anxiety. I check my hair again. I search my purse for a tip, pop the one-hundredth Tic Tac of the ride into my mouth, and freshen my gloss. I hand Javier a twenty before stepping into the sunshine. It’s a cute little shopping center with several different shops and eateries. My stomach growls a little. I was too wound up to eat at the airport. I pull my luggage along the sidewalk until I find Wassergott Surfing Company embossed in bold silver letters on the glass door.
I take a steadying breath and open the door. It’s nice with clean lines, chrome, and glass. The big tiles are charcoal and expensive looking. This office is on a corner lot, allowing the front wall and the one to my right to be glass. I have an option to use the stairs lined with a chrome banister or the elevator. A glossy silver plaque adhered to the wall reads ‘Directory.’
I run my nail down the list until I see Axel’s name engraved in black. I can’t help it. I rub the pad of my finger across it. I miss him. I hit the up arrow before I lose my nerve. The elevator opens to the second floor, and I can hear soft conversations coming from offices. I leave my luggage in an empty cubicle as I move toward the door boasting his name. I’m almost there when a brown-haired girl jumps in front of me.
“May I help you?” She challenges with the finesse of a guard dog. Her big hazel eyes size me up.
“Uh…I’m here to see Axel.”
“Do you have an appointment?” The force of her words causes the light brown hair that’s thrown haphazardly atop her head to bounce.
“No, but…”
