Chance Encounters (3 page)

Emma smiled politely. “Yes, I’m on my way to New York City.
I’m just in town for the night.”

Emma quickly glanced over the menu and decided on breakfast
for dinner since her schedule was all thrown off. She ordered herself a tomato
omelet, home fries, and wheat toast. Helen took the menu back and smiled at
her. “You look like a New York girl. You’re very … fashionable.”

Helen turned away and yelled into the kitchen that there was
an order. Emma couldn’t help but feel like she had just been insulted somehow.

While she sipped on her soda, she suddenly noticed a massive
eighteen wheeler truck that had pulled up in front of the diner. The door to
the cab swung open and a man climbed down. Emma giggled to herself thinking
that he was definitely the stereotype of what the movies depict a truck driver
to look like. His hair was wiry and shaggy, and his belly hung over his
waistband. She smiled to herself as she took another sip of her soda. When she
glanced back out the window, she noticed a second person. He was rather tall
and lean with shoulder-length, black wavy hair. He was wearing beat up, torn
jeans, sandals, and a concert T-shirt. She noticed the contrast between the two
and realized that the tall, skinny man was most likely hitching a ride with the
trucker.

The two men made their way into the diner. Emma watched the
tall, skinny man talk animatedly to the trucker. That’s when Emma picked up on
what sounded like a British accent. Helen led the two men to a table close
enough that she could still hear them talking. When the men were seated, Emma
listened as the tall man rambled on and on about some funny experience that
he’d had while on the road. Even the big, burly trucker couldn’t contain his
laughter, as the skinny man rattled on with his arms flailing in the air.

Helen carried Emma’s food to the table and winked at Emma,
as if to let her know that she’d been caught eavesdropping. She placed the
plate down and quickly made her way over to the table where the two men were
sitting, to take their orders.

Emma took a bite of her omelet and it tasted fabulous. She
hadn’t realized how hungry she really was until she took that first bite. She
had packed a few protein bars to tide her over until she stopped, but there was
nothing like hot, fresh food.

The two men placed their orders and the British man
continued with his story in a very lively manner. He rambled on and on about
his stay in Amsterdam. Then he continued with a bar fight in Mexico, where it
landed him in a Mexican jail for a night. The truck driver roared with
laughter, and Emma couldn’t help but smile as she poked at her plate.

Before Emma realized it she had eaten everything on her
dish, right down to the orange slice. She was so enthralled by the man’s
stories that she polished off every bite. Putting her fork down, she got up to
use the restroom. After washing her hands, she opened the door and stepped out.
The door opposite her opened at the same time, and she walked right into the tall,
skinny man as he exited the men’s room. He took one look at her and smiled with
a bright genuine smile. “Sorry, love, I didn’t mean to bump you, unless of
course you could use a good bumping.” He winked at her.

She could feel herself involuntarily blushing. Emma could
only smile shyly as she quietly returned to her table. Her phone was sitting on
the table and she noticed that it was lit up with a few missed calls. She
quickly looked at the phone and let out a puff of frustration.

Helen wandered over to the table and placed a piece of
homemade apple pie and vanilla ice-cream in front of her. “This is from the
young fella who said you gave him a bumping. I don’t know what that means … I’m
almost afraid to ask.”

Emma looked from her plate over to the table where the tall
man was sitting. He took a huge bite of pie, and held his fork up in the air.
“Mmm … so good, just like Mum used to make.”

Emma smiled and nodded to him to thank him for the pie.
Helen scooted in the booth across from her. “Okay, yell at me if you will, but
I gotta ask. Are you running away from something?”

Emma was caught a little off guard. She couldn’t believe the
gall of this woman to ask such a question. Helen picked up on her uneasiness.
“I’m sorry, sugar, but when you’re stuck with the same ol’ folk day in and day
out it’s nice to have some new gossip come in. And … well, you look kinda like
you’d have some good gossip. I have one of them DVR thingies to tape my soaps
every day, but sometimes life imitates art, and you look like you belong on one
of them soaps.”

Emma took a deep breath. “Well … it’s really not all that
exciting I’m afraid. I am just headed to a new job, and a new start. It’s
boring stuff, really.”

Helen turned her head to the side. “I don’t know, honey.
Call me old fashioned, but I sense betrayal and heartbreak in you. I’ve seen
enough in my sixty-seven years to know what it looks like.”

Emma swished the ice-cream around her dish. “Yeah, I guess
maybe that is part of why I am taking the new job.”

Helen slammed her hand on the table. “See, I knew it. I am
great at reading people. Well, sugar, the man is a damn fool. Any man who could
treat a pretty little thing like you wrong, ain’t a damn man at all.”

Helen stood up from the booth and smiled down at Emma. “Take
it from me, sweetie. I’ve been to the altar twice, and both times it landed me
in divorce court. Funny thing is, the second time in court I met the love of my
life. He was my ex’s lawyer. I’ve been happily married for seventeen years
now.” She grabbed Emma’s hand. “My point is, don’t be discouraged. You are
lucky that you found out what kind of man he was before you made it to the
church. You’ll find a nice guy and he’ll make you forget you ever knew the
other jerk.”

Emma thanked Helen for her words of wisdom as she left the
table. Helen winked at her as she made her way to the table where the truck
driver and the man she had bumped into at the restrooms were sitting. Helen
exchanged a few words with the friendly stranger and they both looked in her
direction. Emma quickly turned away, afraid that now the entire restaurant knew
her story.

A few minutes later, Emma noticed the trucker and the tall
man exiting the diner and climbing back into the truck. She was envious as she
watched the two of them, laughing and carefree. The tall man seemed to be
teasing the trucker by pretending to slap him in his big belly. Emma smiled
despite herself.
If only life could really be that blithe. No deadlines, no
contracts, no fake friends, no lying cheating fiancés.

Emma paid her bill and thanked Helen for all of her
hospitality. Helen yelled from across the counter, “Someday you’ll meet
yourself a good man, and when you do, you be sure to come back here on your
honeymoon and show him off.”

Emma waved good-bye as she headed out into the parking lot.
She began walking back to the Inn next door when she noticed the big eighteen
wheeler was pulled off to the back of the parking lot.
Hmm, must be stopping
for the night,
Emma thought to herself as she reached her door. She was
about to put her key in the lock when she heard someone behind her. “Well
hello, ducky, fancy meeting you here.”

Emma turned to see the tall man standing there. “Please tell
me that someone as lovely as yourself is not turning in for the evening
already. The evening is still young and so are we.”

Emma smiled at the man; she couldn’t help it. Something
about him seemed so lively, so friendly. “I have a long drive ahead of me, so I
am just going to turn in.”

“Say it isn’t so. Here you are in this lovely little town,
and you’re going to … sleep? How will you ever remember your time here then?”

“Well, I guess I will just remember it as a little town I
stopped in along my travels. Goodnight.” She slowly opened the door to her
room.

“Oh I find that unacceptable. I hear there is a quaint
little karaoke bar just down the road, why don’t you come with me.”

Emma smiled at him. “I thank you, but I have had a really
long day, and I just need some sleep.”

His head cocked to the side and flashed her his best puppy
dog eyes. “Please?” He got down on his knees, pleading with her. Emma broke out
into a big grin.

“Really, I am fine. I am very exhausted, but thank you just
the same.”

He jumped to his feet, picked up her hand, and gently kissed
it. “All right, but I’ll expect a rain check.”

With that he ran down the hallway singing, “Until we meet
again,” and he disappeared around the corner.

Emma opened her door and walked into her room. She really
was exhausted. She ambled her way over to the bed, allowing herself to fall
onto the plush floral comforter. She let out an exasperated sound as she lay
there staring at the ceiling, unmoving.

She thought back on how she and Matt first met. She had
been working as an obituary writer for the Sentinel news for eight months. It
was a tedious job. She hated it, but she knew she had to climb the proverbial
ladder one rung and a time. She had put in a long, very boring day when Renee
called her up and screeched into the phone about her being invited to some big
time TV producer’s home for a huge party. She was allowed to bring a plus one,
so she wanted to bring Emma.

“Emma, this is it. We get in good with these people and
new opportunities will open up for us.”

Renee had been on cloud nine since she got the invite.
Emma remembered her dancing and spinning through their apartment. “See, my
little Emma, just the right connections is all it takes. Just think chickie,
everyone who is anyone will be at this party and now so won’t we. You can wow
them with your wisdom, and writing. And I can … well, just wow them.”

Renee turned it into a whole day affair. She booked them
spa time to help them relax. Hair and make-up time to look just right. Emma
wasn’t used to all the hub bub, but she loved every minute of it.

Most of Malibu’s elite attended the catered affair, and
Emma was only too happy to just be invited to tag along

The penthouse was phenomenal with marble that had been
imported straight from Italy, and sculptures that Emma couldn’t tell if they
were furniture or art. Emma found herself wandering around, admiring all the
things that she hoped someday she would herself acquire. Mingling, she met
dozens of people whom she would never remember their names. She remembered
observing a handsome blond haired man standing across the room. He caught her
gaze and smiled at her. Emma quickly turned away, embarrassed for getting
caught staring at him. She admired how his suit clung to him in all the right
places. With his tanned skin, it only made his eyes all that much bluer.

As the night progressed, she caught him admiring her,
too. Every time their eyes met, Emma quickly turned away. Renee laughed at Emma
and told her, “It’s time to leave the country bumpkin home, darling. These are
the California elite. If you see something you want, go get it.” She bumped her
with her hip, causing Emma to lose her footing and begin to fall. Out of
nowhere, the blond haired man caught her arm and helped her to her feet. Renee
winked at Emma and disappeared into the crowd. As he escorted her out onto the
balcony to get some fresh air, the man introduced himself as Matthew Harris.
Right from that moment she and Matt clicked. He was in his residency at a local
hospital specializing in plastic surgery. They both had great ambitions for the
future, and she really enjoyed his company. That night everything felt so new,
and the butterflies were running wild in her stomach.

Renee only allowed her so much time alone with him at
first. “Darling, if you seem too eager, then you won’t be too much of a thrill.
Trust me! Come mingle with me. He’ll find you shortly, I can promise you that.”

Emma walked around with Renee, smiling at everyone she
met. Whenever she found herself looking around, sure enough, there was Matt
watching her admiringly.

Emma was introduced to an editor from the LA Times. She
schmoozed with him for quite a while. In fact, she won herself a position as a
journalist, beginning that following Monday morning. She was so happy she could
barely contain herself, so she excused herself to stand out on the balcony for
some much needed air. Suddenly, she heard someone behind her clear their
throat. She turned to see Matt standing with a bottle of champagne and two
glasses. “I hope you don’t mind, but I couldn’t help but hear that you landed
yourself a new position at the LA Times. That’s a pretty big honor, and it
definitely calls for some celebration.” He poured two glasses and handed her
one. “Here’s to infinite possibilities.”

She cheered to his toast and felt as though she could
have walked on water. From that party on, she and Matt were inseparable.