18. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Beth
Beth gazed out the passenger-side window, taking in as much of L.A. as her heavy eyelids would allow her. Nick hummed to the radio, steering with one hand and holding hers with the other. Palm trees of various sizes lined the streets beside the glow of traffic lights. Cars filled wide roads with several lanes even at 9 p.m. They’d already passed the central area and cruised on toward Glendale. Wherever that was.
“Excited?” Nick said quietly.
She looked over to him. “Yes. It’s different from Perth. Sydney is a bit like this, but L.A. seems to have no end. It’s huge.”
He grinned and faced forward. “There’s no skyscrapers and traffic where we’re staying.”
“How long do we have at your friend’s house?”
“Up to eight weeks of free rent. It’s not a house either. A one-bedroom apartment.”
Beth’s stomach dropped. She pulled her hand away. “Oh.” Where was she meant to sleep? Would he have to sleep on the sofa? She needed a bed for at least tonight. Exhaustion filtered through every muscle. She worked the kinks from her neck.
“The place isn’t much, but it’s only temporary, Beth. If I’d had more time, I might have arranged other accommodation, but I’ve only had a day here myself. I spent most of that scrubbing the place down. The unit must’ve been vacant for a while.”
How bad was it? The apartment blocks looked quite clean and upmarket so far. The bright lights flickering in the cabin phased into a blur as she closed her eyes. She was too tired to stress over it. Tomorrow they would work things out.
Beth awoke to a gust of chilly air and the creak of the car door opening.
“Home sweet home, my love.” Nick offered a hand.
She blinked to focus on his tall frame. Nick? America. Oh, she was here. Really here.
He smiled like a kid in a candy shop. What was he so happy about? Hadn’t he said the place was a dump? Home sweet home?
She unclicked her seat belt and took his hand. “I’d be more enthusiastic if I didn’t have jet lag. Sorry.”
“We’re here together. That’s what’s important. Don’t worry about the unit. Glendale is a great place. Anyway, we’re only here for a while. Onward and upward.”
She stepped out into an undercover parking lot. Several concrete pillars with painted numbers dominated the small area. Nick unloaded her luggage and rolled two cases for her to take.
He stacked the rest for him. “I don’t know how we’re going to fit all this in the apartment.”
“I packed as light as I could. There’s still a ton of my belongings in Australia. Amy’s sorting through some of it, selling what she can for me.”
He hoisted a large canvas bag over his shoulder and tilted the handle of the luggage cases. “I’m sure you’ve done your best. I appreciate all you’ve given up to move here.”
“Thank you.” After some sleep, she might not be so grumpy about it.
She followed Nick to a ramp that led to the ground level. The outside of the building looked fine. Beige brick, cream railings, small balconies, and concrete steps crisscrossed in several directions. The middle strip between two buildings had an artificial lawn and outdoor potted plants neatly spaced apart.
Nick nodded his head to the left. “We’re over there. Unit five.”
When they arrived at their apartment, Nick opened the wooden door with a creak, and they stepped inside. The scent of dust and male cologne mingled in the air. Commercial-grade carpet covered the floor in the first room, which must be the lounge. Cozy, all right. She could take two steps in each direction and hit the walls. It held a vinyl loveseat, scratched coffee table, and a flat-screen TV. To her left, a round dining table sat next to a compact kitchen painted in black and white. At least it appeared functional and tidy. Nick said nothing as he continued down the short hallway. She followed him to the bedroom. A queen-sized bed with a gray and black striped cover and two red pillows took up half of the space. Her stomach knotted as she scanned the room. Mahogany wardrobes and matching chest of draws with bed-side tables filled the rest of the room. But where would her bags go? Nick lined them against one yellow wall, which left little room to walk.
Nick approached and rubbed her arms. “You okay? You look like you’re about to fall over. The long flight is taking its toll.”
“Yes,” she mumbled as she released the handles of her luggage. Nick took the suitcases and squeezed them beside the others.
Beth shuffled to the end of the bed, turned around, and flopped backward onto the soft mattress. She closed her eyes and listened to Nick move about the room. An eye cracked open at the sound of a zip. He removed his jacket and placed it into the wardrobe, where an assortment of coats and shirts hung. He would let her have the room, wouldn’t he? He’d need to hang his legs over the side of that tiny sofa. Maybe he could find a blow-up mattress somewhere.
“What’s the sleeping arrangements?” She asked with the little energy she had left.
He hesitated as he looked to her. She sat upright. Her head whooshed with the sudden movement.
“About that. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this was a one-bedroom. You were on the plane. I couldn’t call you to discuss what we should do.” He ran his fingers over his short hair.
“Who’s sleeping on the couch tonight?”
“You want me to sleep on that sofa?” He grunted. “Have you seen how big it is? I could sleep on the floor if you don’t want to share the bed.”
Now, she felt like a drama queen. She pinched the bridge of her nose. It was too hard to think.
“I’ll let you sleep, Beth. If that’s what you want.”
Her eyes flashed open. “What I want? What were you expecting?”
His head reared back. “Not much. I knew you would crash from your trip. I’m tired too.”
She shook her head. “But what about the next few weeks while we organize the wedding ceremony? Did you expect us to share a bed?”
“It’s up to you. I don’t have a problem with it.” He shrugged. “We’re getting married soon.”
The pulse in her neck ticked. Why was she panicking? Why was she nervous all of a sudden?
He quickly added, “We don’t have to do anything. Just sleep.” He raised his palms. “What’s your problem?”
This was not going to plan. And that was the problem. There was no plan. Nick seemed to be winging it. Would this be what it would be like to follow Nick around the globe? Not knowing where they would stay? Maybe she wasn’t as spontaneous as him.
“I just want to sleep on a soft bed tonight. I feel bad that I’m making you sleep on the floor. But can you do it for tonight, and we’ll work something out for tomorrow?”
Nick let out a sigh. “Of course. I’ve slept in sailor bunkers. I’m used to poor bedding options, so another night won’t be too hard to get through.”
“Thank you.” She flopped back onto the bed and closed her eyes.
Some moments later, she flinched from the click of the bedroom door. Nick had left her alone with the overhead light off and a bedside lamp on. She stretched her arms above her head. Beth kicked her shoes off and crawled under the covers. Too tired to get changed. Must sleep.
The next morning, Beth woke to the clanging of dishes on the other side of the wall. A yawn expanded in her throat as she pushed herself up. On the pillow was a drool patch. Gross. Good thing Nick wasn’t around to see. She turned it over and got out of bed. Her clothes clung to her from the body heat trapped under her jacket. She needed a shower fast—before Nick smelled her. Ew.
Beth collected a change of clothes and her toiletry bag, then sneaked down the short hallway, looking for the bathroom. Easy enough to find in a tiny apartment. The waft of bacon drifted from the kitchen. The rangehood whirled, and Nick sang off key to a song blaring from his phone speaker.
She tip-toed to the bathroom and locked the door. Glossy black cabinets greeted her along with a round framed mirror. She jumped at the sight of herself—hair stuck out in every direction. Gray patches underlined her eyes. She stretched the pale skin over her cheekbones. Was she coming down with something? A shower would do her good.
Next to the sink, a drinking glass with a single garden rose tilted in some water. Nick must’ve placed that there. Sweet.
She showered as quickly as she could and slipped into skinny jeans and a rusty orange sweater. With her hair brushed and fresh breath, she was ready to greet her fiancé.
“Good morning.” She trilled as she rounded the corner.
His smile stretched his cheeks. “Afternoon, my love.” He winked as he leaned against the counter.
“Really?”
“Yes, I’ve been up since five. Gone for a jog. Did some journaling. This is lunch for me.” He bit a piece of his toast. “Yours is keeping warm in the oven. I didn’t know how long you’d be in the shower.”
“Thanks. What did you make me?”
“Bacon and scrambled eggs on toast.”
“Better than airplane food. Sounds delicious.” She pulled up a chair as he went to get her plate from the microwave.
He kissed her head before he placed her breakfast before her. “Enjoy.”
The salty bacon and buttery toast delighted her tastebuds. Beside the dining room, she caught sight of a small outdoor area with potted ferns and one lemon tree. Cute.
“How did you sleep?” Nick hugged a mug of coffee.
“Wonderful. Thank you so much for letting me have the bed.” She took another bite of egg with toast.
He grinned lop-sided. “I’m a true gentleman.”
She smirked. “So, what are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?”
“It’s all taken care of.” He sat back in his chair. “I went to Target this morning and bought a single blow-up mattress. I’ll move the sofa to the wall and sleep in the living room.”
“Okay. Sounds good.” Beth took a sip of water Nick had set on the table next to the salt and pepper shakers.
Nick leaned forward and touched her arm. “Sorry, it wasn’t organized better. We thought we’d be married by now.”
She patted his hand. “It’s not your fault. If I’d made the time to volunteer at the charity, I would’ve come across the marriage license envelope before you left Australia. Dad doesn’t do admin. He left it all for me to handle, which I handed over to Sally, and she fell behind in processing the bills and mail while I was off swimming with whale sharks. Totally irresponsible. I feel terrible that I up and left everyone to take over my duties.”
“You served your dad for years. He supported your wish to leave and start a life with me.”
“True.” She gave a small smile. “I’m sorry for seeming ungrateful last night. Now that I’ve had a big sleep, I promise I’ll be in a better mood today.”
Nick wriggled his eyebrows. “You can make it up to me by coming to the marriage office today.”
Was there a rush to get married anymore? If she stayed with a host family, it wouldn’t be urgent.
She cut into her toast. “Any progress with the Israeli connections?”
“Yes. I had another zoom meeting last week.” He sat up taller. “I shared the dream I had. They’re open to forming a partnership of some kind.”
“That’s wonderful, Nick.” She touched his arm. “It’s all coming together.”
“Once we’re married, I want to book our flights.” He lifted one brow. “We could make it our honeymoon.”
“All right. As long as we know where we’ll stay before we leave.” She half-grinned.
“You need to trust me.” Nick waved a teasing finger.
“I like to make plans. This living-by-the-seat-of-our-pants deal is not my style.” She took another mouthful of food.
“Especially for a woman, I suppose. I’m used to the bachelor's life, so I’ve only been responsible for myself.”
She nodded and swallowed. “I’ve already asked you a million questions in the first two weeks from when we met in Fremantle . . .”
“That you did.” He chuckled.
“But I still feel I don’t know much about you, and we’re getting married so quickly.”
His brows furrowed. “What are you saying? We’ve got our whole lives to get to know each other.”
“There are things I need to know, like what’s our financial situation?” She leaned back. “How are we covering our costs in Jerusalem?” She had some savings, but after paying for her flight, and losing pay to the Exmouth trip, her bank balance had plummeted. She also needed to pay half the rent until Melissa found a replacement tenant. How long would that take?
“I have savings from my Navy service. It’ll cover our flights and about two months’ living expenses, but after that, I’ll need to get work if we don’t get investors. I’ll be asking a charity organization here if they’ll sponsor us.”
“Okay. I thought you’d have a plan.” She smiled. “I just didn’t know any of it yet.”
“The last two months have flown by in a blur.” He collected some of her hair and whipped it playfully. “But you trust me, right?”
“I trust you enough to follow you to America.”