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Jia leaned into the door, using her pinkie to pull the handle while shoving her foot in and then her hip to push her way through.
Her hands were currently full with a hazelnut latte with sweetener and extra cream and a matcha latte with oat milk she’d
brought for Gladys and herself.
She was meeting with Gladys to review the entire events calendar and discuss where she might need to request funding, what
liabilities they needed to consider, and what attendance maximums they should put on each. Jia hadn’t thought of any of these
details until Mimi and Gladys had pointed them out. She was so relieved for their direction because if she was going to do
this, she wanted to do it right. She was learning so much from everyone.
Needless to say, the calendar had caused quite a buzz among the residents. Everyone was excited to go to everything. Jia had to make sure that people were being responsible in how they were spending their time and exerting their energy. She didn’t want people pushing themselves too hard.
“This one’s for you, and this one’s for me,” Jia said, handing Gladys her coffee.
“Oooh, where’s this from? Is there another new coffee place downtown?” she asked.
There likely was, considering how quickly businesses were opening along the main strip especially. “Nope, these are special
for Sunset Hills residents only.”
Gladys raised an eyebrow in question.
“I was walking past Gordon’s place on the way here, and you’ll never guess what. He actually did it—he set up a coffee cart
in his driveway.” Jia had been so startled but thrilled when she saw it.
The people here amazed Jia. They were experienced in ways only time and years could make you. They were determined in ways
only knowing how to overcome hardship could teach you.
Jia had come to know Gordon as one of the gentlemen who played bridge on Tuesdays. And he’d mentioned to her that when he’d
lost his wife a couple years back, he was in a bit of a brokenhearted rut. Then one day, he decided he was ready to start
the new chapter. He wanted a job. But no one was going to hire him at sixty-eight years old. So he passed his time teaching
himself how to make froufrou coffee drinks from some viral barista on YouTube.
He’d invited Jia for a tasting, and it was one of the best things she’d ever put in her mouth. She told him so and encouraged
him to open his own coffee business right there in the neighborhood.
He’d asked Louis from two streets over, who had formerly been a carpenter, to help him build the cart stand on wheels. And this morning, he rolled it out onto his driveway and waited for neighbors to walk by. There was already a line by the time Jia had arrived.
“This is yummy. Jia, you’re such a good influence on everyone here. You’re kicking all our asses into gear, making dreams
happen,” Gladys said.
A lump formed in Jia’s throat as tears welled in her eyes. “Gladys, you can’t say nice things to me before I’ve filled up
with caffeine. I’m not able to process it,” she joked. She blew an air kiss to Gladys, and the two of them got to work.
Jia needed Gordon’s mojo to rub off on her. She needed the strength and determination of all the residents here to motivate
her. She needed to believe that she could pick up the pieces and make something of her life like many of them at The Sunset
had done time and again in their lives. She needed a Jia 2.0.
And she had two weeks to do it or she’d be back under her parents’ control.
A waft of hot air entered the office as the front door of the community center opened.
Jia looked over her shoulder midsip to see the large presence of the very handsome Matthew, the guy from the airport, the
grocery store, and now, curiously, the Sunset Hills Community Center. He stood there in linen trousers, perfectly creased
down the center, and a thin navy silk polo shirt. He looked expensive. And irresistible.
When he saw Jia, his face spread into a very sexy smile.
An audible intake of breath followed by a croaky Oh coming from Gladys snapped Jia out of her own stupor.
“Hey, there. What brings you to this neck of the woods?” Jia greeted him.
“Well, I didn’t expect to see you this morning. It’s a nice surprise. Starting my day off on the right foot,” Matthew said.
“Should I leave you two alone and close the blinds on the way out?” Gladys asked.
“Gladys,” Jia said with mock offense.
“Actually, I’m here to see Gladys, I think. Hello, I’m Matthew Singleton,” he said, reaching around Jia and over the desk
to offer his hand to Gladys. Gladys looked down at the very large hand presented to her. Jia remembered seeing that same hand
at the airport baggage-claim carousel. It was definitely something to behold.
“Me? I can’t imagine there’s anything I could help you with that Jia wouldn’t be better at,” Gladys said with a wink.
Matthew’s cheeks pinkened. Cute.
“Well, I was told to come to you to get a parcel map of the community,” Matthew explained.
“Oh, that’s usually reserved for residents. Is there a reason you need this, hon?” Gladys said.
“I’m actually the agent for Isabel Lennon,” he answered.
“What kind of agent?” Jia asked.
“A real estate agent.”
“Isabel is moving?” Gladys and Jia asked at the same time.
“I don’t know all the details,” Matthew said, “but my assumption is she’s going into some kind of assisted-living facility.
At least that’s what her family tells me.”
“Well, that’s too bad,” Gladys said.
“No, actually, that sucks,” Jia said.
“Jia, now watch that language in front of our visitors,” Gladys reprimanded her.
“But she was doing so well after her surgery. Her mobility was getting better. And she’s still smart as a tack.” Jia let out a frustrated sigh. “Why would she need to be moved?”
Matthew lifted his hands. “I don’t know all the details. I’m so sorry. I was just brought in to help facilitate the selling
of her property.”
Jia’s shoulders dropped. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s just that I get attached easily. And usually when it’s
time to move, it’s not for the best reasons. I didn’t realize there was something to be concerned about with Isabel.” Jia
hated that she’d missed the signs.
“No, I get that. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset either of you,” Matthew said.
“No, no, dear, you’re fine. And I will get you that map. It will take me a bit to pull it out of the files. Do you have a
fax machine I can send it to?” Gladys asked.
“Would you be able to email it to me?”
Gladys looked to Jia, brows raised in question.
“Yes, we can do that. I’ll show you how,” Jia answered.
“Great, here’s my business card. You can email me right there.” Matthew pointed to the email address.
“Sure thing, hon. Will do,” Gladys said.
“Okay, well, I’m taking off. See you later, Gladys,” Jia said. “Bye, Matthew,” she added.
“Jia, hold up, I’ll walk out with you. Thanks for your time, Gladys,” Matthew said.
“You bet,” she said.
Matthew held the door open as Jia walked through.
It wasn’t the most unbearable day Jia had encountered, but it was still most definitely hot.
Jia took off the hand-knit cardigan she’d found in the community center’s lost and found last week and wrapped it around her waist as she walked toward her home.
The jumpsuit she was wearing was technically a pajama onesie, but she’d cut the legs down to shorts and the sleeves off to make a cute romper with little flowers on it.
At this rate, by the time she actually went to pick up her lost and now-found luggage, she’d be heading back to New York.
Oddly, Jia was finding she didn’t miss her own stuff. Not like she thought she would.
“My car is parked in the lot,” Matthew said. “Need a ride home?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I like walking. I like to be able to walk past everyone’s home, just making sure everyone’s okay,
saying hello.”
“Wow. You’ve really made yourself at home here in short order. Seems you’re taking care of everyone,” he said.
“No, hardly. They’re the ones that take care of me. This has been a soft place for me to land for a little bit.” She didn’t
know why she was admitting this to him. But it was all true.
“That’s great,” he said. “Okay, well . . .” Matthew stood by his car fiddling with his keys. It was the first time she’d seen
him seem uncertain about anything. “Hey, do you think you would wanna grab a drink or dinner sometime?”
Jia very much liked the sound of that. She’d barely stepped out of the neighborhood the entire time she’d been here other
than to pick up coffee. “Oh, uh, yeah, sure. That sounds fun.”
“How about tonight? Is it too short notice?” he asked.
“Oh, you mean with my big social plans here at The Sunset?” She smiled and he laughed. “Tonight works. But can we make it
after seven?” Jia liked to watch the sunset around seven, and she hated to miss it even one night.
“Eight o’clock?” Matthew suggested.
“Sounds perfect. See you then,” Jia said.
The Del Rey was a new tapas restaurant bar in the Villa Royale hotel.
With Palm Springs’s quickly changing landscape, new bars, renovated hotels, and swarms of visitors looking for the hottest thing, it was sometimes hard to determine which would stick.
But Jia had heard good things about this place from the locals around town.
And that made her have some hope. So when Matthew suggested they meet there, she was in.
It was time to let the old Jia out, wherever the night would take her.
Jia opened Mimi’s guest closet and rummaged through the treasures. She’d already set aside two bins full of vintage clothes
she knew would get a lot of interest when she was ready to plan the sale. That was next on her list of things to do.
Mimi helped her pick out the vintage Chanel lime-green plaid sleeveless minidress that she paired with pink kitten heels her
grandma had stored away in the back of the closet as they were now much too high for her to wear anymore. This might have been too bright a combo even for Jia back in New York. But in Palm Springs, she