Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Rex
Something was off.
Not off as in Lila might try to murder me or anything. But off in that I wasn’t getting the full story. I’d been a detective long enough to pick up on inconsistencies and Lila definitely had some.
They weren’t so much that I was ready to call this off, though.
Something about her had me captivated. She was as cute as could be. That dark hair. Her tall body. The smile that lit up her brown eyes. She was just adorable.
So, I drove away from LAX toward Hollywood.
“How far are we?” she asked.
“A little over ten miles or so,” I said. “Under fifteen. But with traffic, it’s going to take us at least forty-five minutes to get there.”
Reaching into her purse, she put on her sunglasses and I briefly took my eyes off the road to steal a quick glance.
Damn. She was pretty.
I wanted to ask her about her life, but I got the sense that if I probed too deeply she might shut down. Lila had something to hide. It was best if I let it all unfold at its own time, at a pace she felt comfortable with.
So, I drove on, leaving LAX behind us.
There were a couple of times I had a chance to sneak a few more peeks, thanks to the stop and go traffic. She seemed enthralled by what she saw as she looked around.
This lady definitely hadn’t been to Los Angeles before.
Or I could have been wrong, I reminded myself. This city has a way of capturing people. I’ve seen it every day for decades and I still got caught up in it all.
Don’t judge her too quickly, I silently suggested.
“All the billboards are for TV shows and movies.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Sort of the main industry around here. Especially the closer we get to Hollywood.”
“I can’t wait to see it all! And the Fashion District! I bet it’s a cool place to shop.”
“Well, that’s downtown. It might be different than you’re thinking. It’s mostly wholesale. Not really stores you just go in and look around.”
“I thought it was just street after street of clothing stores,” she admitted with a laugh.
“Not really. You have Rodeo Drive for that—though I don’t exactly shop there.”
“They wouldn’t even let me in those stores!” she said with another laugh. “I need like a normal mall. If I can even afford that!”
I could sense she instantly regretted saying that—as if she was either embarrassed or had revealed too much. Maybe both.
Without pressing her for more info, I said, “Well, normal people shop at the Grove. Or you could do Ovation on Hollywood Boulevard. They don’t have as many options as the Grove, though.
Some of the other girls at Athena’s love shopping.
They can tell you all about the good places. Maybe you all could even go together.”
Based on our conversations, I’d figured the mere mention of Athena’s place would get a bigger reaction from her, but she just quietly mumbled, “Can’t wait.”
Could be that she was nervous, I told myself. After all, she didn’t truly know me. We’d just talked online quite a bit, but how well could one truly get to know another person that way?
Also, going to a place like Auntie Athena’s could be overwhelming.
I knew enough from our chats to know that Lila had never revealed her Little side to anyone else.
Even as big as New York City was, she was afraid to get involved in her local ageplay scene out of fear she’d be recognized.
It made sense that she’d come to L.A. to dip her toe in the water—but also be a bit hesitant now that the time had come.
Whatever was going on, we’d work it out, so long as she was comfortable doing so.
“There’s a lot going on at the nursery with Halloween coming up,” I told her, thinking it might ease her worries to hear about all the fun stuff Athena was planning.
It seemed to work.
“That’s awesome! I love Halloween.” A moment passed before she added, “Back in New York, it’s sort of cloudy and turning a little chilly. Not cold. Just… well, it’s the fall.”
“Feels more like Halloween, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Don’t worry, we know how to do spooky around here.”
Lila seemed to like that. As long as she was comfortable and happy, so was I.
“Look,” I said as I continued straight up the 405, “I know this might be kind of weird—us not really knowing each other and all. But it’s important to me that you feel comfortable.
There are truly no strings attached on this trip.
I don’t expect anything. And if at any time you feel like any of this is too much—you don’t owe me an explanation.
Just say the words and we’ll pivot to whatever you’re comfortable with. Deal?”
Even though I couldn’t look at her as I navigated the congested freeway, I could sense her relaxing a bit.
“Deal,” she said.
“You want the tour first and then maybe a bite to eat before we head to Athena’s? That’s where you’ll be staying. Thought you might be more comfortable at the nursery than, you know, at some random guy’s house.”
She laughed. “That sounds lovely.”
I drove us on, toward the Hollywood sign, and toward who-knew-what.