Washed Up and Laid Bare

2

One week Later.....

'Grandpa when are you going to retire?!' Lana asked, exasperated, as she poured him a cup of Earl Grey tea, his alltime favourite. No matter what had happened, a cup of his favourite tea could elicit a smile from him. 'You're exhausted, look at you. What happened to the cruise?'

He peered at her over his glasses, giving her a questioning look. 'I'm not going on my own, and nor will I be the lonely old man with his grand-daughter as company.'

'Pleaaaase' she begged, clasping her hands together. 'You know how I love bingo and bowling, and pureed food.'

He raised his eyebrows and laughed. 'If I was anyone else I would take offence at the way you sass me, Miss Lana.'

She pressed her cheek next to his. 'But you know I love you, right?'

'Right' he chuckled, heartily.

'And you know if you wanted me to come, I would say yes in a heartbeat.'

He sighed dreamily, gazing out of the window of the coffee shop. Lana worked the early shift, and it had become tradition over the last eighteen months, that he have his breakfast here. One reason was that he wanted her to get to work safely, and could accompany her without looking like a worry wart, but he also loved to sit and read the newspaper in peace. Not the most bustling business, but doing a fair amount of trade, 'The Coffee Bean', wasn't Starbucks, but it had something the bigger establishments lacked. It still felt like an undiscovered corner of town. The prices weren't extortionate and people smiled and meant it. If the pay Lana received wasn't so meagre, he'd want her to work here forever, but she was overqualified and he felt like she was wasting her talents.

She'd always been a tomboy, hair tied in a ponytail even for bed. She wore track pants and hooded sweatshirts as if they were her uniform, and luckily the Penn brothers, owners of the coffee shop, didn't mind her wearing them. Always in black, grey or dark blue, her beauty was lost in the clothes that swamped her frame. The last time he'd seen her in a dress was her Mother's funeral.

'How did the meeting go?' Lana questioned, bringing him out of his daze. He knew exactly what she meant but he wasn't sure how to answer her. His divorce from his second wife Darla, hadn't been amicable. A sweet, tender, generous woman had somewhere along the line turned into a malicious snake. Just like every other woman her age in this town, she wanted him to fund her exorbitant lifestyle full of botox and designer dresses. Not to mention extravagant holidays with toy boys. She always did have a thing for the younger man.

He tried his best to give her a sunny smile, but she could read him any day of the week.

'Oh grampa! That nasty ass....' She broke off as he shook his finger to and fro. She only ever cursed on the rare occasion that something got her back up. Darla definitely wasn't her favourite person.

'I'm sorry', she muttered, blushing and sitting down opposite him. There were only two other customers, happily sipping their mochas before work. 'I forget that you loved her. I mean I never really knew her, she was gone before I came to live with you, but I just can't believe she's dragging this out for so long.'

He nodded, and gave her a sombre smile. 'Your grandmother was a doll. I should have quit while I was ahead and just been thankful that I experienced love once.'

'Amen to that' she nodded. 'After Peyton, I am definitely done with men!'

After her grandfather left, she hoped for home and not for work, she went back to the tables. This wasn't what she had dreamed of as a little girl, but she couldn't complain too much. Sometimes in life, the script changed without warning and you found yourself somewhere you never imagined you'd be. The Penn brothers, Daryl and Scott were good to her. She worked just six hours a day and spent the rest of the time exploring with her camera. There was so much beauty where you didn't expect to find it, beauty that the girls in their bikinis skating by the waters edge just couldn't compete with. Her barista training had been interesting, and she enjoyed the company of the regulars who all called her 'Lolly'. Her grandfather gave her the nickname the day she was born, and it stuck. Infact, some people never even knew she was called Lana. Even though the job was easy, and the people she worked with were friendly, and the sun shone nearly every day of the year, she often felt deflated.

Once she'd finished her shift, she hung up her apron and headed out. Her Californian best friend Phoebe, also a waitress at 'The Coffee Bean', wasn't working today, and they'd planned to have a Big Bang Theory marathon with copious amounts of ice cream. Phoebe, just like her ex boyfried Peyton, was an aspiring actor. Like so many hopefuls every year, she wound up heading from audition to audition without ever securing a job. She'd worked at the shop for nearly seven years, and if you'd expect her to be bitter, you could think again. She was an eternal optimist, and vowed that one day she would be on stage, a thespian born again through her art.

Phoebe's apartment was like Phoebe in every way. Disorganised, colourful, cluttered and homely. As she threw herself down on the sofa, kicking off her shoes, Phoebe was ready with a spoon and the biggest tub of chocolate and caramel ice-cream that Lana had ever seen.

She giggled as Phoebe collected her own, equally large tub from the kitchen, and nudged Lana along so she could sit cross legged on the sofa.

'I have the best news ever.' Phoebe squealed, making her miss what sounded like an epic line from Sheldon. She had a knack of speaking through TV shows, films, and interrupting conversations. Many people said she was an acquired taste, driving ex boyfriends crazy with her eccentricity, and would be casting directors to wonder whether she was a little wacko. Lana however, thought she was one of the last genuine people in the world. Someone who didn't care what anyone else thought of her kooky style, nor her offbeat take on life. She'd take Phoebe over the soulless personality devoid cretins in this city, any day of the week.

'What's the news then', Lana replied with a half smile, 'It must be important since you're talking over Leonard's lines, and I know you love him too much to do that normally.'

Phoebe looked longingly at Leonard, making Lana giggle, before she looked back at her friend, excitement in her eyes.

'So I was talking to Eddie...'

'Gay Eddie?' Lana cut in.

'Uh huh', Phoebe affirmed, 'Anyway we talked about a lotta crap, about his ex and some girl he works with, I digress.... then he tells me he's heard about a job, some A list actor wants someone to handle personal relations. He's keeping it all secretive but you know Eddie, once he starts talking he can't stop.'

Lana smiled knowingly. Eddie could not be trusted, he had the gift of the gab. And then some.

'So why are you telling me?' Lana raised an eyebrow, knowing full well what her friends intentions were.

'Because you are totally overqualified for what you do and you deserve better.'

Lana shrugged, dipping into the ice cream and extracting a big spoon of ice cream, threaded with caramel. Phoebe didn't take her eyes off her friend, giving her 'The Look'. This usually meant that she wasn't going down without a fight.

'It's my birthday tomorrow, and I want you to go to the interview. It could be Brad Pitt!'

'Its so not Brad Pitt' Lana chuckled, elbowing her friend, playfully. 'I'll go, as long as it's after work and as long you promise to leave me alone after that. You just wait, we'll get there and it'll be some washed up asshole with a superiority complex'.