The Good, The Bad and The Loaded

3.

Feeling no ties to keep her in the UK, Audrey and her Aunt bravely made the move that they both hoped would change their lives for the better. June covered all costs, the closeness of the two meant that June would never have moved without her niece. In fact, she would not have had the confidence to take her life in her hands, had it not been for the encouragement and love of Audrey. She bought a beautiful three bedroom apartment in the top floor of an unassuming, inexpensive building. Not too many months later, they had happily moved in with Mario, and they gave Audrey a chance to experience what real family life should be like.

With copious funds in the bank, immigration had been easy, and instantly Mario became a father figure to Audrey. Knowing her Audrey the way she did, June realised what she craved most was what she and Mario now shared. She prayed each night that the stars would shine on her, and grant her a man to love her for who she was. Her ray of sunshine, and cheerleader in every venture she turned her hand to.

Audrey had been grateful of the waitressing position that Mario had created for her. She loved June dearly, but she wanted to create her own independance. There was a little apartment building two blocks away, perfect for her. It reminded her of Carrie's home in 's*x and the city.' It had her name all over it, and she craved the day when she could curl up with a trashy novel, in a vintage shabby chic armchair, and wile away the hours. She even pondered getting a little dog and take up jogging, like every other twenty something in this vibrant, beautiful city. Then there was the small issue of finding someone to share life's small, and not such small pleasures with. She needed her own Mr Big.

She dated frequently, but the men she dined with did little to excite her, nor give her a sense of promise for the future. In spite of loving the free, easy going nature that many of her young New York peers possessed - she wanted far more. She began to wonder whether the movies had lied to her all this time, and finding someone wonderful was as far fetched as snow, in July.

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It had been a bright, humid July afternoon, when one Carl Jenner walked into Audreys life. She could've sworn Adonis himself had materialised out of her fantasies. The moment she first set eyes on him, all of the air seemed to have been extinguished from the atmosphere. Clean shaven, expensive cologne, and those piercing green eyes, he was perfection wrapped up in one tailored expensive designer suit. His perfectly styled tousled blond hair, looked ripe for running her hands through, his red lips plump for kissing. She barely noticed his two work colleagues, who both attached to their phones, probably didn't notice her either.

On that day, June and Mario had left the diner in the capable hands of Danny, Mario's nephew. Angie, the head waitress and 'Mario's Diner' long time alumni was busy chatting to a regular customer and that left Audrey to deal with any customers that stepped through the door.

The day had been a lazy, hot, slow day. The usual contractors came in for their breakfast, and the local backgammon club came in for brunch as they always did. It was half three when Carl and his work friends sailed in, and changed Audrey's world forever.

She cleared her throat as the three men took the corner booth. Standing nervously, a menu held tightly in her grip, she said;

'HI, can I do you'

Before she realised what she had said, Carl's face lit up, his green eyes twinkled mischievously. Their eyes locked and she felt as if she was being sucked into a tide. He was mesmerising.

'Baby, I just came here for pie, but your offer is much more appetizing'.

Somewhere behind her, realising how flustered she was, Angie started laughing. The two men on phones were still oblivious, and right then, she wished that the floor would swallow her up. Willing the floor to just open up, she felt her throat run dry, her mouth like sandpaper.

'I....' she stammered.

Carl stood up, and put a reassuring hand on her forearm, making her rising blush positively scorching. 'How about I introduce myself, before we get down to it' he stuck his tongue out playfully, and instinctively, she playfully punched him in the arm.

That had been the start.

'Carl Jenner, future millionaire, most eligible male in New York City.' he purred, his accent revealing that somewhere along the line, he'd lived in the South. It leant a treacly smooth quality to his voice. Letting go of her arm he sat back down, chest puffed out, self assured. And beautiful. His playfully arrogant manner didn't ring alarm bells. American men we're more confident in general. They had more conviction, more drive, and this was even more apparent in the city she now called home. His boyish charm was intoxicating, and he revelled in the spell he had spun over the young British waitress. Struggling to breathe as he sat there, looking like s*x on legs, she urged herself to curb her hormones.

She knew she wasn't his usual type. She had met men like him on both sides of the Atlantic. They were the popular ones at school, the ones who always got picked first for everything. The ones that suceeded at everything they put their hands to. Including seducing every woman they came across. No doubt Carl Jenner had had more bed partners than she could imagine. Probably well into the hundreds.

In spite of what she thought she knew about his character, in spite of the arrogance, however well placed, she believed in her American fairytale. Over the next few days, they ran into one another - and believing it to be serendipity, when Carl asked for a date, she agreed.

He was the quintessential bad boy, and she was smitten.

What girl didn't like a bad boy?

(This chapter, is dedicated to my beautiful friend Sandie and her son, Josh.)