L.A Love: A Bad Boy Romance Novel Read online

   Copyright 2017 by (Chloe Summer) - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance of actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  BAD BOY ROMANCE

  L.A LOVE

  By: CHLOE SUMMER

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Mailing List

  CHAPTER ONE

  A Chance Meeting

  The old man crawled on his hands and knees through the mud as he grovelled to the Man In The Suit. He didn’t care that his freshly pressed ‘Sunday best,’ outfit was currently caked in mud. He didn’t care that dozens of onlookers stared at him in amazement and shock, some even taking pictures. He didn’t even care that the Man In The Suit was visible only to him, making his pilgrimage across the park and through the mud, seem even stranger. All he cared about was his dead wife. Or to be more specific, the statue that he knew she had turned into. If he could just convince the Man In The Suit to turn her back, then all of this wouldn’t matter. He would have his wife back and for that he would do anything.

  In one last ditch effort, he threw himself at the Man In The Suit’s feet, careful not to splash any mud on his pristine oxfords. Then, taking in a huge breath of air, preparing himself for one final plight --

  And Liana bulked. Currently seated in the corner of her work’s break-room, Liana had her laptop balanced delicately on her knees as she sips a cup of coffee, all the while typing furiously...at least she had been. Liana had always struggled with dialogue; it being her Achilles heel, as it were.

  What can he say? She thought to herself. How do you explain love? Can that kind of raw passion even be explained? She had no idea. And the more she stared at her open, blank page, the more frustrated she became.

  ‘Liana! Breaks over! Back on the floor!’ A voice shouted, pulling Liana from her laptop screen. Half-dazed as if still buried in the story, Liana stared blankly at the owner of the voice, Mr Jenkins. Her excessively annoying boss, he’s your typical, balding, overweight, underpaid manager.

  ‘Floor! Now!’ Mr Jenkins shouted again before storming out of the room, giving his private region an admirable scratch before he does.

  Sighing, Liana closed her laptop, slowly getting to her feet as she laboured towards the doors. She couldn’t look less enthused.

  --

  The Starbucks on Hollywood Boulevard was exactly as one would expect it to be; constantly teaming with caffeine addicted yuppies and business men, always in rush and always ignorant of the scores of other people pushing and shoving around them. For them coffee was more than a drink, it was a life source. One most would walk over their injured mothers for.

  With her apron on and her long auburn hair tucked under a Starbucks cap, Liana danced her way through the scores of impatient people as she nursed a fresh cup of coffee. Past the woman who currently had her two toddlers on leashes like dogs; around the gym junkie who she was sure had brought his own protein powder to add to the long black he would most definitely order; and over to her destination, table three.

  Although it was policy to always wear a smile on your face while serving, Liana could barely feign one at the moment. She really did hate this job. Like, really hated it. More than she had ever hated anything at all, or at least as far as she could remember. It wasn’t the annoying customers that got her down, or the terrible, terrible pay. And she couldn’t even blame her pervert boss for being the cause of her dislike to the current situation. No, the reason she hated this place so much was because it was about as far away from where she wanted to be in her career as possible.

  Liana was a writer. A screenwriter to be more precise and a pretty good one by her own account. That was why she was in L.A., serving coffee to the rich and painful. She, like so many of the wait staff she worked with, was here to break into Hollywood.

  But, the more and more she worked, meeting other aspiring while failing actors and writers, the more despondent she became toward her dream. It seemed like every single person she met was chasing the same dream she was. And let’s face it, at this point that’s all it really was, a dream. Try as she might, as every day passed, Liana found it hard and harder for her to justify why she moved here in the first place.

  ‘Latte, venti.’ Liana chimed automatically as she saddled up to table three, serving the fresh coffee up to the waiting customer.

  ‘Perfect. I’ll admit, my hand was starting to shake there.’ The customer joked casually, as he reached for the brew.

  The joke caused Liana to pull up, so unused to friendliness from customers. And it was only because of this that she noticed him at all.

  It was one of those faces that seemed to be made for slow-motion moments. Every feature really needed to be taken in, studied for humanitarian purposes. From the chin that could make granite blush to the startlingly opaque blue eyes and textbook white teeth. This had to be one of the more perfect specimens Liana had ever laid eyes on.

  ‘Ahhhh….latte?’ Liana asked stupidly. It was all she could competently string together in the face of such admiration.

  ‘The very one.’ The customer responded in between sips, smiling to himself.

  Now, Liana wasn’t what most people would call the stereo-typical woman when it came to men. In fact, since moving to L.A she had even taken a no man stance, one that she had sworn to stay fast too until her career got underway. Of course, six months later and in the face of this creature, that stance was beginning to seem all the more pointless and…expendable.

  ‘Good coffee.’ The customer offered, taking another sip. He watched as Liana stood over him awkwardly, not moving or speaking. All the while, smiling knowingly to himself as he drank.

  It was only just now that Liana began to notice how strange she must have looked. She had literally been standing there, wordless, for the past twenty seconds; staring, most likely without blinking, at this customer trying to drink his morning coffee. Thank god that for whatever reason, most likely politeness or fear, he hadn’t said anything.

  ‘Will that be all?’ Liana asked, finally remembering her next line. One which she said at least four hundred times a day, but now was unable to comprehend. She just needed him to say ‘no.’ That way she could turn and leave. And not just the floor, but the entire Starbucks. Maybe even the city? As far away from here as possible.

  ‘So you’re obviously not a waitress? Either that or you’re a shoe in to receive the unflattering moniker of worst waitress of all time?’ The customer joked, evidently enjoying how uncomfortable he was making her. ‘What are you then? An actress…? A model maybe?

  ‘You first.’ Liana shot back, more out of defence than anything. The majority of writers are by nature a humble bunch, liking to keep their work very close to their chest, out of fear of rejection. Sure, they knew their work was good…but what if it wasn’t? It was safe to say that Liana was one of these types.

  ‘I’m an agent actually,’ the customer responded. ‘I represent writers mainly.’
He looked around the busy Starbucks, taking note of the wait staff in particular. ‘You wouldn’t happen to know of any would you?’ He asked, chuckling to himself as if he was in on some large joke.

  Liana could feel her face flush red as a surge of nervous adrenaline suddenly hit her. An agent, an actual agent, sitting right in front of her…one who reps writers!

  He continued to watch her, as if he were actually waiting for an answer to the question. Was he actually looking for someone?...should she…

  ‘I’m actually a…a…’ Liana began, choking on her words. She had never been much of a speaker, hence her gravitation to writing. In fact she had always found it rather annoying that she could write down the perfect response without a worry. But voicing that in the face of argument or emotion was something else entirely.

  ‘A secret agent? The reincarnation of Tupac?’ The agent joked.

  ‘No, a writer. I’m a writer.’ Liana sputtered, finally able to get the words out.

  ‘Oh.’ The agent responded, obviously a little surprised. ‘Written anything good lately?’

  Like a deer in the headlights, Liana looked down at the agent, unable to form syllables. Was it feared holding her back? Or just a lack of daring and much needed attitude? Whatever it was, it needed to be fixed. Liana had the talent, she knew that. She just needed the drive. Drive she wasn’t going to be harnessing today.

  ‘Enjoy your coffee,’ Liana finally squeaked, turning on her heel and rushing from the table as if a bomb was about to explode.

  CHAPTER TWO

  An Expected Twist

  ‘What the hell was that?’

  ‘Shut up.’

  ‘No seriously? What the hell?’

  After her chance encounter with the agent, Liana had hurried from the main floor to the break-room as if she’d suddenly caught on fire. And it was there she was intent on remaining until the agent had vacated the premises.

  Hiding in the break-room she thought that it was over. A few deep breaths and she could be on her way. But of course it wasn’t to be. It turns out that her failed encounter wasn’t as private as she had thought. Her best friend Katy had somehow managed to witness the whole thing. And in true best friend style, was making sure that she didn’t forget it anytime soon.

  ‘He was an agent.’ Katy said again, hanging off the room’s doorway as if she were on her way somewhere but got side tracked. ‘You could have at least --,’

  ‘I know.’ Liana responded angrily, throwing open her locker only to shove her head inside, as if trying to hide it from the world.

  ‘And he was flirting with you. I don’t know what I’m angrier about.’ Katy mused to herself, still hanging from the doorframe as if she were stretching.

  ‘Helping or hurting right now?’ Liana shot back, voice echoing as her head remained buried in the locker. She was getting a little mad at her friend now as she made so sure to hammer the point home as thoroughly as she possible.

  ‘I wish I’d served him.’ Katy continued. ‘Coffee wouldn’t be the only thing he was having today.’ She pulled herself up straight, sauntering towards Liana. ‘But guess what that fine, fine man did before he left?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘He left you his card.’

  ‘What?’ Liana asked in shock, pulling her head from the locker.

  ‘His card. Complete with name and number. Here.’ Katy handed Liana the card and sure enough, it had the agent’s name and business number on it. Henry Golding was his name. And, by the address listed on the card, Liana guessed he was a very successful at what he did.

  She studied the card for a long while, long after Katy had left the room. Realistically, this was probably the biggest step her career had taken to date and yet…and yet she didn’t know if she could take it. Could she really send her script off to this complete random? Was that OK? What if he hated it? Said that she was no good? Then what...

  Again, Liana was her own worst enemy, talking herself out of sending it before even bothering to consider that she might. She was scared, plain and simple. To send a script out was to put oneself out there. She didn’t think she could do it. She wasn’t that kind of person. Although she told herself that one day she might be, she knew that she would never in a million years be able to muster the courage it took to --,

  ‘So you’re some kind of writer huh?’

  The sudden intrusion of the voice from nowhere caught Liana completely off guard as all thoughts of the agent and Katy flew from her head.

  The voices owner was standing directly behind her, as if he had been there the whole time…which the more Liana thought about it the more she realised that he most likely had been. She hadn’t bothered to check that the room was empty when she stormed into it…had this stranger been listening to her and Katy’s conversation?

  In his mid-twenties, with tanned skin and long blonde hair, he was handsome, there was no denying that. But that’s where the attraction stopped. Wearing a too-big white shirt with a not-so-purposeful rip through it, black skinny jeans with boots and sporting arms covered in an assortment of colourful tattoos, this total random was the complete opposite of Liana’s type. He was a bad-boy, or at least liked to think he was. No thank you.

  ‘You’re a writer aren’t you?’ He asked again, an annoyingly charismatic smile slowly spreading across his face. ‘Either that or you’re an actress…although something tells me you’re not one of those. Let’s call it intuition.’

  ‘Ah who are you?’ Liana asked abruptly, the question coming out a little ruder than she had intended. But she couldn’t help it. From his constant cheeky grin, which she was sure worked on most girls, to the necklaces dangling from his neck; Liana just really didn’t like this guy.

  ‘Plus I saw the MacBook. It was leaning up against a copy of…what was that? Vogler?’

  ‘You were looking in my locker…?’ Liana asked in disbelief, becoming more and more confused and annoyed.

  ‘Just peaked.’ He quipped innocently, still sporting that smile as if he were just waiting for it to break her. ‘And I hope you don’t lean on Vogler as much as that MacBook was. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Actors hate that hero’s journey bullshit. Better to writer from the heart. That’s where the real poetry comes from.’

  It had taken her a little longer than she would have liked, but Liana was finally able to pull herself together. This complete random, some customer who had stumbled into the break-room, had finally crossed a line. Giving her writing tips. The nerve of this guy. ‘Enough!’ She practically shouted. ‘Who the hell are you and why are you back here?’

  As if he were trying to purposefully annoy her, the stranger continued to smirk, this time adding in a wink for good measure; another trait that Liana was sure would drive girls like her friend Katy, crazy. But then his mood changed. He suddenly became stoic, calm even. Dropping all hint of attitude and mischief. ‘Don’t you realize by now?’ He asked with total empathy. ‘I’m not here. Liana, I’m not real.’

  This wasn’t happening.

  It couldn’t be...could it?

  …But what if? Liana could feel her face drain of colour as what the stranger had said began to sink in. Now, watching her with total empathy, the stranger took a purposeful step forward, slowly holding his hand out for her to take. Hesitantly, Liana reached for it, not sure what it was that was about to happen. Scared, yet excited at the same --,

  ‘What the hell is going on?!’ Mr Jenkins boomed from the doorway, destroying the moment while simultaneously returning Liana back to reality.

  The stranger was still there, hands now covering his mouth as he tried not to laugh; the water brimming in his wide eyes indicating that this action is unsuccessful.

  ‘This is Jason ahhh Kobe right? Jason Kobe. Yes. It’s his first day.’

  Liana wouldn’t be able to tell you what came first, the embarrassment or anger. But within seconds both emotions were raging with equal tenacity inside of her.

  ‘You’re to train him. Today.’ Mr
Jenkins continued, indicating to Jason, who was now watching Liana; a look of pure mischief in his eyes. ‘Let the boy get changed and he can meet you on the floor. Come on.’ He finished up, indicating for Liana to follow.

  Shit! Liana cursed in silent frustration at the news. Now she had to work with this guy? She wasn’t sure if she could. Yes, she was embarrassed by how she had let her imagination run away with her. Call it an occupational hazard, but it was something that Liana was prone to do. But that wasn’t the reason that she was so against working with this guy.

  It was the passionate anger she was feeling. Of that she was certain. It was anger at herself for believing such a stupid lie. But most importantly it was anger at Jason, the newest employee of Starbucks. He had gone out of his way to embarrass her. Was it a cruel prank or just an innocent joke?

  She had only just met him, but Liana was more than certain that given time, she was going to come to loathe the very sight of Jason Kobe.