Perfect Match
Author: PsychoBunny
Rated: PG13
Yippee! I finally got the first chapter out! I'm so proud of myself!
Thanks to all you readers for all for your reviews! I really appreciate it.
And a special thanks goes to Crys and nika for all their help with editing and
putting up with a crazed author such as myself. Because they have been so kind and
helpful, I would like to dedicate this chapter to them. ;)
Don't forget to review to tell me what you think or if you have any suggestions.
Chapter 1
Serena tried to concentrate on the road but her mind was elsewhere. She turned the
radio on in hopes of drowning out her thoughts but even now, they were far louder
than the music.
In the three months that she disappeared from the fashion scene, things had gone
crazy. The media had had a mad frenzy over the Diamond affair. Apparently, a
bellhop had seen Diamond and Beryl together on several occasions and knew for a
fact that Diamond was dating Serena. The same bellhop happened to be working the
night Serena had found Diamond in bed with Beryl. He had watched with interest as
Serena ran out the door in tears. Noticing Diamond came in earlier with Beryl, he
guessed why Serena had left in despair.
The bellhop had immediately alerted the media. Before Serena had even left town the
next morning, pictures of her and Diamond were splashed on the front of every local
newspaper and magazine. The articles were brutal, containing every possible detail
about their relationship and her witness to his infidelity. When recognized
magazines got wind of the scoop, reporters tried to contact Serena with her side of
the story. She ignored all calls expect those from her manager, Charles and Mina.
The morning after the fiasco, Serena packed her necessities, started her car, and
set out on a little road trip. After she had realized she needed time away from the
spotlight, Serena had thought of the perfect place to escape the attention of the
media. The problem was her hesitation to make the trip. How do you reappear at your
hometown after being gone for over six years? What are you suppose to say to your
family and friends who haven�t seen you in two years? Hi, I missed you guys, too
but I really came here to get away from the publicity for a while. Serena doubted
that excuse would work, especially with her mother.
Serena groaned out loud at the thought of her mother. She loved the woman to death
but her mother drove her absolutely crazy. She shuddered to think what her mother
would say or do when Serena showed up on her front doorstep.
Already stressed enough as it was, Serena shifted her focus to other things.
After being on the road for two months, she was worn out emotionally, physically,
and mentally. She thought it wouldn�t be much of a challenge to drop out of the
public eye for a while. After all, she had seen people in movies do it all the time
with no big problems. But, escaping proved to be much harder than she anticipated.
Her manager called two weeks after she left saying she had to fly overseas to
Europe to promote her new line-up and make a personal appearance at one of her
shows. Serena left for Europe on a private jet two days later but only stayed for
about a week before she headed back. She could have flown straight to her hometown
of Canton, Oregon but she wasn�t quite ready to face her family. So, she resumed
her road trip.
Though she was drained of all her energy, she had to admit it wasn�t all that bad.
Most of her time was spent enjoying some of the most luxurious places. During her
time on the road, Serena had stayed at first-rate hotels and eaten at the most
exclusive restaurants. Nevertheless, all the glitz and glamour of the fine life
didn�t make up for the tears that came during the sleepless nights. The pampering
and special treatment from the hotels wasn�t going to make anguish of being cheated
on go away. Shopping sprees and material possessions would never be able to fill
the empty void that now harbored in her heart.
Serena could feel tears pricking the back of her eyes but she refused to cry. She
had promised herself three days ago she wouldn�t waste any more tears on her
worthless ex-boyfriend. She had already wasted eight months of her life with him.
On the highway, the Lexus started making those strange noises again. Serena quickly
pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. Though Serena was no
expert, everything seemed to all right when she checked under the hood. She simply
shrugged her shoulders and got back in the car. She struggled to start the engine
but it just wouldn�t cooperate. After fifteen minutes, horrible realization gripped
Serena. Her car had just died again.
She banged her head against the steering wheel and let out a low growl. Why did
these things have to happen to her? What did she ever do to have deserved this?
The car had been making this strange grinding noise for several days. At a gas
station Serena had stopped by earlier, the car had suddenly died. Thank goodness, a
nice, decent man was kind enough to jump her car. He offered to escort her to town
but she insisted that her car would be fine.
�Maybe someone up there doesn�t like me� she thought sardonically.
It was only one more mile until Serena reached town but there was no way she could
push it that far. There was only one person that could help her in this kind of
situation and she really didn�t want to call him. With cell phone in hand, she
jumped out of the car and dialed the number. While waiting for someone to pick up,
Serena had the urge to kick the side of the Lexus from time to time. Then she heard
the male voice she dreaded over the other line.
�Sammy, I need your help.� She asked in desperation.
�Serena? Where are you? What�s going on? You�re in some kind of trouble again?� he
inquired.
�I�m not in trouble, you twit. I just had a disagreement with my car and I�m stuck
on I-25.� Her tone was defensive.
�I�ll bet. So do I need to bring the truck and some cable cords?� He didn�t sound
one bit surprised.
�Yes.� She said in a small voice.
Half an hour later, Serena�s stupid brother, Sammy, had successfully started the
Lexus-while rubbing in the fact she couldn�t work a car to save her life- and he
escorted Serena down to the local mechanic�s shop. There the mechanic told them
that the car needed a new battery and it would be ready in a couple of days.
The car ride was silent torture. Serena knew her brother wanted to ask questions
about her visit but he never said a word. She imagined he wasn�t sure how to
approach the subject.
Serena had called her brother two days ago to tell him she was coming to visit and
was going to stay for a while. It took a lot of bribing and pleading but Sammy
agreed to break the news to their mother about Serena�s visit.
The small, white two-story house Serena knew so well came into plain view. This was
the place that held wonderful memories for her. However, now she dreaded the terror
that lied beyond that front door. Both cars were in the driveway. Obviously, both
her parents were home. Maybe Serena�s father could help her with handling her
mother.
Together, Sammy and Serena slowly walked up to the house, wondering what fate
awaited them behind the door. Before Sammy could even knock on the door, their
mother swung it open and invited them inside. Upon entering, Serena was uncertain
what to make of her mother�s strange behavior. Irene Weston was a cheery person and
a naturally warm, caring mother. Though, the woman was clearly not her usual happy
self today. She seemed to be very tense but kept a calm face.
At that moment, Serena became aware of the immaculate house. It looked like
everything had been cleaned down to the nooks and crannies. Sammy and Serena were
lead into the living room where their father sat in at his chair waiting for them.
The living room was also spotless. Even their father�s daily newspaper was folded
on the coffee table. Their mom only cleaned like this when something truly bothered
her.
That�s when Serena felt it. It was a forewarning, like electricity in the air
before a thunderstorm. It was a calm before the storm. Serena instinctively spotted
her mother�s emotional turmoil. Her mother�s cool demeanor was an act, hiding her
distress and annoyance that lay latent beneath the surface. Because of Serena�s
impulsive appearance after two years, her mother was in a conflict of emotions. And
Serena knew that hell hath no fury than that of a mother with mood swings.
Serena and her brother were seated on the couch and Irene sat across from them in a
chair next to their father. Irene quietly asked no one in particular, �Would you
like something to drink or eat?�
Serena sat stiff as a board in her seat while taking a brief glance at her father
and brother. Her father gave her a sympathetic look while Sammy looked on with
worry. Even her brother knew not to make a wisecrack remark at a moment like this.
Serena could mentally see the dark clouds that hovered over her head. She could
hear the thunder rumbling and feel the lightning about to strike. She was doomed.
Irene watched her daughter shake her head in answer to her question. Then proceed
to say, � Ok. Then, can I ask you a question, Serena?�
Serena was too scared to speak at this point. So she simply nodded her head and
braced herself for the oncoming storm.
�WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!?!�
Irene�s unexpected outburst had been so loud that a picture on the wall had fallen
down and the small two-story house seemed to shake. Serena visibly cringed at the
tone of voice. It was the kind that depicted no arguments.
�How come you never visit us? Why don�t you ever call more than every once in a
while? Don�t you even think about your parents? You realize that we haven�t seen
you in two years, Serena. I have to get updates from your friends to know how
you�re doing. Then I read in magazines that you�re involved with actors who either
have a wife or have bad reputations.�
Irene was by Serena�s side in a heartbeat and roughly shaking her daughter by the
shoulders. She glared at Serena square in the eye with fury and annoyance. The look
could shrivel a grape to a raisin. She was obviously upset by her daughter�s
isolation from the family and her actions. Suddenly, Irene stopped her tirade.
Within a blink of an eye, her facial expression changed from anger to dejection.
�Don�t you want to talk to me? Or even your father? Don�t you want my advice or
consulting? Doesn�t my little girl need me anymore? Please tell me, am I a bad
mother? Do you not trust me? Was there something I did that you hate me for?�
Her voice wavered and tears were apparent in her eyes. Hurt was evident on her
youthful looking face. Irene caught Serena�s hands between her own.
She was giving Serena the guilt trip. Serena couldn�t really blame her. She hadn�t
seen her parents in two years and hardly called them because of her busy schedule.
Still, did her mother have to be so dramatic?
Irene looked at her expectantly. Serena croaked out her response, �I could never
hate you, you�re a great mom and I love you.�
God help her but she loved the woman. Irene�s face brightened immediately at her
daughter�s words. Her dark brown eyes danced with glee and a smile adorned her
face. She let go of Serena�s hands and threw her arms around the puzzled girl. Her
voice held relief.
�I love you too, sweetheart. You�ve been gone so long; I was beginning to think you
forgot all about us. How I�ve missed you, Serena. Here, let me take a good look at
you.�
She leaned back, inspecting Serena�s appearance. Irene smiled her approval and
lightly shook her head.
�You�ve grown up so much in the past two years and you look great,� she said fondly
�After that whole Diamond incident, I...�
Irene clamped a hand over her mouth when Serena turned away from her. She hadn�t
meant to talk about Diamond unless Serena brought it up. After all, it was still a
tender issue.
Ken Weston knew better than to interrupt his wife during one of her mood swings and
usually left her alone. But now was a good time to intervene before things got
uncomfortable. He spoke in a soothing voice that father�s use to comfort their
daughters.
�Serena, I know what you�re going through. It must be hard but remember that we�re
here for you. You have a family and friends that love you dearly. I know it won�t
make the pain go away but it will make it easier for you to get over that asshole.�
Serena raised her gaze to her father and smiled wryly. She took a deep breath and
spoke coolly. �I�m fine, really. You don�t need to worry about me, I�m already
over him.�
Sammy, being the idiot he was, enjoyed putting his two cents into everything.
However, being a guy, he never paid any attention to magazines. Well, at least not
the kind that had articles on his sister.
�So what kind of man problems are you having this time, Serena?�
Serena didn�t know what pissed her off more, the way he said the question
sarcastically or the question itself. Either way, she was about to strangle her
brother when her mother stepped in.
*Thwack*
�Ow! Mom, why did you do that?�
Her brother sounded like he had gone through puberty all over again with the
squeaky voice. At times like this, Serena couldn�t love her mother more. Irene had
left the couch and took a rolled up magazine with her. She had then proceeded to
whack her brother on the head with it.
�Samuel Joshua Weston! You watch your mouth, young man. Your sister is going
through a very emotional breakup right now. The last thing, she needs is for you to
make her feel worse.� While saying this, Irene handed her son the magazine with the
article about the affair and breakup.
A flood of emotions passed across Sammy�s face as he read the article, ranging from
surprise to sympathy then from disgust to rage. His brown eyes darkened and his
mouth set in a grim line as he placed the paper on the coffee table. Without
warning, he left his seat on the couch and made a beeline for the door. Startled,
Serena questioned her brother�s odd behavior.
�Where are you going?�
He opened the front door and paused. His words were laced with barely contained
fury as he answered. �I�m going to New York to have a �talk� with Diamond.�
Serena sighed. She had to admire her brother for his heroic efforts. Sure, he was a
major pest most of the time. But when someone emotionally or physically hurt his
older sister, he was like one big, stupid guard dog. He attacks and kills on
command, no questions asked. She reached her brother before he could make his way
out the front door.
�Sammy, I know you and you won�t just talk with him. In fact, there will probably
be no talking at all. You tend to do stupid things when you�re this mad and you�ll
probably beat him to a bloody pulp. Trust me, he�s not worth it.�
He let her take him back to the couch to sit and calm down.
Sammy and Serena stayed at the house late into the evening talking with their
parents. Irene told Serena about how the town had changed since the last time she
had been there. In turn, Serena reported the latest Hollywood gossip and the state
her current fashion line-up was in. Sammy was proud to announce that his
girlfriend, Nicole, was accepted into an excellent college and Ken was content in
recounting funny stories from his office.
It was well past midnight when everyone finally said their good byes. Irene offered
Sammy and Serena their old rooms if they wanted to stay but they both declined,
saying they had to go to work in the morning. Inside the truck, Sammy questioned
her about where she was going to stay.
�Well, you remember Lita Johnson? She�s my old friend from high school. I called
her about a week ago to tell her I was staying in town for a while. She said she�d
help me find some kind of temporary apartment. I wired money to her when she found
a nice rental house that was all ready furnished and vacant. Oh, here are the
directions, you can just drop me off there.�
�What about that �job� you said you have to go to in the morning?� He asked while
taking the piece of paper from her extended hand.
�Lita owns a small cafe and bakery. I asked her if I could work for her as a
waitress to get my mind off of some things for a while and she agreed. I start work
tomorrow at 8am.� She said cheerfully.
Sammy found the house easily and helped Serena carry all of her luggage into the
bedroom. After he left, Serena was so tired that she didn�t even bother to unpack
or change out of her clothes. She plopped down on the bed, welcoming the peaceful
sleep.
Serena awoke the next morning to the sound of ringing. Groaning, she turned over,
grabbed a pillow and buried her head beneath it. Mornings were evil and whoever was
calling her at this ungodly hour was even eviler. After what must have been the
hundredth ring, she answered with a sleepy and grouchy �Hello�. The voice on the
other end didn�t help her crabby mood at all.
�Hey Serena! It�s me, Mina. I just wanted to check to see how you were doing,� the
entirely too chipper person said. Early morning cheerfulness was just obnoxious.
�Mina, you know better than anyone else that mornings aren�t my strong point. I�m
barely even conscious during this hour. Now why did you call?� Serena said slightly
annoyed.
�Alright, Ms. Mary Sunshine, I called because I found out that I�m coming earlier
than we originally expected. I should be there in two weeks.� Mina said excitedly
Whatever sleep that may have fogged Serena�s brain, cleared up as soon as she heard
Mina say that. Mina was coming to visit Serena and she was going to be in town
early. Serena perked up at the news, that is, of course, until she looked at the
clock. The digital clock read 8:45 am.
�Oh my God, I�m so late!! Sorry, Mina, I got to go.� Serena yelled and hung up the
phone.
She panicked, bustling around the room in a hurry trying to find some clean clothes
in her suitcase. Throwing on a pair of blue jean shorts and a white halter top,
Serena dashed out the door with keys and purse in hand. She ran to the driveway,
only to remember her car was in the shop. Serena fluently cursed and made a mad
dash for Lita�s cafe.
Serena was running as fast as her feet would carry her and had almost reached the
cafe. But, she turned a corner too fast and ran straight into some poor,
unsuspecting pedestrian. For a moment, she thought that she might hit the ground
but the man had grabbed her waist and held her steady. Serena briefly glanced up,
muttering a sorry and a thank you and ran off once again.
The dark haired man watched in wonder as the lunatic blonde ran at full speed down
the street. For some strange reason, he had the strongest sense of deja vu.
Serena flew through the door of the cafe, welcomed by the scent of coffee and
pastries. Avoiding the waxed floor, she found Lita standing behind the counter
laughing at her.
Was the fact that Serena barely managed not to break her neck sliding across the
waxed floor really that funny?
After her laughter subsided, Lita was able to speak again.
�I knew you�d be late but I at least thought you�d look better.�
Serena thought her appearance was fine. Tangled blonde hair in a messy ponytail and
wrinkled clothes were very in this year.
Lita handed her a t-shirt, apron, notepad and pencil from a cardboard box and
pointed her towards the restrooms.
�You can change in the restrooms and for God�s sake, do something with that hair.�
Within three minutes, Serena came out of the restrooms, ready and dressed for work.
The black t-shirt she wore had a coffee cup on the upper left corner with the logo
Lita�s Cafe. Her hair was twisted up in a bun and her black apron was the same
length as her shorts. Though she was a twenty-six year old woman, Serena felt the
epitome of a high school teenager.
Lita coughed, pointing to a group of customers who had yet to be served. Serena
waited on a couple of customers, talking with them as she did so. Since there
weren�t many other people in the small coffee shop, Serena talked and laughed with
customers until another person came in.
She immediately recognized the man as the one she had practically run down this
morning. The incident had happened so fast that she didn�t get a good look at the
man�s face. She still couldn�t make out his face since he was facing away from her
in a booth next to the window. The only thing that she could recall was dark blue
eyes and black hair, the rest of it was fuzzy.
Excusing herself from the table of people, Serena quietly made her way to the man,
instantly stopped dead in her tracks when his eyes turned to her. His eyes were
breathtaking, a deep ocean blue that could even put the sea to shame. His face was
simply gorgeous with high, defined cheekbones, a long nose, and full lips. The
attire he wore gave him a casual sexy look, blue jeans, white t-shirt and a black
jacket. But something about him seemed oddly familiar and it was nagging at her
brain. She realized that he was staring at her intently, a look concentration on
his face.
Serena decided to put her gawking away and do her job. After all, the last thing
she needed right now was a boyfriend but still, it didn�t hurt to admire. She
smiled and asked him what he wanted to order. The mystery man answered with a deep
baritone voice saying, �A black coffee please.�
He paused for a moment and looked at her harder.
�Do I know you from somewhere?� His brows furrowed together in confusion.
Serena preferred not to remind him of the near collision they had that morning. He
didn�t need to know that she was the blonde that had run him down earlier. Her
reply was nonchalant.
�I don�t think so, I think I would remember someone like you.�
�Smooth�, she said to herself as she smiled brightly at him.
As he watched her, recognition dawned on his face, a mischievous grin played on his
mouth. Observing the gleam in his eyes, a knot formed in Serena�s stomach. There
was only one person in the whole world who could look at her that way and be that
handsome.
�He couldn�t be. He isn�t. There�s no way.� She thought hopefully as she walked
away from the mysterious, yet striking man.
Her worst fears were confirmed in the next two words he spoke.
�Meatball head�
*Thud*
Serena had fainted, falling straight to the floor.