Kenzie had dreamed of becoming an actress or singer when she was in junior high school, but when her waist line started to get bigger, she gave up on that idea since it was obvious only very skinny women who were successful at either of those careers. A fine example of what's accepted in society by most people, at least based on Kenzie's observations.
Kenzie saw Jillian's white convertible, given to her by her parents for college graduation, around the bend and resisted speeding up to get to the house faster. When she pulled up to the house and parked, she saw some movement inside. She barely made it up the front steps when the door swung open and Jillian burst outside.
"You're here!" she exclaimed as she pounced Kenzie in a friendly hug.
"Finally!" Kenzie laughed as she returned the hug.
"Long, but the music helped pass the time."
"Great! Here, let me grab some of your suitcases. Come on in!"
Jillian grabbed Kenzie's makeup bag and the bag she called her "evidence gathering kit". She took that with her everywhere, just in case. She never knew when a case might pop up.
Jillian's physical appearance hadn't changed much since Kenzie last saw her, except her hair was now a lighter shade of blonde to match her exposure to the beach, and she'd added some darker highlights. But she still had the same piercing eyes from when they were kids, and a gorgeous body. She'd also gotten a dolphin tattoo on her ankle.
"This will be your room," Jillian told Kenzie after they set down her suitcases. She waved her hand toward the room in a showcase gesture.
The room had a distinct tropical and chic feel to it, and it was done in shades of maroon and tan. The bed sat in front of the window overlooking the back patio and cliff, which Jillian said was "the best view in the house". Across from the bed was a desk and chair. The wall had a few paintings and a bookshelf, and there was a huge area rug on the floor.
"Yeah, this was Mona's room, before she moved out," Jillian said. "I've been meaning to sell this furniture, but I keep thinking that if I get another roommate, they can help pay the bills, and they'll have a place to sleep."
"I thought it had a dresser and stuff in it though. It did in your pictures."
"It did, but I had to get rid of some things to make ends meet after Mona left. So I sold her dresser and her computer, because I didn't need two of those, but I kept the bed and the desk. I can use the desk to work, and the bed is good if anyone ever visits or needs a place to stay. Only people I know, of course."
"What if someone moves back in with you and needs a place to put their clothes?"
"That's the thing, I don't think anyone will, and I don't mind. I'd like to turn this room into a studio so I can paint and sketch for my job. So I'll probably end up getting rid of everything. I figured I could still use a second desk, so I kept it."
"But you said you might need help paying the bills."
"Well, I did some math, and if I do my architecture job while selling paintings on the side, I'll still have enough money to afford this place. Worst case scenario is that I have to move into a smaller place but keep all my stuff. It would be easier with a roommate, yeah, but when I was living with Mona, it wasn't that great. She'd skip on her bills sometimes for stupid reasons, and sometimes she'd bring guys over without asking, like this place was hers, and she bought it, and I was just the one living in, instead of the other way around. She was kind of a jerk in a way. So I'd rather live by myself."
"I see. Well, that makes sense. This room would be nice for a studio."
"Yeah, but the downside is when you come visit, you won't have a place to stay."
"Hey, don't worry about me. I could just as easily sleep on the couch."
"Well, it is comfortable, but that wouldn't be very hospitable."
"I'll manage."
"Well, let's not worry about that now. You're here to have fun, take a break from being Miss Detective, and enjoy your summer. You don't have to analyze everything."
Kenzie laughed with Jillian. "I know, I guess it's just a habit."
"Don't worry about it. By the way, that's a cute outfit."
"Oh, thanks. It's just something I threw together."
"Sounds like half my wardrobe."
Jillian may have just thrown together her outfit consisting of a tank top, short shorts, and high sandals, but she still looked like a fashion model. Kenzie had to put a lot of work into it and even then, with her size 12 body, it didn't always look the best.
"Come on, I'll give you a tour of the house," Jillian said, taking Kenzie's hand.
Jillian's house had an open floor plan, with the kitchen and living room attached to each other with no wall in between. Tall windows were at the corners and blinds covered them. The atmosphere of the place was very clean and peachy, just like the exterior walls. The bathroom was almost like stepping into an underwater world. There was a tub and a shower inside, as well as a small nook to do laundry in. Jillian's bedroom was done in wild colors of spiceberry and yellow. She had a very sophisticated high-heel-shaped chair as well as a desk and dresser. Decorative palm trees were placed everywhere to present the beach theme, much like Jillian's bedroom back in Riverview. Her interior decorating skills were evident in the even and creative flow of colors and designs from room to room.
The back patio was spectacular. Anyone in this part of the area could see the lighthouse in the middle of the sea, and there were several places to dine outside when the weather was nice. There were also lounge chairs, and there was even a telescope and hot tub.
"Yeah, well, that was Mona's idea. And I still use it."
"I may have to take a dip in it while I'm here."
"You should! I hope you brought your swimsuit."
"Oh yeah, I brought it, even though I'm bound to look hideous in it."
"Oh, stop that! You're pretty, Kenzie, and who cares if you aren't stick-thin? You're not fat, you're just big boned."
"Well I wish I could look like you."
"I have a fast metabolism. I can eat anything I want and not gain a pound."
"Lucky you."
"Sorry, didn't mean to rub it in."
"It's okay."
"But speaking of food, are you hungry?"
As if on cue, Kenzie's stomach growled.
"Just a little."
"I can tell," Jillian laughed. "Come on, I've got our dinner already prepared."
Kenzie expected the meal to consist of fish or some sort of sea food, but Jillian instead presented Kenzie with spaghetti. But Kenzie didn't mind; she wasn't too big on sea food anyway.
"This is delicious!" she said as she ate at Jillian's high-end dining table.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to come, I just couldn't bring myself to leave Riverview."
"Don't apologize, we just wanted different things. But hey, if you were willing to move in with me, I'd skip turning that bedroom into a studio and let you stay there instead."
"It sounds nice, and this place is awesome, but Riverview is home. It always has been. I just can't bring myself to leave it permanently."
"I grew up there, but to me, Sunset Valley is home. It was the first place I remember going on vacation, and it's like, this place was made for me. I love the beach, and the lighthouse, and water. Everything is so perfect here."
"Well it sure is pretty. And it has a much better view than Riverview."
"Yeah, the biggest scenic site you have in Riverview is the river."
"True."
Jillian stood up and cleared the plates off the table.
Kenzie obliged and looked out Jillian's double doors leading to the patio. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, setting the sea alight and looking like a great orange ball behind the lighthouse. The sky looked like a painting of oranges, pinks, and yellows, and Kenzie was overcome with the beauty.
"It is when you live here. I never get tired of it, and I never even get used to it. I want to paint that sunset someday, when I get some spare time in between jobs."
"Yeah, do you have a schedule or anything?"
"No, remember I told you that I have open work hours and get a weekly stipend."
"Oh right."
"Yeah, so I'll apologize right now if I get called away. A lot of people decide to renovate in the summer, so there's a good chance I will be."
"It's fine, I've got my laptop with me too, so I'll have plenty to do."
"I do have some books, even though I'm not a bookworm like you are."
"Sounds good."
Jillian put the dishes into the dishwasher and said, "Want to go outside and watch the sun set?"
"Sure, that would be nice."
So the two best friends exited the sliding back doors and sat on Jillian's couch, watching the sun set. As it descended into the sea, the sky took on a navy blue tint and millions of stars dotted the sky. At last, the two friends went back inside.
Kenzie had driven quite a distance, but she wasn't quite tired yet, so she and Jillian decided to watch TV. While doing so, they chatted about old times and got caught up.
Typical Jillian, she had boys on the brain quite a bit.
"No, still single," Kenzie answered.
"Any special guys lately?"
Kenzie's mind drifted to a certain vampire in Bridgeport from her previous case. But she didn't want to talk about him, so she just shook her head and asked, "How about you?"
"Just got out of a bad relationship a couple of weeks ago."
"Another bad one?"
"I know, I have the worst luck with men."
Kenzie thought that might be because of Jillian's taste in men; ever since her first boyfriend in junior high, she'd gone after the tools and users. Every time she turned around, Jillian was in or out of a bad relationship.
"What happened?" she asked instead.
"He...well, we just didn't work out."
Kenzie couldn't help but notice the hesitation in Jillian's voice. Was she hiding something? Or was she looking too much into it, thanks to her job? She suspected the latter. Jillian wouldn't have anything to hide. She was Kenzie's best friend, and they always told each other everything.
Except in the case of Kenzie's last "relationship". No one needed to know that. Her parents didn't even know that, apart from how the case ended.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you'll have better luck next time."
"I hope so."
After watching TV, Jillian and Kenzie decided to just go crazy and start dancing. So they went into Jillian's room and turned on the stereo, then they both began dancing. It was just like old times, although Kenzie was a little less outgoing with her dance moves than Jillian.
So Kenzie took a shower in Jillian's bright bathroom. She thought she heard the phone ring in the shower, but ignored it since it wasn't her house.
After stepping out of the shower, Kenzie toweled off and used Jillian's hair dryer on her hair. Her bangs bounced back into her face, as they'd done for as long as she could remember. She preferred her hair to be straight, but didn't necessarily like her out-of-style bangs, particularly when they got right to the point of her not being able to see, but not long enough to tuck behind her ears and out of her eyes. But unfortunately, she thought there was nothing that could be done about that.
Kenzie yawned and realized how tired she was. It had been a long day. She realized that she forgot to call her parents and tell them that she'd settled in with Jillian. But she was too tired and it was too late to call them now. She decided to do so in the morning. She did, however, quickly pull out her laptop, set it on the desk, and plug it in.
Yawning again, Kenzie climbed into bed and turned off the bedside lamp. The bed was very comfortable, and the cool sheets felt great in contrast to the warm temperature outside. She was so glad to be able to see Jillian again. It would also be nice to have a vacation to a new place without having a case to solve. She could completely focus on enjoying herself. With that thought in mind, and a reminder to call her parents in the morning, she drifted off to sleep.
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