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LA is not at all like what Miley Cyrus had told him. He hops off the plane at LAX and the taxi doesn't play a Jay-Z song.
Instead, it's some old dude who doesn't say a word, but frowns at him in the rearview mirror and proceeds to charge him nearly half of his food money for a cab ride to his motel.
It makes him reconsider if the change of scenery is worth it.
But deep down he knows it is. Knows that he’s been ready for change, itching for something new.
The motel room is pretty standard, an acceptable amount of shaggy for the price, and he dumps his bags on the single bed as he looks around. Some old beige wallpaper, a splash of paint on a canvas in the rough outline of a horse, green blankets, and two black bags that carry all the remains of the life that he had packed up.
He’d sold pretty much everything in his old apartment when he’d made the decision to move here, only packing the things he knew he wanted. He had another box ready to be shipped to him once he found a place to live.
Deciding he’s had enough of the motel room, he walks out, warm air hitting his face.
It’s strange.
By September the heat is pretty much gone from New York, making way for the cool breezes of fall. But here, it’s a warm day. And if he’s to believe the forecast, it’s always going to be a warm day.
He treks along the sidewalk with no particular destination in mind. It’s easy when you don’t know where you are.
Palm trees line the roads and everything is just so…different. Then again, if you want change, moving all the way across the country will do that.
He approaches an intersection, only to be met with none other than McDonalds.
Different, except for McDonalds, that seems to be a constant no matter where you go.
Since half of his food money was spent on the taxi (and he wants to stretch his savings for as long as possible) McDonalds is probably his best bet. It won’t be healthy, but it’ll be cheap.
He steps inside and the familiar smell of burgers and oil hits him like a wave. Well, if he ever feels homesick this is where to go. But it’s too early for that, it’s only the first day of his new adventure.
Ordering a big Mac and fries, he leans against a table, waiting for his food. The sight outside shows blue skies and a late afternoon golden sun. That must be why they call it the Golden State. He’s only visited California once and that was San Diego when he was like thirteen. Moving here, though, is already different.
It wasn’t quite throwing a dart at a map, he looked into places that would actually be viable because contrary to popular belief, LA is more than Hollywood. (And based of off his research, he wants to stay away from Hollywood if he ever wants to afford a place to live.)
His order gets called and he debates sitting inside or at one of the three bright red tables outdoors. Being a newcomer, he chooses the outdoors. California air is very different from New York. Not just because it’s warm in September, but the pace of life is different, more relaxed.
And he obviously hasn’t lived here enough to say for sure but there’s already a sense of sameness, the kind you find in a city without seasons. A part of him wonders if this place will provide the excitement he’s searching for.
But deep thoughts aside, his meal is done and he needs to find work.
Scrolling through his phone looking for jobs sounds arduous and he still wants to explore. So he sets off on foot to walk the neighborhood in hopes of finding a help wanted sign. (Okay, so maybe he’s a bit old-schooled.)
There’s a lot of small businesses around, and he takes his time to look at each one. Maybe one day he’ll have his own. That’s probably the end goal, he thinks. Not that he knows for sure, he’s really here to find out.
He passes by a barbershop playing rock music where an unassuming guy is cutting hair. He looks too normal to work at a place like this but hey, what does he know?
There’s a small hardware/repair store down the way and though he doesn’t have a specific job in mind, it would be cool to work there. He tries not to get his hopes up when he inspects the window and sees a help wanted sign.
With a smile on his face, he goes in and heads straight for the counter.
“Hi,” he says to the cashier, who looks up from his phone. “I saw the help wanted sign—”
“They just hired someone,” the dude cuts him off.
“Oh.”
“Yeah…” Now the guy is looking awkward. “I guess I should remove the sign…I forgot…”
“No worries, thanks,” Percy replies.
Well, there’s no way he would get that lucky. First tries rarely work out. In fact, he’s pretty sure he won’t find much by walking around and will need to get online to really get anywhere.
But it’s still nice to see the sights and the sun is starting to sink lower in the sky, so the golden light is getting stronger.
He’s probably strayed way too far from the motel at this point but he spots another help wanted sign tucked into the corner of a window. Looking up, he reads the name: Cali’s Cafe.
Why not? Working at a Starbucks during community college is a credential as good as any, and though it’s been a while, he can probably find his way around.
A little bell rings when he steps in. It’s small which gives it a cozy type of vibe and though there are a few tables, they’re all empty. (Then again, not many people want coffee in the evening.)
There’s a girl working the counter. She’s got a warm smile and hair the color of caramel.
“Hi, welcome to Cali’s Cafe, how can I help you?” she asks.
He reads her nametag: Cali.
“Hi,” he responds. “I’m actually hoping to help you, I saw the help wanted sign. Are you still hiring?”
At that she leans back, clearly appraising him in a different light. “We are…” she responds slowly.
“Have you worked at a coffee shop before?” she continues.
Percy nods. “Starbucks for two years.”
Cali makes a face and Percy sighs. “It was community college,” he says by way of explanation.
She laughs at that. “Fair enough. Can you make a drink?”
“Right now?”
She nods. “Yep, I’ll tell you where everything is.”
This is going a lot farther than he ever thought it would. “Alright.”
It seems to be the correct answer because Cali is impressed. She opens the counter so he can step behind. He moves to wash his hands then turns to her.
“What should I make?”
“A caramel macchiato,” she replies. “The dairy is kept here…” She goes on to explain where everything is but then leaves him to make the drink however he wants.
It really has been a while but he manages to pour what he hopes is a decent cup. (He tries to do the art with the steamed milk but it doesn’t turn out as nice as it used to back when he was in practice.)
Cali had stepped back to watch him but now picks up the cup to take a sip. He really hopes it’s good (and that he put enough caramel in.)
She takes another sip. “Not bad, slightly milkier than how we make it here but it still tastes good. You nailed the amount of caramel.”
At that moment the door dings and a customer walks in. Cali puts down the cup and walks to the register as Percy waits for her to be done. As he’s debating if he should step out from behind the counter, she turns back and calls. “Hot Vanilla Latte with an extra shot of espresso.”
He’s stunned.
She finishes the transaction and as the customer moves aside to wait, she turns around and gestures expectantly.
So he gets to work on making a vanilla latte, though this time with a lot more coaching from her. Once the customer has their drink and heads out, Percy turns to her. “So I have the job?”
Cali smiles at him. “It was yours the moment you washed your hands first. When can you start?”
He resists the urge to say now. “Tomorrow?”
“Perfect, see you here at 7 in the morning. And hold on, let me get some paperwork. If you can get it filled out by the time you come in, it’ll speed things up.”
So as she goes into the small back office to get the papers, he stands behind the counter looking out at the quaint cafe thinking that maybe sometimes he can get lucky.
The sky is pink by the time he steps out and begins his long walk back to the motel. He’s got the papers rolled up in the jean jacket that the LA weather does not really call for but he’s had on anyway.
So far, things had worked out even better than he could have imagined. Of course, he’s got to find a place to live and there’s a lot more to be done but that won’t stop him from counting his blessings.
And maybe LA is going to be exactly the change of pace he’s been searching for.