Wondering why she wanted him to wait for her, Chancellor looked after her dazedly as she skidded down the hall and quickly disappeared around a corner. His gaze dropped to the floor as he wished he was anywhere but inside a homeless shelter. Upon closing his eyes for a brief word of prayer, he heard heels clicking against the concrete floor. He cut his supplication short and then looked up to await her arrival.
Discreetly, Laylah pressed several neatly folded bills into Chancellor’s hand. “Go get yourself a room. There’s a very nice motel, Sweet Dreams Inn, about three short blocks from here. The place is very clean and well tended to. Tell Mr. Arlie Jones I sent you. My full name is Laylah Versailles. Arlie is a dear friend of mine. He’s good people.”
Chancellor was positively amazed by Laylah’s altruistic spirit. He felt ashamed to take the money, but he figured she’d be offended if he did otherwise. He got the feeling she didn’t make a habit of handing out cash, otherwise she’d probably be broke by now. Out of all the folks who came to the shelter, why had she decided to help him? Knowing full well that he’d pay her back every red cent, he slipped the money in his pocket. This was one kind gesture he’d never forget. It was very special. “Thanks. I’ll be going now.”
“Be safe, Chance. Hope you get here in time tomorrow to score a bed.”
Laylah couldn’t take her eyes off Chancellor’s retreating back. His stride was confident. This man was somebody important. Though she couldn’t explain why she felt that way, she was darn near sure of it. Something devastating must have occurred in his life recently, but what? What had sent him out into the mean streets of Los Angeles to look for a place to lay his weary head? And why was she so darn interested in him?
Laylah couldn’t stop thinking about Chancellor as she fulfilled the last of her duties. Once Laylah gathered her belongings, she gave her cheerful farewells to the night crew and then hurried from the building. Chancellor was still heavy on her mind as she reached her car and got inside.
Chapter 2
Arlie Jones gave Laylah a warm hug and a brilliant smile. “Happy to see you, but what brings you down here so late in the evening?”
“I referred your motel to a homeless guy and I came by to see if he checked in. Unfortunately, I don’t know his surname.” She then provided Arlie with a first name.
Arlie shook his head in the negative. “No one by that name has checked in here this evening. All but two of my rooms are occupied. If you’d like, I’ll try to save one for the guy just in case he shows up.”
Hoping she hadn’t given away her money in vain, Laylah couldn’t hide her bitter disappointment. What if Chancellor was a drinker or drug user? If so, she’d supplied him with enough money to score himself a few highs. “I have to go now, Arlie. I hope Chance shows up before you run out of rooms. I really thought he needed somewhere to stay.”
“He does,” said a slightly familiar voice. “That’s why I’m here.” Chancellor made direct eye contact with Arlie. “If you’re Mr. Arlie Jones, I’m supposed to tell you Laylah Versailles sent me over here to rent a room for the night.” Chancellor moved over to the counter and extended his hand to Arlie. “Am I in luck?”
“You surely are,” Arlie responded with enthusiasm, handing Chancellor a clipboard with a registration form attached to it. “Just fill out this baby and we’ll get you all squared away. All I really need is a name.”
Laylah was embarrassed to no end. It was one thing for her to stop by the motel to check on Chancellor, but it was another matter altogether to get caught red-handed at it. The things she’d already done regarding him were so unusual. He had to think she had lost all her marbles. If he didn’t think so, she certainly did. As well as purely insane, her behavior was also dangerous. She was actually inside the office of a motel to track down a virtual stranger, a homeless one at that.
How sick was that?
Arlie appeared amused as he looked back and forth between Laylah and the disheveled man she had come there to inquire about. If he didn’t know better, he’d think his little friend was infatuated with the man she had earlier referred to as Chance. He thought it was very strange indeed, since she’d also told him the guy was homeless. One thing Arlie was certain of was Laylah’s embarrassment. Her deeply reddened cheeks were a dead giveaway.
Feeling skittish, Laylah backed up toward the front door. “Glad you made it here safely, Chance. I have to go now. I hope you get a good night’s rest. Good night, Arlie.”
Raising his hand in a farewell gesture, Arlie smiled sympathetically at Laylah, wishing he could say something to make her feel better. She looked so down. If nothing else, she should feel really good about helping out others. She was known around the community for trying to make life easier for folks. However, he thought there might be something else going on with her regarding this man. A more personal interest, perhaps.
Laylah hit the car’s remote button to open the door. Just before she got into the driver’s seat, she heard her name drifting softly on the air. Chancellor had called out to her—the last thing she needed right now, especially since she had only made a total fool of herself. She was embarrassed enough already, yet she waited on him to reach her.
Chancellor stopped a few inches away from Laylah, careful not to step into her personal space. “I want to thank you again. Your generosity means a lot to me. If you have any odd jobs you’d like me to do or any errands you need run, please let me know. It’d make me feel better if I can pay you back somehow. I’ll be around for a while.”
“Payback is not necessary. However, if I hear of any decent jobs, I’ll try to let you know.” She laughed softly. “I guess the only way I can do that is when you stop by the shelter. Just remember what I said about getting there early to land a bed.”
“I won’t forget it, Laylah. Take care and drive safely.”
She quickly turned around and called out, asking him to wait a minute. As Chancellor faced her, he smiled beautifully. Laylah’s breath caught at the sight of healthy white teeth and pink gums. Why was his smile so familiar? His good dental hygiene was further evidence that he may have recently gotten down on his luck.
Laylah smiled back. “How are you at gardening? I have some yard work you could do at my place. I haven’t had the opportunity to hire a permanent gardener yet. Interested in the job?”
“Definitely! When do you want me to come by?”
“How’s tomorrow morning? Early, say, around seven?”
“Works for me, Laylah,” he said, sounding nearly out of breath.
Loving the way Chancellor had breathlessly said her name, Laylah wrote her address down on the back of one of the shelter’s business cards. Without further comment, she got into her car and fired the engine, waving to him as she drove off.
Chancellor Kingston was pleased that Laylah had been right about the motel. It was very clean and well tended. The bed was comfortable but nothing to write home about. He often missed his extremely comfortable digs, but this was his lifestyle now. Drifting from pillar to post wasn’t as easy as he had imagined.
Chancellor’s twin brother, Chandler, had made drifting sound glamorous when it was anything but. Tears came to his eyes as he thought about his twin, who he hadn’t seen in a couple of months. He’d give anything to find Chandler. He wouldn’t allow himself to even think that some harm may have come to him. If his brother was still in southern California, he’d locate him. He had to find him. Chandler was all the meaningful family Chancellor had left in the world and he just couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without his very best friend at his side.
The ageless photographs were more than compelling, darn near tangible. The greatest memories of their lives were all through the pages of the photo album he’d pulled out. Tears were hard to hold back. The pain in his heart was searing.
Chancellor