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right. It was exciting. In fact the further we flew, the more excited I got. The pain of leaving Josh was dulled by Parker’s chatter. He was telling me everything we’d be doing. He’d arranged it all the night before. His car was waiting for us at the airport, and he was going to drive me to my hotel.
    A hotel!
    I’d never stayed in one of them before. I mean, I’d been in the odd, disgusting motel room. The ones with the little kitchens in ’em, but I ain’t never stayed anywhere classy. And everything about Parker Stewart was classy.
    I stole a glance out the corner of my eye. His thumbs moved like lightning over the touch pad of his phone. I didn’t know how he typed so fast. He was such a city boy…and I was a country hick. Tugging on my little skirt, I shifted in my seat, leaning my forehead against the small window to look out again.
    The City of Angels was now beneath me, and all I could see were hundreds of houses with bean-shaped pools in their backyards. As the plane began its descent, I swear I was landing on an alien planet.
    Could I honestly do this?
    Whatever it takes.
    Mama’s words whispered through my brain, and I forced a smile as the plane touched down.
    Parker undid his seatbelt while the plane taxied for the gate and pulled out his bag from under the seat in front. I waited until the sign flicked off before unbuckling mine and awkwardly rising from my spot.
    Parker passed down my handbag and I threw it over my shoulder, lining up with the other passengers and slowly making my way off the plane.
    The flying had made me a little nauseous, but I kept my lips sealed. The last thing I wanted to do was puke in front of the man who was about to change my life. We walked to the baggage claim and I waited for my guitar in the special section, squeezing my fingers and praying it’d made the journey unscathed. It came through without a scratch, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
    Mama had scraped her pennies to buy me that guitar, and it was my last connection to her. I treasured it and couldn’t imagine ever not having it with me. I carried the case back to Parker’s side while he lifted off my bag. Resting it onto the trolley, he took the lead and we walked out of the airport.
    Throngs of people milled around, and it took a bit of getting used to. The traffic was insane. I’d never seen anything like it, and the frenetic buzz in the air kind of made me feel excited and overwhelmed all in the same minute.
    I hustled after Parker who powered ahead at a steady pace, his one long stride equaling two of mine. We reached his car several minutes later. It was buried deep in the parking lot.
    With a winning smile, he opened the passenger door for me and I slid inside, feeling a little like a princess. Drivers did not open doors for their passengers where I came from.
    The drive was fascinating. Parker put the top down on his car, and I saw all kinds of things on my way to the hotel. It made me feel like I was in a movie. You know the ones where the hillbilly goes to the big city and their eyes pop out as they take in all these strange sights. Well, that was me. I was the hillbilly and Los Angeles was like nothin’ I’d ever seen before.
    My jaw sat slack most of the way until we reached the ocean, and then my smile grew so wide it actually hurt my face.
    “That’s the ocean,” I breathed.
    Parker’s head snapped my way. “You’ve never seen the ocean before?”
    I shook my head, lost for words as I gazed at the endless blue. Clutching the top of the windshield, I rose in my seat so I could drink it all in—the white, powdery sand, the foamy lip of each wave. It was like paradise.
    Mama, can you see this?
    I knew she could, because she was there with me, no doubt just as awe-inspired.
    The car slowed to a stop outside a fancy-looking hotel that sat across the road from the beach. The sign said: Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort.
    “Here? I’m staying here?”
    “Only the best for a potential