Before I can spot them, Nate’s hand latches on to mine.
“Hey.” He leans in close to my ear. “You got this. If you were able to stand up in the middle of that meeting and win the crowd over with no preparation whatsoever, they don’t stand a chance against you now. Plus, Ruby might murder both of us if this meeting gets canceled.”
He’s not wrong.
About any of it.
“Thank you.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath, and when I open them, I remember who the fuck I am.
I stand up on steady legs and round the table, staring back at curious eyes more interested in my relationship status with Nate than my stance on neighborhood policies. But I don’t care what they came for; all I know is what I’m going to give.
Ugh.
Moving home made me so corny.
“Hello, everyone, thank you so much for coming out today.” I finally spot my friends and family in the audience. Ashleigh and my mom both give me a thumbs-up while Dad and Ruby nod in approval. “I’m sure for some of you, this may be your first homeowners’ association meeting and you don’t know what to expect. To that I say, I know how you feel.
“When I went to my first homeowners’ association meeting, I was prepared to take a nap and raise hell.” The crowd, minus a few exceptions like Karen Two in the first row, laugh like I hoped they would. I positioned a small joke early on, hoping their reaction would provide me with a little encouragement, which it does. “Never in a million years did I think I would volunteer to run for president that night. I can’t stand here and lie to you by saying I knew what I was getting myself into. In fact, I had no idea whatsoever. I had just moved back from Los Angeles and I hadn’t been a member of this community for a long time. If I’m honest, half of the reason I went that night was to get under the skin of my opponent.” When I look at Nate over my shoulder, the way he’s watching me gives me butterflies and I can’t help but go off script a bit. “And I guess you could say that was a massive success.”
He winks, and his massive smile, which outshines even the afternoon sun, makes it almost impossible for me to look away. The collective sigh coming from the audience is the only thing that pulls me back. I can hear Ruby in the back of my mind screaming at me to stay on topic, but at least I know I gave a solid fifty percent of the people here exactly what they came for.
“But seriously, when I stood up in the middle of the meeting, I had no idea what this community needed.” I find my way back on track, the nerves slowly drifting away as I find my groove. I don’t even need the note cards I was clinging on to so tightly. “And I’m here today to tell you I still don’t know.”
I can tell this isn’t what they were expecting me to say.
I have them right where I want them.
“No single person can know what our community needs, and as president, I promise not to speak for you. I promise to make room for you to speak and be heard. I promise to care less about the bylaws than I do my neighbors.” My voice is strong and steady. I hope they can all hear the sincerity in my words. “I grew up in this community. I watched as neighbors looked out for one another and lifted each other up when they were in need. That’s what I believe the homeowners’ association should be: a place where we can come together and express ourselves and our needs. It shouldn’t be about riding around on golf carts and issuing fines, but instead about building this community into a place where we all feel safe and welcome. You bought your homes. You pay your dues. The HOA is for you, not the other way around. If that is the vision you see, then I hope I’ll have your vote. If not, I still know that Nate will do an amazing job as a leader. Thank you for listening.”
Before anyone has the time to respond, Ruby is out of her seat and on her feet.
“Yes, Collins!” she shouts. “That was amazing!”
It doesn’t take long for the rest of the crowd to join in. Other than my family and Ashleigh, nobody is as enthusiastic as Ruby, but the applause mends something I didn’t know was broken inside me. For so long, I felt like an outsider, like I didn’t belong.
Not anymore.
I finally feel at home . . . and it only took me running for the HOA to make it happen.
* * *
? ? ?
I hate that Nate’s speech was good. I really thought he was going to bomb,” Ruby grumbles as she grabs a piece of cheese off the charcuterie board Ashleigh brought over to celebrate me not falling on my face.
“I don’t know why.” I slump down into the chair next to her. My entire body aches. I didn’t realize how tense and stressed I was until the meeting ended. “He’s been on the HOA already and he’s always been good at public speaking.”
He spoke at our graduation and I may have hated him at the time, but I still had to admit it was a really good speech. There’s something about the way he carries himself, confidence in the way he moves, the thoughtful inflections of his voice, that make him damn near transcendent when he talks.
“Well, I think you both did a phenomenal job.” Mom drops a bowl of pita chips and hummus next to the board. “I didn’t know if you were going to stick this out, but you did. No matter what happens next, I’m so proud of you.”
At almost thirty, I thought I wouldn’t need my parents’ approval anymore. But as I sit at the table, hearing my mom say she’s proud of me, warmth flows through my veins and my vision begins to blur. These last few months have been so tumultuous; I went from low to high to low again. I had no idea how much of my self-worth was tied to my career and finding success in Los Angeles until I lost them both. Moving back home, I didn’t know if I would ever feel proud of myself, let alone make my parents proud.
“Thanks, Mom.” My voice is thick with unshed emotion. “That means a lot to me.”
Instead of saying anything, because she knows I will cry and I don’t want to cry at a table with my friends, she takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
It says everything words could never.
Before things get too emotional, the doorbell rings.
“Finally!” Ruby shouts. “That better be Nate with the wine. You can’t do charcuterie without wine.”
“You’re ridiculous.” I push out of the chair to go open the door.
I may or may not have told Nate that if there’s a way to win Ruby’s heart over, it was through quality wine. It’s a long shot, but he jumped on it. Plus, even if it doesn’t work, at least we’ll be properly boozed.
He’s earlier than he said he’d be. It’s only been a couple of hours since I saw him last, but the anticipation of seeing him again spurs me to walk to the door a little faster. I swing open the door, fully prepared to launch at him, when I come to a sudden halt.
Because it’s not Nate.
“Hey, Colly. You’re looking good.”
It’s Peter.
Chapter 27
The wheels in my mind spin as I try to process what is happening. The last time I saw Peter, he was watching me destroy his car through our apartment window. As far as I know, there are still charges pending against me and I thought we weren’t supposed to be within one hundred yards of each other. Yet here he is, standing on my parents’ sidewalk in all his California god perfection.