5th & Flamingo

By Ceanmohrlass

It is so frustrating, she is 23 years old for goodness sake, and her long divorced parents still act like she’s in kindergarten. She has just recently gotten her Bachelor’s degree, and is working as an Assistant Billing Manager in the hospital here. It wasn’t like she was living in a tent on the beach eating beanie weenies! Jessica has to admit though, that it is not the grand structured life she had once set her sights on.
The phone rings again... “Clint? Argh!” she yells. She hits ignore and waits for the voice mail to chime. “Hey sweetcakes! Why didn’tcha give me a chance to explain? Really it was nothin, it was just a stupid moment, I got carried away. Call me back! Ya know ya want to, ya can’t stay mad at me forever, ya NEED me,” Clint’s thick New Jersey accent wailed. “Oh you jerk!” she says to the phone as she deletes his voice mail.
She blows out a deep breath and stomps her feet, forcing a few quick farts along with her tantrum. She throws herself down on her wide stuffed chaise and screams out for a second. All she can think about is his arrogant face as she saw them... It had happened without any warning!
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A borderline nervous breakdown causes a structured city girl to abandon her out of control life, in
exchange for the unorthodox characters living by the beach that embrace her into their world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ceanmohrlass
• Release date: May 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310395796

Ceanmohrlass

Ceanmohrlass is a retired grandmother who has been writing novels for her family and friends for over 20 years.She is the family genealogist, and writing the family history has only increased the passion for writing.Ceanmohrlass resides in Texas and is currently working on three new novels.

Book preview

5th & Flamingo

Copyright 2014 Jana Robison

Published by Ceanmohrlass Jana Robison at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

About the Author

Other books by Ceanmohrlass

Chapter One

Jessica watches the men back the U-Haul against the open garage. She directs them where to place her things then gives them a tip for setting up her TV. She hands them water before thanking them again and watching them drive away. Afraid to be laughed at, Jessica refrains from doing a little happy dance! She just can’t believe she is really here, that this is really all hers...

She stands at the end of the driveway and looks toward her new home, a sea foam green with white trim, beach community bungalow. It’s a beautiful little house, full of charm and has a tall white picket fence in front. The front porch has a trellis on the Flamingo Street side that is covered in dark pink Bougainvillea blooms interspersed with yellow and pink honeysuckle vine.

Her restored bungalow sits back off of narrow, old 5th Street, surrounded by trees and flower vines. She was lucky to find this house on the corner of 5th & Flamingo. Having taken two weeks and multiple counter offers, this home is finally all hers, and it only cost her 20k over asking. Her grandfather’s inheritance and the sale of her east coast apartment have been well spent.

The phone rings, and Jessica sighs when she views the screen... It takes her a second, but she finally gets brave enough to answer... Hi Mom, Jessica says, but her mother begins reeling off all the mistakes she is making right over her greeting. Her mother starts yelling at her, stating that she and her father are just devastated that she has practically vanished.

Jessica rolls her eyes and carries her phone inside; placing it on speaker and on the counter, while she pours herself a glass of tea. She then takes the phone outside to the patio, sitting down on the cement slab, her phone still on speaker.

Mom… MOM! I understand, you two are upset, I get that, but really it’s gonna be okay, I promise. You can come here anytime and see me! I have had keys made for each of you and I have two spare bedrooms upstairs, so come anytime, really, Jessica says, right over her mother’s complaints. Of course she was hoping the visits would be few and far between, and hopefully not at the same time!

After five more minutes of crying, trying to persuade her to come home then telling her she is ruining her life, her mother finally hangs up. Jessica is still sitting on the patio, and hopes that her neighbors didn’t hear that call. Jessica is exhausted from listening to her mother’s loud, high pitched nasally voice. ‘Way to ruin a happy moment,’ she whispers to herself. Jessica stands up slowly, listening to the sounds of the waves, and she forces herself back inside.

It is so frustrating, she is 23 years old for goodness sake, and her long divorced parents still act like she’s in kindergarten. She has just recently gotten her Bachelor’s degree, and is working as an Assistant Billing Manager in the hospital here. It wasn’t like she was living in a tent on the beach eating beanie weenies! Jessica has to admit though, that it is not the grand structured life she had once set her sights on.

The phone rings again… Clint? Argh! she yells. She hits ignore and waits for the voice mail to chime. Hey sweetcakes! Why didn’tcha give me a chance to explain? Really it was nothin, it was just a stupid moment, I got carried away. Call me back! Ya know ya want to, ya can’t stay mad at me forever, ya NEED me, Clint’s thick New Jersey accent wailed. Oh you jerk! she says to the phone as she deletes his voice mail.

She blows out a deep breath and stomps her feet, forcing a few quick farts along with her tantrum. She throws herself down on her wide stuffed chaise and screams out for a second. All she can think about is his arrogant face as she saw them… It had happened without any warning!

Jessica had rushed back to Clint’s car because she forgot her graduation cap which was required to walk, then ran back in the building to get in line. Then she saw them…Here was her boyfriend, her only boyfriend since 6th grade, the love of her life, proposing to her best friend since 6th grade… Ugggghhhh! It was one of those moments that slam into your brain, like when you’re a teenager and walk in on your parents getting busy… In shock, she had heard the announcer start calling names... She barely made it back, got into line, received her degree, and took a taxi home.

Jessica had spent her whole life preparing for upper management and possibly owning her own company. Once that was accomplished, she would marry Clint and have a family at 30, and retire wealthy at 45. Jessica had a plan, a goal, and had spent every waking minute preparing for it. She struggled with her classes, and it took her longer than usual to get her Bachelor’s, but she was well on her way. Jessica had finally done what she had planned, but after ‘it’ happened, she did a 360 and abandoned it all.

Something snapped that day, and Jessica didn’t care about her plan anymore. She didn’t care if her mother freaked out or if Clint hated her. She didn’t care that she had just spent 5 years busting her butt to make herself a success. What the hell did any of it matter anymore?

Jessica packed up all her stuff and Clint’s, made him come get his things, ordered movers to pick up her things, and put her apartment up for sale. The apartment sold in one week after a bidding war, and she received 50k over her asking price for it. She didn’t tell Clint she had sold her place, or that she was looking for a new job. She secretly stayed in a hotel for several months while she worked at the local hospital in their offices.

Jessica then accepted a job in south Florida, and didn’t tell anyone but her mother that she was leaving. It was quite a scene that day, and her mother was sure she had lost her mind! Her mother had tried to stop her, but Jessica was adamant. Jessica wouldn’t even call her father back when she left for the airport. She was still so angry and just shut down from them all.

Jessica walks out into the garage to get the last few boxes, and sees an older couple riding their bikes. They turn around the corner on the sidewalk, and wave as they pass her. She waves back then carries the last big box into the living room. Her stomach grumbles and her arms are sore already. Pulling on her big t-shirt, Jessica locks the doors and gets on her baby blue Vespa.

Taking her time Jessica rides to her favorite sandwich shop just a few streets over from her house. While she is waiting on her soup and sandwich, she watches a tall, fairly heavy, young blonde woman dancing toward the café. The young woman is wearing a silky flowing dress, and a thin sweater. She has on a wide brimmed sun hat, better suited for Easter services than an afternoon stroll.

Jessica notices that she has on brown high heeled boots, and she whistles ‘these boots are made for walking’. Funny, sometimes she takes a double step here and there, in time with the song. The young woman smiles and says hello to Jessica, and surprising herself, she says hello back to her. Back home this lady would have stood out like a sore thumb and Jessica would have avoided her, but she just seems to fit in here.

Watching the young woman dancing back out the door with her to-go order, Jessica envies her free spirit. She is much too reserved to dance like that in public, what if someone saw her? She drinks her tea and happily accepts her to-go bag, wishing she could just relax a little more.

Jessica pulls her Vespa in the garage next to her little yellow VW bug, and gathers her dinner from the basket. A noisy, laughing, older couple is out walking their twin Westies, and chattering about Bingo. Jessica waves in response to their greetings then closes her garage door. She doesn’t feel nervous being here as she had in her apartment back in New Jersey, and it’s a nice feeling.

Jessica sighs, it had been a long, frustrating 5 years to get her degree, and try to balance pressure from her increasingly annoying boyfriend Clint. Clint insisted that she just give up and have a baby already, after all, women belonged in the nursery, not the office. She can’t believe she had been with him all those years, but she now realizes what a creep he is.

That evening, she listens to the TV with little interest, busy getting her books placed into her shelves, and getting the rest of her kitchen items unpacked. She gets her cabinets and drawers all lined with contact paper, and reaches for the next box, but soon gets too sleepy to carry on.

Robed in brand new pajamas fresh from the dryer, she wraps her arms around herself and falls backward onto her bed. Her first night on her brand new memory foam bed in her own home is such a pleasant change, she sleeps the entire night. She hadn’t slept well in the tiny noisy condo, but it is nice and quiet here. Jessica revels in not having to hear Clint snore, and his phone ring most of the night, getting calls from his stupid loser friends.

Jessica wakes up just after sunrise, and puts on her shorts and big t-shirt and heads to the beach. The 8 foot wide sidewalk of Flamingo Street leads directly to the popular beach. Even this early in the morning, it is surprisingly busy with people. She passes people out on in-blade skates and a couple of Segways, as well as the occasional bicycle or two. There is plenty of room for all the activity it carries.

Jessica takes off her tennis shoes to walk on the warm sand, digging her toes in at the water’s edge. She sets her little camp chair down, opening it and placing it almost at the edge of the water. She quietly watches the waves as they slowly crawl toward her, tickling her toes then quickly rushing away. Maybe this is the life she should have been living all along she thinks.

Jessica had held a part time job in the hospital in New Jersey after she struggled to earn her degree, and it was very hectic. Her office manager was a high strung perfectionist, and everything seemed to have an impossible deadline. That was a worse job than the part time call center job Jessica had held during college. Every day, Jessica rushed to class, rushed home to study, rushed to work, rushed to do whatever Clint wanted... Everything was done in a panic and she could barely breathe some days. There were no breaks, no vacations, no days off.

Her new job at this hospital had kept her so busy the first few months she was here, that she lived out of the tiny condo in the middle of the city. She hurried to get her work done, hurried to learn her new position and the people she managed, and hurried to get out at night. Finally, the new managers shifted the work load around and she got a nice break. Now it is the job she had been hoping it would be. She had just recently been able to take some time off to close on her house, and move from the cramped condo.

Her schedule has finally leveled out and she is enjoying her job immensely, but Jessica still feels out of place here, and is eager to settle in. She isn’t sure what to do to feel better about her new community. Maybe she just needs to get involved