A Diva's Heart: Behind the Chapter: California Love

In chapter three of Diary of a Divorcee Diva, the introductory scene symbolizes Mikayla leaving all of her troubles behind and hoping, against all odds, that this journey would take beyond her wildest dreams. Ironically, she was taking the trip with her off again and on again ex-boyfriend. There was no denying the temptation to rekindle the past, but she was determined to turn her focus to the future. Based on my actual first trip to Cali and my experiences there, I try to give my readers a sense that they are with Mikayla on her way to freedom and new adventure as her love for California and the flicker of her old flame take flight. Let’s catch up with Mikayla on Cloud Nine...

Chapter Three-California Love Excerpt

I never felt so free as I did on that flight to LAX. The sky was the limit and I was literally on top the world, looking down on it from Cloud Nine. No one could tell me anything would ever go wrong ever again at that moment in time. After chatting it up with Darren a little bit about my hopes and dreams as always, he suggested that maybe I should look into moving to Cali, too. It would be the perfect place to start a totally new path in life and get away from all my troubles. I daydreamed myself about it right on to sleep.

“Good evening, passengers. This is your Captain speaking. I hope you have enjoyed your flight. We are approaching our destination and fully expect a safe and uneventful landing. Thank you for joining us. Have a good night.”

Waking up to stare out the window at the stuff that dreams are made of was surreal. The view of the Concrete Jungle, with all that water surrounding it, was amazing. I saw nothing but miles and miles of highway and bright lights! I had on my cute little sleeveless cotton dress that was hit just above the knee and got a rude awakening when I stepped onto the tarmac. The cold, sweeping air hit me right in the face.

“Whoa!! How can it be freezing in California in the middle of July?!”

“Kay, this ain’t Cackalacky. Ain’t none of that humidity out here. Don’t you know this is the desert?” Darren was always so thorough in his explanation of everything. Always had been, even back in the days when he was trying to tell me why we needed to break up and just be friends.

“You gone love the way it feels outside tomorrow when the sun is out, though. I’m telling you, Kay. The weather is addictive.”

“Ok, I’m just gonna have to trust you on that one ‘cause it’s just freezing my legs off right about now!”

That night as I looked out the 12th-floor window of the hotel at all the lights that put the dark, tree-lined streets back home to shame, I was hooked and my mind was made up. If the rest of Cali was like the view from here, I was gonna call it home and soon. The next day, Darren and I headed out to paint the town. He was right about the weather being gorgeous and we checked out the usual tourist traps like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater, then watched the many talented hopefuls acting out at Venice Beach. We toured the star homes and rode past all the famous places like Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, Capitol Records, and the Hollywood sign. We even checked out South Central and in the words of Ice Cube himself, I gotta say it was a good day.

“Tomorrow we’ll go look at the apartments I found online”, Darren said. “If you decide to move here, you can just find something when you get to town because people move in and out around here all the time. It’s not like back home.”

We talked about staying together and decided that it was not the best idea. Darren still wasn’t ready for commitment at a time when he was trying to launch his screenwriting career and probably somewhere in the back of his mind was planning on seeing what the California Girl singers were wishing all the other the females could be. Besides, I was still trying to get my walk with the Lord right and that would be so to the contrary. God would not be pleased. I didn’t know how I would make it, but not to worry about that as long as I remembered that God would supply all my needs!

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