.✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.★.*｡･ﾟ✫*.

( 𝑫𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑼𝑴. )
𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑎

.✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.★.*｡･ﾟ✫*.

Long, slender fingers drummed on a steering wheel to a random beat. Mocha brown eyes alert, observing every street sign that passed. Her red 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner shined in the yellow rays as it drove down the LA streets. Stopping at a red light, Jasmine took the chance to rescan the flimsy map she had taken from a car stop. It seemed like she was on the right road, but that's what she thought last time just before she got lost. Her scanning was interrupted by the soft churn of her stomach.

"I need food." The tattooed woman sighed.

When the light turned green she decided to aimlessly roam until she found somewhere to obtain food. While driving up the road, a red market caught her eye. The market wasn't too huge, but it wasn't too small either. She decided to give it a chance because it seemed decent and she was honestly too hungry to try and find another place.

After parking, Jasmine walked inside and noticed that there were only a few people there. She sat on the tall, red stool that stood in front of the counter. The material sunk under her weight, feeling quite soft, despite the worn appearance it held. Her presence was immediately noticed by the waitress behind the counter.

The waitress gave her a minute to look over the menu before appearing before her, notepad in hand. "What would you like?" She asked.

"Uhh," Her brows scrunched in concentration as she skimmed the menu for the one meal she was eyeing. "May I have the salami and cheese? Along with a glass of water?"

"Sure."

As the waitress rushed to go make her meal, Jasmine noticed a window in the back of the store. It seemed to be an office of sorts and on the other side of the glass was a man. Due to the fact that his back was towards the window, all that could be seen was his muscular arms, broad shoulders, and bald head. She assumed he was the owner of the small market.

Jasmine's observing was interrupted as a plate and glass of water was set in front of her. "Thank you," She tucked one of her loose curls behind her ear.

"Is this your first time here?" The question surprised the female as she wasn't expecting the waitress to initiate a conversation with her. People usually tend to stray away from her due to all her tattoos. The waitress moved closer to her and pointed down as she spoke again. "And by here, I mean is this your first time being in Los Angeles?"

Jasmine's brow rose in confusion, until she looked down and realized she unknowingly brought the map with her into the market. A sheepish smile grew on her face as her cheeks heated. "Was it that obvious?"

"Just a little." The other woman teased before giving a gentle smile. "I'm Mia."

"Jasmine, but I go by Jazzy."

The two continued to chat with one another. Their conversation varying from random inquiries about each other to shows on tv. From anyone else's point of view, the two women looked like old friends catching up. Eventually, their conversation carried on into the evening.

"Wait, how'd you get all the way over there?"

Jasmine threw her hands up dramatically. "I don't know! Which is frustrating because I'm usually great with directions, but today was just not a good day for me."

Mia let out another giggle before gathering herself. "How about this, tomorrow we're closing at two. If you want, I could show you around. Take you to all the good spots."

"That would be great." Jasmine smiled widely. She stretched back, getting a glimpse of the sun now chasing the horizon. Her eyes fall down to her worn black watch. "Damn, it got late."

Mia glanced over to the stove top's clock. "It is later than I realized. We'll be closing soon."

Jasmine took that as a sign that she should be making her way to her temporary home. "Well, Mia, it's been a pleasure." She pulled out her wallet from the back pocket of her jeans, tossing a few bills on the counter before returning it. Taking the last sip of her water, the female swiftly stood from her seat.

She was two feet from being out the door when a voice called out to her. "Hey Jazzy!" The tattooed beauty turned to face the waitress.

A smile gleamed on Mia's face. "Welcome to LA."

Finally, after a few more wrong turns and a detour, Jasmine found her temporary place of residence. It was a nice little inn she found online called, The Continental. It was reasonably priced and surprisingly high-quality for an inn.

The curly-haired woman found a park in a record amount of time, before turning off her engine. Removing the key, she heaved a tired sigh. She was drained from the long day she endured and desired nothing more than to take a hot shower and sink into the inviting cushion of a mattress. Glancing to her right at the passenger seat, Jasmine stared at the terrible map that was wrinkled from the amount of times she crumbled it up in frustration. Another sigh escaped her pink lips.

"Yeah, I'm definitely gonna need that tour tomorrow."

NIYAH TIME!
yayy, i finally updated! anyways i know not much happened in this chapter and it's kinda short, but things will get better as the story continues. special thanks to my baby jediparker for helping me evaluate this chapter and giving me wonderful feedback!