Here Comes Your Man

Pyper stood by the curb watching the traffic.

After retrieving their luggage at the baggage claim Shaun had gone to the parking garage to get his car, leaving Pyper to guard the luggage and stare mindlessly at the hoards of cars driving past. It was a mildly warm September day in Los Angeles. The sun was shining brightly but there was a frequent breeze that would give Pyper a chill when the sun was momentarily blocked by a passing cloud. The air was filled with car horns and the electric bustle of a city that was hovering close by.

This was her first visit to L.A. and she was a bit apprehensive. She didn’t want to seem naïve or silly if something that these people saw everyday struck her as new & exciting. She glanced down at her outfit. What had seemed stylish & striking in Maui now seemed plain compared to the could-be model standing next to her who was undoubtedly wearing a dress straight off of the runway. Pyper gave a quick sigh. This was Shaun’s world; he was used to seeing this stuff every day. She wasn’t exactly sure how she’d fit into it but she was
determined to try. It…

Someone roughly brushed passed her, breaking her out of her thoughts and she focused back on the traffic. She wasn’t exactly sure what type of car she was looking for… the yellow hummer? No, too rugged. The Lexus SUV? Nah, too upper class mom-ish. The… oh no.

She knew it was him before she could even see him behind the wheel.

A white Lamborghini LP640.

Not as if they weren’t getting enough stares as it was but now they’d be driving around in one of the flashiest cars ever. She mentally scolded herself; she knew she should’ve worn heels instead of flip-flops.

Shaun flashed her a cheeky smile as her pulled up in front of her, speaking before she could open her mouth. “I know, I know, why couldn’t we go the usual black SUV with dark tinted windows route?”

She gave him a pretend glare because that was, in fact, exactly what she had been thinking and he knew it.

He hopped out of the car, coming over to give her a sweet peck on the lips before starting to pack the luggage into the trunk.

“You knew that and yet you still pick me up in…this”

“Hey now, her name’s Lucy”

Pyper gave him a quizzical look as he opened the door for her and she stepped inside, subtly surrounded by the smell of quality leather. “Lucy?”

“Yep, named after the infamous Lucille Ball; one of the great redheads of the 20th century. May she rest in peace” He said as he bent his head down for a moment of respect before revving the engine and pulling out into traffic.

Pyper laughed and peered out the window. They had the top down and that plus the music made conversation nearly impossible but Pyper didn’t mind, she was having too much fun taking in the sights and smells of this beautiful city.

After about 30 minutes Shaun slowed the car as they turned into a large gated community and waved to the guard as they pulled up.

“Hey Shaun, long-time no see man”

“Yeah man it’s been awhile. I’ve missed you” Shaun said causing the guard to give a deep laugh, “Tony I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Pyper”

Tony looked over at Pyper with a bright smile which Pyper couldn’t help but return.

“Nice to meet you”

“Oh no, the pleasure’s all mine” He said as he gestured to himself. “Shaun’s a great guy. He’s my favorite tenant”

Shaun laughed, “Tony you can’t say that man, there are a lot more important people who live here, what if they heard you say that?”

“To hell with that” Tony said and he looked at Pyper “You wanna know what this guy did for me?”

Pyper slowly shook her head, glancing from the guard to Shaun who was looking suddenly bashful.

“There’s really no need…” Shaun’s said but Tony cut him off as he spoke to Pyper

“My son was born with a rare genetic disorder that caused his kidneys to not work properly. He needed at least one kidney to be replaced or he would die. My wife & I were obviously doing everything we could but things were just getting really tough. Then suddenly one day the people at the hospital told us all of our bills had been taken care of, even the ones for the surgeries he hadn’t even had yet! Not to mention all the recovery care that he needed afterwards. The hospital would only tell us that it had been giving by an ‘anonymous donor’. We still wouldn’t have known it was this guy” He said pointing at Shaun “if his manager hadn’t let it slipped. And then to top it all off, when my son was fully recovered Shaun took him on a snowboarding trip to Japan! How are we ever going to make a family trip better than that?” He questioned in mock exasperation causing Pyper to laugh.

“I’ve heard the International Space Station is taking reservations” Pyper replied.

Tony gave her a bright smile, exposing his crooked teeth. “I like her” he said to Shaun.

“Me too” Shaun smiled “Now if you’ll excuse us, I think we’ll continue on”

Tony nodded, “Alright man. Come over tonight for supper! Francesca’s making burgers and I know Alex wants to see you”

As they drove away Pyper could not conceal the smile on her face. She had obviously known
Shaun was a great guy but he never ceased to amaze her with his kindness. She had been able to claim witness to it on multiple occasions. There were always people wanting pictures and autographs or kids with skateboards wanting to talk and show him what they could do and every time, Shaun met them with a smile and a listening ear.

Thinking this, Pyper looked over at him with a bright smile and gave their entwined hands a squeeze.

Shaun looked over at her suspiciously. “What?”

She shrugged. “I was just thinking how great you are”

Shaun laughed at her bluntness. “I appreciate the compliment but it’s really no big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to Tony and his family. Whom I like very much, by the way”

“Oh don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll see plenty of them” Shaun smiled.

Pyper looked at him curiously, not understanding what he meant.

He pointed to the house that they were currently passing. “Neighbors”

Pyper chuckled and assumed that Shaun must have had something to do with that as well, but before she could ask they turned into the driveway of what only could be described as a mansion.

“Welcome to Casa de White” Shaun said glancing at Pyper whose jaw was dropped the floor.

She slowly got out of the car as Shaun followed suit, walking over to her. She acted as though she was headed to the front door before she took off running around the house.

“Race ya to the pool!” She yelled as she passed Shaun, tossing her already discarded shirt at him.

Shaun stared down at the shirt blankly before tearing off after her.

Case de White, indeed.