Finding True Love

Finding True Love

By Julia Wolf

For years Carol had been trying to find true love, like the ones in fairytales. Every time she thought she had found her prince charming he turned into a frog. She had almost given up when; he walked into the door. His dust colored hair fell in his face cover majestic emerald green eyes. His well-toned chest and torso could be seen through his shirt. A chiseled jaw line outlined his face making him look as if he had just stepped out of a movie. Carol couldn’t keep her eyes off this mysteries stranger.

James wanted nothing more than to find the right girl. He was tried of dating girls that were only one-sided about a relationship. As he walked into the bookstore he saw her. Medium blonde hair, sea blue eyes and luscious full lips. She was an angel that suddenly dropped from the sky. He made his way toward her. She was holding a pile of books in her hands.

“May I help you with those?” James asked feeling a little awkward.

“No, I think I can manage. Thanks.” Carol replied trying not blush. Her face had turned red as an apple. She quickly walked away leaving him standing there wondering what he had done. Carol glance back over to him. He walked up to the counter.

“You have an order ready for me. The name is James Kinsley.” He told the clerk.

“Yes,” The clerk turned to the man stacking candy behind the counter. “Dave can you get the book order for Mr. Kinsley.” She said.

Why did that name sound familiar? Carol thought to her self. He couldn’t be the son of George Kinsley of Kinsley Enterprises. Could he? She threw the thought out of her head shaking her head then paid the clerk for her books. She walked out of the store with her bag of books in hand.

A few days later Carol walked into the dollar store to do her weekly shopping. She liked going in here because she could always get a weeks worth of food for about sixty bucks. Which worked for her because she was in college. It was perfect. As she walked down the cookie isle she ran into the man from the bookstore. He looked up when he noticed her entering the isle.

“Hello, again.” He said.

Carol stared mindlessly at James. She didn’t expect to run into those emerald green eyes again.

“Hi,” She replied back.

“We weren’t properly introduced. I’m James Kinsley.” He held out his hand.

Carol felt her heart thump wildly in her chest. Like it was going to burst out. “I’m Carol Baker.” Taking his hand to shake it.

“Nice to meet you, Carol.” He said. “You seem to be living on a budget.” He gestured to her basket.

“Yeah, well I live on a small paycheck and a girl needs to eat.”

“Well the dollar store is defiantly the right place to go on such a small budget.”

“You have a small budget?” She asked him.

He laughed. “It’s complicated.”

“How so?”

James turned his and sighed. He didn’t really want to go into the details. Telling her that he was on a strict budget from his father because he was spending way too much money was something he was not proud of. He remembered that conversation. His father had told he was only going to a thousand dollars every month and if he spent it all he wasn’t going to get any more money. It was a little embarrassing because his father was a very well respected man.

“It’s kind of hard to explain.” He said. “I don’t really like to talk about it.”

“Oh, okay. Well I better get going I have a bunch of studying to do.” Carol maneuvered her cart around him. “It was nice meeting James.”

“You, too.” He replied as he watched her head toward the front of the store grabbing some chocolate covered square cookies on her way.

James felt instantly attracted to this young college student noticing she had school supplies inside her basket as well as food. He felt as if he needed to get to know this girl better. Somehow he had to prove to his father that he had changed and that he wasn’t the wild child he was before. He felt that Carol could help him find out that he was more than just the son of a rich man. He also wasn’t sure if she knew that he was the proclaimed wild child of George Kinsley. It would be kind of embarrassing if she did know.

After paying for his stuff at the register, he walked out the door to see if he could spot Carol. When he saw her loading up a small sedan he trailed over to her.

“Carol,” He said.

She startled when she heard him call her nearly dropping her bag.

“I was wondering if you could go out to dinner with me?”

“Dinner?” She replied.

“Yes.”

“I don’t know. I have a lot of studying to do.”

“Please it would mean a lot to me.”

Carol hesitated for a moment. “Ok, sure dinner.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.” He said.

“Seven. Got it.”

James walked to his car pleased with himself. At least that is how it would of happened if he wasn’t waiting in line for an elderly woman counting out quarters for her purchase. As soon as he finally got out of the store he saw her drive out of the parking lot.

Carol couldn’t believe she had run into the guy from the bookstore at the dollar store. She questioned herself on why a man who was from a wealthy family be doing at the dollar store. Shaking it off she brought everything up to her apartment. She put everything away than got ready for work.

*****

She was a waitress at a local bar. The pay wasn’t great but the tips were better. She could make three hundred dollars or more every night. Tonight the bar was busy due to the Cardinals game. She had been on her feet for three hours when she came to a table where James himself was sitting.

Carol chuckled as she shook her head. What were the odds? “Hello what can I get you?” She asked him.

“A date.” James replied.

“I’m sorry your drink order.” Carol laughed.

“Oh right. I’ll have a Coors light please.”

“Bottle or Draft?”

“Draft.”

“Coming right up.” She said “And I’m off at eight.”

James smiled.

Later at eight Carol stepped out of the bar. James was waiting by his car. He looked up at her as she came out of the door.

“Hello Miss Baker. Ready for our date?” He asked in a kind voice.

“Yes.”

James had taken her to one of his favorite diner. They each ordered a burgers and fries with a milkshake.

“So tell me James why if you are from a wealthy family shopping at a dollar store?” Carol asked him.

He sighed. “Let’s just say I am on a strict budget and leave at that.”

Not wanting to press the subject further Carol nodded. They talked for what seemed like hours. Finally when they were done with their meal they said their goodbyes exchanging phone numbers. James promised to call her.

Three months later, James had proven to his father that he could be trusted with money again. His father gave him back his allowance. To celebrate he decided to take Carol out to one of the finest restaurants he knew. Even though he had money again and he could spoil this beautiful woman with riches beyond her dreams he felt that she was worth more than that. He didn’t want her to think that he was a moneybag.

So he vowed not to spend any more money unless he had to. Tonight was about them. He knew Carol was the right woman she was smart, beautiful, talented and he was madly in love with Miss Carol Baker. And James wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.