Taking Chances: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Dreams) Read online

  TAKING CHANCES

  A contemporary romance by

  Kamery Solomon

  Praise For Taking Chances

  “This isn't Cinderella, this is Wicked. It's New York, a young woman's dream come true, told through the eyes of Mara and what a fabulous tale at that.”

  ~Crystal Martin, Random Musesomy

  “I want to go to New York! I want to see Wicked (so I really did buy a ticket.) And I want to be kissed by Evan! Taking Chances will have you dreaming big and wanting more.”

  ~Raquel Auriemma, Roc ‘n Read

  “Taking Chances was an eloquently written book. You can feel the desire of the theater in the details that the author describes. Plus the love triangle had you screaming for the other guy. The one who shares the passion and love for your deepest desire. I absolutely loved how she was able to engage the reader as if they were a member of an audience in a play that Marama was trying out for. . . This was an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone that has dreams and need the drive to reach them. Perseverance pays off if the end.”

  ~Lisa Markson, Paranormal Bookworm

  “I am so in love with this book!! . . .This is one of those books you won't be able to put down!!!”

  ~Laura, Amazon Customer

  Other Books By Kamery Solomon

  Forever

  Hell Hall

  The God Chronicles

  Zeus

  Poseidon

  Hades

  Adrastia

  Exoria

  The Dreams Series

  Taking Chances

  Watching Over Me

  The Swept Away Saga

  Swept Away

  Carried Away

  Hidden Away

  Taken Away (A Swept Away Saga Origins Story)

  TAKING CHANCES

  A contemporary romance by

  Kamery Solomon

  Happily Ever After Publishing - Arizona

  Copyright © 2014 Kamery Solomon

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Published by

  Happily Ever After Publishing

  Arizona

  Kindle Ebook Edition

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  This book is available in print and ebook format.

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  For everyone who has ever encouraged and helped me to follow my dreams.

  “Every great dream begins with a Dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars.

  To Change The World.”

  ~Harriet Tubman

  Chapter One

  The plane jolted, hitting some turbulence, and I jerked awake, grabbing the arm rest in a panic.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” a voice said over the speaker. “The captain has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Please, secure your seatbelts and remain in your chair as we begin our descent into New York City.”

  I blinked a few times and sat up in my seat, running a hand through my hair. Muscles screamed at me in protest, having not moved for almost the entire four hour flight. Thankfully, my bladder wasn’t calling for attention so badly that I couldn’t hold it until we landed at La Guardia Airport.

  My headphones continued to play a show tunes list, tapping sounds clacking out of the tiny speakers. I turned them up, since I was actually listening now, singing along in my head.

  Stretching the best I could, I peeked a look out of the window two seats to my left. I’d hoped to get a spot with a view, but was stuck on the aisle instead. It was in the back, thankfully. It would have been terrible to spend the first thirty minutes on board dodging every bag that passed me, especially the backpacks.

  We were still up in the clouds, nothing remotely exciting to look at. Sighing, I leaned back, my hands twisting together in nervous excitement.

  I could still remember the day, however many years ago it had been, that I’d woken up and decided it was time to listen to something new. Music had always been a great love of mine, but I was tired of always hearing the same things. So, I went to my mom’s compact disc collection, sorted through everything there, and finally came away with an original cast recording of a musical.

  For the next two hours, sunk into the comfy living room couch, I listened to it in surround sound, eagerly reading along in the libretto that had come with the disc. By the time anyone came to see what I was doing, I’d fallen in love.

  It’s been made known to me that not many fifth graders know for certain what they want to be when they grow up, though I’m sure that many of them choose Broadway performer, or something like it, at one point in their lives.

  I worked hard in order to see my dream realized, more so through my high school years. Choir, band, and dance team all took a backseat to any local show I could audition for and perform in. There were only so many opportunities in a small town lost in the middle of nowhere, though. Feeling I was continually being passed over for parts because the director’s daughter, or second cousin once removed, auditioned as well almost overwhelmed me. The other kids didn’t take it as seriously as I did either, which made it less fun for me.

  Teasing can tear even the strongest of people down.

  Once I graduated, I decided to study theatre at our community college. It was the cheapest school in the state, and even more money was saved by living with my parents. I had a wonderful experience there, getting to participate in several shows and feel like I was finally cast according to my abilities.

  It still wasn’t enough for me, though. I dreamed of dropping everything and hopping on a plane, leaving all of the naysayers behind. There was always an excuse to hide behind; I wasn’t fit enough to go, I didn’t have enough saved, my voice wasn’t practiced enough. The list went on and on. Then there were the people who didn’t understand what the word “still” could do to a person.

  “Oh, you’re still trying to do that?”

  Yes. Yes, I am. I can’t do anything else—I was made to be a Broadway performer.

  Finally, it was enough. During my ritual Internet search of auditions I would later grumble to myself about missing, the light bulb clicked on.

  I was never going to go, not if I kept acting the way I was. Before I even knew what was happening, the site had changed to an airline’s and I was the owner of a one way ticket to the Land of Dreams.

  There I was. No job, no place to live, and no refunds. Instead of the initial panic lasting like it should have, I suddenly felt the most free I’d ever been in my life.

  My parents were supportive as always, making sure to voice their concerns, checking to make sure I really wanted to go, but nothing was going to stop me at that point.

  The apartment search came first, since it seemed l
ike having a place to live would be better than funneling savings into a hotel room until a home was found. The city wasn’t an easy place to get into, despite having so many empty apartments. The prices everywhere I looked were far out of what I felt comfortable with. In my despair, my dad suggested looking a little further away from the theatre district.

  That was how I ended up finding my perfect loft apartment in Harlem. It was big enough for my needs and then some, which meant I could have a roommate in the future if I wanted.

  Finally, the day arrived for me to leave. I’d packed two suitcases of essentials during the week leading up to my departure, boxing up everything else I wanted to bring, so it could be mailed. It was so easy to remember the last hours I’d spent with my parents.

  “Are you ready to go?” Dad asked, stopping in the doorway to my room.

  “Yeah,” I said, a nervous twinge in my stomach. “I’m just grabbing a few last minute things.”

  “We’ll mail it right over if you forget anything,” he said reassuringly.

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “It’s what I do,” he laughed.

  Mom called him from downstairs, saying something about the time and he left, giving me another smile.

  I slung my guitar bag over my shoulder and hefted up one suitcase, rolling the other behind me. Before leaving for good, I turned and looked at the one place that had really been mine my entire life. A small smile graced my lips and I walked over the threshold, closing the door behind me.

  A tearful goodbye followed at the terminal after our long drive into the nearest city.

  “You call me as often as you can,” Mom ordered, clutching me in her death grip.

  “I will,” I laughed through my own tears. “I love you, Mom. I love you, too, Dad.”

  “You’re going to knock ‘em dead,” he said, his own eyes misty.

  “I’ll see you in a few months,” I said, breaking away from them.

  “Come when you can afford it,” Dad said. “Take care of yourself, first. We can wait a little longer, if we need to.”

  I hugged each of them again and kissed their cheeks before turning to face the security checkpoint.

  “This is it,” I said, looking back and smiling at them.

  “We love you!” Mom said, crying as she waved.

  I took a deep breath, trying not to be overwhelmed by all that was happening. So many different emotions ran through me at once. I was scared to leave the familiar, but I couldn’t wait to step foot in the place I’d been dreaming of since I was ten. Leaving my family behind was as hard as I’d expected it to be, even with my dreams calling from a few feet away.

  Straightening, readjusting the strap on my shoulder, I stepped forward confidently, my heart racing.

  I reached the TSA’s stand and handed him my boarding pass and driver’s license, elation running though me.

  “Marama Adams,” he said, marking my pass.

  “I go by Mara,” I said with a smile.

  “Where are you headed today, Mara?” he asked without looking up.

  “New York City,” I said excitedly.

  “Have a good flight,” he said with a smile, handing my things back.

  “Thank you!”

  I walked through the checkpoint and turned to wave to my parents one more time.

  “I love you!” I called.

  “We love you, too!” Mom said again.

  “Call us when you get there,” Dad yelled.

  “I will!”

  I turned around and started through security, joining the crowd of people doing the same.

  My first flight had gone well, the only rough part being the landing in Denver. I’d never flown before, but handled it very well according to the woman next to me, who almost threw up all over the place. As I pulled my carryon out of the cabinet above my head, the attendant informed us that my connecting flight had been delayed two hours.

  I’d deflated some, let down that I’d have to wait that much longer to get to my new home. The airport turned out to be pretty awesome, though, and the time passed quickly.

  Here I was now, flying over the one place I wanted to be more than anywhere in the world. I tried to look out the window again, catching a glimpse of green, open space through a break in the clouds.

  “Excuse me,” I asked the attendant passing by just then. “How much longer do we have?”

  “About twenty minutes,” she said with a smile.

  “Thank you.”

  I slunk in my seat again, drumming my fingers on my thigh impatiently.

  “First time in the city?” the man next to me asked.

  “Yeah,” I said, grinning again. “You?”

  “Born and raised,” he laughed.

  “Awesome! I bet you loved every second of it.”

  “It’s a pretty cool place,” he said with a nod. “Do you want to switch seats?”

  My heart leapt into my throat as I eyed him to see if he was serious. The seat between us was empty, so I didn’t have to feel bad about squeezing around someone.

  “I really do,” I finally said, an apologetic tone to my voice.

  “Hop on over,” he laughed, unbuckling.

  “Sir,” the attendant said, coming up from behind us.

  “I know,” he said. “We’ll sit right back down, I promise.”

  I grimaced, feeling bad for getting him in trouble, but scooted into his seat all the same.

  “Thank you,” I said as he sat down.

  “No problem,” he smiled, waving me off. “It’s your first time. You should get to really experience it.”

  I wasted no time in pressing my face into the window like a moron, drinking in everything there was to see. I didn’t care if I looked like a dork, I was excited.

  On the ground below I could see that we were coming into a more populated area and I looked forward the best I could, trying to make out the famous skyline. There was nothing to see, though, so I settled with staring at the ground, so excited I thought I might burst.

  Slowly, buildings began to rise beneath us, my insides twisting together like a pit of snakes as I watched them. It looked fake, like a miniature model down there. Everything was so tall, especially the Empire State Building. A smile I couldn’t stop stretched from ear to ear, tears welling in my eyes as I spotted the Statue of Liberty, as unreal as everything else.

  We began to turn away from the city, towards our landing spot, but my eyes wouldn’t budge from my little piece of heaven. I was here! I finally did it!

  We were only in the air for a few more minutes before the wheels touched ground and we rolled into our gate. Slowly, the plane started to empty, everyone grabbing their things. Turning my phone on, I waited for things to clear out, preferring to not get caught in the rush.

  No one answered at home, so I left a message telling them I’d just landed. The anticipation was about to kill me by then, so I grabbed my things and started down the aisle.

  “Thank you,” I said as my row partner walked away.

  “No problem,” he said with a wave.

  Hurrying the best I could off of the plane and up the ramp to the terminal, making sure to thank everyone as I did, I tried to calm my frantic heart. It was pounding at near hospitalization requirement rates, speeding up with each move I took. Finally, I stepped through the door and onto New York soil.

  I used the bathroom quickly, trying not to hold up the line, and checked myself in the mirror. The familiar heart shaped face smiled back at me, my brown eyes reflecting the mass amounts of excitement I was feeling. Thankfully, the majority of my simple makeup had lasted the long trip and I only had to apply light pink lip gloss once more. Even my dark brown, shoulder blade length hair, that never held any curl I’d ever put in it, had lasted, super lose ringlets intact.

  Even the fates wanted to make this a wonderful first day for me it seemed.

  My black slacks had made the journey fine, leaving only my white, button up shirt to be smoothed. As soon as I was satisfied
with my appearance enough to not be embarrassed if I met anyone important, I exited the tiny room, ready to be done with airports for the next little while.

  La Guardia wasn’t nearly as nice as the two other airports I’d been in today, but I didn’t care. Rushing through the tiny halls, already feeling the cramp I’d tried to prepare myself for, I searched for the carousel the flight attendant had said my bags would be on. They were already waiting for me when I arrived. Within seconds it seemed, I was helping load them into a taxi and asking the driver to take me to Times Square.

  We rocketed out of the airport, my driver honking his horn at everything that moved—or didn’t. It didn’t matter to me, my attention lost in the buildings, already noticing how different it looked from anything I’d seen out west.

  Bubbles rolled in my stomach as the city came into better view, traffic rolling over the different bridges leading into the island. The driver swerved in and out of the traffic, fitting into the tiniest places possible. Before I knew it, we were driving through the actual city, buildings rising so high around the street I couldn’t even see the tops of them.

  I was in love. It was even better than I’d imagined, somehow. Everything looked just like the pictures and videos, something I’d discovered to not be true for other places. I wanted to get out and slowly walk through them all, just so I could take it in.

  The sun set as we soared down the streets and lights began to sparkle everywhere, a true New York spectacle. As we neared the Square, traffic slowed considerably, stopping us dead in the street. After a few minutes, I decided to pay and get out, thanking him for his time.

  With all of my things in tow, I headed forward with purpose, seeing bulbs flashing ahead. Famous billboards winked down at me, my excitement propelling me forward. Practically flying down the street, my heart in my throat, I took it all in, feeling I was where I’d been meant to be my whole life. Finally, I stood in front of the red steps, turning in a circle as I looked at everything. Broadway ran right next to me, paved with gold in my mind.