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Ransom was attracted to Coco, but he was disappointed in her stuck-up attitude regarding her clientele. He really hadn’t expected her to have any of the students waiting on customers, but she didn’t give him a chance to tell her.
He shook his head sadly. He knew too many people like her.
Ransom knew some boys gravitated to gangs because they were looking for something they didn’t have at home—a sense of family. But he hated the way people sometimes tended to prejudge teens. There was always a reason for bad behavior, but most adults didn’t want to dig deep enough to find it. No one had given up on him, so Ransom vowed to do all he could to help out in turn. He was never going to give up on any child.
Before he ended his canvassing, Ransom picked up two more companies willing to give volunteer hours, so he considered his venture successful. He walked to the deli in the next block to pick up lunch before returning to the center.
Some weeks he had as many as ten boys at D-Unit, but he averaged around four or five. He currently had four students, and decided two would go to the Stanley Chocolates factory, one to the grocery store, and the other would do his community service at the restaurant across the street.
Ransom paid for the sandwiches, chips and sodas. He picked up the box and carried it back to the center. One of his staff members ran out to assist him.
“Thanks,” he said.
His eyes traveled over to the fancy lettering in mint green and brown over the door of Coco’s shop.
She really was a beautiful woman, Ransom thought to himself. Even if she was stuck-up. Maybe once she got to know him better, he might be able to change her mind about community service for his students.
That wasn’t the real reason he wanted to get to know Coco. Ransom couldn’t forget that smile she’d awarded him earlier, or the gleam of interest he’d glimpsed in her eyes. They were attracted to each other.
Moving to the Brentwood area had been one of the best ideas he’d had in a long time.
After a light dinner of spinach salad and grilled salmon, Coco settled down in her den and pulled her violin out of the back of the downstairs closet.
She blew a layer of dust off the instrument.
What am I doing? I haven’t played this thing in almost two years. Some fine man tells me that he’d Chocolate Goodies like to hear me play and what do I do? I run home and pull out my violin.
Ransom was just being polite.
I’m doing this for me, she kept telling herself. It has nothing to do with him.
Coco made sure to hold the violin properly, with her left arm curved underneath the instrument, the chin rest placed between her left shoulder and jaw. She began playing softly.
She had forgotten how much doing so soothed and calmed her. Coco had been playing the violin since she was ten years old and loved it, although in recent years she’d put it away to focus on building her business.
She drew the bow across the strings, creating a rich, mellow sound. Every now and then she would pluck a string with her index finger, creating a totally different sound. She played until she felt nice and relaxed, then decided to leave the violin out, because she’d really missed playing it.
Still feeling the effects of the busy day, Coco walked through her house to make sure it was secure. Then she headed upstairs to her bedroom and prepared to take a long hot shower.
Her oldest brother, Daniel, called her not too long after. “Are you in bed?” he asked.
“Not yet,” Coco answered, putting him on speakerphone while she slipped on her robe.
“I’m not going to keep you, but I promised Grace that I’d call you tonight. She wants to know if you’re coming over on Saturday for Cinnamon’s birthday party.”
Coco smiled at the mention of her niece’s name. “Of course I’ll be there. Cinna’s going to be the big five. I can’t miss that.”
He gave her the time and location of the party, and then they ended the call.
Coco slipped on a pair of pajamas, then stretched out on the sofa in the sitting room to watch some television before she called it a night. She always watched the news before going to bed.
She frowned. A couple of teenage wannabe gangbangers had attacked a woman, who’d later had a heart attack. She was in the hospital in critical condition.
Coco thought about the types of teens hanging out at D-Unit and felt a growing concern for Ransom. It was admirable how much he wanted to help them, but did those boys really want help? Did they want a better life, and were they willing to work toward it? She wasn’t sure, and with all the gang activity spreading, she couldn’t help being skeptical.
Her brothers were always after her to stop prejudging before she had all the facts. She didn’t have any children, so her only connection was through her friend’s children and her niece, who was only four, soon to be five. The only teens that frequented her shop usually came with their parents.
“You can’t save the world, Ransom,” she whispered.
Chapter 3
Coco caught a glimpse of Ransom as he crossed the street with two of his students the next day. She eased over to the window, observing the teenagers. They were dressed in baggy pants and long T-shirts. They looked like thugs to her, but it was clear that Ransom saw something else.
He was talking and laughing with them as if they were all friends. If they were such good kids, then why were they suspended in the first place? Coco wondered.
“I hope Michael knows what he is doing,” she whispered, as her mind traveled back to what she’d heard on the news last night. She fervently hoped that her brother wouldn’t come to regret his decision.
She considered calling their father, but didn’t want to upset Michael. He was running the factory, and would be furious with her if she involved their dad.
Her assistant manager, Valencia, arrived and walked to the back to clock in for work.
Coco hid her shock when Ransom entered the shop a few minutes later. Smiling, she greeted him cheerfully. “How are you, Ransom?”
“I’m good,” he responded, taking a seat at the bar. “I figured since we’re neighbors, I should come check out the chocolate here. I’ve heard a lot of great things about this place.”
“So you’re coming to see if it lives up to the reviews, huh?”
He met her gaze. “Something like that.”
She cleared her throat. “So, how do your students feel about having to work in the factory with Michael?”
“They were actually excited about working with him. I also have one working two doors down at the restaurant, and another at the grocery store.”
She frowned. That was not what she’d expected him to say. “Really? They wanted to do it?”
“Yeah, they were eager to work in the factory. I suspect more out of curiosity than anything,” Ransom answered. “To be honest, I was surprised Mr. Chou agreed to let me send a kid over. I half expected him to nix the idea.”
“He’s a nice man and the father of eight, so he must really love children. I know he does a lot in the community.”
“I’d heard that,” Ransom told her. “That’s why I went to talk to him.”
“I know you probably think I’m a snob or something because I refused,” Coco stated, folding her arms across her chest. “But I’m really not.”
“To be honest, I did think that,” Ransom admitted. “But now that I’m seeing this place from the inside, I can tell that you cater to a certain type of customer.”
“It’s not only that, Ransom. What would I have him do?”
“He could sweep up for you, or wash dishes—anything. He doesn’t have to work with your customers.”
“I hadn’t considered that,” she said. “Oh, I’m forgetting my manners. Ransom, would you like something to drink? It’s on the house, and hopefully, it’ll impress you enough to give a good review when you’re asked about the shop.”
His smile sent a thrill through her. “Thank you. I’d like to try one of those…drinking chocolate. Is that a fancy name for cocoa?”
Coco laughed. “‘Drinking chocolate’ is a European term for hot chocolate, Ransom. It’s not a powder like cocoa, but actual pieces of chocolate melted into a cup of boiling water or milk. I always use milk.”
“So which one would you recommend I try?”
“That will depend on what flavors you like,” she answered with a smile. “The dulce de leche is made with real white chocolate and natural caramel.” Coco surveyed him for a moment, then said, “You look like a German chocolate kind of man. My German chocolate drink is made of milk chocolate, caramel and coconut milk. Once you take a sip, you’ll swear you are back in your grandma’s kitchen. I also have strawberries and white chocolate, chocolate mint and Moroccan spice.”
“I’ll try the German chocolate,” Ransom decided.
His cell phone rang.
“Would you excuse me, please? I need to take this call.”
While he was talking to someone back at the center, Coco glanced up at him, studying his profile. This man looks so familiar to me. I must have seen him someplace. But where? There was something oddly familiar about him, although she was still positive they had never met before now.
She poured the hot liquid into two cups, one for Ransom and one for herself. There was nothing wrong with bonding over a mug of drinking chocolate.
She handed him the cup when he put away his phone.
“Thank you.” He took a sip of the soothing liquid and smiled. “You were right. This is delicious and it does remind me of my grandmother’s kitchen. She used to make me German chocolate cakes for my birthday every year until the day she died.”
“When was that?” Coco inquired.
“Five years ago,” Ransom told her. “I miss her a lot. My mom, too.”
“You lost your mother?” Coco couldn’t imagine the pain of such a deep loss. She adored her mom and didn’t know how she would survive such grief.
He nodded. “She died last year.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Coco said earnestly.
“She worked hard all her life,” Ransom murmured. “I’m glad she can rest peacefully now.”
“I suppose that’s a good way of looking at it.” Coco took a sip of her drink, then asked, “Could you please tell me more about your program?”
“Sure,” he responded. “What would you like to know?”
“You get these boys only when they’re suspended from school, if I understand correctly. I guess I can’t help but wonder if what you’re doing really helps them in the long term. You only have the students for, what, three or four days?”
“I have them for the entire time they’re suspended,” stated Ransom. “That can be up to ten days, sometimes longer. And many continue to come back even after they’re returned to school.”
“Is that enough time to make a real difference in their lives?”
He set his drink down on the bar. “I know we can’t save everyone, Coco, but we have had some great successes. I’ve had two boys give up their flags.”
Puzzled, she said, “Give up their flags…what does that mean?”
“That they are leaving their gangs,” Ransom explained.
“Are they safe when they do that?” Coco asked. “I thought the only way out was through death for most of these kids.”
“We move them into a safe house outside of Los Angeles, so that they can live without fear. I have four houses around the country just for situations like this.”
She was impressed. “Wow. Ransom, I think that’s wonderful. It sounds like you’re really dedicated to these boys.”
“I am,” he confirmed. “I really believe that it takes a village to raise children, Coco. Most of the students who have come through my program show a marked improvement when they return to school. When they come to me, I get copies of their school records, which show that most are not bad kids. Many are growing up in single parent homes, and gangs provide the family they crave. Some are misjudged because of the way they dress or who they associate with.”
“I guess I’m guilty of that,” she murmured.
He flashed a winning smile. “It’s not too late to change your way of thinking.”
“Point taken.”
Ransom surveyed his surroundings as he finished his drink. “What are those?” he asked, pointing to the bottles behind the bar.
“Vintage dessert toppings,” she responded. “You should try them. I created them by blending wine and chocolate. I have Caramel Chardonnay, Chocolate Raspberry Cabernet, Chocolate Espresso Merlot, Strawberry Champagne and Extreme Dark Chocolate Decadence.”
“Now I’m impressed,” he said. “I’m definitely going to have to try them.”
“I hope that you will,” she said. Ransom made her heart skip a beat.
“Coco, I hope I’m not about to make a fool of myself, but would you be interested in having dinner with me tomorrow?”
She released a soft gasp. “You’re asking me out? Like on a date?” Duh…
He nodded.
“Sure,” she said. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”
He raised his eyes upward. “Thank you, Lord.”
She laughed. “Okay, what was that all about?”
“I was giving thanks. I’ve wanted to ask you out since yesterday, but I wasn’t sure what you’d say. I don’t even know if you’re seeing someone.”
“I’m single,” Coco assured him. “Since you asked me out, I’m assuming you are, too.”
“You assumed correctly.”
Coco continued to search her memory, trying to place where she could have seen him. “Ransom, what did you do before taking on the plight of teens?”
“I worked as a high school counselor for three years, and then as a songwriter at a big record label for four years, and I freelanced after that. I guess my name got around and I started writing for some major singers. It’s been really good to me. This is why I’m able to start this facility, and I hope to have them all over Los Angeles. I have another one opening soon in Inglewood.”
“It sounds like you are truly one of the good guys,” Coco told him. “I really hope those boys appreciate what you’re doing for them. I certainly do.”
“They show me by doing well in school.” Ransom checked his watch. “I guess I need to get back to my office. Coco, thanks for the drink and the conversation. I enjoyed both.” He pulled out a twenty and handed it to her.
