Page 21 of The Last Time

“Asher! This is not funny. I’m gonna piss myself in front of you if you don’t hurry.”

A loud laugh that I barely recognize escapes me. “You do know that you can pee in the toilet without the water on, right? You just have to wait to flush.”

With that, she shoves me into the banister and takes off downstairs toward the bathroom.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that.”

Her voice fades as she runs further from me. I walk the rest of the way to the kitchen with a huge grin on my face.

There are two boxes sitting on the counter from a great bakery down the street which also sells some amazing sandwiches.

My mouth waters just looking at the boxes as I wait for Charlotte to return.

When she walks back into the room, I can’t help but take in the effortless way she carries herself. She isn’t trying to impress anybody. You can tell she walks with her head held high but in such a down-to-earth way.

“You feel better?” I ask as she strides up to me.

She lifts an eyebrow at me. “Now you wanna play nice?”

“I’m nothing but nice.”

Her heavy lashes that shadow her cheeks fly up. “Is that a joke?”

I look to the ceiling as if to ponder for a second. “Yes, I believe that was.”

“Good. I was worried people in your life haven’t been honest with you. You are definitely not nothing but nice.”

“Oh, trust me. I’ve been told a time or two it wouldn’t hurt to be nicer.”

“I see you don’t take people’s advice very often.”

I grab one of the bags of chips and open it up. “Hey, I’ve got your water running again. I’m helping you out on your deck. I think I’m plenty nice.”

“Come on. Let’s go eat this food outside. We can talk about your manners later.”

We grab our boxes of food and our drinks and head outside. Tall trees around the backyard provide some much-needed shade from the hot summer sun and even offer an occasional light breeze.

“Thanks for getting the food. This place has great sandwiches,” I tell her as we take a seat.

“No problem. It’s the least I can do for getting this all done for me so quickly.”

I unwrap my sandwich, take a bite, and lean back in my chair as I stare out at the water. I don’t think I’ve ever been back here on this deck, aside from the other day with her. The view is something else. I could never afford a house like this on my own.

I’m shocked she wants to sell it. It’s a complete gem.

I’m not sure how long we sit in silence eating, but when I look back in her direction, she’s staring at me.

“What?” I ask.

She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just wondering when you were going to acknowledge that we know each other or ask how I’ve been.”

“Do you want me to ask you how you’ve been?”

“It’s the polite thing to do.”

“Okay,” I put my sandwich down and look directly at her. “How have you been, Charlotte?”

She straightens herself with dignity. “Well, I don’t want to answer now. It’s not genuine. You’re only asking because I said something.”

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