Page 3 of The Last Time

The bartender places the glass in front of me. My first sip goes down smoothly and gives the much-needed relief from the day I’ve had.

“Oh my gosh,” a familiar voice says from behind the bar. “Charlotte?”

I look up to find Layla, my best friend whom I spent every summer with when we visited. Somehow, over the years, we lost touch.

“Layla?” I exclaim.

“I can’t believe it’s you.” She walks to my end of the bar and leans over. “What brings you here? It’s been years. I never thought I’d see you here again.”

A twinge of guilt stabs me in the chest.

“I know. I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to come back. I’m actually here because…” I struggle to get the words out, “my dad passed away and left me the vacation house.”

Her face falls. “I’m so sorry. I hadn’t heard about your dad.”

I shrug my shoulders, not sure how to broach the subject with someone I’ve lost contact with for so long. “Thanks,” I say awkwardly.

“I was surprised no one ever came back to use it. I’ve driven by so many times over the years. Although he did always pay someone to clean it, Mrs. Everly has done her best to keep up with it. Though I think it was only a couple of times a year he asked her to clean.”

Realization strikes. “That’s why it wasn’t nearly as dirty as I was expecting, but it needs a lot of work. There are also some buckets in my old room catching water leaking from the ceiling.”

She nods her head in understanding. “Well, how long are you staying for?”

“I was planning on staying the summer. I can work remotely during the day and plan to work on the house after hours.”

“Are you fixing it up to sell it?”

I sigh. “That’s the plan. My father and I didn’t have the best relationship in the last decade. The house doesn’t really hold memories that make me feel like hanging onto it, but it’s going to be one heck of a summer trying to bring it back to the point where it’s ready to sell. The water isn’t working at all throughout the house. I need that fixed pronto so I can shower.”

“My oldest brother Asher owns his own construction company. They do a lot of residential work. I can give you his number if you want.”

My heart races a bit at the mention of her brother’s name. Asher is the oldest of her three brothers, but I always had such a crush on him. I don’t know what it was about him that separated him so much from his brothers.

His easy laugh and kind nature were just so alluring to me. I wonder what he’s like today. He’s probably married with a family.

“That would be great. Thank you so much. How’ve you been? You like working at the café?”

“I actually own this place. Bought it a few years back from the original owners who were looking to retire.”

My jaw drops. “Layla, that’s amazing! I’m so proud of you. No wonder this menu looks so incredible. I did always love whatever food you prepared for us.”

It’s true. She was always a phenomenal cook, even in high school. It just seemed to come naturally to her.

“Thanks.” She smiles brightly. “It’s been busy, but everything I dreamed of.”

Just as my calamari comes out, Layla takes a look around the restaurant.

“Hey, you enjoy your food. I’m gonna do another lap to make sure everything is running smoothly. I’ll come back soon.”

“Absolutely. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be here enjoying your delicious food.”

As Layla runs around the restaurant like a champ, helping where needed, I enjoy the best calamari I’ve ever had. She has it flavored with some kind of hot peppers, which is perfectly complimented by the tang of the lemon.

I can’t believe I ran into her my first couple of hours here. Over the years, I’ve often thought about Layla. We were so close and had the best time together. She made my summers here what they were.

As I eat, my brain drifts back to her brother. When I was seventeen, he was twenty-two and fresh out of college. I can’t remember the name of the woman he was dating, but I envied her.

She looked nothing like me. Where she had blue eyes and blonde hair, I had brown hair and hazel eyes. She was tall and skinny. I am average height with a bit of a curvy figure.

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