Page 5 of Not Another Beach Read
I wasn't about to start judging this place on a few rusty cars or the chosen profession of its inhabitants, (nor was I going to admit that I'd most likely screwed up yet again) so I pasted a smile on my face, opened my door, and swung my feet out onto the uneven pavement.
"Let's just go check it out before we make any judgments. It's not going to be the Taj Mahal for one hundred and nine dollars a night. Maybe it won't be that bad." I urged, hoping some of my positivity will color the now-alarming picture that is forming before my eyes.
As we walked into the front door of the lobby, my confidence didn't grow. We decided to take a look at the room before we gave them any payment information. We asked the surly-looking lady at the front desk if we could take a look at the room, and although she rolled her eyes, she didn't seem all that surprised.
She gave us directions on how to get to the room we were supposed to have and we were on our way. The room was nearthe mostly green pool and after taking a very brief look inside, we decided to leave. We let the clerk at the front desk know that we were going to stay a little closer to Bourbon Street and we beat feet out of there.
After a brief search, we were able to find a hotel right off of Bourbon Street for only twenty dollars more than the one we had just left. Within thirty minutes we were registered, unpacked, and on our way to Bourbon Street. The rest of our trip was relatively uneventful (for New Orleans), but the journey to get there had taught us some very valuable lessons. The first, that we traveled very well together and the second (and most important), when things got tough, we didn't turn on each other. It was us against the problem instead of us against each other because there was a problem. Years later, we still thought back on that trip as one of our favorites. Not because of where we stayed or where we were necessarily, but because we were there together, and we had to overcome one obstacle after another while remaining teammates. We both laughed more than we had in a very long time and found that we had more in common than we had even remembered.
3
ELYSE
Iwoke up early to see Drew off to his business trip to Salt Lake City. While I enjoyed the freedom that his career gave us to travel, I sure did miss him when he was gone. Sometimes, even more than usual. That day started out feeling like one of those times.
Which was why I was delighted when I heard a motorcycle pull up followed by the doorbell. When I opened the door to my friend Cat's smiling face, I just ignored the fact that there was something in her eye that gave away that this visit might be more than just a social call. But I decided to cross that bridge when I got to it and just enjoy the company of my friend.
I moved back from the open door, and Cat stepped through and into my arms, which I had been holding out wide for a hug. Cat was one of my oldest friends in Clearwater, and I cherished our connection. She always seemed to turn up when I needed her most, and that day was no exception.
"What's wrong?" she asked, clapping my back before bending backward a bit to look me in the eyes. Her eyes drifted across my face with a purpose, and her eyebrows pulled together, drawing an eleven into her smooth mahogany skin.She stepped back and grabbed my hands, swinging them back and forth between us.
"Did you get taller?" She asked with a laugh.
I sighed, my normally playful demeanor eluding me.
"Come on, let's hear it. What's going on?"
"Well, Drew left this morning for Salt Lake City, and you know sometimes I miss him just a little bit extra."
"You guys are disgusting," said Cat. "But I love it. And I love you. I understand this is difficult for you. It must be really hard to not have him around all the time."
"It is. I know people say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I love him just as much when he's here as when he's traveling."
"Well, he'll be home before you know it," said Cat, giving my hands a squeeze before letting them drop back down to my sides.
My German Shepherd scratched at the back door, eager for her turn for a hug from Cat, which she always gave readily and enthusiastically. Sometimes I thought that Cat considered Eden her niece, and I never discouraged it because I enjoyed watching them together so much.
"Well, come into the kitchen. I'm going to make some breakfast. Do you want anything?"
"No, I don't have very long. I just left Allison holding down the fort at the café, but I do have some errands to run before I head back. I can't wait to go home and collapse on the couch."
I laughed. Cat was one of the hardest working women I knew, and her café, Cat's Bites, was her pride and joy—not only for the food that she offered or the walls decorated with artwork from her many worldwide travels, but it was also a way for her to serve her community. Most of the women who had worked for Cat had come in needing someone to give them a chance, and Cat was always willing to do so. She'd find their strengths and help them develop them, then encourage them tospread their wings and soar to their next opportunity. Her protégés were spread throughout the community, and they all came in from time to time to check in with Cat and give her an update on their progress. Little did they know, she was keeping tabs on all of them, and they brought her as much pride as her own son, Sam, a successful local attorney.
It's how we came to know Jenna. She got her start at Cat's café. And it's also how we came to know the woman who was manning the ship at that very moment, Allison. She was led to Cat's at a time when both of them needed help, and it's been a beautiful thing to watch. She and her four-year-old son, Noah, were blossoming together and separately, and we could see Allison beginning to heal from the loss of her husband three years prior at the age of nineteen. She was currently living with her in-laws and starting school to become a grief counselor.
"What brings you here?" I said as we sat at the kitchen table.
"I know you're ready for first breakfast," said Cat, "so don't let me stop you."
"Oh, trust me, you wouldn't. I'm just trying to decide what I want to eat."
"I'm shocked you didn't have it planned out last night."
"I did, but it sounded so good, I got up and ate it at midnight."
"You're so predictable," said Cat. "Oh, that reminds me." She ran back out to her bike and returned a moment later with a to-go bag from Jenna's bakery, The Flour Shoppe.
"Is this?—?"
