Spotlight

06

           

Turbo turned into the carpark across the road from the building, and I ran straight across the road to the café. It was bigger than it was last year, and as soon as I walked in, the instant aroma of toasted coffee beans filled my nose.

The workers were all people that I'd never met before, so I couldn't walk up behind the counter.

When I moved across towards the front counter, the bell behind me dinged where the door was. I quickly turned to see Meredith walk in as she looked towards the floor. She was dressed in all black, with a handbag falling from her shoulder. She had dark bags under her eyes and her hair was longer than it was this time last year.

Her eyes floated up towards me, and a smile grew on her obviously bored face. She ran over to me on the other side of the buzzing café and wrapped her arms around me.

"Mae! Why are you here?"

I smiled and looked down, "You'll never believe it – it's a long story."

She quickly turned on her phone so she was able to see the time.

"I mean, I start in like three minutes so I don't have the time right now. Do you want to come down to my house tonight? I finish up here at seven."

"I would, but I'm not at Jeremys anymore. I'm staying in Malibu until I go off to Stanford on Monday."

"You're going to Stanford?" she cried in my ear.

"Yeah! I have a job in the café there for the summer, then I'll obviously settle into classes."

She shook my shoulders excitedly.

"I'm so proud of you!"

I laughed back, and she checked her phone once more. It was time for her to go.

"I've got to go, but I'm sure I'll see you sometime soon yeah?"

"You will, I'll come back soon!"

She ran behind the counter and I turned around to sit at one of the only empty tables available, and quickly flicked through a menu. It was strange to see how so much has been changed on the menu in the past year since I'd been here.

I wasn't really hungry, so I didn't feel like eating much. Turbo and Moe walked in the front door, the little bell ringing as soon as they entered. They stood out as they were both covered in black clothes, and two massive guys. A couple of people in the café turned their gaze to them, and I got up when they signaled for us to go.

I shoved my phone in my back pocket as I turned to quickly wave to Meredith, who was behind the counter tying up her apron around her waist.

"Where to now?" I asked Moe as I followed the two of them across the road.

"We don't know. Is there anywhere you want to go?"

I contemplated all the places that Tristan took me last summer.

"Maybe just go back to the Inn?" I asked.

"That's one thing we can't do. Sorry," Turbo laughed, and Moe laughed back. I pulled the seatbelt over myself, as if it was a joke that I didn't understand.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Nothing," Moe hummed quietly, and Turbo started driving.

For the next few hours we drove around California, constantly stopping for breaks to take photos on beaches, or of buildings. This place was so beautiful, it was almost like I had forgotten.

When the sun was going down, we slowly drove back to Malibu, where I was staying for the night. I was unsure about the room arrangements. I had no idea where Tristan was staying. Turbo did say we were staying in different hotels, but who knew if that was true or not.

I got out of the car as soon as we pulled up, and Moe jumped out after me.

"Mae, not so fast."

"What?" I asked, and stopped as Turbo followed us out of the car. A man in a suit came out of the front doors of the hotel, and stopped in front of me. He rested a small, silky grey pillow on his hand with a small card in the middle, sitting face down.

I looked at the man in the eyes, and he signaled down to the pillow. I picked up the card and saw the small italic writing.

It read: one last chance – T.