Summer Girl

Summer Girl - Chapter 14

Chapter FOURTEEN 

I really didn't want to go home before I went to work, but my phone was dead and I had to change my clothes. That was not an option. I left Max and Harley at their cottage, watching an old kung-fu movie, and walked back up the road to the beach house. It started to rain while I was walking, but I didn't mind. I let myself think about what Cora was going to say, and what I would tell Cay when I got to work. Everything just seemed okay, peaceful. I realized I'd spent the last few years feeling anxious almost all of the time. Finally I felt free.

   I slipped in the front door and went straight up the stairs, plugging in my phone right away. It buzzed and when it turned on, there was a text from Cay, from the night before, telling me she finally made it home. I was surprised that there were no texts from Cora.

  I showered and changed into clean clothes, then added mascara and went back downstairs. Tom was drinking his coffee, staring at his phone, in the kitchen. Clara was at the table, drinking a smoothie. I didn't see Cora anywhere.

  "Nice of you to return," Clara said right away, barely looking at me.

  "What?" I asked. "I live here, you don't."

  "Well for someone who lives here, you don't seem to care about letting anyone know where you were all night," she went on.

  "Was Cora mad?" I asked.

  Tom looked up. "She was worried."

  "My phone died," I answered. He nodded, like that was all the explanation needed.

  Clara rolled her eyes at me.

  I walked over and poured myself some coffee. It was almost 10 a.m., I had to be at work soon. Cora walked into the kitchen a minute later, just as I about to leave. She smiled at me, obviously happy I was safe, but didn't say anything. I knew she wasn't used to me having friends, being out all night, her not knowing where I was.

  "I'll be home around four-thirty," I said to her.

  She nodded. "See you then. We leave at seven for the airport."

  Cay started an hour after I did, and I didn't see her for the first little while. It was busy, but it was Friday, so this was expected. Carter was working the bar, Cay and I were the only servers on until the dinner rush.

  When I finally got a chance to talk to Cay, she was typing in an order at the server's station. I came up behind her.

  "How was your walk home?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet.

  "Ohh, it was great," she said, then laughed. "I was surprised you didn't text back last night."

  "Oh yeah, sorry. My phone died," I told her, still trying to decide if I was going to tell her I stayed at Max and Harley's.

  "You were pretty drunk. And I left you with Max. How did that go?" Cay said, turning around to face me. I could tell she had to get going, to check on tables. I wanted her to stay and talk.

  "It was fine," I said, then added, "I went back to their cottage."

  "You did?"

  I nodded. "Is that so surprising?"

  "Yes, it is," Cay laughed. "I have to go do the rounds... tell me more later!"

  I typed in my table's order, then went to get drinks. The rest of the shift went fast, and it was almost four o'clock before I knew it. I was cleaning a couple tables when Cay passed by, on her way back to the kitchen.