“Oh gosh, Charlotte.” Now that she’d slipped back into thinking of herself as Charlie over the last two days, hearing Charlotte was a little jarring. But that was who she’d always been at work.Charlotte Paulson.Never Charlie. “My husband is so happy to have me home right now. It’s like we’re newlyweds again. It’s actually been a little fantastic.” She giggled, and Charlie worried that she’d been unhappy because of the hours Charlie had demanded. But before she could ask, Ash said, “I hear the gears turning in your head. I loved working for you. I hate how this all played out. But the company gave me a good severance, and I don’t have to worry aboutanythinguntil I actuallywantto find something new. In the interim, I’m going to enjoy the second honeymoon that my husband has convinced me to finally take.”
“That’s great, Ashley. Really great. I’m taking a little time to figure things out too.” That was putting it mildly.
“Are you holed up in that massive Manhattan condo?”
“No. I decided I wanted a little change of scenery. I’m actually in Key West.” She wasnotgoing to tell her she landed there because she was running home to lick her wounds butcouldn’t bring herself to go to her parents’ because of the humiliation.
“Good for you, Charlotte. You deserve a break from all this bullshit. Are you lying on the beach enjoying life?”
Not exactly.“At the moment, I’m in my hotel room calling you on the landline because I don’t have a cell phone. But I am staring out my balcony window at the turquoise blue ocean.” That made things sound a lot more glamorous than she felt, but she wasn’t going to tell Ash how she was really doing.
“You’re making me jealous!”
“You’re jealous of me not having a cell phone?” Charlie laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.
“No, silly. The beach and the beautiful water you can see from your room. And you’d better get a cell phone soon.”
“I only had a company phone, so now that I amunemployed…” She shuddered as she said the word but hoped Ash hadn’t been able to tell. “Yes, I am planning to get one soon. But I also don’t want to be glued to it watching the markets, so we’ll see.”
“Text me when you get a new number, okay? I know we don’t work together anymore, but you’re stuck with me for life, Charlotte. You can’t go through what we went through and just lose touch.”
“Of course not. And Iamhere for you if you need anything, okay?” Charlie had been about to ask for a favor, but she wouldn’t ever abandon Ashley, and she wanted to make sure she knew it.
“I know. Truly.” Her bubbly voice dropped into a rare seriousness, so Charlie believed her.
“Good.” Charlie cleared her throat, hating that she was about to ask for help. “On an unrelated note, is there any chance you have a few minutes to do a little googling for me? I don’t want to bother you, and I’ll pay for your time, but I don’t havetechnology at this moment.”
Ashley snorted. “Oh my gosh, Charlotte, of course I will do whatever research you need. And if you pay me, I will be irrevocably offended. You’ve already done so much for me. What can I help you with?”
“You need to remember to value your time. It’s important. And if you’re on your second honeymoon, I can wait until you’re home.” Charlie hoped she didn’t have to wait, but she wouldn’t impose on Ashley’s much needed vacation.
“I’m not leaving for another few days. What can I help you with?”
“I need to park my car somewhere for an undetermined amount of time. Can you help me find someplace?”
“Easy peasy. Give me a day. But can I give you a little research I’ve been working on since we’ve been on the phone?”
“Uh, sure.” Charlie wasn’t sure what she could have been working on in these few short minutes. She hadn’t even asked for anything.
“Where are you staying?”
“The Aqua Blu Hotel.”
“Okay, one sec.” Ashley hummed as she did whatever research. “Okay, I’ve got it. Leave your hotel and turn left. Walk three blocks and then turn right. After two blocks, you’ll find a family owned electronics store that sells cell phones. They’re open until seven. Text me the number.”
Charlie laughed at the ridiculousness. “Fine,Mom.”
Ashley chuckled. “Shut up. Now go get a damn phone. I’ll text you your options for parking once I have the number.”
Charlie had felt totally naked without her phone and was grateful Ashley had tracked down the nearest place for her. She’d had to ask for directions from a guy on the street to find the Scissor and Gavel, Harper’s bar, that afternoon. She hadn’t had to do that in two decades and didn’t like it.
Later, as she walked out of the store and headed back to the hotel, examining the map to get her bearings—because she couldn’t get things straight in her mind until she saw it on a map—a flash of light caught her attention.
It was a teal, beach cruiser bicycle locked to a bike rack, with a sign taped to the silver wire basket that said,Bike for sale. $50 or best offer. Inquire inside, with two mirrors taped to the sign, presumably to catch people’s attention. It had clearly worked on her.
She almost kept walking because she hadn’t ridden a bike in more than two decades, but with planning to put her car into storage, having an alternative means of transport seemed like a better idea. Yet she stood, rooted in place, until someone walked up behind her and said, “Are you interested in that bike? I’ll make you a deal on it.”
“Oh, this is yours?” She spun to face the voice and found a man who had to be at least seventy-five, based on his deeply lined face.