Chapter Four
Charlie needed to figure out what to do with her car.
Parking was often difficult to come by, and the ad for Harper’s apartment specifically said it didn’t provide any.
She didn’t want to sell it and be completely without a car.
She knew she’d need it again eventually, even though Key West was small enough that she didn’t need to drive regularly.
At some point, she was going to visit her parents.
She was certain of it. Well, almost certain.
She tipped her balcony chair back on two legs when she caught herself sighing as Harper popped into her thoughts.
Her easy flirting had felt good, but Charlie hadn’t been able to summon the energy to flirt back.
And Charlie was sure Harper’s flirting was just something she did naturally to everyone who came into the bar.
Regardless, she needed simplicity, not complications.
Which was also why flirting was a no-go, even if Harper was beautiful and a little charming.
Especially since she was the owner. And even more so given how Harper had clammed up when Charlie had asked about the apartment.
Which was weird because if she didn’t want to rent the place, why had she listed it?
Regardless, she and Harper had come to terms, so she needed to figure out what to do with her damn car.
She slipped into an old habit and, using the cordless phone from the room she’d brought out earlier, called her former assistant, Ashley.
That was about the only number she had memorized, other than her parents’ and one or two others from her way distant, nearly prehistoric past. Weird how things like that stuck sometimes.
“This is Ashley,” her bubbly voice said after the second ring. Only she could sound that bouncy after they’d both been so mercilessly fired.
“Hey, Ash, it’s Charlotte.”
“I was wondering when I’d hear from you. I knew you wouldn’t forget me.”
It had only been two days, but Charlotte really should have reached out before now.
She’d taken good care of Ashley financially, but Ash hadn’t made nearly as much as Charlie had.
“I could never forget you. I’m sorry it took me a couple of days to check in.
I’ve been…I don’t know…” She caught herself before she confessed how she’d been running and hiding like a scared child.
“How are you doing? You’re okay, right?”
“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 about anything until I actually want to 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 was not going to tell her she landed there because she was running home to lick her wounds but couldn’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 am unemployed…” 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 I am here 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 have technology 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.
“It belongs to my wife, but she doesn’t ride it much anymore.” He ran his hand over his stubbly chin, the sound of his rough whiskers almost painful.
“Oh really?” Charlie chuckled as she said, “Does she know you’re selling it out from under her?”
He laughed and ran his hand across his chest. “You’ve never met my wife, but if I didn’t get her approval to sell anything of ours—especially something of hers—she’d skin me alive.
Barbara Phillips is not a woman to mess with.
She’s also right in there making a latte for someone as she watches us out here. ”
His fear of his wife warmed Charlie for some reason.
“Okay, if you promise she is on board with you selling this beauty, I’ll take it.
No need to make me a deal.” She reached into the pocket of her baggy shorts and pulled out the hundred dollar bill she had in her possession.
“In fact, will you include the bike lock? If so, I don’t need change for this. ”
“Don’t be silly. You can’t pay me as much as the bike for the lock, young lady.”
“Sir, you have a healthy respect for your wife, and you just complimented me on my age. I think fifty is a fair price for that lock. It looks like a quality one. And if I don’t have the lock and my new bike gets stolen before I have a chance to buy one, it’s worth at least fifty to me.
So please take this, and let me ride off into the proverbial sunset. ”
He pulled a key from his pocket. “Are you sure I can’t get some change for you? This is my shop right here.”
Charlie looked to the cute coffee shop, Java at the Beach Hut. “How about you give me a free cup of coffee next time I’m in the area?” She didn’t want him to feel like it was charity, but she also really liked the guy and thought the bike was worth a lot more than he was selling it for.
“That sounds good. But you’ve got to give me your name for that.”
She stuck out her hand. “I’m Charlie Paulson. It’s nice to meet you…” She trailed off, hoping he’d give her his name as well.
“Great to meet you, Charlie,” he said as he took her hand. “I’m Ted Phillips.” His grip was warm, his skin soft and grandfatherly. “Are you new to the area?”
“You could say that.”
“Well, don’t be a stranger, Charlie.” He handed her the key to the lock and said, “Let me know if you have any problems with the bike, but it should be in perfect shape. There’s a shop around the corner where we had the bikes tuned up every year or two.”
“Thanks, Ted. I’ll see you soon.” The personal connection in the neighborhood felt odd, yet comforting. After nearly fifteen years, she didn’t know anyone’s name in her Manhattan neighborhood, other than her doorman, Ramis.
The key slid easily into the lock, and it popped open with a quarter turn.
She coiled up the cable and placed it in the basket as she swung her leg over.
She prayed she wouldn’t embarrass herself in front of Ted or all these strangers by crashing.
Pedaling in cheap, hotel gift shop flip-flops wasn’t ideal, but she hadn’t thought that through before she’d bought the bike.
She pushed off with one foot and was surprised that muscle memory took over. For the most part.
It turned out that riding a bike came back to her like…riding a bike, she guessed and laughed at her own bad dad joke. She wobbled a little bit at first, but as she pedaled, she found her balance and smiled. This felt really…good.
She rode to her hotel, which only took a minute, but she didn’t want to stop.
After a moment’s hesitation, she kept going, the wind blowing her hair around, invigorating her for the first time in longer than she could remember.
First through Mallory Square, then into Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, where she hopped off her bike for a few minutes and walked down to the water.
Although the bike was a beach cruiser, she didn’t think it was actually suitable to ride on soft sand.
She rode over to the Southernmost Point Bouy in the continental US and on a whim, took a selfie of herself with the large statue with her brand-new phone and texted it to Ashley.
It was the most lighthearted she’d felt in a long time, and she reveled in the joy found in the simplicity of it all.
By the time Charlie got back to her hotel, it was nearly sunset, and as promised, Ashley had texted her several times.
Ashley: Love the pic and thank you for getting a phone. I feel better knowing you’re not there without any means of communication. Parking is tricky. I found a few grass lots one or two Keys away, but nothing in Key West itself. Is that okay?
She must have gotten tired of waiting for a response because after about a half an hour, she’d texted: Did you get lost after leaving the phone store?
Anyway, if you want your car indoors or actually on Key West, your best bet is Sunshine State Storage.
It’s probably five miles from your hotel, but they have storage units big enough for your car that are exterior access, so you can drive right in.
I called, and they have units available, so I reserved you one.
Lmk if you need anything else. Or if you’d rather park your car in one of the uncovered dirt lots I found.
And text me once you see this. You’re freaking me out here.
Of course Ash had sent a link directly to the storage place, but before she tapped it, Charlie sent a quick text letting Ash know everything was fine, and she’d just been out enjoying the sunshine and breeze.
Charlie couldn’t believe she was excited to own a bike, but everything felt different in Key West. She thought about texting her parents. Even just a quick, here is my new number, but after tapping it out, she deleted it all and clicked the link Ash had sent her instead.
It was an orange and beige building that didn’t really fit Key West, but it would work perfectly to store her car.
Maybe she’d go do a little shopping since the one outfit—if she could even call it that—she’d purchased from the gift shop was embarrassing, and her yoga clothes desperately needed to be washed.
Then, she could go drop the car off and grab a Lyft back to the hotel before her big move to Harper’s place in a few days.
It might be easier to move if she had a car, but everything she owned right then could easily fit into her bike’s basket, and it was only a handful of blocks, so she wasn’t worried about it. What she was worried about was Harper seeing her grossly opulent car and inferring something.
She’d been in Key West for five days, and last night had been the first time she’d slept through the night since she’d arrived.
Although she didn’t know what was coming, she loved being able to lie in bed at night and hear the ocean.
Being able to sleep again. Though she hadn’t found it today, maybe she could find the courage to text or call her parents tomorrow.