Palm Beach Ch. 01

One day Charlie had been shooting hoops in his backyard, when he heard a little girl crying. Charlie went to investigate. It turned out that Layla's little sister, Summer had fallen off her bicycle and had a scraped-up knee. "Hey, that looks like a pretty bad scrape your little sister has there. Do you need any help?" Charlie had asked Layla as he approached.

" Sure," Layla said, giving him a big smile. They became instant friends and it wasn't long before they became the best of friends. Charlie shared with her all his secrets about his grandfather and their constant fighting, and Layla soon confided in Charlie about her dad's drinking problem and her sadness over having lost her mother. A strong bond developed between them; and even though time had passed and Layla had gone on to Yale to pursue her dream of becoming an author, Charlie still thought of her as his one and only best friend.

They hadn't kept in contact as well as Charlie had hoped since Layla had left Palm Beach , but that was mostly his fault. He wasn't much for hanging out online, emailing, or making phone calls. He had pretty much been caught up in his various relationships with girlfriends. None of them had went well. In fact, his most recent one had ended about six weeks ago, and he wasn't looking for another anytime soon. Women seemed to want too much from him. He had a hard time developing an emotional bond in his relationships. His last girlfriend had accused him of only being interested in her for sex and it wasn't long before he told her to hit the road. Perhaps it was true. Charlie had trust issues and most of it stemmed from his bad relationship with his grandfather. Because of his upbringing, he had a difficult time sharing his inner-most thoughts and feelings. Only Layla really knew him and she was the only person on earth he truly trusted. How he missed her. He missed tickling her and making her laugh. Nothing had been the same since she had been gone.

As he rounded the corner, carrying a tray of food to table five, he had to do a double-take, seeing a familiar face at the far table in the corner, the table that Layla had always deemed "Hers." "Layla!" he called out, setting the tray down absent-mindedly as he ran to her, picking her up in his arms.

He swung her around, his excitement evident as he laughed deep in his chest. He then set her down again on the bench as he continued to grin. "God, I missed you!" he said. "When did you get back? And why didn't you tell me you were coming? And are you back to stay?"

Layla was a little out of breath when Charlie grabbed her up in his arms with so much enthusiasm. She was ecstatic that he was so happy to see her. He looked so good and it was great to be held in his strong arms again. She gazed into his eyes, her own smile brightening her face. "I missed you, too. And I wanted it to be a surprise," she answered. "And yeah, I'm back to stay."

"Things haven't been the same without you here," Charlie told her. "We have so much to catch up on. After I get off work, I will tell you everything."

"I have a lot to tell you, too," said Layla.

"I gotta get back to work now. I'll be right back to take your order," Charlie promised, suddenly remembering his duties. He rushed off to take the tray of food to table five, then he returned to Layla's table.

"What'll it be?" he asked. "The usual?" Charlie knew what Layla's favorite was. She loved the chili, served with finely-grated cheddar cheese and a side of crackers.

"Yep, you know me so well," said Layla, a huge grin on her face. "And I'll have a glass of iced tea with that. Lemon of course."

"Of course," he said with a wink. "Be right back with your drink."

When he came back with the tall glass of iced tea with lemon, he sat down opposite her. "I'm on my break now. So tell me, where are you staying here in Palm Beach? You're not staying with your dad and sister, are you? I really think you should stay with me... at my place. I have plenty of room. And you will like it there. A nice view of the beach. Nothing like watching the sun rise on the ocean in the morning. Say you will stay with me. I missed you so much, Layla," coaxed Charlie, practically begging.

"I--- I don't know," Layla answered. "I really hadn't thought about where I'd stay yet. But you are right. Dad's house is definitely out. I wouldn't stay there if my life depended on it. I can't stand to be around his drinking."

"Then it's settled. You will stay with me."

"Okay," Layla agreed, reaching over and giving his hand a squeeze. "If you're sure. I wouldn't want to get in the way of you and your girlfriend...."

"What girlfriend? We broke up," Charlie said with a shrug.

"Oh... Well, you don't seem too upset about it," Layla noted.

"I'm not. She got on my nerves. Accused me of only wanting her for sex," Charlie said. "Imagine that."

"Yeah... Imagine that," said Layla with a little laugh. "I know your reputation."

"It's all lies... I'm a good boy," Charlie said teasingly.

"Yeah right... I know better," Layla said, because she knew him better than anyone. He was a Casanova. It was a well known fact. And he never once let himself get close to any of the gals he had dated, that's why the relationships had always gone sour.

"Hey now," he said with a little pout. "I will try to be good from now on then... I promise."

"You're terrible," Layla giggled.

The bell rang then, letting Charlie know that the next order was ready. "Be right back," he said. When he came back, he returned with Layla's food. He set it before her, then said, "Well, looks like after you finish, we can go back to my place. My shift is done."

"This looks great," said Layla, seeing the piping hot bowl of chili. It had been so long since she had enjoyed something so delicious, and she savored every last bite. As she munched on her meal, Charlie sat down and chatted with her.

"So, how long have you been living in the beach house?" she asked him.

"About a year and a half. And I have a couple of roommates actually," he told her.

"You do? Are you sure you are going to have room for me then?" she asked him.

"Of course. It's just my dog and a cat," he explained. "Gramps never let me have a pet growing up you know."

"Kewl. A dog... AND a cat. I thought for a minute you had a couple of harem girls you were hiding or something," Layla said teasingly.

"I wish," he said with a wink.

"Ohh... you are sooo bad."

"Hey, you are the one who said it... not me!"

Layla grinned, so glad to be back. Charlie always made her laugh and smile. She had missed him terribly. She wondered what life would be like living with Charlie. She didn't really know, but one thing was for certain they had some serious catching up to do.

After awhile, she had finished her chili. "That really hit the spot," she told him, after paying the bill.

"Thanks. But I'm just the waiter, not the cook," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she slipped him a tip.

"You're worth it," she insisted, as they left the Shark Shack together. "So what are you driving nowadays?" She looked around for his wheels, wondering which one of the vehicles nearby might be his.

"Actually, I drive a motorcycle," Charlie said. "But it's parked at my place which is only about a block from here."

"A motorcycle?" Layla said, raising one eyebrow. "Charlie, we really DO have a lot to catch up on."

"That we do," he smirked as they headed down the street to his beach house.