Chapter 48
CHARLOTTE
I had spent a few hours in the shack, and quite frankly, I didn’t want to leave. The food was great. The service was wonderful, and the general ambiance made me feel comfortable, However, as time passed, I knew it was time to go
I ordered takeout and exited the place, making a mental note to return the next evening. I was glad to find somewhere I liked and was happy to explore other restaurants and establishments, but I was so impressed with the service here that I was willing to make it a favorite.
I stepped out and looked around for a taxi, but there was none in sight, so I decided to walk. I wasn’t sure which way to go to get back to the hotel, but I felt like that was part of the experience. If I took a cab everywhere, I wouldn’t learn how to navigate the city on foot.
I considered going back in to ask for directions, but decided to follow the couple who had stepped out of the gym closely. I kept enough distance between us to ensure I didn’t come off as a weirdo, which helped a great deal because soon we had taken a turn, and the street we were on was filled with people and cabs.
Happy to have achieved this feat, I decided to continue exploring on foot. I had no idea where I was going, nor did I have any particular destination in mind; I just knew I wanted to walk, so I did. The city buzzed with activity as music blared from loudspeakers and people moved to and fro. A few minutes later, I decided I had my fair share of exploring but wasn’t ready to return to the hotel room, so I decided to visit the beach. I hailed a taxi and told the driver my destination. This time, it was a woman. She immediately spotted that I was a newcomer, which unnerved me slightly. I wasn’t sure if it was good for people to easily identify that I didn’t know my way around, but she had been driving this route for a long time.
If she couldn’t discern a newcomer from someone who had lived here all their life, that would say a lot about her work, so I tried to put the thought away. As she started the ignition and pulled onto the street, I focused on being happy to talk to someone with a refreshing perspective on California. The moon shone brightly as we drove through the streets. I stared at it through the window, reminded of my childhood, when I wondered if the moon was following us as we moved through the city.
Now, I knew the answer, but it didn’t take away the excitement that filled me as I looked at it. When she spoke, I pulled my gaze away from the moon and tried to focus on the conversation. She mentioned living in a different city, and I was delighted to meet someone who had experienced life elsewhere.
The stories of her life in Spain were exciting, and I looked forward to having a similar experience here. When we arrived at the beach, she gave me directions on the best spot to enjoy a great time there. I thanked her, paid the fare, and alighted from the vehicle.
A few minutes later, I made my way through the entrance and took off my shoes as I walked towards the beach. Following the instructions the driver had given me earlier, I located the spot she mentioned. As soon as I sat down, my phone rang, and I fished in my bag for it. Seeing that it was Maria, I hung up and called her back immediately, smiling as she picked up on the first ring.
“Signora, hi! How are you doing?” she asked with a hint of excitement in her voice, and I chuckled.
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31..
Hi Maria, I’m doing great How are you?” I replied and see the bag mining the food I had heugly along sinng
next to my fret
“Great, everything’s Inen going well at the estate. I m sorry I missed your call earlier, I was at the market settl Stella” the responded, and I arched my eyette
“Media?” I inquired running the name derough my mind to or if I could reengate it but proses furile
“Yes, she’s the new chet. It’s been exciting working with these people sometimes I forget they are hars and try to de everything myself, but uumately, their presence makes things eader,” the answered, and I united in reponse.
“I’m glad to hear that you’re doing well and everything’s great. I hope it stays that way. Have you had another visit from the current Signora Thuthal?” I asked and grinned as she chuckled in response before answering.
“Elena? No. 1 told you she wouldn’t be back,” she replied.
“Yeah. I found that hard to believe. Not because you said It, it’s just hard to put anything past someone who was crazy enough to let herself into an uninvited space,” I responded.
“Well, that’s understandable, but I don’t think she’ll be bothering us anymore,” she answered back.
“I hope so.” I said, and she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
“I’m sure of it. I heard she was out of town too. I’m not certain about that information and, quite frankly, I do not care enough to watch her activities,” she started to say. I wanted to comment on how doing that would ensure she didn’t cause any more scenes at the estate, but I decided against it.
If she felt safe enough to be unbothered about the antics of a jealous and covetous woman, I didn’t push it any further and avoided planting ideas stemming from my insecurities in her mind.
I resisted the urge to ask about Rogerio; it irked me that his name still found its way into my thoughts while I sat here, miles away from him. I tried not to beat myself up about it; healing and moving on were processes that wouldn’t happen overnight, nor suddenly because I had moved cities.
It required a mindset shift, something that would gradually lose its significance to me. I promised myself to consistently cut myself some slack. I was here to make a new life for myself; it didn’t need to happen all at once, so why did I think this would be any different?
“One day at a time,” I muttered, digging my fingers into the sand beneath my feet.
“Enough talk about Signora La Guerta,” she added.
“I’d be glad to stop talking about her too,” I answered, and she chuckled in response.
“Tell me all about your flight. How was it? How’s the city? Is it everything you hoped?” she asked, her tone filled
with excitement.
My thoughts turned to the flight as Thiago’s face came to mind. I considered recounting the incident on the first flight and my decision to stay overnight in Newark, but the thought of explaining how I cried in my sleep on the flight to Los Angeles made me reconsider. Knowing Maria and how much she worried about me, any mention of
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Chapter 48
that would instantly distress her.
Instead, I pulled the phone away from my ear, put it on speaker, and pointed it towards the sea where the waves crashed against the beach. “Can you hear that?”
“You’re on the beach?” she replied with even more excitement, making me smile.
“Yes, I decided to explore the city, at least a part of it. I had dinner at a really great place; the food was so good I had to get takeout. But I wasn’t ready to go back to the hotel…” I replied.
“The night is still young?” she teased, and we laughed together at the reference.
“Indeed. So I came here to enjoy the scenery for a bit. It’s been… a good experience so far,” I said, and she let out a content sigh.
“I’m glad to hear things are going well, Signora…” she started, but I interrupted.
“Charlotte, Maria. I’m just Charlotte now,” I chuckled at her response, and she continued talking.
“Old habits. Well, I’m glad you’re having a good time. I hope everything goes according to plan.”
I thought about her words and shook my head slowly. I knew better than to place my faith in the universe on that topic, but I wasn’t about to voice my pessimism. We said our goodbyes, I promised to call her soon, then hung up and picked up the food I had brought with me. It was warmer than usual but still tasted great, a perfect companion for my time here.
