Page 2 of One More Chance
Chapter 2
2019
Charlotte strode out of her sleek office building, her heels tapping on the pavement as she jogged across the street in the misty rain to the bustling coffee shop.
She heard her phone ringing from the depths of her Prada handbag. She handed the barista a ten-dollar bill and plunged her hand into her bag, knocking around lipstick tubes, notebooks, and pens; her fingers snapping wildly. By the time her claw had located the phone, it had stopped ringing.
“Thanks.” She smiled at the barista, taking her change and her latte.
She charged back out to the street and headed back to her office. She glanced at the time and took a breath, she still had time to make it across the city before gridlock tripled the cross-city travel time. She headed into the building and heard the phone ringing again, she smiled and tapped the screen to accept the call,
“Who is this?” she said.
“You know exactly who it is. My picture shows up on your fancy screen.” Her best friend Megan was on the other end of the line.
“Hmmm. The voice sounds familiar, but I just can’t quite place it...”
Ever since Megan had moved in with her boyfriend, Josh, their weekly catch-up calls had turned into a bi-weekly call, and now, monthly. They texted here and there, and Charlotte missed their gossip sessions. She was happy that Megan had found love, but was a little jealous that she had to share her best friend with Josh.
“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” Megan’s voice rang out through the tiny speaker. “The phone works two ways you know.”
It was true. Since coming back from Chance Rapids last December, Charlotte had thrown herself into work and a Caribbean vacation. Her tan had since faded, but the memory of seeing that asshole Logan Brush at the café still made her blood boil. She was thankful that he didn’t recognize her and that she was able to duck out the back, but as much as she hated to admit it, it hurt her that there was no glimmer of recognition in his eyes.
Yes, it had been fifteen years, and she supposed that she looked different. Her hair was darker, she had some crinkles beside her eyes, and her clothes were worth more than the beat-up car her mom had driven when she was in high school. But he looked the same and dammit if he didn’t look better than he did in 2004.
“I guess we both got busy there.” Charlotte nodded to her assistant as she juggled her coffee to slide open the glass door to her office. “But, let’s not let that happen again. I miss you, Meg.”
“I miss you too.”
“Are you two still fucking like rabbits, or has the honeymoon phase worn off?”
“Charlotte!” Megan gasped theatrically. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“That’s where it likes to live these days,” she smirked. “Speaking of gutter dwellers, has the hero of Chance Rapids come back to town to bask in his glory?” There was a deep intake of breath and then dead silence on the other end of the phone. “What? What is it?” Charlotte knew when Megan was keeping something from her.
“You haven’t heard?”
“Heard what? You know I try to stay as far away from that town and its gossip as I can.”
“Logan Brush has moved back to Chance Rapids.”
