Page 1 of Memories By the Shore
Chapter One
Now
Avery
Iroll my luggage into my Scottsdale penthouse apartment. The click of my high heels on the hardwood floors greets me whenever I come in. The smell of leather and spice warms my insides, signaling I’ve entered solitude.
I’ve never given much thought to how I’d spend my future. I’m not one to plot and plan and prefer to be left alone. I enjoy lying amongst my books and pieces of artwork.
It’s not that I don’t like people. I do. I’m a flight attendant, and that is a large part of the job, but truthfully, there are only a handful of people I can tolerate for long periods. They are my three best friends and sometimes the guy I’m casually dating, Dave. But even Dave isn’t allowed to stay over, and I never stay at his place even after over a year of being romantically involved.
Both of my parents unexpectedly died in a car accident when I was seventeen. I didn’t know them well. They spent most of my childhood traveling overseas with my father’s IT company. I was raised by Maye, my nanny since I was six, and the otherstaff members on my parents’ payroll. That was my life, and I’ve inadvertently curated the same level of solitude now as an adult.
My phone buzzes inside my bag. I shut and locked the door behind me, then unzipped my travel bag and slipped it out.
Piper: I’ll be in town next Sunday! Happy hour at The Poppy?
Bailey: I’m so excited to see you. I’m in!
Lina: I’ll be there. I’m ready to hug you, Piper Moon.
I tap out a quick reply to my best friends.
Me: Can’t wait to see you!
I’m closer to them than I have been to anyone else my entire life. Bailey and I met in college, and then we met Lina and Piper in flight attendant school. We’ve been flying together for the same airline since we left school.
I glance at the time and notice how late it is. Dave is taking me out to dinner tonight. In his message, he said to dress nice. He always has something up his sleeve.
I flip on the lights and hit the remote to open the curtains with a panoramic view of downtown. They slowly open and display the spotted lights of the city. My hometown. The place I returned to as soon as I had the chance. I love this place. I’m never fucking leaving.
Since I wasn’t yet eighteen years old when my parents passed, I had to give up my entire life in Phoenix and move to a small Northern California coastal town with my aunt Helen. Theicing on an already horrible cake was that my inheritance wasn’t going to be released to me until I reached a specific age. And once I reached that age, which was eighteen, I would only get small installments. The second came at twenty-one, then twenty-five, with the final and total amount at thirty.
I take the first step on the spiral staircase that leads to the loft area, holding my luggage in one hand while gripping the metal railing with the other. When I get to the open floor plan with my bed, dresser, and mounted TV, I breathe a sigh of relief that I am home. Rolling my bags to the side, I head straight for the shower.
In the middle of soaping up my hair, my phone vibrates. Drying my hand first, I swipe it off the counter.
“Hey, how was your trip?” Dave’s voice is low on the other end.
Dave and I met when I had a dental emergency, but my dentist was out of town. He was on call that weekend and offered to see me in one of his offices on a Saturday afternoon.
He drove in a small red sports car and hopped out in jeans, a white T-shirt, and dark sunglasses. I was attracted to him right away.
Over the last year and a half, we’ve dated casually. During those first few months, we both agreed that this was just for fun. I’d call Dave when I was lonely or had no one to go to dinner with, and then it morphed into us having weekends away together. We’re friends who sleep together and spend time together, but the spark is nonexistent. It’s more of a friendship, and the occasional hookup isn’t bad—he gets the job done.
“It was good. I’m in the shower. Can I callyou back?”
“Don’t forget I’m taking you out tonight,” he reminds me as if I’d forgotten.
Water drips down my arm. “Yeah, at eight, right?”
“That was the plan, but I’m actually at your place now. Buzz me in.”
Irritation creeps up my back. Dave saideight. I’m not ready to be social yet. I clamp my eyes shut. I need to relax. He’s just being nice.
“Okay, give me a minute to get dressed.”
“Alright, I’ll be down here waiting.”
