Twice the Charm

Abby stared at her laptop screen absent-mindedly. There was a lot of work to be done but she simply couldn't bring herself to focus. Tomorrow she would be leaving for Malibu and she was nothing close to done with work.

“Miss, would you like anything else?” She glanced up and found a waitress staring politely at her. Abby shook her head.

“I'm okay, thanks.”

She gathered all things back into her purse, went to pay at the front desk and left.

It was a warm sunny day in New York, Manhattan but Abby wasn't feeling the warmth. She was sick and cold to her stomach. Everything around her was crumbling.

The divorce papers weren't finalized yet and everytime her lawyer called, her stomach would do a little back flip.

Just as she'd gotten into her car, her phone rang. She reached for it.

“Hey sis, guess who's finally home,” Sarah's chirpy voice broke through. A small smile formed across Abby's lips.

“That's amazing. You're finally home after a decade,” I teased and her sister scoffed.

“It hasn’t been a decade yet…” she laughed. “You make it sound like I'm some prodigal daughter or something.”

Starting the engine, Abby drove off, her eyes fixed on the stretch of asphalt before her.

“That's because you are. You're the only one who hasn't been home in three years. At some point, mum started wondering if you still live on planet earth.”

“Well, that's a fair point.” Sarah chuckled. “When will you be back? You know it's not a vacation without you.”

“I'll be coming in tomorrow. I should be there by twelve noon.”

“Great! Maybe later we can go to the beach. If you're down for that,” Sarah suggested and Abby's smile broadens.

“That would be perfect,” she replied. “Look, I'll talk to you later when I'm home but I'm driving right now, okay?”

With Sarah finally home, there would be something worth looking forward to.

_____

Beads of sweat lined Abby's forehead as she sat waiting for the line of cars ahead of her to move. The traffic jam was crazy, something she'd never expected down here in Malibu.

After three hours of navigating her way through traffic, Abby was close to home.

Seated in her rental car, she pulled up at a red light and reclined into her seat. She loosened her grip on the wheel and ran her fingers through her wind swept hair, fixing it up a bit.

Soon, a black Range Rover comes to a stop next to her simple blue sedan. Abby glances at the car and then at the driver, a young man—somewhere around her age— who had on a pair of dark blue sunshades.

As though he'd felt a pair of eyes on him, his eyes shift to meet Abby's and he offers her a polite smile.

Something about that smile looked a little too familiar. She frowned, staring at him and despite the pair of shades he had on, Abby could spot a look of recognition on his face.

The red light switched to a green and Abby drove off.

Finally was starting to see the beach house as she rounded a turn. A comforting type of warmth spread through her body.

Seated on the front porch was Sarah, eagerly waiting for her. The moment her car pulled up into the driveway, she rose to her feet, a wide grin on her face.

“You're finally here!” She squealed excitedly and wrapped her arms around Abby.

“Where's mum?”

“She went to the grocery store to get a few things. She'll be back soon,” Sarah replied and moved to assist Abby with her suitcase.

They went inside and Sarah poured her a cold glass of water. “How was your trip?” She asked, handing Abby the glass of water. “Tell me you've still got some strength in you to take a walk this evening.”

As tired as Abby was, she finds herself accepting Sarah's offer. A walk on the beach didn't sound so bad anyways.

“Sure but I've gotta freshen up first. I smell like exhaust fumes.”

“Fifteen minutes and we're out of here okay?” Sarah says as she wheels my suitcase in.

Twenty minutes later and I'm finally done, now changed into a pair of butt jean shorts and a simple blouse.

The moment I walk into the living room, a car turns into our driveway and parks. “Looks like we've got a visitor,” Sarah points out and heads outside.

Abby stared at the car that was parked outside. It was the Ranger Rover from the red light. She followed after her sister, curious.

Outside, she could see the man's face a lot better. A stubble around his chin, nice jawline, broad shoulders, piercing brown eyes, bushy brows and a masculine aura.

“Oh my gosh, Abby!” Mindy, her mother exclaimed. “You're home! I didn't know you were coming in today.”

Abby returned the hug, squeezing Mindy a bit after breathing in her scent. Vanilla and lavender body wash.

“You look lovely,” Mindy said after she had pulled away. Abby blushed.

“So, mum, who's your friend?” Sarah asked, eyeing the young man— a glimmer of interest in her eyes.

The young man in question steps out of his car and heads towards us. There's no denying he's breathtaking.

Realization glimmered in his eyes as they shifted between Mindy and Abby. “Abby Winster? From highschool?”

Sarah stared between her sister and the man, a bit disappointed and confused. “You two know each other?”

Abby began to shake her head, equally confused, when the man cut in.

“It’s Anthony… Anthony Wells from highschool?”

Jesus.