Four: A Goldstone Morning

"Good morning!" Jeremy greeted from his pantry.

Charlie was a bit hungover from last night, she was still grasping at the reality of where she was when she woke up. "Good morning," she said with a faint smile, covering up her kimono top as she walked out of the guest bedroom.

"Tom still asleep?"

She looked over to the bed to make sure, "Yeup ... still in the same position he fell on the bed this morning," she chuckled.

"I heard you guys came back, a little after three, I think ... did you guys have fun?" Jeremy looked fresh and cheerful.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, it was almost noon, "Gosh, I've never got up this late before," she laughed at the thought.

"Tea?" he offered her a cup of English breakfast.

"Oh, thank you, I'd love some, I think I'm a bit hungover." She sat on the dining chair and folded her legs up.

"Hmm ... that's a regular Saturday morning around here, everyone's usually hungover, later we can have brunch at our favorite diner around the corner ... they have savory brunch menu for hangovers."

"Oooh ... that sounds awesome, I'm famished ... I don't think we've eaten anything last night," she sipped on her tea.

"Tom must be thrilled to have you here, he dreads it every day when he was here the last time, I'm glad you worked it out," Jeremy leaned on the pantry cabinet.

Charlie shrugged with a smile, a tiny bit of guilt rushed over her, she too was dreading it, she never imagined what it was like for Tommy.

"He's starting his work on Monday, right?" he changed the topic.

"Yeah, we'll be moving out our stuff to his place then, I guess I'll take some time to organize it while he's out," she replied.

"Don't worry about it, I'll help you with the moving, it's only next door, we can hang out or go wherever you want to go ... my gig is not until 8 PM, Tom will be home by then, right?" Jeremy offered.

"That'll be great, but I don't want to intrude with your routine or anything, you don't have to get out of your way for me ... I can go around by myself."

"Don't be silly, it'll be my pleasure, it's not every day I get to meet Tom's girlfriend ... wait ... no, I've never met Tom's girlfriend before, I don't think he ever had one ... not a steady one, anyway," he tried to remember.

She raised an eyebrow with a knowing smile, "So I heard."

"No, I don't mean it like that ... I just ..." Jeremy just realized he had said too much.

"Too late for that, Jer, you can't take it back," she said. They laughed.

"What are you guys laughing at?" Tommy came out of the bedroom looking dazed and not much better than how Charlie looked before.

"Hey! There he is! We were just talking about you," Jeremy said.

"Good things I hope," Tommy went over to Charlie and kissed her on the forehead, "Good morning beautiful, I hope he's not poisoning you with lies about me."

She giggled, "No, he was being very nice and offered to keep me company while you're at work."

"Oh, that's great man, thanks," Tommy sat next to Charlie and grabbed her waist to sit on his lap. He kissed her neck and nibbled on her ear. "Just don't believe everything he says about me," they laughed.

"Okay, lover boy, why don't you guys get ready and we'll have a nice brunch at The Deuce," Jeremy threw a napkin at Tommy.

**********

They walked from the flat to The Deuce. Even the air smelled different there. The heat of the sun reflected on the cement. There weren't as many trees as in Bluebridge. Every store they pass has a different scent when the door opens. The pastry shop, the coffee house, the toiletries store, the bookshops.

Charlie looped her arm around Tommy's, leaned her head on his shoulder. She was absorbing her surroundings, the buildings were made of red bricks, plants and flowers covered parts of the exteriors. People were on their bicycles to go around the perimeters. Flower shops added colors to the experience she was embracing.

The Deuce was right next to the flower shop. It was a two-story building that looked more like a big house that was transformed into a diner. There was seating in front of the place as well as the second-floor balcony. The house was lined with white picket fences no taller than her waist. Flower beds surrounded the area. The interior resembled a country home which reminded her of her home in Bluebridge.

Her mom would've loved the place, she thought. She had called her twice already and heard her dad screamed in the background. He wasn't handling the fact she was spending summer in Goldstone very well. But her mom seemed to have everything under control, despite her dad threatening to call the police on her. She wasn't a runaway, she was an 18-year-old who took a conscious decision to go where she wanted to go. And what a decision it had been, she loved every minute and every breath she took in Goldstone.

They sat in the front where they could see the view of the surrounding area in that narrow street. Faint music can be heard from inside the diner, muffled by people chattering. The latte tasted like heaven in a cup, she devoured it in a few gulps, ordered another one right after.

"Maxine Roberts? Wow ... that's a pretty big name, she just opened The Arch Film Institute ... I heard it was an epic ceremony" Jeremy said when Tommy mentioned the dinner invitation.

"A film institute?" Charlie's eyes glowed.

"Yeah ... up the hill, not far from the studios, I think it's pretty close with the studios 'cause they'd be recruiting a lot of graduates ... she's building an empire."

Charlie tapped Tommy's arm with a bewildered look on her face.

"This is the first time I've heard of it, we never really talked about her businesses," Tommy said.

"We have got to go there, I want to see it ... can I ask her about it tonight?" there was eagerness in her eyes that Tommy had never seen before.

"Of course ... are you interested in joining?" Tommy asked.

"Are you kidding me? Yess! It's making me think already," her face was beaming in excitement.

"What about Gastonburry?" Tommy was hopeful.

She paused for a moment, "My dad's gonna kill me, he'll never pay for the tuition but I can get a job around here, right?"

The boys shrugged, she most definitely can get a job, not the kind her parents would approve of, or Tommy for that matter.

"Let's see what she has to say about the school first, let's not make any rushed decisions just yet ... you've only been here for three days, your dad's not gonna kill you before your mom kills me first," Tommy said.

She was all jittery throughout the day. Bluebridge and Gastonburry had never felt so far in the past than it felt that day. It's as if Goldstone was luring her more and more to plant her feet there and start a totally different life, the life that she wanted for herself.