New Beginnings and a Coffee IV, Stat!
Christopher
Today was the day. The Montgomery’s were leaving out of Oroville to start a new adventure. Dad drove the family car while Nana and Papa followed, and the moving truck trailed behind us. Our moving train worked its way through the town. I had no attachments to this place nor the people in it. Memories of growing up here brought nothing but stress, let downs, and struggles to my family throughout the years. Watching out the window, I took in the scenery of the trees and the bridges that crossed over rivers surrounding the only town I called home. I would miss the weekends spent at the Bidwell Canyon Campground, fishing with my parents, taking in the view of Lake Oroville with the mountain views surrounding us. Now that we were leaving it all behind, I saw beauty beyond the nightmares and struggles. I saw a place that would remain in my past that I could never forget, no matter how hard I tried, because it was also a part of what made me who I am today.
Upon arrival to our new home at the Castillo Yacht Club, Dad began shooting directives at the movers on where to unload boxes out of the truck. Stepping from the car, I walked toward my mom. “Should we just follow the movers?”
“I have a map Christopher… we’ll find our way. Don’t worry.”
***
Lorelai
Exiting the building, I walked to the end of the walkway to meet Marie. “Ready for day one of work, partner?”
Marie’s facial expression dropped, she looked unenthusiastic at the thought of day one. I couldn’t blame her, we had to rely on my mother guiding and bossing us around, which meant no time for goofing off in our normal day to day routines. “Sure. Can we please get coffee first though?”
“That’s a given. I’ll take five gallons, please.” I nudged her with an elbow.
“You should just have a continuous IV drip to walk around with,” She teased.
I widened my eyes at her with a smug smirk. “That would be freaking fantastic! You should invent it… we’d make millions!”
She shook her head and giggled. “One wild and strung out rich Lorelai and Marie coming up!”
“We would have those boat houses cleaned up in no time,” I pointed out. “To be fair, we’re already wild and strung out.”
“True story! For now, I say we order the gallon and make sure to ask for extra cups, cream and sugar. It’s going to be a long day,” she replied, and I saluted her as we giggled our way down the boardwalk.
Retrieving our coffee cart and a dozen donuts, we headed down toward the boathouse rental headquarters.
As we were about to cross the boardwalk, a group of men came through with carts full of boxes, a teenage boy walked at the end with an older woman that appeared to be his mother.
Marie’s head turned her eyes glued to the perfect strangers as mine were. “Who… is that?” she asked.
My lips parted as I stopped in my tracks, staring at the newcomers walking in with suitcases. “Did you hear anything about a new family moving in, Marie?”
I could see her shaking her head in my peripheral vision. “Nope. You?”
I pulled the cup of coffee to my lips and sipped the hot caffeine. “Why are we always the last to know?”
“Because we’re too busy gossiping about everyone and everything else.” She paused. “How’s your arms by the way?”
“The burn is killing me, and the tattoo itches. Makes no sense. Why do we have to endure double the torture?” I said, watching as the young man and his mother walk closer to where we’re standing.
“We all go through it, including the members. Have you ever gotten close enough to see Luci’s or Armani’s marks?”
I shook my head. “Not really. What are they?”
“Crowns over a black diamond.” She said with an edge in her tone.
I nodded, reading in her silent message. Loyalty is royalty around here. I sipped my coffee. “We should get a move on. Mom will be waiting and make us work ten times harder if we aren’t on time.”
“You don’t want to follow the new neighbors?” She said as we started walking.
“And do what afterward? Act as if we’ve become lost?”
She grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. “Just walk. Chances are he could walk back this way.”
I sent glares to her. Now wasn’t the time, and she knew why. I followed her lead, and we walked past the house. The door was open as his father and the movers brought the first load in. Standing from a far, I watched as the new mystery boy came walking out to help unload boxes; and when he glanced our way, I flashed a small smile at him as we were turned around to walk back down the dock. To my everlasting surprise, he flashed a smile back.
As we made it out of earshot, Marie looked at me wide eyes. “Someone call the fire department, because he is on fire! Lorelai! You must use your owner’s daughter card and go introduce yourself with the welcome mat!”
I bobbed my head back and forth thinking about it and bit my lower lip at her reaction. “I could… or, I could let us meet naturally and wait until he comes out to explore.”
“Absolutely not! If you don’t do it, I’ll welcome him and set you up on a blind date.”
She clearly was not taking no for an answer. “Fine.” I groaned.
She smirked. “You’ll thank me later, I’m sure.”
***
Christopher
After helping Dad and the movers with the last load, I stepped out on the deck looking over the view of the bay and the mountains. I placed my hands on the wooden fence and took in the scenery. The fresh mountain air, salt, and seafood wafted through my nostrils and into my sinuses. The atmosphere was as calm and quiet as it was serene. Other boat houses surrounded us in the bay. There were multiple rows of houseboats as far as I could see, and the wooden docks gave way to each section of the housing community. Taking a deep breath, I think back to the young girl who appeared to be right around my age, lingering on the dock while we were moving in, and I wondered who she was? Did she live in this sector with the boathouses? More importantly, would I see her again? I heard Mom’s heels clicking against the wood as she stood next to me. “What do you think, Chris?”
I stayed quiet for a moment before I looked at her. “I think this is going to be better for our family. I know you’re worried because it’s a big move before I go into my last year of high school, but I’ll be okay. It’s not like I was all that into participating in school events anyway, and my true friends will keep in touch.”
She smiled my way. “I’m glad you’re taking this move so well.” She looked back at the house. “It’s bigger than the last place we were in.”
I turned to look up at our new home. “It is, isn’t it?” I paused for a moment. ”When we lived in Oroville, and Dad constantly placed his all into the construction business and taking care of our family, he still stumbled around in constant frustration. If this move helps Dad succeed and move to higher places with the construction company, then nothing else matters.”
She smiled at me and narrowed her eyes as she looked me in the eyes. “You are wise beyond your years, Christopher. No other seventeen year old would’ve taken all the change we put you through as well as you have.”
I smiled at her and broke my eyes away from hers as Papa Nick stepped out on the dock. “Well, what do you guys think? Million-dollar view?”
“It’s definitely something, Papa Nick,”
He laughed and came over to wrap his arm around my shoulders. “You were actually just who I was looking for.”
“Oh yeah? Why is that?” I stared off at the reflections of the other houseboats on the water.
“Your dad and I talked. He said you passed your driver’s test last year, but couldn’t afford to buy you a car and then I realized something.”
“What’s that?” Papa’s ideas usually always came out of left field with a pot of gold to accompany them.
“Well, your nana and I barely drive the Mercedes, so we want to give it to you so you can get to school and grow some independence.” He sounded serious, and I wasn’t sure I could believe him.
“That’s very generous, Papa. You don’t have to, though.”
“I know I don’t have to, Christopher; but I want too.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Papa!” I reached over and gave him a gentle hug.
He hugged me back and patted me on the back. “We’ll come back later this week to go get the plates changed over, and get you signed up at Pennington.”
“Is that the school I’ll be at?”
“Yes, it is. You’ll gain a good education for your last year in high school.”
I smiled. “I’m glad, Papa, and thank you.”
“The Montgomerys stick together. We never stray too far from the sidelines of loved ones. We stay close and intervene when the opponents of life intercept or do one of our own wrong.”
I smiled and looked back out at the view. The calming, happy feeling that took over when we left Oroville was matting; and while we hadn’t been here long, I had a good feeling about this place.
***
Later that night, I was helping Mom and Dad unpack the kitchen, putting the dishes up on the shelves of the cupboards how she wanted them, when there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it. Scope out a spot for these serving dishes?”
Mom ignored me as she stared at my father. “Nathaniel! You’re spacing out again! You do this every time I need your help. Pay attention.”
Dad was messing around with the cell phone Nana and Papa gifted him as a welcome home present. “What? I do not. What is it, dear? This new technology is a damn brain teaser.”
“Put the damn phone down and help me find a place for the serving dishes.”
“”Honey, the kitchen is your spot, the workshop which I no longer have is mine. We’ve been over this a million times.”
She shook her head. “You’re getting a damn workshop. We’ll scope out an old warehouse where you can carve your arts and crafts soon enough. Can you focus for five minutes?”
I laughed a bit at the bantering they had going and opened the door to find the same girl that walked by earlier standing at the door with a gift basket. I smiled warmly at her, trying to contain my excitement. “Hello. Can I help you?”
She returned a bright smile at me, and our eyes locked and time seemed to freeze the moment before she spoke. “Hi. My name is Lorelai Castillo. I’m the owner's daughter and I wanted to bring this welcome gift for you and your family.”
My Lord. This girl belonged in a beauty pageant. Hell. She could’ve won Miss USA against all the Queens in the world. I flashed another smile toward her. “Awe. That was very sweet. Thank you.” I reached to take the basket from her from the bottom. My fingers swiped against her soft hand, tingles traveling up my arm as I locked my own eyes on her baby blue hues.
“You’re welcome. What’s…your name?” She asked.
“My name is Christopher…but you can call me Chris,” I said. I didn’t know why I had to tell her my full name.
She laughed softly. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Christopher.”
Great, now she was going to use my full name every time we cross paths. “Nice to meet you as well, Miss Castillo.”
She smiled at me once more before she took a step back. “I… take care of the rentals around here. So if you ever need anything, I’m always around.”
“Actually, there is one thing I could use,”
“And what’s that, Mr. Christopher?” Her face lit up with slight excitement.
“A tour of this place. It seems really big, and a little confusing,” I said.
“Oh…well. I could definitely help you with that. I’m actually getting off work here soon. Why don’t you meet me at the end of the docks by the mainland in about an hour, and I’ll give you a personal grand tour of the yacht club?”
I paused for a moment. “That sounds like an offer I can’t pass up, Miss Castillo.” I smiled and winked at her. “I’ll see you then,” I spoke quietly, and waved at her as she turned to walk off the porch.
“See you then,” she spoke quietly.
I watched until she disappeared out of sight and closed the door.
Damnit, she is beautiful, and my parents are still bantering about those bloody serving dishes.
I set the basket up on the island upon returning and took a seat on a chair at the island. “We received a welcoming gift,” I said as they turned their attention toward me.
“That was nice. Who was it from, Chris?” Mom asked.
“The owner’s daughter. She’s going to take me on a tour around the yacht club. Do you two have a handle on the rest?”
“Yeah. You go. Have fun. Your Nana and Papa are ordering in dinner. ”
I stood up. “Don't wait up, I’ll eat when I get back.”
***
One hour later, I stepped off the docks on the mainland and found a bench on the boardwalk to wait on.
Lorelai came into sight a moment later. She wore a white summer dress and her hair looked like it had been freshly blown out. She had gauze wrapped around her arms, and I wondered why, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask such a personal question this early on. The glow of the sun shined brightly from the sunset and distracted me rather quickly, she looked…illuminatingly beautiful. No makeup necessary, simple natural beauty fell over this girl and I was floored. I couldn’t find words.
“Christopher? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I snapped out of it and stood up. “What way? I wasn’t looking at you in any particular way. I’m ready to venture out when you are.”
She smiled and held back a laugh. “You’re sure? You look like you just saw an extraterrestrial.”
Whatever the reason behind the gauze, she didn’t seem bothered by it. I chuckled. “That’s quite flabbergasting and I apologize.”
She laughed, turning her attention to the men hanging up the ‘Annual Castillo Yacht Club Summer Bash’ banner between the posts at the entrance of the docks.
I looked at the sign and stood up. “Does this place have a lot of parties?”
She laughed. “My father will find reasons to throw a party.” Her tone changed to a serious one.
I rose an eyebrow. “Interesting. This place does kind of look like a good place for parties, though.”
We began walking down the boardwalk. “Our community is a very rich one. We have your typical born from the womb snobs that travel from San Francisco on the weekends, the rockers slash motorcycle gang groups, and then we have the elderly that just come here to retire and want to be left alone with their books and long walks in the sunsets.”
“I’ve never really been the party type. I was always too busy with school or helping my parents around the house, going to work with my dad, or visiting with the grandparents out in Napa.”
“Yeah? What’s your dad do for a living?”
“He’s in construction, which is why we moved here. The work in Oroville was scarce.”
“I’m sure he won’t have a problem here. The San Francisco area is constantly growing,” she said as she stopped about halfway down the docks.
I stopped and stood facing toward the buildings behind us and saw two men standing across the street looking my way. I attempted to ignore the intimidating stares in a pause before I flashed a smile toward Lorelai. “That’s what we’re hoping for. Mom helps out with the numbers and booking jobs; but I think my grandparents want me to take over the construction business once I finish college. They’re getting older, and they own a winery; but the responsibilities and upkeep are getting to be too much on them.”
“Hmm… so what’s going to happen?”
“I’ve learned the ropes from my dad, and he will eventually hand it down for me to take over, so they can help take care of the winery.”
She nodded as she took it in. “Family business done right.”
I chuckled. “Sounds about right, but the Montgomerys don’t back down from a challenge, no matter what.”
She rose her brow. “Really now? I’ll have to remember that.”
A lighthearted laugh left my lips. “You better,” I teased.
“Considering a Castillo never takes no for an answer, you should. I know you mentioned you weren’t the partying type, but you should come to the party on Friday. I’ll be your guide and break you in.” She flashed that beautiful smile at me again.
“Yeah?” I pondered her offer. “I might just accept your generous offer. Just don’t break me too hard.” The sarcasm broke sooner than I expected; but when my words sent her into a burst of laughter, I knew I wasn’t in too much trouble.