A Carmel Love Story

Chapter two

Who and why

"He left you $200 in cash?!" I had just finished telling lyra the story of the day before, both the young adult, the $200, and the business card. We were on break, and the cafe was bustling around us.

"Do you know who it could have been?" I asked her, since she seems to know everyone.

She pulls out her phone, and a light is cast across her face and her fingers dart across the screen. "Ah ha," she exclaims, and slides the screen under my nose.

Staring back at me is the boy's face from yesterday. Though this picture has obviously been changed by makeup and editing, it's still obvious it's him. "That's him," I blurted out, startling those nearest. How she finds random people that fast is a mystery.

She pulls the screen back, pleased with her work, "This is Drysten Colimore, a rich teen actor who's staying for a little while nearby, at some vacation home," she trails off, biting her lip, "uh, here it is, he's staying at Carmel mission inn."

I look at her, shocked.

"What," she asks.

I shake my head disbelievingly. While a great friend, she's always been extremely modest. It's a noble quality, but at this point, it just makes her seem clueless.

"Well, we know who is, so if he had so much cash, and is so famous," I pause and look at her before we finish together, "why is he here?" I chuckle and smile.

Let me tell you a little about where we live. We live in Carmel-by-the-sea, California. A small town only 1.06 square feet in size with a population of 3,196. It's not special, and it has the weirdest name ever. It's pretty, we get tourists, and have some museums but that's really the only things we have going for us. There's no real reason for a rich actor to stay here.

I look up at Lyra and ask, "Isn't there some way to find out why he's here?"

She shakes her head, still looking confused. "I've been keeping up with him ever since he starred in The Last Half, my favorite soccer movie."

This makes me laugh, since I know for a fact she knows nothing about soccer, and she always goes for romance movies. "Ya sure, what was the plot of the movie?" I ask.

"Uh-" she thinks before shrugging, " I don't know."

I shake my head and chuckle, before seeing her face has paled, and she looks extremely surprised. I realize that the entire cafe has gone quiet. I begin to ask what's wrong when I hear a voice near the register.

" A Venti Caramel Macchiato please." I whip around and see drysten's smirking face by the counter. I stand up and walk behind the counter, with an obviously fake smile on my face, and shooing away the new girl. She stays silent and runs to the back, no doubt to tell the others who just arrived.

"Can you repeat that?" I ask, still smiling widely. He leans forward into the counter, still smirking. "I said-"

He's cut off as Phoenix, our manager, comes out of the back panting. I turn and raise my eyebrows at her, "something wrong, miss? " I ask.

She catches her breath and stands up, pushing her hair out of her face and smoothing down her uniform. She ignores me and turns to Drysten. "I'm a big fan. What brings you here?"

He raises his eyebrows, "didn't you hear me talking? You interrupted me." This seems to shock Phoenix almost as much as it shocks me. Up to now, he seemed bashful, if not flirty. Now he seemed rude.

"I'm sorry, sir," she says finally, bowing her head, even though she's at least 10 years older.

Drysten bursts out laughing, making him seem crazy. "I'm kidding, you're fine."

Phoenix lets out a breath of relief and smiles.

I realize now that's one of drysten's talents, calming people down, and making them laugh, even in the weirdest situations.

"I, well, can I get a pic with you?" Phoenix asks, holding up her phone. She's 26, but now she's acting 16. He nods, smiling, and gets closer. When he's done, the entire cafe takes it as a sign for free autographs and pictures.

I shake my head and move around the crowd, looking for Lyra, before seeing she was currently taking a photo with drysten.

I roll my eyes and sit back down at the table, pulling out my phone and seeing a text from maha, a friend of ours living a few hours away.

She's asking for an update, so I tell her what just happened, who left me the money ect, ect. Almost immediately, she video calls. I walk outside with no one noticing and accept it. Her face pops up on the screen quickly.

She has honey colored skin, and a green hijab covers her head. She smiles at the camera. Before she does what she always does, she scolds me. "Why didn't you reply earlier? I was worried sick, and I'm not accepting some excuse about your phone dying. We both know that's a lie." She takes a deep breath before resuming her smile.

I laugh "maha are you ok?"

She sighs, "ya, but this year's Ramadan is worse than others for some reason."

I suddenly remember that it's April 5, the fifth day of Ramadan. Maha's a Muslim, and she's been fasting this month, and while she's fully devout, that doesn't stop her love of food. "Didn't you have suhoor, or whatever?" Suhur is a pre-fast meal recommended for those who take part in Ramadan.

"No," she sighs, "I accidentally slept in and didn't get up until after sunrise, which, you know, when the fast starts."

A voice comes from off screen and she tells me she has to go. We say our farewells and she hangs up, just as Drysten and Lyra walk out. Though they just met, they somehow look like they've known each other for years.

"Hey Tommy," drysten calls waving to me and walking over. I turn to Lyra, ignoring drysten.

"What are you doing?" I say, gesturing the smiling blond beside her.

"Oh, me and rye are besties now." She says, looking quite satisfied with herself.

"What- I- NO!" I reply, looking shocked and rightfully so if I say so myself. (And I do)

Drysten shrugs, still smiling, " can't do anything about it now Thomas, and my chauffeur is almost her so," he claps his hands, "who's coming with me?"