Strawberry Wine (Winner of The Write Affair) | ✔️

Chapter 12

Ch. 12

A short while later, we pulled into Ruby's winding driveway and Jake surveyed the property with appreciation. "This is really nice," he commented as he took in the fantastic view.

"Pretty impressive, huh? It's great having a best friend whose parents are loaded."

"I bet," he agreed. "What do they do for a living?" he asked, turning his eyes toward me.

"They both sell real estate."

"They're making this kind of money in Lakeside?" He looked completely bewildered.

"Not just here. They own their own company in Atlanta."

Jake nodded his head in understanding and continued to take in the enormous plot of land overlooking the lake. Several familiar cars were already parked when he pulled his truck into an empty spot.

Shutting off the engine, he turned to me with a grin. "Wait right there." He hopped out of the old Ford and came around to my side, opening the door for me. I gave him a big smile as my stomach began a series of somersaults.

As we made our way up the beige and gray stone walkway, I admired the creeping ivy climbing up the front of the stately older house. Ruby had been my best friend for years, yet I always felt like I was visiting a fancy beach-side resort every time I came to her home. It was that beautiful. We walked onto the porch and I rang the doorbell, patiently waiting for someone to answer. Moments later, the knotty pine door opened, revealing a beaming Ruby, dressed in her new bikini and a long flowing sarong.

"You made it!" she screeched, enveloping me in a cloud of her mother's Chanel No. 5.

Laughing, I untangled myself from her arms. "I said I would be here." We stood smiling at each other, relishing in the close camaraderie we felt. "Ruby," I began, taking a deep breath. "You remember Jake?" I knew very well that she did. No teenage girl in the world would be able to forget his dreamlike perfection.

"Yes, Jake. It's nice to see you again." Ruby smiled graciously, always the perfect hostess. "Welcome to my house."

"Hi, Ruby. Thank you for having me," Jake responded in his polite southern drawl.

Ruby stood transfixed for a moment longer than she should have and I thought I noticed a slight blush color her cheeks. I shook my head in amazement, it was really unlike Ruby to be rattled by a guy. Before I could make a confirmation, she straightened her shoulders and regained her composure. "Come this way."

Ruby led us through the spacious home toward french doors that opened onto a large cedar deck that boasted an elaborate Polynesian cabana and six man hot tub. Off the deck sat an imposing in-ground pool, showcasing a rock cave with a fountain and water slide.  I heard Jake let a quiet whistle under his breath and couldn't help but smile. It wasn't often I got to witness a first reaction to Ruby's house. It seemed everyone in our small town had been at the Sinclairs' at one point or another growing up.

"I hope you're hungry." Ruby smiled and gestured toward a long table-clothed buffet that sat on the deck.

"I'm starving," I answered, wasting no time diving into the generous spread. We heard a doorbell ring in the distance and Ruby excused herself to greet another guest. "Are you hungry?" I asked Jake as I began to pile a mound of sugared strawberries onto my thick plastic plate.

"Always. Thank you." He smiled as I handed him a plate of his own. "I just cannot get over this estate. I didn't think real people actually lived this way."

I knew exactly what he meant. "I'd say it's not fair, but the Sinclairs' work hard for what they have. Ruby spends a lot of time alone because her parents are so busy all the time. I would love to live in a house like this with all of it's amenities, but I wouldn't trade it for having my family around." I thought I saw a look of approval flash in Jake's eyes, but what I said was true. No amount of money would be worth having to spend most of my time alone. Sometimes I felt as if Ruby was closer with my parents then her own, and the very idea stung. It was one thing to make a living to provide for your family, but completely another to spend all your time doing it.