Yours to Savor (43 page)

“Well, I got accepted to the University of Washington.”

“You did? That’s great! When? Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I haven’t told
anyone
,” he admitted. “You’re the first to know.”

“Well, I’m honored. When did you find out?”

“A few weeks back. But… I don’t know if I’m going to go.”

“What? Why not? UDub’s a great school. And I know Cassie’s been helping you save up, so tuition shouldn’t be a problem—”

“It’s not. I’m in-state anyway, so they gave me a scholarship.”

“Josh, that’s great!” This time, the smile came unbidden. “I’m so happy for you. I guess I can’t think of you as the kid working in
Cassie’s Blend
anymore. You’re growing up.”

He grinned, pleased with the compliment. Sandra noted how perceptive Cassie’s advice had been. “So, how about we hang out before you make your decision?” Sandra continued. “You know, as friends. See if I can’t convince you to change your mind about going.”

Josh’s eyes lit up at that. “That sounds good.”

“Alright. How about today, sometime after school?”

“Sure.” His smile widened.

“Great. I work until five. You want to meet by your house?”

“Down the street near the gas station,” Josh suggested.

“Awesome. I’ll meet you there.’ Sandra glanced at the clock. “I’ve got to get going, but you should tell Cassie about the acceptance. She’ll be ecstatic.”

“I’m thinking of getting a bike,” Josh said as he and Sandra walked along a quiet residential street, angling toward the beach. Sandra had met him outside the gas station after work. “I’ve got some money saved up.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. There’s this cool one I saw in an ad last week.”

“What kind?”

“A Suzuki GSX-R. It’s a sport bike, but it handles really nicely on the street.”

“Have you ridden one before?”

“No. But there’s a free course set up at the DMV that teaches you how before you get your license.”

“Sounds pretty cool.”

“You think?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Especially if you have enough money for it. How much would it set you back?”

Josh didn’t even blink when he answered. “About fifteen grand.”

Sandra stopped, gaping. “Fifteen
thousand
dollars? Cassie doesn’t pay you that much.”

“Well,” he admitted, almost shyly, “I’ve got some other ventures going on the side.”

“Really? That’s the first I’m hearing of them.”

Josh shrugged. “I haven’t told many people because I wasn’t sure if they were going to work out at first.”

“Apparently they did.”

Josh laughed. “Yeah, they did.”

“So, what kind of ventures are they?”

“Oh! It’s um, an online business.” The pause in his words was fleeting, but it stood out to Sandra’s mind compared to the flow before. “I… buy computer parts from China. And sell them to people around here.”

Sandra frowned. “I’ve never known you to be tech-savvy.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Josh shrugged. “The business is pretty simple, though.”

“How’d you get started?”

“I just got lucky, I guess.” Sandra noticed that Josh wasn’t making eye contact with her as he spoke anymore. “I just read something online about finding suppliers and got inspired to do the same. I contacted a bunch of them, and some wanted to work with me. I used what I’ve saved up from Cassie for the first order. And then sold the parts here.”

“What kind of stuff do you sell?”

“Like, replacement screens for iPods and things.” He shrugged again. “It’s not very interesting. Mostly just lot of packing and shipping for me.”

“But you’re making a good amount of money with it?”

“Oh, yeah.” He met her eye, then. “Definitely.”

“How long have you been doing it for?”

“A few months or so.”

“And you think this might turn into something big?”

“Maybe. That’s what I’m hoping.”

A light went on in Sandra’s head. “Is that why you’re considering not going to college?”

“I guess.” Josh kicked at a rock on the street. “It’s just, I don’t see the point of going if I already know what I’m going to be doing in the future.”

“And that is?”

“What I’m doing now.”

“Makes sense, I guess.” They’d reached the beach, and Sandra sat down on the seawall, motioning for Josh to join her. “Did you know I graduated with a degree in premed three years ago?”

“Really? You never told me that.”

“Yeah. Cassie is the only person here who knows.”
Other than Brandon,
she added silently. But she didn’t think mentioning her boyfriend to Josh was a good idea.

“So then, how come you work as a receptionist?”

“Well, I haven’t told this to many people… but I think I can tell you. I can trust you to keep my secret?”

Josh smiled. “Of course.”

“Alright. I moved here because I was trying to get away from something in my past. Long story short—it didn’t work. Living in Ocean Shores was supposed to be a temporary thing, but it slowly became more and more permanent. I never thought of this place as home, really, but I guess that’s what it became.”

“It’s small, but it’s not a bad place.”

“No, it’s not. Anyway, the reason I’m mentioning this now is because the whole time I was here, I thought the four years I spent in university were the biggest waste of time—and money. I have banks after me for student loans, outstanding debts, and ridiculous things like that. But I realized—”

“I could help you, you know,” Josh interrupted. He spoke quietly. “I could give you some money if you need it.”

Sandra’s eyes widened. “Josh, no! Why would you even
think
that?”

He shrugged. “I’m just saying. My business is taking off pretty well. I don’t have to buy the bike. If you want, I could give you what I’ve saved up…” He trailed off, looking at her, letting the implication sink in.

Fifteen thousand dollars
. With that much money… Sandra shook her head. “Josh, I appreciate the offer, but there’s no way I can accept.” She knuckled him in the arm. “Come on, you’re like a kid brother to me. What kind of sister would I be if I robbed you of your savings?”

“You wouldn’t be
robbing
me,” he insisted. “It would be a gift. You should take it if it helps you. I’ll make more.”

“No. And I’m not being stubborn, either. Let me finish what I was saying, and you’ll see. For the longest time, I thought undergraduate was a waste. But just a few weeks ago,
I looked at the response letters I got from the med schools, after leaving them untouched for three years. I found out I got accepted. To a lot of schools, actually. But even better, I realized that I
enjoyed
what I studied. So the four years in college
weren’t
a waste, and the bank loans
weren’t
useless. Going to school opened up a whole new avenue of opportunities for me, and though I didn’t appreciate it for the longest time, I do now.”

“So, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you shouldn’t throw away your options ahead of time. You can still go to school and work on this business of yours, right?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s what you should try to do, I think. That way, if one fails, you’ll still have a backup plan.”

He made a face. “You sound like my high school counselor.”

Sandra grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Besides, it’s what an older sister is for.”

He grimaced. “I don’t know why you keep saying that.”

“It’s because I care about you, Josh.”

“Thanks, I guess.” He exhaled. “I care about you, too, Sandra. You’ve been a good friend for a long time, even if we don’t hang out all that often.”

“We’ll make sure to do it more often from now on then, okay?”

“Yeah. That’d be great. So, how about those medical school acceptances? What are you going to do?”

“I’m thinking of going. The school year starts in a few months. Who knows? Maybe this’ll be the last summer in Ocean Shores for both of us.”

“Yeah, I guess it might be. But whatever happens, I’ll miss having you around.”

“I will, too. Oh!” Sandra remembered. “Did you tell Cassie about your acceptance?”

“Not yet.”

“Do it. I think she worries about you.”

“Why?”

“She said something about keeping a close eye on her employees.”

Josh laughed. “She has a tendency to do that. Alright. If you want me to, I’ll let her know.”

“And tell her about your new business, too. She said you’ve been taking some extra shifts off. She thought something might be wrong.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I owe it to her to explain why I’ve been away. She’s taken care of me for so long, sometimes I take her concerns for granted. I’ll let her know, I promise. Thanks for the heads up.”

“Any time.”

They spent the next hour or so talking. Sandra avoided mentioning Brandon, and Josh didn’t say anything else about his business. Sandra told Josh a little bit about college, spoke of growing up in Chicago, and even admitted to being engaged in Dallas. Josh shared some things about his mother, who worked night shifts at the hospital. He also told her what little he remembered about his dad, who had left when Josh was only three.

For the most part, their conversation touched on these things in passing. They spoke more of living in Ocean Shores, of the tranquility of life on the west coast, and vaguely of their plans for the future. When the clouds started rolling in and the tide began to rise, Josh said he had to go. Sandra gave him a hug and watched him stroll away.

When he was gone, Sandra thought of going home. Instead, she decided to see Cassie and tell her how it went. By the time she reached
Cassie’s Blend
, the sky had darkened overhead, threatening rain. She walked into the bustling coffee shop and spotted Cassie behind the counter, working frantically to keep up with the horde of customers. Sandra saw Doctor Baker carrying hot chocolates over to a busy table occupied by his wife and their four kids. One of his daughters noticed her, called out her name, and before Sandra knew it she was sucked into a maelstrom of laughter, giggles, and the inevitable insanity of a sugar high.

When Doctor Baker and his family finally left, Sandra discovered a good chunk of two hours had whisked by. She looked around, and found Cassie smiling at her from behind the counter. The bustle of the café had died down. It was just Sandra and Cassie, plus an older man sitting to one side, reading the newspaper.

“I saw how much fun you were having over there,” Cassie accused Sandra as she sauntered over. “Those kids love you.”

“They’re fun,” Sandra admitted.

“Oh no! It’s more than that.” Cassie waggled a finger in front of Sandra’s face as she sat down. “You haven’t been the same since that man of yours came into your life. I swear, he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you. You’re so much
happier
now.”