Page 55 of Guarding My Love

“So you did exchange phone numbers then too,” Amanda said, laughing.

“Yes,” she said. “We did. We have plans to go on his sailboat on Saturday. I’ll text you before I leave and drop a pin in my phone just in case you don’t hear from me again and I’m making time with the fish at the bottom of the bay.”

“Charlotte,” Amanda said sternly. “That isn’t funny at all. Now I want to look into Foster.”

“Don’t,” she said. “I’m only joking. I’ve never felt more safe and comfortable with a man in my life. I can’t explain it to you, but it’s there.”

“Then it’s time for you to finish writing your story,” Amanda said.

“Why do I have to finish it?” she asked. “I’m just getting started.”

18

HAVE TO TELL HER

“You’re in a good mood for someone who had to come into the City on a Friday,” Laken said to him the next day.

“How is that?” he asked.

“You’re not frowning. By now most are running for cover.”

Foster rolled his eyes. “I play nice between working hours,” he said. “Remember. Those are the rules.”

“But there are no employees around. It’s just family.”

“Speaking of family,” he said. “Where are West and Braylon?”

“West is in the Hamptons,” Laken said. “Braylon is on a call, but I’m sure he’ll come and say hi. Just like you came to say hi to me. See, not in a bad mood when normally you come here, do your business, and leave.”

Foster had to be on site today to install a new server and software. He had employees to do this shit, but because the server was for upper management files only, he was the person that dealt with it.

While he was here, he’d talk to the rest of his staff in person whom he didn’t see often.

More like desktop support and two network guys.

“Maybe I wanted to talk to my older sister,” he said.

Laken got up from her desk and went to shut the door. “Something is going on with you and Charlotte,” Laken said. “Tell me.”

“I’m not talking to you about this,” he said.

He barely talked to his brothers about those things. Which reminded him he had to call Elias before his brother heard it from someone else.

He hated that petty shit, but it happened all the time.

“So that means something did happen,” Laken said. “Be honest. Do you have a girlfriend?”

“I’m out of here,” he said.

She ran in front of him and blocked the door. “Stop,” she said. “I won’t pick on you. But, Foster. We’ve all been there and worried about the same thing. Right?”

He didn’t have to say what it was. Laken knew. “Yeah.”

“Does she still not know who you are?”

“She doesn’t know my last name,” he said. “I told her I was named after Mitchell Foster. Mom reversed it.”

“You said it like that?”

---