Page 68 of If My Wishes Came True
Esther nods. “Artists do make themselves vulnerable. It’s a risk to open yourself up to the opinions of others. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if it’s a risk you’re willing to take.”
“I want to make a career out of painting, I really do. And I think I’m getting closer to taking the leap. It sure would be nice if the universe sent me a sign that the timing’s right…you know, gave me a little nudge, or something,” I joke.
My therapist smiles.
“A girl can dream, I guess. And as for my dilemma with Charlie’s job…I guess the only other thing I can do is talk to him about how I feel. But I think I’ll wait a bit, and see if his dad mellows out after a few days.”
“That’s a good plan,” Esther agrees.
I leave the session feeling a little bit lighter, and looking forward to spending more time with Charlie. Later that night, he comes over to my place for dinner. We’re eating carryout pizza and watching baseball on TV. It’s Charlie’s favorite sport. He played Little League as a kid in Denver, and is a diehard fan of their MLB team. Tonight they’re in the Windy City, playing the Starlings at Wrigley Field. Unlike Christy, who played softball on a coed recreational team with Kyle, then became a baseball enthusiast, I don’t know a ton about the sport, so Charlie’s teaching me. He’s in the middle of explaining what a 6-4-3 double play is, when thunder strikes his phone.
He ignores it, but his dad is relentless, sending text after text, until Charlie finally caves and reads the messages.
He pinches the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes shut.
“Everything okay?” I ask, rubbing his arm.
“I have to be in Denver for a lunch meeting tomorrow. That I’m leading—apparently.” His jaw clenches.
My eyes go wide. “And you’re not prepared, I take it?”
He shrugs. “I’ll get it done. I’ll prep a little after we’re done watching the game, and I can take care of the rest on the plane in the morning. I was looking forward to spending the night with you, though.”
“Me too,” I say, threading my fingers through his. When I look back up at him, he cups my face with his free hand and kisses the hell out of me. I pull him on top of me as I lie down on the couch.
“My workload should ease up soon,” he says, his gaze apologetic, and maybe the slightest bit anxious. “Dad’s looking to make a few new hires, which should take quite a bit off my plate.”
“Don’t worry about me, Charlie. I just want you to be happy.”
If he’s happy,we’llbe happy. Isn’t that what I learned from Dex and Sunny? They had to choose to be true to themselves before they could be together.
“You make me happy,” he says before kissing me softly.
“We should go on another adventure this weekend,” I suggest after his lips part from mine. “The arboretum, maybe—someplace scenic. I know you want to make more time for your photography.”
Charlie frowns. “I won’t be back until Sunday evening, most likely. My mom asked if I could stay the weekend. It’s been a while since I went home.”
“Of course.” I weave my hands into his hair as he lies on top of me. “We’ll have an adventure some other time.”
“Thank you for being so understanding,” he says before planting a kiss on my forehead that gives me butterflies.
I bite my lip. “I guess this is the last time we’ll see each other for a few days, huh.”
He nods with a furrowed brow, then reaches for the remote on the coffee table and switches off the TV. “We should probably make the most of it,” he says, his free hand cupping my breast.
“What about the game?” I ask him with a teasing smile. “Andthat 6-2-1 play, or whatever it was?”
He laughs into my neck as his hand travels up my thigh. “It can wait. But this can’t.”
My plan is to spend the entire weekend painting. Charlie’s in Denver. Vanessa just left for Europe with her sister, Denise. They’ll be gone for two weeks—on the tour that was supposed to be Vanessa’s honeymoon with Nico. They’d scheduled it four months after the wedding to accommodate Vanessa’s new job.
I haven’t told her yet that I’m sleeping with Charlie. This seems like a tough time for her, and I don’t want to gush about my new relationship. I can’t imagine taking this vacation with her sister will be easy, but I’m hoping, somehow, it’ll provide the closure she needs to move on. Who knows, maybe she’ll meet someone on the tour that will sweep her off her feet. It doesn’t even have to be love—a fling might do her some good.
Or it could leave her yearning for more, which is how I feel with Charlie out of town. I really miss him—and not just the sex. I miss his company. The way I can tell him anything, and never feel like he’s judging me. I miss the adorable way he laughs at my jokes, and the way he holds me while we sleep. I miss the look in his eyes right before he kisses me.
I miss him so much that I contemplate texting Sam to see if she wants to hang out and help me get my mind off him, but she’ll take one look at me and know that I’m having mind-blowing sex, then grill me about it. And I don’t like to kiss andtell.
But when I call Christy and mention that I have the weekend free, she books a flight to Chicago on a whim. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since we were home for Christmas, over eight months ago.
