Page 8 of Charlotte
5
CHARLOTTE
Thomas and I spent the rest of the afternoon talking on the beach. I finally caved and read him a few chapters ofKiss the Miss Goodbyewhile Maddie wore herself out playing fetch with her frisbee. She could barely keep her eyes open when we decided to pack it in for the day. Thomas ended up just picking her up and carrying her back to his truck.
It was the cutest thing.
When we walked back to our cars, I worried that the afternoon would be it between us, but Thomas surprises me when he asked me out Friday night. I must have shown the disappointment I felt at having to wait so long to see him again, but he explained that he didn't have off until then.
It took forever for Friday to roll around. I filled my time by working extra hours at work, finishing Kiss the Miss Goodbye, and reading books two and three in the series. I loved getting lost in the crazy ride of these bridesmaids and their wild Vegas weekend until I got to the scene where one of the girls ends up at a male strip club. I had to put the book down. I thought I could get the image of Thomas out of my head dancing with the main character, but unwarranted jealously reared its ugly head in my mind and festered until I couldn't take it anymore, and I texted Thomas to cancel our date.
His response came in a call at three in the morning.
“Hello?” I ask, not looking to see who is calling.
“Why did you cancel?” He asks by way of greeting.
I can hear the sound of other guys talking around him. They are laughing loudly at one of the guys telling some story about one of the women he had on stage as he body rolled on top of her.
“I thought I could get past what you do, but I can't help but think about all the women that are throwing themselves at you every night."
Thomas sighs into the phone as though he's heard this all before. “I know what I do is unconventional, but I promise you that this is not me.”
“I just don’t know if I can handle your lifestyle.”
“This is not my lifestyle,” he says, but then all the guys in the background start laughing. “Hang on.”
I wait, listening to his breathing as he moves away from the noise so that we can have a real conversation. There's a sound of a door shutting and
“Please,” he says. “This is only temporary. Give me one night to show you the real me. If you still want nothing to do with me, then I won’t bother you again.”
I lean back and stare up at my bedroom ceiling. Too many times in the past few days, I imagined Thomas in this bed with me, and I felt more with just my imagination than I ever did with someone real lying next to me. I know that I should tell him, no, but the words get stuck in my throat, and I find myself answering yes.
THOMAS
I pull to a stop outside Charlotte’s apartment. I want everything to go right tonight. No, I need everything to go right tonight. I haven’t been able to get Charlotte out of my mind since I first laid eyes on her. It’s like her face, her sweet scent, her everything I seared into my brain. No woman has taken such hold on me in such a short amount of time. We haven’t even kissed, and I find myself planning a possible future with her. She’s sweet, funny, and stunningly beautiful.
Charlotte walks out of her building’s front door before I have a chance to buzz her on the intercom. I get out and meet her on the passenger side of the truck. She’s wearing a floral skirt and tank top that shows off her golden tan.
I’m dressed in a Henley sweater and dark jeans. I don’t want to wear anything that might remind her about The Velvet Rope. I want to show her tonight that working there is only a piece of what I’m working to accomplish.
“You look incredible.”
She smiles down her feet. “Thank you.”
I open the door and hold out my hand to help her in, and close the door behind her. I run around the front of my truck and get in.
"I'd originally planned to take you to an upscale restaurant by the pier, but I got another idea last minute. So what do you think about a picnic?” I point over my shoulder to the picnic basket I’ve packed on the back seat.
She looks over her shoulder at the basket and back at me. A tiny smile on her lips and the urge to lean over and kiss her right there is nearly impossible to fight, but I manage it.
“But it’s almost dark.”
"Well, we won't be sitting outside,” I tell her. “Do you trust me?”
She studies me for a moment and then nods her head once. I turn the key, and the truck engine roars to life. I pull out onto her street and drive us across town.
My heart starts to beat faster in my chest when we pull onto the street that the house I’ve been rebuilding is on. It’s an older part of town, but the neighborhood is starting to revamp itself. In a few years, I know it will be the new place to live. It's an equal distance between the city and the beach. It's the best of both worlds. I want to show Charlotte what I've accomplished so far. I want her to see the potential in this place, and I guess by extension me.
I pull to a stop in front of the house. Charlotte looks out the window and then back at me. I can tell she’s not sure why I brought her here.
“This is the house I’ve been working on,” I tell her.
“Oh,” she says quietly as realization sets in.
She’s quiet as she studies the house, not unlike the way I’ve seen her study me. I’m starting to realize that Charlotte likes to take her time with people and even places. She’s not ever going to be someone who makes an impulsive decision. And with this realization, I know that she is worth the wait.
