Page 15 of The Beat of My Heart
“Where I come from, there aren’t a lot of options for dating, unless you want to date your third cousin once removed or your best friend's ex. Everyone there has known me since I was a kid, and you probably can’t tell, but I’m not really everyone’s cup of tea. Most people tune out after the first ten minutes with me, and well, I was horny as hell, so I told my best friend La-ah, my best friend, that I would have a one-night stand while I was here. I mean, guys do it all the time, right? Plus, I haven’t had the best of luck in the relationship department. I think I’m better off not expecting anything from anyone.”
Wow, that was more honest than I had intended.
“Sure, some guys, I suppose,” he replies, never taking his eyes off of me. I can tell he is debating asking me about the relationship part of my spiel, but he plays nice and follows my rules instead. “Tell me about this friend who has dressed you up in the devil's clothes that can also calm your chaos?”
Smiling, I relax into the cushions, thankful that we won’t be talking about my one-night stand escapades any further. “That’s easy. She has been my best friend since we were kids. She once gave a girl a swirly for spreading lies about me to the basketball team. That’s just her though, she never let anyone mess with me. I’ve always been the odd man out, but she never once made me feel that way, even though she could have easily dumped me for the cool crowd as we got older. She’s my family.”
Charlie looks lost in thought, but he is smiling, and for once, I don’t feel the need to fill the silence with chatter.
Never taking his eyes off of mine, he takes a deep gulp of his drink. “My family is chosen too,” he says cryptically, but since he agreed to my rules, I don’t push for more information.
“Why don’t you want to be here?” I blurt.
I watch as a lazy smirk covers his handsome face, “There isn’t anywhere I’d rather be than right here, with you, Angel.”
“But i-it was you on the elevator, right? You told me you didn’t want to be here either, how come?” I watch as something dark crosses his face and I feel myself recoil slightly. “There is an energy around him I can’t figure out. I don’t feel like he is dangerous, but there is a darkness to him.”
He shifts, visibly uncomfortable, and I wonder what’s bothering him.
“You truly have no filter when you’re uncomfortable, do you?” he asks, making me scrunch my nose in confusion. “You just told me I’m not dangerous, but there is a darkness to me,” he says almost sadly.
Pinching the inside of my thigh, I attempt to have some self-control. “Do you? Have a darkness?” I ask.
Squeezing my inner ankle, he shakes his head, “Not by nature, no.”
Again, he answers evasively.
“I thought we were playing by some rules here tonight, Angel? Have you forgotten so easily?” he asks, trying to ease the tension that settled around our table.
“Ah, the one-night standards you mean. It’s a song you know?” I question him.
“Angel, I’m a Southern boy. Don’t let this forced boarding school vocal training fool you, I am a country boy through and through. If I didn’t know an Ashely McBryde song, I’d have to turn in my Southerner card,” he tells me, winking.
Just like that, he has me relaxing into the booth cushions again.
“You never answered me, why don’t you want to be here?” I ask him again.
“Well, at first I didn’t want to be here because it’s work and not the kind of work I’d like to be doing. But now, my opinion has changed because there is an entirely new reason to love coming to work this week,” he says while signaling for the waiter.
“What can I get you, sir?”
“Could I have some bottles of water and a charcuterie board? I’ll also have another Macallan. Angel?” he says, directing the waiter to me.
“Oh, no, I’m all set, but thank you. Another drink and I’ll be on the bar dancing like a freshman in college.” I slap a hand over my mouth because even I know I just said that out loud.
Blushing, the waiter quickly retreats, and Charlie falls victim to a full-on belly laugh.
Finally, composing himself, he wipes a tear from his eye and puts his full attention on me. “As much as I would love to see you dancing on the bar top, your dress is far too short, and I'm too much of a selfish asshole to let that happen. If anyone sees those lacy pink panties your friend mentioned earlier, I want it to be me,” he growls.
In an instant, the mood has shifted again.
“Actually, because of this damn dress, I wasn’t able to wear any panties,” I say, shrugging as if it is no big deal that I just told a virtual stranger I’m going commando.
Charlie moves so fast I don’t even have time to squeal. He has pulled me even closer, so I am now sitting right up against his side. My feet that were in his lap now dangle between his legs. My dress has ridden up on my slide across the bench and he notices. Gently grabbing the hem, he pulls it down slightly. Not too much, but enough that I’m not giving any X-rated shows.
My breathing is rapid, the chaos is coming.
Placing a hand on my thigh, Charlie says, “Calm down, Angel. Relax.”
