Page 24 of Ask Me Something

Chapter Six

The city of Charlotte was a five-and-a-half-hour drive west from coastal Carolina. I stopped twenty minutes out of Beaufort to fill up the rental car with gas and called Brian.

“Well, how did it go?” he immediately asked.

I relayed the details, then hopped back into the car and let the phone transfer to the Bluetooth while I continued driving.

“Wow, you didn’t take any prisoners, did you? Your brother-in-law said nothing?”

“Oh, I don’t doubt he had plenty to say later. I think he was stunned for the moment. Anyhow, I’m done and heading west as we speak.”

“What do you mean heading west?”

“I’m driving to Charlotte, coming in a night early. I know if I’d stayed in town, Addison would have brought the kids over first thing in the morning, forcing them to spend time with me and trapping us all into an afternoon none of us would end up enjoying.”

“Wait, you’re heading to Charlotte now?”

I loved the way that I’d taken him completely off guard. “Yes, driving as we speak.”

“Shit, I’m still in Virginia. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I’d hardly expect you to drop everything. It’ll be past midnight by the time I get there, and I’ll get a hotel room. I might even go into the office to work tomorrow.” I was full of adrenaline and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at the moment.

“Can I call you right back?”

“Sure.”

It was ten minutes later when he did so.

“I’m sending you my address, so you can input it into your GPS when you’re closer to Charlotte. My place is twenty minutes north of the city,” he said.

“You’re with your family for the holidays, Brian, and even if you weren’t, I don’t know that it’s the best thing if I stayed at your place.”

“I’m about to leave for Dulles airport. I should arrive before you do if I can catch this nine-thirty flight.”

“You’re joking.” I had hardly expected him to drop everything.

“I’m not.”

“It’ll be late by the time I get there.”

“I don’t care if it’s three o’clock in the morning. I want to see you.”

Brian wanting to see me made me warm and tingly. “I should still be annoyed with you for calling me complicated last night.”

“I should be ticked that you implied I should find someone else at the strip club and made that crack about your ex-boyfriend.”

“But you’re not?” I tested, smiling.

“The ex-boyfriend bit made me crazy jealous if I’m being honest.”

“The Jamie comment set me off. No woman needs to hear that you have a sure thing any time you’d want it.”

“I know and I’m sorry it came out that way. This is probably a good time to bring up rule number three, I think.”

“Which is?”

“No dating or going out with anyone else.”

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