Page 19 of A Night To Remember

“Promise me!” Laura demanded.

“I promise.”

“Good. Now go get some sleep. When you wake up your mind will be much clearer, and you’ll have a better idea what you want to do.

“Okay. Thanks for listening, girl.”

“That’s what I’m here for. Night, sweetie.”

“Goodnight, Laura.” Charlie hung up the phone.

Laura’s words still reverberated through Charlie’s mind as she spent a sleepless night in bed. What did she feel for Jake? She couldn’t possibly have feelings for him based on one night of lovemaking. Or could she?

Three months. It had been the longest three months of Jake’s life. Three months of Charlie avoiding him and with each day that passed, he wanted her more. Jake couldn’t eat, sleep or breathe without thoughts of her passing through his mind. He still couldn’t put his finger on why he put himself through the constant torture of pursuing a woman who made it obvious she wasn’t interested in him.

The first day she had run into him that instant chemistry was stronger than ever. Was he fooling himself into believing the magic was still present when it really wasn’t? Or could it be his ego guiding him? The fact that she had taken off after their lovemaking was a blow to his male vanity, but something deep within told him there was more to it.

He wanted her in his life, and in his bed, but each time they saw each other around the building, she would either turn around and go the other way, or flash by him so quickly he didn’t get a chance to speak to her.

When she couldn’t avoid him she ignored him. Because he wanted her so badly, it galled him when she pretended they had never met. He tried to be gallant by giving her some time, but that didn’t seem to work. Jake threw himself into his work, but even that didn’t help. He began to date different women to ease his suffering and even slept with a couple of them, but he ended up more miserable than before because none of those women were Charlie.

Now, as he sat here on his living room couch, downing vodka like it was water, he wondered what his next move should be or if he should bother to make a move at all, when the doorbell rang.

Damn. He hoped it wasn’t his sister, who never thought anything of just dropping by unannounced with her herd of boys in tow. When he opened the door, he realized to his annoyance he would rather have put up with his sister than his visitor now. Cynthia Dupree was one of the women he had dated in the last few months, but Jake had never conveyed to her he was interested in a permanent relationship. Cynthia, however, was a woman convinced of her own charms and didn’t take a hint, which is why he had been avoiding her calls lately.

Jake wasn’t in the mood to be hospitable. “What are you doing here, Cynthia?”

She gave him a toothy grin, flipping a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder. “I was visiting friends in the neighborhood, and I took the chance you’d be home. Aren’t you glad to see me?” She spoke in the little baby voice that annoyed the hell out of him.

“Umm, sure. I was having a chill-out night. You know, just relaxing—by myself,” he finished pointedly.

“Well, it’s a good thing I came then, so now I can keep you company.” She pushed past him to enter his house.

“Come on in, Cynthia,” Jake said sarcastically.

Cynthia laughed. “You’re so funny, Jake. I won’t keep you long, though.”

God, I hope not. The woman skin thicker than a rhino’s.

His inbred manners prompted Jake to offer her a drink.

“What are you drinking, darling? I don’t know if I can handle anything really strong. When I get tipsy, I get very…amorous,” she hinted.

“I’m having straight vodka. Shall I make one for you?”

“If you could mix it with cranberry juice that would be great.”

Jake took a deep breath before going to his bar to make her a drink. When he returned to his living room, Cynthia was sprawled on the couch; her miniskirt had ridden up so high that it barely covered her vagina. She lay on the couch in a way that gave Jake a good look down the inside of her blouse.

“Here’s your drink.” Jake handed it to her, choosing to sit in the armchair across from the couch.

She pouted. “Won’t you come and sit with me?”

“I don’t think so, Cyn. How about finishing your drink?”

“You’re not trying to rush me off, are you?” she asked coyly, twirling a strand of her hair with her fingers. He knew she was trying to entice him, but it wasn’t working.

Cynthia began to babble, taking a long time to finish the vodka and cranberry he had offered her. Jake was too distracted with thoughts of Charlie to even half listen to what the blonde had to say. It wasn’t long before Cynthia got bold and walked over to his armchair and plopped into his lap.

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