Page 26 of A Night To Remember

“Jake, you’re my employer. I don’t think we should fraternize outside the office.” Charlie pointed out.

“But you’ll let me fuck you inside of it?”

Charlie gasped, robbed of words.

“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I just find this situation a little frustrating. Surely you know how I feel about you.”

“Actually, I don’t,” she said, finding her voice once more, “and frankly, I really don’t care. Like I said, I work for your company and I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Don’t give me that crap. I find you attractive and I know you feel the same—”

“That’s awfully presumptuous of you to tell me how I feel,” she interrupted, not liking where this was headed. Why did he have to be so damn persistent? With Steve, it wasn’t difficult to turn him down at all, but Jake made her think twice and Charlie hated second-guessing herself.

“But we both know it’s the truth, otherwise you wouldn’t react the way you do when you’re in my arms.”

He was right, but she wouldn’t let him know it. “I’m beginning to find this conversation very distasteful. I hope my job isn’t hanging in the balance based on my response,” she said coldly.

“I’m not that kind of boss and that cheap shot was uncalled for. I wasn’t asking you out as your employer, but as a man to a woman.” A long sigh followed. “It wasn’t my intention to start an argument with you. I just don’t like being accused of conducting business that way. I didn’t realize you had such a low opinion of me, Charlie. What did I do to deserve it?” She could hear the hurt in his voice.

It was now Charlie’s turn to apologize. Accusing him of unsavory business practices had been below the belt. “I’m sorry, too. I know you’re not like that, Jake.”

“Look, I guarantee going out with me will not jeopardize your job one way or the other. I’m not petty.”

“I don’t mix business with pleasure,” she said primly.

“News flash, doll face, you already have and you liked it. We both did. Charlie, please reconsider. I would really like to spend some time with you.”

“Can’t you understand that I don’t want to go out with you?” Charlie asked.

“Why? If it’s a problem with getting a babysitter for your daughter, we can work something out,” he offered in a conciliatory tone.

At the mention of her daughter, Charlie panicked. “What do you know about my daughter?”

He paused for a moment. “Nothing except for what you mentioned. I gathered that she’s still pretty young since you were only married for a short period of time. You daughter is around three or four right?”

Charlie let out a soft sigh of relief. Jake obviously believed Kristy was Paul’s daughter. “Yes, that’s right.”

“What’s her name?” he asked curiously.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked, a little more harshly than she intended.

“Just curious. I didn’t realize it was such a big secret.” He paused before changing the subject. “Getting back to what I originally called you about, will you at least think about it? There’s something between us that can’t be denied.”

“It’s called sex, Jake. And it was a mistake. It won’t, I mean, it can’t happen again,” she said vehemently.

“A mistake? Call it what you want but it wasn’t a mistake and it will happen again. You may be willing to cut your nose off to spite your face but I’m not. If it helps you sleep better at night, you can pretend I’m your dead husband, but deep down, you’ll know the truth,” he ground out.

Charlie sat in stunned silence for a moment. She couldn’t believe that Jake had the nerve to say that to her. “You didn’t know my husband, so I will thank you not to mention him again. This conversation is over so please don’t call me again, unless it’s business related.” She hung up the phone with a decisive click.

Jake stared at the receiver. She had hung up on him and he couldn’t blame her. What in the world had possessed him to say such a foul thing to her? He hadn’t meant to upset her, but she frustrated him to no end with the way she ran hot and then cold on him.

Charlie was obviously still hung up on her husband, but he knew his comment was way out of line. He would apologize when he saw her next, but damn it, why did she continue to deny the chemistry they had together? No other woman had disturbed his equilibrium at such a level and he wondered why he even bothered.

Why bother when there were so many willing women out there who practically threw themselves at him? Cynthia, for instance, still called him. Those calls were not welcome, but at least someone wanted him.

Charlie was even coming between him and his long-standing friendship with Steve. Steve, who wasn’t slow on the uptake, knew exactly what had happened in Jake’s office last week. In Steve’s mind, Jake had committed the ultimate sin by breaking the bro code and going after someone Steve had wanted for himself.

Never mind Steve had done it to Jake many times over the years, but Jake wasn’t as competitive when it came to women as Steve was. And never mind Charlie hadn’t shown the slightest interest in Steve, but Steve’s ego was bruised nonetheless. Jake had succeeded where Steve had failed, and for a man like Steve, who had never had to work particularly hard for female attention, that was unforgivable.

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