Page 51 of A Night To Remember

“Jake…Jake? Are you there?” Jennifer’s voice shouting through the intercom shook Jake from his daydream.

“Yes, I’m here, Jen. What’s up?” he asked.

“Your ten o’ clock is here. Shall I send them in?”

“Give me five minutes, Jen.”

“Will do.” She signed off.

Jake closed his eyes to get himself together. He’d been daydreaming about Charlie’s comment on Saturday night. It seemed to him that she was still hung up on her deceased husband after all these years.

When he had noticed Charlie standing off to the side with a dreamy expression in her eyes while everyone else was saying good-bye, he thought she fit in so well with his family. Throughout dinner, he felt his connection with her had grown stronger than ever. Jake had been so sure Charlie was starting to warm toward him, especially when she would shoot him a smile every so often and hold his gaze purposely, as if they had been sharing a secret.

He’d wanted to know what she was thinking as she stood there. He’d wanted to know where her faraway look came from. Jake needed to know if that faint smile on her sexy lips had been due to the fact she enjoyed spending time with his family and especially with him. His heart had been so full of hope it had been a shock when she let slip that she was thinking about her husband. After that incident his night had turned sour.

Charlie was the master of emotional paper cuts. He walked away from her then like a wounded animal. He was in such a foul mood after her admission he could barely speak to her.

As he was leaving her house, he could have sworn he’d seen the look of desire in her eyes when she asked him to stay for coffee, but he convinced himself it was just wishful thinking on his part.

Jake didn’t know how he could continue to fight for Charlie when his love was not being returned. He especially didn’t know how he was going to compete with a ghost. He raked his fingers through his hair and let out a deep breath. How much more could one man take?

“Okay, Jen. You can send them in now.”

“Look, Steve, this has got to stop.” Charlie spoke with a calm she didn’t feel, annoyed at being ambushed yet again by the persistent man. This time he had caught her in the copy room making copies.

“Charlie, you won’t regret going out with me. I will treat you like a queen,” Steve said, taking Charlie’s hands in his.

Charlie wrenched them out of his grip. “This is becoming embarrassing, Steve. How many times do I have to say no before you leave me alone? I’m sure this is embarrassing for you as well. Why do you keep asking me out when I keep saying no?” she asked warily. He really wasn’t a bad guy. She could tell by the way he acted around the office. With the exception of Laura, most people enjoyed working with Steve. If she could only make him see how ridiculous it was for him to continuously ask her out, the better.

“I’m persistent in what I want and I want you,” he said huskily.

“But I don’t want you. Don’t you hear yourself? You sound like a spoiled child,” Charlie snapped, quickly losing her patience.

“You cut me to the quick. I’ll keep asking until you give in. If you were to go out with me for one date, I promise, it’ll be magic,” Steve said smoothly, giving her the smile Charlie was sure he thought many ladies would fall to their knees for. She was tempted to laugh in his face.

The only magic Charlie wanted to see Steve performing was a disappearing act. “Steve, please stop. Take me on my word, and realize, I don’t want to date you. I think you’re a nice guy, but that’s the extent of my feelings for you. We’ll never have anything beyond a working relationship. You’ve asked me out at least a dozen times, and I’ve turned you down a dozen times, but you persist. If you keep asking, the answer won’t change.” Charlie tried to say it as gently as she could. If this joker said one more thing, she was going to let him have it.

“Charlie, you say no, but I know you’ll eventually say yes. They all do in the end.” He smirked arrogantly.

That did it. “Can’t you get it through your thick skull I’m not interested, nor will I ever be interested. As a matter of fact, if you and I were the last people on earth, mankind would end with us,” Charlie lashed out. She wasn’t out to hurt the guy’s feelings but enough was enough. Even she had her limits, and it was time for this office Romeo to get a clue.

Steve paled underneath his deep tan. He looked pissed, Charlie surmised. He probably wasn’t used to rejection. “So I guess it’s true.”

“What’s true?” Charlie asked nonplussed.

“You do prefer Jake. What’s pretty boy got that I don’t?” he demanded.

“What do you know about me and Jake?” Charlie’s heartbeat sped up. Did Jake tell Steve what had happened?

“I have eyes. I know what happened in his office that day I saw you running out with the smell of sex clinging enticingly to your body.” Steve must have realized he’d gone too far because his eyes widened, but the damage had already been done.

Charlie glared at him. “You’re disgusting. Laura was right about you.”

He paused. “Laura? What did she say about me?” Steve had a panicked look in his eyes.

“Ask her yourself,” Charlie snapped. “Please don’t bother me again, Steve, because the next time I’ll be forced to take action and by action I mean a sexual harassment lawsuit.”

He paled. Her words seemed to do the trick. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

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