Page 53 of A Night To Remember

Now everyone knew about her and Jake, and the rumors were ranging from them making out in the elevators to them being caught in the boardroom having sex. If they only knew, she thought.

“So what are you going to do about it?” Laura asked curiously.

“Ignore it. It will eventually blow over.”

“Girl, you are better than me. If I were you I would kick Sandy’s behind. As it stands, I better not catch her outside of work or else I just might do it,” Laura threatened.

Knowing her hotheaded friend, Charlie didn’t doubt it.

Charlie shrugged. “What would be the point?”

“It would make you feel better.”

“Temporarily maybe, but in the long run it won’t accomplish anything. I just want to forget about the whole thing.”

“Well, it’s going to take a while for something this juicy to blow over. Didn’t I tell you Steve was a piece of shit? Oops. Sorry about the language,” Laura corrected herself. “Revenge seems to be his MO, no matter how misplaced,” she finished bitterly.

Charlie gave her friend an odd look. This wasn’t the first time she had made veiled references about Steve. “He wasn’t intentionally malicious. He just let slip something that wasn’t any of his business, although I felt like strangling him for doing so.”

“If he hadn’t been harassing you in the first place, none of it would have happened.” Even Kristy noted the bitterness in Laura’s tone because she looked up at her with a frown before turning back to her coloring.

“I think you’re biased where he’s concerned.”

“I have every reason to be. I warned you on your first day he was trouble. You should have listened to me.”

“I think if I was firmer in the beginning it would never have come to this.”

Laura narrowed her eyes. “You sound like you’re defending him.”

“I’m not. I’m annoyed as heck with him, but I can’t lay the blame completely at his feet.”

“Oh, but I can.”

Charlie could hold her curiosity in no longer. “What did he do to you to make you hate him so much?” Charlie never mentioned Steve around Laura because it always raised Laura’s hackles but she really wanted to know.

“Let’s just say Steve and I will never be friends and that’s fine with me. What happened between us isn’t worth talking about.” Laura’s jaw set stubbornly.

“So there was an incident?” Charlie persisted.

“Let’s not go there.”

“Why not? I want to know.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you, if you tell me exactly what’s going on with you and Jake. Is the rumor true?” Laura asked.

Charlie was caught in her own trap. She was saved from answering by the doorbell ringing.

“Now who could that be coming to visit around this time of night?” she said, getting up to answer the door.

She opened the door to see Jake’s forlorn face.

Chapter Fourteen

“Jake!” Charlie exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?” Her heart fluttered slightly. Damn. Why did this man have such an effect on her whenever he was near?

“I would like to talk to you. May I come in?” He looked uncertain.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, realizing how rude she was being by keeping him waiting outside, so she stepped aside to let him in. When Jake stepped into the light of the hallway, Charlie noticed Jake’s swollen bottom lip. “What happened to your mouth, Jake?” Alarm spread through her.

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