Page 54 of A Night To Remember

Jake laughed without humor. “I had a little run-in with my ex-best friend.”

“Steve? But why?” she asked.

“Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard what’s been going around the office about you?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yes, I’ve heard the rumors.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t care what people say about me at work. I never did. I’m there to do my job and that’s it, not to make friends. Sure, I like getting along with my coworkers, but I won’t lose sleep over them whispering behind my back. Anyway, I don’t see why you would get into a fight over it.”

“Don’t you?” he challenged.

“No, actually I don’t. Steve was indiscreet, but he wasn’t the one who spread the rumors. I don’t know him as well as you obviously do, but he doesn’t strike me as the gossiping type—male chauvinist pig maybe, but not a rumor monger.”

Jake seemed taken aback back her defense of Steve. His lips tightened. “Then how the hell did people find out what happened between us in my office if not from him? He was only other person who knew.”

“He confronted me with the information, someone overheard.”

“Who?” he demanded.

Charlie sighed not wanting to go into detail. It wasn’t as though she were trying to defend Sandy, but it would have been pointless to continue on with something she rather forgot about. “I don’t think it really matters.”

“I think it does, not that it exonerates Steve. He had no business confronting you with what happened. If he hadn’t, this person you’re trying to protect wouldn’t have had any ammunition to use against you.”

“I’m not trying to protect anyone, Jake, I just want to put it behind me, and I can’t do that if everyone keeps bringing it up. Look, I have company at the moment, but we’re about to have dessert. If you’d like to stay and have some with us, you’re welcome. I’m sure Kristy will be glad to see you.”

At the mention of his daughter, Jake cracked a genuine smile only to wince in pain.

“I’m going to get you some ice for that lip. It looks pretty nasty.” Charlie looked up at him, concern taking over. Her thumb lightly brushed his injured lip. The intensity of his ice blue gaze seemed to burn into her. Heat coursed through Charlie as it always did when she was near him. Charlie quickly lowered her hand, stepping away.

“No, I’m okay. It looks worse than it actually is. You should see how Steve looks. He got much worse than a fat lip,” Jake smirked.

“Violence is never the answer, Jake,” Charlie reprimanded.

“If you ask me, it was a long time coming. Who’s your guest?”

“Laura Tombaga. You probably know her from work. She works in the Human Resources Department.”

“Of course I know her. She and Steve…” he broke off.

“Steve and her what?”

“Nothing. I think there was a flirtation between those two at one point but I could be wrong.”

“Really?”

“But then again she could be the other Laura I’m thinking about.”

“Don’t you know the employees in your building?”

“Oh, I do know her, sometimes it takes me longer to match the name and the face. When I started my company, it was only myself and shortly after Jen and Steve. As MBF grew, it’s become harder for me to remember everyone right away.”

“I guess that’s understandable. Come on in. Kristy and Laura are in the living room. We’re having chocolate pudding for dessert.”

As Charlie had predicted, Kristy was thrilled to see her father again. She rushed to him the minute she saw him and hugged his leg in a vise grip. “I missed you so much, Daddy,” Kristy greeted.

“I missed you, too, sweetie,” he said, scooping her up. “Hi, Laura, how are you tonight? I hope I wasn’t disturbing anything.” Jake gave Laura a courteous nod.

“Not at all. Actually, we were just talking about you,” Laura said slyly, sneaking a quick peek at Charlie’s furious face. Charlie looked as if she was ready to commit murder.

“Oh yeah? What about?” Jake asked curiously.

---