Page 56 of A Night To Remember

“It’s my decision. Look, I’ve already made up my mind about what I want from Jake,” Charlie said with a determined gleam in her eyes.

“Well?” Laura prompted.

“I’m going to have an affair with him. You know how the saying goes, if you can’t beat them… I mean every time I’m near him, I lose all common sense, so I figure if I sleep with him voluntarily, my lust will eventually wane and then I’ll be able to move on with my life—without him in it.”

“What!?” Laura yelled, looking as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“I’m going to have an affair with him,” Charlie repeated.

“Get the fuck out of here.” Laura looked at Charlie with a stunned expression on her face. “I can’t believe I’m talking to the same Charlie Brown who waited for marriage in order to lose her virginity. Whoa. You’ve come a long way from that girl. Jake must have superdick if he’s made you make such an about-face.” Laura burst out laughing at the irony of it.

“Oh shut up, Laura.” Charlie glared. “As I’ve stated already, I’m only going to have an affair with him long enough to work him out of my system, and when I do, things will go back to normal. I know I’ll have to be friends with him for Kristy’s sake, but friendship is safer.”

“Personally, I think you should be committed. Jake Fox is a catch, and you’re nuts to let him slip through your fingers like this. What if your plan doesn’t work?”

“It has to work,” Charlie declared vehemently.

Dessert was a tense affair. Jake kept shooting Charlie looks she found unsettling. Laura watched them both with a smug expression on her face. Kristy was the only one oblivious to the tension. She was with three of her favorite people, her mommy, her daddy and her Auntie Laura.

Charlie was so tense by the time Laura left she felt like screaming. She let Jake give Kristy a bath while she washed dishes. The whole day had been so surreal. First, her crappy morning, then walking into the office to be greeted by “The Mouth”, and then her run-in with Steve. To top it all off, she was now the office bimbo. She knew she should have stayed in bed that morning.

Jake was another issue. He was acting as if he really did have feelings for her. On the one hand, she was a little annoyed he felt it was his right to go out and beat people up on her behalf, but on the other hand, it was actually quite gallant of him

God, I’m so confused.

“Hey, Charlie.” Jake poked his head into the kitchen, breaking her out of her deep thoughts. “Kristy is in her pajamas and she’s asking for you. I’ve already read her a story.”

“Okay, I’m just drying up the last dish. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Charlie entered the bedroom to find Jake sitting by Kristy’s bedside stroking Kristy’s hair. The tender look he gave his daughter made her heart twinge at the poignant scene before her.

“Hi.” Charlie smiled at a sleepy Kristy.

“Hi, Mommy. Daddy read to me.”

“He did? What did he read?”

“Cinda-ela.”

“That’s nice. Did you say your prayers?”

“Yes.” Kristy yawned.

“Okay. Well, I guess it’s off to sleep you go then.” Charlie leaned over to give Kristy a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mommy.”

Jake followed suit and kissed Kristy goodnight as well. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too, Daddy. Daddy, I wish you were here all the time,” Kristy said drowsily. She was losing the battle to stay awake.

“I do, too, baby.” Jake’s answer didn’t sit well with Charlie. She hoped her daughter didn’t get any ideas from that statement.

“I not a baby,” Kristy protested before drifting off to sleep.

Charlie and Jake looked at each other silently for several seconds until Charlie broke the silence. “Would you like to stay for coffee?” Charlie offered.

“Not really, but we need to talk.”

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