Page 31 of Shadowing Charlotte
I liquified into mush, sinking into my chair with my heart pounding. No one had ever done anything so sweet for me. Opening the paper bag, I pulled the drink from the cardboard carrier. A peach smoothie.Of course. Iwas smiling like an idiot as I pulled my phone from my purse.
I can't believe you…
No vape? :p
I'll give you something to suck on when you get off.
I'm about two minutes from GETTING OFF right here at my desk.
Only if ur sending me a video.
You're killin me, baby.
I shoved the phone away, sipping on my smoothie and reading over the next few chapters of the manuscript. It was good. Really good. Still, the author's consistently horrid comparisons of women's bodies grated on my nerves, making me want to pluck my eyeballs from my skull.
I'm here.
Charlotte?
Babe, it's almost 7.
Where are you??? I've had to circle the block four times.
Fuck. I'd lost all track of time. The office was quiet as I packed up my things, leaning over to smell my roses one more time.
Sorry. OMW
I hurried outside, yanking open the door, Alexander looked pissed. "I know… I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry. Just warn me next time," he insisted. "Here…" He handed me a new vape, minty mango, and pulled away from the curb.
"You're not mad, are you?" I asked as he focused only on the road.
"Mad? No. You had me worried, princess. There's a crazy person out there vandalizing your house."
"As opposed to a crazy person, stalking me?" I countered with a wry smirk. His mouth twitched as he glanced at me, placing his hand on my thigh and giving it a squeeze.
"When we get to your place, I want you to go change," he said, "I want to take you to dinner."
"Are you sure? Didn't you just lose your client?" I raised an eyebrow at him. There was no reason for him to spend money he didn't have trying to please me.
"Charlotte, you don't need to worry about my finances," he insisted. "Just go put on a pretty dress, alright?"
"Alright…" I agreed. The car was silent the rest of the way home, but not uncomfortably so. I felt content beside Lex, like I could be half of some perfectly imperfect whole.
Chapter twenty-six
Alexander
"Fifteen minutes!" I called out as she hurried inside the house. If she wasn't ready in fifteen minutes, I would be dragging her ass out the door. As I waited, the minutes ticking by on the clock, I glanced up at the garage door. Charlotte had tried to clean the paint off with a hose, but it only left black drips streaking down the white paint.
The black dress she emerged in clung to her curves, tiny chains holding the garment around her shoulders. The side was split right up her thigh, showing just enough skin to send a wave of heat through me. "You really are gorgeous…" I told her as she slid into the passenger seat, smiling brightly at me. The words she'd said that morning echoed in my mind as I stared at her, almost certain my entire future was right there in the seat beside me.
As I drove, I handed her the auxiliary cord. Charlotte beamed at me, her smile taking my breath away. Charlotte had always seemed like the type to listen to girlie pop; I was surprised when dark rock blasted through the car. The singer's voice was deep and something I could only describe as incredibly unique. Beside me, she bobbed her head, singing along.
When the song ended and Vermillion came on, she recited every word, grinning at me when I joined in. That was the first time I truly realized I was in love with her. Charlotte had a way of surprising me. She never did what I expected. I regretted the moment I had called her a spoiled rich girl; she was so much more than that…
Chapter twenty-seven
