Page 30 of Shadowing Charlotte
I added the items to the order and then finished getting dressed. By the time Charlotte was ready, I was waiting for her at the door. "Relax. Shit happens. Your boss will understand," I promised as she scooped up her purse and shoved her glasses on her head.
"I'm going to have to stay late…" she mumbled under her breath as I closed the door behind us. She was silent as we drove to the coffee shop, her knee anxiously bouncing all the way to Hewart. "Pick me up at six thirty?" she asked, flinging open the door.
"Charlotte!" She spun around to face me, and I passed her the bagel and stack of papers she'd almost forgotten. "Have a good day, babe." A sweet smile spread across her face, and she slid into the car, leaning over to offer me her lips. I gladly complied, gripping her chin and kissing her until she was panting against me.
"Thank you… Find something to do today! Love you!" The car door slammed behind her, and I sat there, frozen. Did she just say…? Surely, it was just habitual, something she said to her father and friends.
Fuck… My stomach knotted and my chest tightened. Did she love me?
"Hey, man! You can't park here!" I was startled from my thoughts by the security guard, nodding and putting the car in drive. For a while, I cruised blindly, not paying any particular direction to where I was headed. Charlotte's absentminded slip had rocked me to my core, leaving me confused, terrified, and elated all in the same knotted ball of emotion.
Chapter twenty-five
Charlotte
Saydiah shot me a pointed look as I hurried into my office, but she didn't say anything. Dropping my purse on my desk, I quickly sifted through my emails, pulling up the articles that Morgan, our Editor in Chief, wanted everyone to read over.
"How's it going?" Saydiah asked, appearing in the doorway just before lunch.
"Life or work?" I asked, pushing up my glasses on my nose and dropping the manuscript I'd been pouring through.
"Both, I suppose." She smiled, sinking into the spare chair.
"My psychotic ex-almost-boyfriend vandalized my rental and my house," I told her. It wasn't the reason I was late, but her eyes widened.
"Jesus…"
"Yeah. I'm trying to deal with it. As far as this…" I held up the manuscript. "I think the storyline is good, but there's a lot to be desired when it comes to his writing style."
"How so?"
I rolled my eyes and let out a huff, combing back through the pages, "Her breasts trembled with desire, coming to life and begging for his attention like a mewling cat…" I quoted, shaking my head. "Do men not understand how basic body parts work? No woman wants to read that shit." Saydiah laughed, pulling the page toward her and making a note in red pen.
"Sadly, it's not the worst I've read, but I'll give him some feedback," she informed me, returning the paper to the stack. "You're doing great, Charlotte, really. Let's just work on being here on time. You have a knack for this, and I'd hate to see it go to waste."
I nodded, my cheeks growing hot as she addressed my tardiness, her words both praise and warning.
"Yes, boss," I agreed.
"Good. It's almost lunch time. Would you mind running down to the deli for me?"
Thirty minutes later, I returned with a bag of sandwiches and a growling stomach. Nothing at the deli had looked at all appetizing. Saydiah wasn't in her office, so I left the food on her desk and returned to my own.
"Charlotte? There's someone looking for you," Mirium informed me, gently knocking on the frame of the door. Unease swept through me like a windchill.Please, Adam, not now…
Rising hesitantly, I followed her to the lobby. My mouth fell open and warmth spread through me as I caught sight of the flowers. They were promptly pushed into my arms, along with a brown paper bag.
"Is this from the crazy one or the one from the club?" Mirium asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively at me. I shook my head, unsure of what to say, and brought the vase back to my office. The roses were intermingled with baby's breath, a stunning contrast to the deep red bouquet. I plucked the little envelope from the middle and opened it.
From the first moment we met, you ensnared me.
Not with your tiny white bikini or your glistening skin,
But your golden-brown eyes.
Warm, rich pools of melted honey.
I want to drown in them and never resurface.
