Page 54 of Runaway Pride

“I’m sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I didn’t know my mother would do this.”

“Don’t be,” he grinned. “I can see what you have to deal with.”

Charlie was surprised at her own chuckle. “So why doesn’t it make you run the other way?”

His smile broadened, shrugging as he went along. “She’s never boring, I’ll tell you that.”

Rolling her eyes, Charlie didn’t have a rebuttal, and took the moment to study him. Not too bad.

He looked to be around her age, maybe slightly younger, but held shades of wisdom in his eyes. His oblong jawline was a strong blend of masculine and feminine. The masculine features extended with his broad shoulders and sloping arms.

Images of Rick and his contoured body during visits to his gym came to mind. This guy kept himself fit, too. She couldn’t help comparing him with Rick, but had to admire the visuals of…

“Frederick, was it?” she asked. “Do you go by Fred?”

He grinned, a dimple wedging his left cheek.Very nice. “Actually, I prefer Rick.”

She groaned inwardly. This had to be some kind of stupid joke. Frederick, who was in finance, who won her mother over, who was attractive and seemed charming, who went by Rick, couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Or was it the perfect time?

What did she have to lose by giving this guysomeof her time?

Tilting her head with curiosity, Charlie carried on with genuine interest.

“So, my mother said she met you on a cruise?” she said. “You don’t seem like the type who finds older, snobby ladies interesting to strike up a conversation with.”

A blush filled Rick-number-two’s cheeks, and she almost found it adorable when he laughed and scratched the back of his neck.

“That I can explain,” he said before extending his hand. “Charlotte, right?”

She took it. “Call me Charlie.”

“Charlie. It happened to be that I was at my good friend’s bachelor party, and your mother mistook one of the groomsmen…”

“In about ten minutes, bring out the shrimp cups,” Nick said to Rick. “Ask the guests if they’re allergic, but I would assume they wouldn’t touch it if they are.”

At a wedding reception, Rick asked himself again why he was doing this. He was short on activities for his day. Still sore from the endless visits to the gym and no photos left to tinker, he called up Nick to see what his friend was up to.

Nick regularly volunteered in his free time, and had been scheduled to wait for a wedding for his college friend, who owned a catering company. Rick offered to join. He’d scoured his closet for a clean dress shirt and slacks, something appropriate for awedding. Nick’s friend provided the bow tie to complete the look.

Rick sometimes volunteered with Nick, but usually avoided party events. He was desperate this time, needing to get his mind off the past few weeks. More accurately, to get his mind off Charlie.

Seeing her unexpectedly at Alex’s place was a punch in the guts. He was stupid to think he wasn’t affected by how things ended. The images of her upset played over his mind, and he couldn’t shake it off no matter what he did.

Alex had been throwing questions at him left and right about the strange change between him and Charlie. Not wanting to make matters worse, Rick only offered vague answers.

Besides Charlie, Alex and Sarah didn’t sound too happy with him. Their relationships with each other were already affected, something he had tried to avoid. But why was he the one on trial? Charlie played a role in it, too.

“Here,” Nick interrupted his thoughts and dumped on him a tray of neatly prepared hors d’oeuvres. “Start with the guests sitting on the left.”

He walked out of the kitchen and to the courtyard where the reception was held. Linen covered round tables sat in rows of five. The guests were scattered about, chattering before the event started. He stopped by the first group standing by a table and offered them the tray. A few picked from the plate before he moved on to the others.

Stopping at another group, he extended the tray to offer. A woman took a bowl, and the man next to her looked at him in annoyance.

“Hey, buddy. I’ve been asking for the champagne twice already,” he complained. “I don’t understand why I have to repeat myself..”

Rick scanned the area and found the servers with the tray of flutes. “The champagnes are over there.”

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