I sank back into the tub and rested my head against the back. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man. I thought of what might’ve happened if he’d actually joined me in that steamy water. Then, more frustrated than before, I climbed out of the tub and dried myself off quickly.
“You’re just going to keep your distance,” I told my reflection sternly. “You’re going to stay ten feet away from him at all times, with no accidental touches, no kissing, no anything. Don’t even look at him.”
I nodded, but the look in my own eyes said it was going to be a whole lot easier said than done. Charlie had always been under my skin, but now he was so deeply ingrained, and I was sure there was no digging him out.
Chapter 17
A week went by, and I spent it working alongside Charlie at the fencing club, doing my best to stay clear of him. Of course he made that almost impossible. Whenever I worked behind the counter, he made sure to walk behind me to fetch one thing or another. It didn’t help that I had to take Max to work with me on the long days so I could watch him and take him out when he needed to go. Charlie offered to help with that, too, giving him yet another excuse to hang around me in a place with little room to move.
“I think I’m gonna make him our mascot,” he said one day when he brought Max back inside from his short walk.
“Yeah? Maybe you should make him a little fencing outfit,” I suggested without looking up from the scheduling book. “Give him a little sword, too, and then he can prod you in the ass when you don’t move fast enough.”
Charlie laughed, and Max sauntered back behind the counter to plop down next to my feet. He yawned, let out a loud whine, then snuggled up and fell back to sleep. “Aw, this little guy likes me too much,” Charlie said, leaning over the counter to stare at him. “I’m glad you saved him from the shelter. Horrible that the
y were just going to give up on him because he couldn’t walk.”
“Yeah, well, his story sort of reminded me of someone else’s,” I said quietly, thinking of the parents who gave me up because I had bum legs.
Charlie reached out and rested his hand gently on my arm. My heart fluttered, and I sucked in a breath. It was the first time he’d touched me all day, and every nerve in my body screamed for more. “You both turned out just fine,” he said quietly.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Hey, I was wondering if you have any plans for tonight,” he said.
A bit thrown off by the shakiness in his voice, I looked up and met his eyes. “Nothing I can think of. Why?”
“Well, I’m thinking of doing something, and I just didn’t know if you’d be home or not.”
“Do you need me to be gone, Charlie?” I asked. “It’s not a problem if you need a little privacy, if you’re having someone special over. I can vacate the premises and hide up in my room like your ugly stepsister.”
His eyes widened, and his hand slipped down to hold mine. “What? No, that’s not what I meant. I want you to be there. That’s kind of part of the plan.”
“What’s going on?” I asked curiously.
His eyes darted away from mine. “It’s a surprise, but you’ll see later. Oh, and I need to take off an hour early today,” he said and handed over the keys to the club. “Think you can handle closing up for me?”
I slowly reached out and took the keys with a nod. “Turning off a few lights and locking the door? Gee, Boss, I don’t know.”
“Funny, Jaime,” he said. His cell dinged, and he pulled it out to check, grinning madly as he responded to whoever had messaged him. “Plans just changed. It won’t be at the house now.”
“What won’t be at the house?”
He grinned. “You’ll see.” He then quickly tucked the phone back in his pocket and backed toward the door. “All right, I guess I’ll see you later. Oh, and I’ll take Max with me. That’ll be one less thing for you to deal with.” He walked around the counter and picked up the sleeping dog.
“Bye, little fella,” I whispered in his ear as I scratched his head. “Be good now.”
“I will,” Charlie said.
I laughed. “I doubt that.”
Charlie grinned back at me as he walked out the door.
As soon as he left, I tapped my pen on the counter and mindlessly stared at the schedule in front of me, wondering what the hell he was up to.
Suddenly, the front door opened again, breaking me out of my thoughts. I put on a smile and glanced up to see Phoebe, Marlene, and Riley hurrying toward me.
“Is it true?” Phoebe asked, with an obvious edge in the question.