“To which question are you referring to, Boss? Not getting married? Or never having sex again with you?”
“Both. Why not?”
“Because I said so.”
“Who says no to mind-blowing, best-you’ve-ever-had sex?”
“The person who wants more than orgasms!” I yelled, only to instantly clap my hand over my mouth, mortified that I let that slip out.
He shifted uneasily against the door and touched his jaw in thought. “You... Really? You want more than just what we have now?” he asked quietly.
I hung my head and steeled myself. “No, that’s not what I mean. You want a fake marriage, but I don’t. We’re friends, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“You’re a poor-ass liar. You know that?”
“And you’re a Casanova who’s only using me to get what he wants,” I shot back, but the moment his face fell, I instantly regretted it. “Charlie, wait...”
“No,” he said stiffly and moved away from the door. “You’re right, Jaime. Just go do whatever you need to. I’ll understand if you decide you can’t live with me, but please keep the job as long as you need it,” he said, then hurried out of the closet and the private room.
I took a few steps to follow him, then stopped myself. I knew it would never work out between us, especially not now. That was exactly why I insisted on keeping my distance before. I let my guard down, and the exact thing I was afraid of happened.
“Damn,” I muttered as I quickly gathered the necessary gear. Mindlessly, I set up the room for the new clients, then did my best to avoid my boss for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the club was too small for us to prevent run-ins forever.
“Sorry,” Charlie said when he bumped into me in the hall, though I was sure he did it on purpose.
I looked at him sternly. “I value your friendship, and I don’t want us to do something stupid, something that will ruin it.”
He pushed some hair out of my eyes again, a favorite gesture of his. “You really just want to stay, uh...in the friend zone? Even after all the romance that blossomed between us last night?”
“It’s best that way. Nothing in the world complicates things between two people like sex, and I don’t want us to be awkward. You’re my best friend, and I want us to be cool, with no animosity to get in our way. Yes, we both had a wonderful time. I can’t deny that, but let’s not make a big deal out of it. Besides, you’ve got to work on finding a wife. I’ll even help you if you want.”
“You’ll help me find a wife? Personally, I think that’s a little awkward, don’t you?”
I looked away. “I’ll leave it up to you then.”
“Are you sure there’s no way I can talk you into it? You’re the only woman I want to wake up to every morning. I don’t want anyone else but you.”
“Maybe, but I want more than you can give, Charlie, so much more. As great as it would be, and as much as I need to dig myself out of a financial nightmare, the money’s not enough for me. What I want, I know I can never have with you, so when it comes to us, I’ll settle for friendship.”
“Define more,” he said flatly, frustrating me beyond belief.
“Charlie,” I said slowly, “I’m crazy about you, you idiot...and that made last night all the more special.”
“Last night meant everything to me too,” he said. “It wasn’t just a one-night stand.”
“I know. It was wonderful.”
“Then why not see where this goes?”
“No,” I said. “Please understand. I just want to be friends, and I want you to feel free to date and, uh...marry anybody you want. I won’t get in your way.”
“You’re never in my way, Jaime.”
“Yeah, well, you might change your mind about that later, when your Miss Fake Right comes along.”
We talked for another hour and finally came to the conclusion that just being friends was the best course of action for us both.
It killed me more than anything but I knew it was the right decision.