Chapter 21
The next few days were rough, and I only had myself to blame. Why did I give in to temptation so easily? I wanted to blame the champagne and that little black dress, but I knew it was all my fault, and now there was a serious rift between us. He’d probably still be asking me to marry him, I thought, and that would have been a whole lot easier to deal with than what came strolling through our door one night.
We hadn’t really talked since our impromptu meeting at work, in the privacy of the supply closet, and I stayed out of his way at the club and at his house. I’d been searching for another job, but I’d found nothing so far. So, I was stuck in his house for the time being, because I didn’t want my dogs or me to have to make a home out of a couple refrigerator boxes in an alley.
“Wow, this place is amazing!” a female voice called through the house, a voice I knew.
I looked up from my laptop. I’d been enjoying a quiet evening alone, but that was suddenly over.
“I can’t believe you live here all by yourself.”
I quickly closed my laptop as I heard footsteps coming my way. The dogs were all out back, but they barked and whined to be let it in when Charlie came into view, with Marlene on his arm.
“Not by myself,” Charlie said as his eyes landed on me. “Jaime’s been keeping me company lately.”
“Oh. I thought she wasn’t staying for long,” Marlene said, shooting me a vile glare. “How nice for you two, getting to spend so much time together.”
“Don’t worry,” I said with a smile. “It’s only temporary. You should check out the pool. It’s indoors and heated. You’ll love it.” I stood and moved to open the back door.
The dogs paraded inside and immediately made a beeline for Charlie. The smile that lit his face was real, and he loved the attention the dogs gave him.
“We’ll just get out of your way so you two can enjoy your date,” I said.
It was hard to force the words out, and it was even harder to ignore the ache in my chest, a symptom of seeing them together. I knew Charlie would eventually start bringing women home, but I really thought he would avoid Marlene. She was only after one thing, and it wasn’t his good looks or his charming personality. She was all about the money, something she wasn’t even supposed to know about yet. I was so afraid Charlie would end up marrying her and getting exactly what he wanted for those two years, and she’d walk away with a fortune she didn’t deserve.
I knocked my head back against the door and winced at the subtle pain. “Shoulda just said yes,” I muttered to myself, but I quickly turned my annoyance on Charlie. Why can’t he just admit what he really feels for me? It floored me to think Charlie, of all people, was scared, but that was the only conclusion that made sense. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought another woman around to rub it in my face. I hoped they wouldn’t embark on a noisy one-night stand, something I knew I couldn’t possibly bear, and I was quietly glad that he got rid of her quickly. A little part of me liked to think it was so he could spare my feelings.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the last time Marlene showed up at the house. He didn’t exactly invite her, but she was dying to dig her claws into him and his father’s money, so she made herself welcome more often than either of us wanted her to. In fact, she stopped by for the next four nights in a row, right after work.
Every time she made an appearance, I ducked out of sight, desperate to be away from them both, especially Marlene’s obnoxious laughter. Jealousy was my new favorite emotion, and I barely managed to hold it in check. Every time I spotted t
hem together downstairs, swimming in the pool, and him kissing her cheek or holding her hand, I wanted to puke. I literally gagged, and my anger grew worse with each passing day. I knew that sooner or later, I’d hit my limit, that she’d push me to the boundaries of what any sane woman could take when faced with the man she loved being with another woman.
I thought it was safe, when the house was quiet, to sneak downstairs and grab one of the bottles of wine I’d bought. I quickly snatched it and a glass; for a moment, I considered leaving the latter, because I wasn’t sure I even needed to dirty it, since I’d likely gulp down the whole bottle in one sitting, thanks to those two and their hands-on bullshit. Just as I was making my way back to my room, I heard a moan coming from the living room. I whipped around and saw the two of them on the couch, tangled in each other’s arms, with Marlene’s shirt tossed aside.
“Oh my gosh,” I muttered and covered my eyes.
“Jaime!” Charlie yelped in a panic. “I-I thought you weren’t home.”
“I just got here,” I said, still covering my eyes. “Please carry on. I wouldn’t want to stop you from making out with the woman who just wants to take every penny you’ll have at the end of those two years.”
“Jaime!” he snapped as Marlene cursed under his breath.
“I would never do that,” she said innocently. “I’ve always had a thing for Charlie. We’re just...rekindling it.”
I barked out a laugh and uncovered my eyes just as she finished tugging her shirt back down. “Right. If you’ve ever had an interest in him, it was all below the waist. You don’t like Charlie. You don’t even know anything about him.”
“She doesn’t know about the deal,” Charlie said through gritted teeth.
“Actually, she does,” I said. “That’s why she jumped at the chance to be with you.”
Charlie frowned and turned around to face her. “You know?” he said, looking at her in disbelief.
“Don’t blame me,” Marlene said with a callous shrug. “Your bestie over there spilled the beans. Some friend, huh?”
I gulped as Charlie turned his glare back on me, his face reddening. “You told her? I was going to tell her in my own way, in my own time.”
“To be fair, I told Tammy, and she told everyone,” I said. “Really, it was an accident, but you... You just can’t be with her.”