Charlie frowned. “But I seriously don’t want you overworking yourself.”
“I won’t.”
“You should really consider hiring someone to be head of brand and take over some of your workload. I know you always say you’re fine, but we have the budget for it, and with me being gone for almost a month it could be perfect timing.” She looked at me, hopeful as ever.
Instinctively I was about to tell her ‘no,’ but stopped myself. Why shouldn’t I get some help? Freeing up my mind for other things would be liberating. Harrison’s words about putting others’ needs before my own rattled around in my mind.
“Okay,” I said.
Charlie’s eyebrows sprang up. “Okay?Okay?”
I laughed at her obvious shock. “I can write up the job posting this week and send it over to our recruiter.”
Charlie got up and took a step toward me before placing a warm hand on my forehead.
“Hey.” I smiled and swatted her away.
“Sorry, I was just checking for a fever.” She plopped back down and clapped excitedly. “This is going to be great for you. I don’t know why you changed your mind but I’m glad you finally did.”
“Me too.” I had thought relinquishing control would make me feel frazzled, but instead I felt calmer than I had in years. Just the idea of lightening some of my workload and having more time for myself made me want to cry.
“Greece really changed you,” Charlie said.
I sighed. “Yep.”
She cringed at my crestfallen expression. “He’ll call, Lila. You have no reason to think he won’t.”
I’d already filled her in on all the major details, including the very awkward and unfortunate flight home.
“Heside-huggedme.” My head fell back onto the couch cushion and I threw my blanket over my head. I was ready to wallow, but Charlie kept insisting the situation wasn’t that dire.
“Maybe he was nervous,” she said
“Maybe.” I’d considered the possibility, but how likely was it when we had already slept together? Already curled up next to each other? Already shared things we’d never shared with others?
Being with him these last couple of days had been so comfortable and natural. Maybe he was nervous now, but that’s exactly what the delusional, optimistic side of me would convince myself of.
I didn’t want to give up hope, but I also didn’t want to look stupid.
“I can’t even picture Harrison being lovey-dovey with anyone.” Charlie squinted her eyes and stared off into the distance, as if struggling to imagine it.
“Especially me, right?” I mumbled, sinking deeper into my couch cocoon.
Charlie shook her head. “Not at all. I was going to say if anyone was going to bring him out of his shell, it’d be you.”
“I brought him out. I just don’t know if he wants to stay out.”
Sadness hit me at the thought. I’d become ridiculously attached to Harrison in our short time together. Call me delusional, but I could picture it, you know? Us walking around Denver together. Taking him to my favorite restaurant. I was already excited about dragging him to one of those Christmas markets. The whole idea of us made life seem extra new and exciting, like I was in a new city I hadn’t explored yet, despite having already seen every inch of this place.
I just really wanted it to work.
Tears brewed hot behind my eyelids and I blinked them away.
Charlie scooted over on the couch and slung an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t get yourself worked up. Talk to him first. Today could just have been an off-day. You don’t know that he doesn’t want this too.”
My chest deflated, but I wiped my eyes and nodded.
“Here.” She snatched my phone off my lap and tapped the screen a few times before waving it in front of my face. It was a picture of some random dude posing in front of a gym mirror. A dating profile. The first thing in his bio read,Not looking for anything serious.
