I shook my head. How was he so damn sweet? He might have said he was fine, but that didn’t mean I felt comfortable drinking in front of him.
“Still. Let’s go somewhere else. Coffee sounds good,” I said.
We strolled to a coffee shop just up the street in silence. The activity melted away the last of my buzz. We’d talked endlessly at lunch, but my brain was all muddled up now with lusty hormones and guilt.
“Two dates in one day.” I elbowed him playfully after he bought our coffee. “Not that these are dates. I mean, if you ask the internet they are … for Pete’s sake, Kate,” I grumbled and then chuckled. “Not forPete’ssake at all, actually. Okay. I’m going to shut up now.”
I couldn’t even blame the drinks on that dorky verbal dump.
We made our way to a small table, and I did manage to keep my mouth shut. Charlie’s lips tilted up in a soft smile as he asked, “Are you okay? Anymore messages from Needy Petey?”
I snorted at the apt nickname. “No. Not since that last one.” I worried my lip. “He said he was coming to the set but I never saw him. Thank gawd. How embarrassing would that have been?” I shook my head.
“Does he still have your hotel key?” he asked with a frown.
“Not unless the front desk gives him one.”
Charlie didn’t like that answer. He grumbled something violent.
“You know I would have never pegged him as the clingy type. But …” I flicked a look up to his face. “He started getting a little controlling. The more I think about it, the signs were there. I was just so eager to make it work. I think to prove my mother wrong. Blah. I know.” I picked at the paper lining of my cup. “Ironically, it was my mother who warned me about controlling guys. She thought I should break up with him.”
Charlie’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding at his surprise. “She said that I needed to put myself first and not let his life become more important than my own.”
“I like your mum,” he said in a deep tone.
“I’d like to say that she’d like you too, but honestly she isn’t big on men, in general.” I shrugged. “She’s never been in any sort of relationship. I just assumed taking the opposite of her advice would be the smart thing to do. Alas, mothers sometimes know things.”
I took a cautious sip of my coffee and felt its magic working. “But ultimately, that’s exactly what started happening. I lost sight of what I really wanted so he could remain comfortable.”
“Absolute wanker.”
I chuckled at his dry humor as another thought occurred to me.
“Also!” I smacked the table and he startled. “Sorry. But listen, Pete hated my writing.” I paused for dramatic effect. “He never said it outright, but he never finished anything I gave him. Saying he was too busy. He thought it was a joke. It embarrassed him.”
Charlie sat very still. “The offer to kill him still stands,” he said.
I threw my head back and laughed. “He just wasn’t right for me. But gosh, it’s like a weight off my shoulders.”
“That’s a good indication you’ve made the right choice.”
I nodded, lost in thought for a minute. It was definitely the right choice. “Thank you for listening.” I frowned. “What were you even doing at my hotel?”
He cleared his throat. “Just something for work.”
“Oh really—”
“Well, who do we have here?” a woman asked as two shapes approached our table.
Emma Flynn and Harrison Evans. My eyes widened.
“Hello, Emma,” Charlie said, standing to kiss her cheek. “Harrison.” They hugged each other.
I sat blinking in shock. The shine of their presence had not worn off.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Harrison said.
