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“Ihave an idea,” I say to Jeffrey Monday morning after he hands me my cup of tea, my adrenaline and mind racing after my weekend with Charlotte.
“You do?”
“Yup. I think it’s what we need for this pitch, but we need to get as much done as possible before I leave this week.”
“Fuck. You’re going to Hawaii already? How did that happen?”
“Yeah, we leave Wednesday morning.”
Surprisingly, I’m more nervous about this pitch now than that trip because, after this weekend, things with Charlotte and me feel like they’re on solid ground. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, never felt the desire to know about her day or think of ways I could make it better. And the crazy thing is, she was always in my life. I guess I just never let myself see her that way because I was too busy finding ways to beat her and make my father proud.
But now our relationship as adults is so far removed from how it was when we were kids, I feel like that was an entirely different life. The woman I’ve reconnected with in the last month is someone that I crave, someone who makes me feel needed, someone who I’m proud to be with, even if it is under unorthodox circumstances.
“So are you wanting to scrap everything we’ve come up with so far?” Jeffrey asks, reaching for the file we’ve been using to keep ideas while turning on his laptop.
“Not exactly, but I think we need to attack it from a different angle. I want to get as much work done before I leave so I’m not stressing about it when I return. The pitch is next week, and we’re going to win this account, Jeffrey,” I say, clenching my fist in the air. “I can feel it.”
“I like your confidence, I do, my friend. But we’re definitely pushing our deadline.”
“I know. And I know that’s partially my fault. I’ve been preoccupied with Charlotte.”
“How are things going by the way?” he asks as he takes a seat in the chair opposite my desk, his laptop resting in his lap.
My lips instantly lift into a smile. “Fuck, dude. She’s…” I trail off, shaking my head and reminiscing about holding her Saturday night on her couch. I never thought something as simple as cuddling would make me feel manly. But it did. Holding her, keeping her warm, feeling as if I was easing her pain, this rush of need ran through me, and it made me realize that I don’t want this to be fake anymore. I want this to be real.
“Man, I can see it all over your face.”
“Yeah. It’s crazy, but I want her…for real.”
“Have you told her that?”
“Not yet. I planned on doing it in Hawaii. I figured the setting was more romantic. We’ll be surrounded by our families, who think we’re together anyway, so before we leave, I want to make sure that we really are a couple.” I thought about this all day yesterday and still came to the same conclusion—I want Charlotte to be mine, for us to build a future together.
“Does she feel the same way?”
I think back to the past five weeks and how far we’ve come—from her threatening to poison me, to her telling me I’m the best fake boyfriend she’s ever had. “I think so.”
“Is there anything you think might stand in the way of this going the way you want it? I mean, making it real will cover our asses when it comes to Dave ever finding out, but other than that…”
“Well, I’m not sure how my dad is going to react to seeing us together.”
“Your dad?”
I slouch back in my chair, heaving out a sigh. “Yeah. I don’t think I told you this, but part of the reason why Charlotte and I hated each other growing up was because of my dad. He’s the one that always told me I needed to be better than her, and by trying to beat her at everything, I made her hate me too.”
“What the fuck?”
“Believe me, it sounds as fucked up as it is. He actually called me last week to berate me about ‘dating’ her and the fact that I’m not the freaking CEO of Goldstein Advertising yet.”
Jeffrey shakes his head. “Man. My parents are just glad I’m not living in their house anymore like my brother.”
“Well, the standard I’ve always been held to was far more than that, no offense.”
“None taken. But if he says shit like that, tell him off. I mean, you’re a man now, Damien. Your father shouldn’t be acting like that towards you anymore.”
“I know. But trying to reason with him is like trying to argue with a brick wall. And I’m afraid he’s going to say something to Charlotte and fuck everything up. Living all the way across the country from him has made avoiding him so much easier.”
“Jesus. Dude, I would not want to be in your shoes, that’s for sure.”
“Ha. Thanks.” I take a deep breath and then sit up in my chair just as there’s a knock on the door.
“Hello, gentlemen,” Dave announces as he walks into my office. “How’s it going?”
“Working our asses off,” Jeffrey replies with a hint of pride in his voice as he holds his pinky out and takes a sip from his coffee.
“Looks like it,” Dave snickers. “I just wanted to come by and make sure you have something ready for next week for the Remedy account.”
“I actually came up with a new idea this weekend that we’re going to incorporate into what we already have,” I say.
“Excellent. I hope it’s better than what the girls have because Elizabeth just gave me a little glimpse of what they’re working on and…it’s gold,” he says confidently.
“Don’t worry, Dave. We won’t let you down,” Jeffrey chimes in. “Dream team over here, remember?” he says, waving his pen between me and him.
“Normally, yes. But when it comes to something like this, I’m a little skeptical, gentlemen. This pitch needs to be perfect. The board is breathing down my neck, and my wife keeps telling me how important it is to give positive female representation. Society is much different these days than it was back in the eighties and nineties. Did you know before 1985, you couldn’t use the word ‘period’ in an ad for feminine products?”
“No shit.”
He nods. “Yup. So I want this to be groundbreaking, limit-pushing, but something a woman would look at and say, ‘Thank you!’”
“I get it, Dave. I promise we’ll give you something worthwhile.”
He holds his hands up in the air as he approaches the door again. “That’s all I’m asking. And hey, Damien?”
“Yeah?”
“Enjoy your trip this weekend. Just make sure you’re ready to go when you get back.”
“I will.”
“And tell Charlotte that Erin says hello. She still wants you two to come over again for dinner.”
My insides cringe at his suggestion. I don’t judge, but knowing about Dave’s extracurricular activities outside of the office is something I’ve fought to ignore every day of my life since finding out. “I’ll let her know.”
“Get back to it, guys.” And then he’s gone, closing the door behind him.
Jeffrey turns back to me. “Why do you look like you’re about to throw up?”
I shake off my nausea. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.” A shiver runs through me as I adjust myself in my chair. “Okay, enough about that. Let’s get to work.”
Jeffrey nods. “Yes. Let’s make Dave regret ever doubting us. Let’s make those girls wonder if we don’t really deal with periods on our own. Let’s make…”
I hold my hand up, cutting him off. “Jeffrey, I beg of you…just shut up and let’s get to work.”
He salutes me from across my desk. “Aye, aye, captain. Let’s get to it.”
* * *
