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Her mouth hangs ajar as my words sink in. “You haven’t been on a date in forever, Char, so that’s progress.” She seems reflective as she pauses. “I’m sorry again. Ugh! I’m just in a funk. I’m actually happy you had someone there for you.”
“Wait! You are?”
“I know yesterday was hard for you, and Charlie is a great guy. I bet it was good to have him there. Do you think he’s cute? I think he’s super cute.” And like that, the old Rachel returns.
My head is spinning a bit from her abrupt mood change. “I don’t know. He’s nice, and it was fun to talk with hi—”
“What do you mean you don’t know? Just look at him, Charlie. The man is gorgeous.”
I shrug. Something deep inside me doesn’t want to admit I’m attracted to him. The problem is that my inner voice reminds me of that very fact more often than I like. That constant little voice of destiny is whispering in my ear, “Open your mind. He’s handsome and charming.”
I look down at the plain gray mouse pad on her desk, running my finger along the fraying edges before I speak again. “Yesterday was a roller coaster of emotions. I’m glad I had someone on my side.” I look up at her and add, “I’m glad he was there. It’s what I needed. He was there to support me no matter what those gossipers had to say.”
A sympathetic smile crosses her face. “I’m sorry. I should have been there for you. I trusted that you’d tell me if you thought you needed someone.”
“I didn’t think I did. I thought I could face them alone and had every intention to, but I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t like having him there. I did. He was a great comfort to me. So I don’t know what happened between you two, and I don’t know if I want to, but I do value our friendship and would never want to betray you, which is why I’m telling you.”
Her smile turns real and happy, and she has a glint in her eyes. “You do. You like him. I can tell.” She points at me, and her eyes widen as if she’s discovered I’m keeping a secret from her. “You, my friend, like Mr. Charlie more than you’re letting on.”
I playfully roll my eyes, then pretend I hear my cell phone buzzing to distract both her and myself from this topic. She laughs, and it’s boisterous and wonderful to hear. My face heats from embarrassment, and I start to laugh, too.
“I can’t do a relationship right now, Rach. I won’t lie, he’s pretty damn dreamy, but it wasn’t about that. I liked how we were yesterday. It’s different between us. He’s different. He seemed to understand me and not judge. He’s a great listener but participates and talks, too.” Dropping my head into my hands, I say, “Friends. We agreed to be friends. Friends only.”
I feel her rub my back gently. “Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you’ll believe it someday.”
I return to my desk, and she stays at hers, leaving me to sort through all these strange emotions. My desk phone rings, and when I answer, I hear Rachel say, “Tomorrow night, we’re going out. There’s a place in Tribeca I want to check out. I’m not taking no for an answer, so I’ll assume your silence is a yes.”
I just laugh, and she knows I’m in.
Chapter 9
Charlie A
Justin tosses me a bottle of beer as he flops onto the large chair next to the couch. I lean back after punching the couch cushion into a more comfortable shape.
“So,” he says, “you want to hit it tonight? It is Friday, after all.”
We’re watching the sports recap from the week on television and just polished off an extra-large pizza. “After that carb overload, sleep sounds good.” I moan for extra emphasis while rubbing my stomach.
“Forget that! We’re going out. There are women in this city who haven’t had the pleasure of my company yet.” He stands and opens the door. “You’ve got one hour to recover. I’ll text you where to meet.”
I throw a pillow, but it hits the back of the door because he’s already gone.
Rolling onto my side, I stare at the television. Do I want to go out? Not really. That just reminds me of my massive failing this week. If I’d gotten Charlie’s number, I would’ve asked her out for tonight. Short notice, but I hate those dating rules. If I like a girl, I call her right away because I want to see her. Why play games?
I need a distraction because the wallowing will ruin the day, so I get up.
An hour and a half later, I’m at the bar of some pale blue fluorescent-lit, sleek and modern ultra-lounge in SoHo waiting on Justin to show. Two women have already approached me, but I’m not in the mood for that tonight.
