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“Think about it,” he said as he pushed away from the lockers. He shot me one of his signature winks, followed by the smile that popped the dimples.
The move that always made the Fairview girls swoon. It shouldn’t have done anything to me, though. I was immune to his charm.
Wasn’t I?
“After school. Under the bleachers,” I managed to croak out before he got too far away.
He raised his hand and gave me a thumbs up over his shoulder, not even turning around.
The rest of the day was torture. I reread the contract every chance I got. I had to admit, it was pretty solid as far as contracts went. Had I not figured out my plan last night, it would seem that I would be screwed, according to this.
I, Charlie Henrikson, hereby request to put forth, in writing, a deal with Una Nielsen. For the foreseeable future I, Charlie Henrikson, will arrange a series of dates, to be attended by Una Nielsen. Within these dates, I, Charlie Henrikson, shall attempt to show Una Nielsen a good time, much happiness, and the possibility that she holds the capability to love within herheart.
This binding contract shall remain between the two parties listed above, and no one else. If found that one or more of the parties listed above have breached this confidentiality agreement, then, well, disaster will already have probably happened and that’ll be a bigger issue than this contract, duh.
Payment will be sent upon completion of this contract, as negotiated by both parties verbally.
The below signed parties both agree to an open mind and an openheart.
Charlie Henrikson
UnaNielsen
As soon as the last bell rang, I grabbed my bag and practically sprinted to the bleachers. I said right after school, which meant Charlie would have to meet me before heading to the field for practice. That was a dumb move, as Dad could see him walking away from me and start his questioning.
This all was a mistake. I was already slipping, not being as meticulous about the details as I should have been.
I paced under the bleachers, the gravel crunching under my shoes. Maybe he wouldn’t show before practice. Maybe I would have to wait until after, which meant sitting around,again, for over an hour.
In that case, the deal would be off. I had better things to do than to wait for Charlie Henrikson. But my mind and my heart were at odds. I desperately wanted people to see my side of love. To know why it didn’t work.
But I also knew that hanging out with Charlie wasn’t always a horrible thing. And doing it again could be fun—as friends, of course.
He showed up a moment later, in his soccer gear, his signature skull wrap holding his hair back. He walked up to me, shoving something small and black into his pocket at the last second.
“I’m in,” I blurted out. The words even surprised me. I hadn’t officially made up my mind until right then. Playing double agent was my best bet, but the contract threw me for a loop this morning.
“I’m not paying until the contract is fulfilled,” he reminded me. He had it in writing, with his signature, and now mine, at the bottom. Meaning I accepted his terms.
I squared up to him, getting as close as possible. Entering people’s personal space bubbles automatically made them nervous. It made them sweat. It made them pay attention.
“My dad cannotfind out. No one can find out. This is not a public facing relationship of any kind. It’s all in secret, no matter what.”
Charlie just smiled. Every time he did, it was with the utmost confidence, like he already knew what I was going to say and agreed with me.
Instead of answering though, he lifted his hand to mime zipping his lips and throwing away the key.
Without another word, he spun on his heel and headed out from the bleachers, sliding whatever he had in his pocket back out. Then, just before he ran onto the field, he pulled his cell phone out of his bag, his fingers flying over the keys. He shoved it back into his bag a second later and joined his team.
A moment later, my phone chimed with a text.
Unknown:Meet me Friday night, 7pm, 2100 Riverside Drive. Don’t be late. Wear comfy clothes.
My eyes narrowed. I didn’t know how Charlie had gotten my number, but it was a move. I wasn’t sure if it was a good one or a bad one yet, but I gave him credit for the act.
Chapter 15
Charlie
