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“Oh. Yeah, I’m working on that,” I concede with a guilty smile, feeling self-conscious under his heavy gaze.
“So, are you done for the evening? It’s almost dark, and I…”
“We’re back.” Charlie’s friendly voice echoes through the office. “Lisa, we’re starting to think you like your computer better than us. It’s the second time you’ve… Hey,” Charlie says as he rounds the corner to my office and finds his brother leaning against the file cabinet. “I thought that was your truck in the lot. So, you two have met?” He gestures between the two of us.
“Actually, no. Not formally. Chris.” He extends his hand.
“Lisa.” He meets my eyes as he engulfs my hand in a warm, firm grip, holding on a fraction longer than is customary, but only just.
“I caught Lisa in the middle of her blog notes,” Chris says, letting my fingers fall away as he pulls his gaze from mine and turns to Charlie. “Sounds like you guys have a really interesting series coming up.”
“I think so, yeah.” Charlie exhales heavily, and I have a sinking feeling that’s because of me. Or Chris. Or both. “So, sorry I wasn’t here earlier. I didn’t know you were stopping by.” He glances at me before looking to Chris for an explanation.
“It wasn’t planned. I just had to drop these…” He trails off, looking almost bewildered before his eyes come to rest on the envelope in my hand.
“Here.” I give it to Charlie, grateful for the excuse to do something besides stand awkwardly beside the two men. “This is what Chris stopped by for.”
“That’s right, thanks,” Chris says, finally turning his attention to his brother. “Hopefully that helps.”
Charlie’s eyes shift from Chris to me and back to Chris, but before he can say whatever’s on his mind, a crisp British accent pierces the silence.
“Um, guys, sorry to interrupt.” Simon’s lanky frame comes into view. “There’s a lady out here looking for a Chris, and she seems pretty pissed. Not the fun kind of pissed but the angry kind.”
“A date?” Charlie looks skeptically at Chris.
“Uh…” Chris’s eyes dart to mine, watching me as he exhales. “A favor for Erik.” He turns to Charlie, who looks just as confused as I feel. “Sarah’s made it her mission to find me someone now that they’re married. I have to say yes once in a while or Erik gets grief.”
He glances at me nervously and extends his hand. I hesitate a moment before taking it, trying to mask my confusion by acting professional. Yet once again he holds my hand slightly longer than customary, making me even more puzzled.
“I really would like to read your work,” he says. “I hope you’ll tell me when it’s ready.”
“Of course.” I blink. He offers a weak smile and nods to Charlie then pulls his hand back and heads for the door.
I watch him retreat, bewildered. Apparently, the moment I thought we shared wasn’t a moment after all. That’s…confusing.
“So, how are you liking the job so far?” Charlie pulls my gaze away from his retreating brother. “Do you feel like this is helping you with your goal of writing a children’s book?”
I get the sense he’s trying to distract me, although maybe he’s just making conversation since I skipped the company drinks. Either way, his question is a welcome diversion.
“It's great,” I tell him honestly. “I’m learning more about education and childhood development, and that’s helping me pinpoint a target age for my stories.”
Ever since discovering creative writing in college, I dreamed of writing fables, stories that tell a lesson with whimsy and a touch of wry humor, which could appeal to children and adults alike. Fables are so simple but so profound, which gives them almost a magic quality. And the message lingers long after the story is over, making them sort of eternal. To me that’s the pinnacle of storytelling and the obvious way to impart life lessons to children. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a publisher who agrees with me or who thinks I can do those stories justice, hence the job in the education industry.
“And like I told your brother,” I add, “writing investor documents forces me to be explicit and concise at the same time, which is good for my writing since young readers don’t have the biggest attention span.”
Mention of Charlie’s brother draws my eyes to the window and the two retreating figures. At first glance, Chris’s jeans and boots seem at odds with his date’s polished skirt and heels, but I quickly forget about their contradictory styles when I catch a glimpse of the woman climbing into the truck. She’s stunning. Olive skin, dark brown hair with loose curls swinging across her back, and even I can’t avoid noticing the shapely calves that disappear behind the door of the truck Chris is currently helping her into. What had ever given me the idea Chris was flirting with me? He was obviously just being friendly, and I read into it. There’s no way he’d be flirting with me when that was waiting for him in the car. The woman could walk the runway, whereas I hadn’t even showered for two days. And then there’s Chris himself to consider.
Tousled brown hair, green eyes, and golden skin, not to mention that dimple on his left cheek, the one that’s barely visible beneath the scruff on his face, until he smiles. And he thought my smile was genuine? His smile lights up his entire face, and the dimple only intensifies his youthful charm. Although certainly there’s nothing overly youthful about his physique. He’s taller than me by a head, at least, and his broad shoulders and tapered waist hint at an active lifestyle. Or a vigorous attention to detail in the gym. Damn, the things I could imagine with him in mind.
“That’s good. I’m thrilled you enjoy the work.” Charlie interrupts my wayward thoughts with a gentle smile. “Although next time I’m going to insist you come for drinks with us.”
“Next time I will.” I smile tentatively in return.
Charlie, all my coworkers in fact, seem wonderful. I do want to get to know them better, but with start-up companies, you never know if they’ll go the distance, and I want to make the most of this opportunity while I have it. It couldn't hurt to be more social, though.
“Did you want to keep working?” Charlie asks, forcing me to realize I’ve barely moved since his brother left.
“No, I’m good.” I shake my head to clear it. “Just need to pack up.”
