Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Bess

I drew a shuddery breath as my eyes roamed the cabin ceiling. This was getting ridiculous. What was he trying to squeeze out of me?

Should I tell him Boris referred to him as Willy Wanker? Or start dropping Teresa’s endless selection of nicknames, mostly to do with his attendance—Dr Doo Little, Beer-o-clock, KitKat and of course her favorite, Broken Arrow, because, although useless, he couldn’t be fired. Teresa could be a bit harsh.

This wasn’t fair. But I wanted my one honest question, even if I didn’t yet know what it was. Charlie was a mystery and deep down, I was desperately curious. If I had a chance to find out more about that weird, distant galaxy, I would. For Teresa’s sake. And mine.

“Some people call you Mini Fridge.”

“I’ve heard that one. Trevor uses it, too.” He rolled his eyes.

“Do you know why, though?” I bit my lip, wondering if he knew. Wondering how he’d take it.

He looked clueless. “Because I have a mini fridge in my office.”

I had to force out the words. “Because you’re cooler than Fonzie and only there for the beers.”

His mouth hung open. “Wow. Okay. Wow. Um…”

This was a horrible mistake.

“It’s a stupid joke,” I added quickly.

His expression thawed a bit. “Well, it’s funny. And pretty obvious. I should have figured that out.”

“People are just jealous.”

A self-deprecating smile hovered on his lips. “Do you think I’m only there for the beers?”

“No. I know you don’t work the same hours, but you do work. I deal with the evidence of your creative process every day.”

Nobody could fill the pasteboards with that much junk without putting in some hours. The sheer number of links in Charlie’s files told me all I needed to know. And then there were Rhonda’s stories of those late nights.

“Bess cleans my mess,” he muttered.

“What?”

“That’s how I learned your name. I use these silly mnemonic devices. I think it’s important to know everyone’s names, but I’m so bad at it.”

“You don’t have horrible nicknames for anyone? Even me?”

He seemed surprised. “No.”

“That wasn’t my honest question, though. It doesn’t count, right? Please!”

A smile warmed his face. “Fine. You can have another. Even though that was an honest answer.”

“Do you really think I’d waste my one chance on a yes/no question?”

His smile widened and he laid his head on the pillow, keeping his eyes on me. Lying there, leaning on my elbow, with only a few inches between us, felt strangely intimate. More intimate than him touching me, even though that made no sense.

“You know they call me Buzzkill, right?”

“No! Who does? Why?” He seemed so genuinely upset on my behalf I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Bess Killian, Buzzkill. Now, that one’s obvious. I… tend to be the first one to get back to work. Last one to leave. First one to remind everyone about the deadlines and ruin their fun.” I lifted a shoulder.

“But they respect you. I can tell.”

“Boris once told me I’m intimidating.”

His eyes had a shine to them. “No. I think you have integrity. You don’t blindly follow the herd.”

When the herd was bashing a funny-looking temp or sneaking out half an hour early for drinks, how could I follow? And when the guys made snide comments behind Charlie’s back, it never sat right with me. Because I saw his brilliance. I saw how much he cared.

“I don’t agree with them on everything.” I could feel the blush gathering strength on my face. “But I do think you’re cooler than Fonzie.”

“Does that mean I’m a regular-sized fridge? Good for more than just holding a few beers?”

I paused for a moment, thinking. “No, you’re a chest freezer.”

“Because I… wait, I can get this.” Charlie held up a hand, his gaze pinned at the ceiling. “Because I’m full of peas… and love, and have a wide chest?”

“No. Because there’s always room for more stuff you buy on a whim.”

“I don’t buy that much stuff,” he argued, but couldn’t hide his smile.

“No. Many people who work for large retailers buy way more.”

“I just get excited when I find a new innovation. Like that hammock. I can’t wait to try it outside.”

“It’s October. Why would you buy something like that towards winter?”

“That’s the innovation!” Charlie’s eyes shone. “It’s made of the materials they used for astronauts. You can survive in it in freezing temperatures.”

“When would you ever need to survive in freezing temperatures? Your office has central heating. Unless you live in a tent behind the building?”

“Wouldn’t that be a shocking reversal of expectations?” He laughed. “No, I live in Belcaro.”

Of course, he did.

“I sometimes drive through your neighborhood, even though it’s not really on my way,” I confessed.

“Why?”

“I get tired of everything falling apart. Feeling like nobody cares. I know it’s not that. People are busy surviving so when a trash can falls over or when there’s crime or vandalism… it takes a while for anyone to react. We close our eyes and ignore stuff, as long as we can. But sometimes, I feel that getting to me, and I need to see places that people are looking after. So we drive that way and soak in the beauty and order of it. Celia loves pointing out the pretty houses. She counts the flowerpots.”

And then she asks ‘Can we move here, Mommy? Can we live in that house?’ and my heart breaks , I thought. I swallowed, struggling to hold on to my smile.

Charlie didn’t struggle. The smile that lit up his face made my insides ache. “She’s adorable.”

I thought of him showing Celia his Japanese robot. How excited she’d been, not just over the silly gadget, but over Charlie’s undivided attention and encouragement. I’d been grateful for that moment—seeing my daughter mesmerized by something she’d never come across otherwise. Charlie was a ticket to a whole new world for both of us.

I did what every mother does, smiled and nodded. Because my child was adorable, obviously.

Letting out a deep sigh, Charlie rolled onto his back. “So, what’s your question, Bess?”

What could I ask him? There was a truth to who he was, hiding somewhere underneath those smiles, elusive as a reflection on water. How could I bring it out? What did I want to know?

Deep in thought, I didn’t realize Charlie had fallen asleep until I felt him jerk against the bed and a deep breath, almost a snore, escaped his mouth. I turned to look at him, to study his face when he couldn’t stare back with those intense crystal blues. He looked so peaceful, almost like he was still smiling. If he thought I was an enigma, so was he.

I lay down on my back, debating my choices. I could wake him up and ask him to return to his own bed, or I could sneak out and sleep downstairs in his bed. Would he mind? And then there was, of course, the nerve-wracking option of sleeping here, right next to him. What would he think of me if I did that? Could I even fall asleep with a man next to me? I hadn’t done that in such a long time.

But before I could make up my mind to get up, Charlie rolled over, placing his hand on my stomach, mumbling something. I had to turn my head to check he was still asleep. It seemed so.

The warmth of his touch radiated through me, relaxing my muscles. I hadn’t felt like this in a long time. Perfectly safe. Grounded. I didn’t want to move. I lay there, a furry mess of thoughts circling my brain, gradually surrendering to the weight of his touch, until I fell asleep.