Smoldering Embers

by P. M. Briede

  “You’re oldest friend, Wesley.”

  “Well he is, my oldest friend I mean. I don’t find that statement possessive if that’s what you’re implying. However, I am curious to know what made you so handsy?”

  “My apologies. I didn’t intend to make you uncomfortable. I guess I forgot myself.” A shadow passed back over his eyes like he was trying to hide something in their deep recesses.

  “Why?” He looked uncomfortable with my question. I couldn’t shake that sense of familiarity I felt when he was around. He talked and acted like he felt it too, what with holding my hand and constantly leaning into me to talk. “Olivier we’ve met before.”

  “I’m sure I would remember you, Charlotte,” he said with a nervous chuckle. There was something about him that made me confident he remembered me. I was about to press him more forcefully about it again when we were approached by some of the other guests wanting an introduction. The rest of the night passed without another opportunity for a semi-private conversation. Though we were together, we were never again alone and it was almost as if he ensured it.

  * * *

  “Not unattractive! Jeez, did you ever understate that one! April was right, he’s a hottie!” Paige and I were sitting in the den finishing off a bottle of wine. The last guest had left ten minutes earlier. “I absolutely take it back. Date him, marry him, sleep with him, and then tell me all about it. Since I won’t be able to get near him, you have to do this for both of us!” I just shook my head and smiled at her. Sometimes she really has a one-track mind.

  “Getting a little ahead of ourselves don’t you think? Why don’t you think you’ll get near him? You’re attractive and fully capable of dating him.”

  “Please, of course you didn’t notice. Charlotte, he was glued to your side the entire night,” she explained in exasperation. “Hovering over you like he was afraid you’d disappear. He may have spoken to us mere mortals but he didn’t see anyone but you.”

  The conversation made me uncomfortable as I had noticed Olivier’s attentions. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Besides Max, I’m the only other person he knew. I just met him, Paige, there’s nothing for either of us to be interested in at this point. We don’t even know each other.”

  “What’s to know? He’s hot and let’s just say you’re not unattractive yourself with your girl next door appeal. More relationships have started with less.” With that statement she shrugged, finished the wine in her glass, and grabbed the bottle for a refill.

  “Good grief, not at our age they don’t. When we both met our husbands sure that’s all anyone needed but attraction doesn’t always last as we both know.”

  “Aha! So you are attracted to him.” She grinned at me, like she’d just tricked me into admitting some deep, dark secret.

  “I’m not having those thoughts at all, nor this conversation. Besides why do I have to live out your unspoken fantasies?”

  “They don’t have to stay unspoken. I’m more than happy to share, so you know exactly what I want you to do. There’d be no words, just moans…” she pretended to swoon back onto the couch.

  I knew where she was headed and it was going to be far past the limit I could stomach, so I cut her off. “Enough Paige, I don’t need your imagined details!” But who was I kidding, I was giggling too. “I had hoped when I said unspoken you’d get the hint. Should have known better.” Paige just laughed at me. She’d always been so carefree, expressive, and excruciatingly detailed. I was always a bit more prudish. “Did you see Wesley leave?”

  “No I didn’t. He didn’t say bye to you either?” When I shook my head she continued. “Odd, that’s so unlike him. I wonder if there’s something going on at work. Did you notice how broody he was?”

  “I did but I can’t imagine he wouldn’t have mentioned something to us.”

  “I’m sure he’s fine.” She yawned. “Look, do you mind if I crash here? I think I’ve had too much to drink tonight.”

  “What about the boys?”

  “At their dad’s.”

  “Then of course. I’ll show you to the guest room.”

  * * *

  “So you’re in?” that sonorous voice sounded in my mind.

  “I wouldn’t say that it’s a lock, but yes, I’ve made contact. However, the target is already suspicious. What I don’t understand is, if you want them separated, why orchestrate putting them back together in the first place?” Considering it sounded as if they were discussing success I didn’t understand why this voice sounded irritated. It was as if it hadn’t wanted to “make contact.” And who were they talking about? They always spoke in the abstract. Which gave their conversations an ominous quality. Like I would have understood if they didn’t. All I had to go off of were their words. They were always just voices. And they only lived in my head.

  “You don’t need to understand. Your job is to manage the target. I’ll manage the rest. It’s a delicate balance. There needs to be contact but it needs to be controlled and limited.”

  Both voices were familiar. I’ve heard them talking, strategizing, arguing, and screaming in my head as the green fire dances around me. But the second voice, the one tasked with making contact, I thought I might be able to place. I’d heard it outside this dream world. But where? As I tried placing them a green smoke billowed in my mind, there was a tightening behind my eyes, and all rational thought ended. I drifted back into a deep slumber that grew peaceful when Olivier floated into my dreams.

  Chapter 5

  I walked down the stairs pulling my robe around my shoulders, trying to shake off the completely inappropriate but almost satisfying dream I was having of Olivier. I say almost because the doorbell had pulled me out of it. We’d been laying on a blanket on a beach under the stars. I could hear the sounds of water lapping at the edge of the beach. Everything about it had been so visceral. Almost as if it were more memory than dream. I could still feel his heat. Still feel his caress. And let’s not even bring up his kiss! Just the thought of it made me tremble.

  When the bell rang a second time I shouted, “I’m coming!” It was six in the morning. Who could be at the door this early? I yanked it open to find Wesley on the other side. “Kinda early don’t you think?” Irritation dripped through my voice but when I took in the sight of him all I felt was shock and guilt. He looked awful, like he hadn’t slept all night. Still in the clothes he’d worn to the party, his hair was rumpled and his face unshaven. With the door opened, he leaned against the frame, his head hanging. “Good God, Wesley! What happened to you?”

  “Nothing that you need to worry about.” He ran a hand up his face and through his hair a couple times until he finally rested it on the back of his neck. With a sheepish look, his eyes found mine. “Can I come in?”

  “Yes, of course, I’m sorry. Come in, come in.” I motioned with my arm for him to come inside but when he didn’t move I looked at him in confusion.

  He smiled at me but it didn’t touch his eyes. “Um, I love you dearly but I really don’t think I want to move you out of the way.” That’s when I realized that while I was saying ‘come in,’ the shock had kept me rooted in place. I’d never seen Wesley look this bad.

  “Yes, of course, of course.” This time I moved. He stepped through the threshold but didn’t move to go further into the house. I closed and locked the door still looking at him. “Why don’t we head to the patio and I’ll put on a pot of coffee. You look like you need it.”

  “Thanks, that’d be great. Can I get a couple of aspirin too?” When I nodded, he continued, “Paige spend the night?” I nodded again. “Seems I’ve stunned you into silence, just when I really needed to talk.”

  We’d reached the kitchen and the comment brought me up short. Guilt and sorrow crossed his face in response to whatever he saw in my expression. “Wesley, I know you said that whatever happened shouldn’t concern me, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m starting to move past pure concern.”

  He closed his eyes and nodded
. For a moment I thought he was going to say something but instead his features hardened and he walked out onto the garden patio. I didn’t immediately follow, figuring he needed a minute. When everything was together I walked out to find him sitting in the open, watching the sunrise. He didn’t notice my presence, so I stood quietly, observing him from behind. I saw some of the tension he’d been carrying in his shoulders loosen. I don’t know how long he sat quietly but when he turned around he was surprised to see me behind him.

  “How long have you been there?” he asked as he stood to take his coffee from my proffered hand.

  “Long enough.” I gave him the pills and sat on the bench swing, patting the space next to me. “What do you need to talk about?” He smiled as he sat low on the bench with his head resting against the back. He didn’t say anything immediately. We peacefully continued to take in the sunrise, drinking our coffee.

  “I’ve really missed you, Charlotte.”

  “You just saw me not eight hours ago silly.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” He closed his eyes. He looked so tired and sad. My heart broke for him. I twisted on the bench to face him, pulling my legs up and curling them under me. Resting my arm on the back, I waited for him to continue. When he didn’t open his eyes I searched his face for clues to what could be weighing so heavily on his soul. That’s when I noticed the changes that had taken place over the last fourteen years. He’d always been handsome in a boyish way, with young features that made him constantly appear on the verge of mischief. It amused me to watch him interact with his staff and see them take him so seriously, jumping at his orders. I’d attributed it more to his title than to him. I now could see that I’d done him a disservice and kept in my mind the boy I’d grown up with.

  Truly seeing him now for the first time since I’d moved home, I was honestly blown away. His golden hair shone in the morning sun but couldn’t completely hide the few strands of silver that were there. His baby face was leaner then it had been but still round with tiny wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth. Just a couple of inches taller than me at five ten he’d never been overly muscular but instead had a slim, trim build. When he opened his brown eyes, I no longer saw inquisitiveness but the years had given them wisdom. I now understood the presence he presented to the rest of the world. While I would always love the boy I’d known for years, my heart fluttered a bit at the idea of getting to know the man he’d become.

  “Tell me what you see?”

  “Just you, Wesley.”

  “How?”

  A bit uncomfortable with how perceptive he was to the direction my thoughts had gone, I delayed my answer by taking a sip of coffee and breaking eye contact. He sat up and angled himself towards me. I shrugged my shoulders. “You’re my best friend, Wesley. Always have been, always will be.”

  “Look at me, Char.” His voice was commanding. When I didn’t lift my head to face him his voice was firm. “Charlotte.” I hid my stress behind the hand I covered my face with. How had we gotten here? Was this a conversation I wanted to have? Was it an idea that I wanted to explore?

  He sighed and balled his hands into fists. He’d always done that when he was frustrated. My scrambled thoughts for answers to my own questions fell away when his hand pulled mine away from my face. With a finger placed delicately under my chin he lifted it, forcing me to meet his questioning gaze. Instead of commanding his next words were soft, barely above a whisper. “Please Charlotte, tell me what you see.” He made my name a caress that sent goose bumps all along my arms. Where before I’d wanted him to stop talking, I now prayed for it just to hide the pounding of my heart. The finger under my chin traced its way along my jaw until he cupped my cheek. I steeled myself for what was to come, still unsure of my own feelings, while his lips parted.

  “Charlotte?” We both jumped, our eyes widening. He jerked away from me as I flew to my feet and turned towards the house. Barely a second later Paige appeared in the door, stretching sleepily. “Girl, what time is it?”

  Wesley stepped up beside me, looking at his watch. “It’s almost seven thirty.”

  Paige stopped mid-stretch at the sound of Wesley’s voice. “When did you get here?”

  “He got here about six,” I answered. I could tell she was still foggy from sleep but since I could still feel the heat in my cheeks from what had almost happened on the patio, I wanted to distract her. Paige was smart and if she noticed it there’d be no peace until she knew the cause. She could be an absolute bloodhound and while it made her great at her job, it made it hard to keep a secret from her once she caught its scent. “How are you feeling this morning?” I inquired in what I hoped was a calm tone. “If you’re a little hung over I can make another pot of coffee. Wesley, would you like another cup?” I turned towards him and saw that he was blushing as well which only intensified the heat I felt.

  “What’s going on between you two?” Damn it! Her eyes thinned and I could see the wheels turning quickly behind them.

  Having also been on the receiving end of Paige’s inquisitions, he caught on quickly and piped up. “I stopped by to ask Charlotte to be my plus one to Governor Wyatt’s campaign fundraiser on Friday.” I tried to school my features and not blow our cover.

  “You stopped by,” unbelieving pause, “to ask Charlotte,” another unbelieving pause, “to be your plus one at six in the morning?” Her brows were arched and skepticism was written all over her face. Yeah, she wasn’t buying it. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “It’s true, Paige,” I lied. “Otherwise, we were just sitting here, drinking coffee, and watching the sunrise.” In an attempt to further sidetrack her and get back at Wesley for the whole situation to begin with I threw out, “He also came to apologize for his rude departure last night, saying that he felt he owed us breakfast.”

  Even though I could tell that she knew we were lying, she crossed her arms over her chest and spun away from us. “Ok, that sounds good,” she called over her shoulder. “I’m going to go shower, and Charlotte; I’m pulling something to wear out of your closet.”

  “Sounds great, whatever you need,” came out a little rushed. I raced into the house and put my mug in the sink. Leaning against it, I took a deep breath. He’d almost kissed me and I’d almost allowed it! My mind jumped to my dream of Olivier not two hours ago. In that world I had been kissed, and thoroughly. In that world Wesley hadn’t been a blip on the radar. Now? Well now I could honestly say he was more than a blip.

  Wesley startled me when he stepped up beside me and turned on the faucet. “You don’t need to rinse the mugs Wesley. I’ll take care of them later.”

  He inclined his head towards me as he nudged me with his shoulder. “Thanks, but actually I was washing my hands. Paige’s sudden appearance made me spill my coffee,” he admitted in a hushed tone.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t even realize that. Don’t you need some ice or something? There’s an ice pack in the freezer.” I turned to get it for him when he ensnared my wrist.

  “I’m fine, Charlotte.” I turned and found him smiling and much more himself than he had been when he had first arrived this morning. “The coffee wasn’t even hot anymore. I was just trying to keep Paige from noticing.” He paused for a moment and then smirked. “Breakfast, huh?”

  “Yup, and I am expecting Café Du Monde. Plus one?” I asked, returning his smirk.

  “I wanted to ask you last night but got sidetracked. Seemed like as good a time to bring it up as any. I promise I won’t leave you alone for a second.”

  I just shook my head and looked at his hand. “You sure you’re fine?”

  “Yes Charlotte, I’m fine.” I could tell he was amused by my mothering. When the shower upstairs turned on his eyes melted until they were smoldering. He took a half step closer to me. “In fact today’s prospects are much brighter than they seemed earlier this morning.” When he broke eye contact to glance at my wrist I knew I’d been betrayed by my own body. Treacherous, traitorous heart! He sl
owly looked back at me and leaned forward. I closed my eyes and…

  “Charlotte! Where are the towels?” She was in the hallway. That is it! I am buying her a bell for Christmas!

  “In the hall closet,” I hollered back.

  I heard Wesley groan as he rested his forehead against mine. “Her timing is impeccably awful.” I pulled both my eyes and arm free from him. Unable to look at him for fear that he’d sweep me away again; I headed towards the hall to get ready myself. “I don’t know what to say, Wesley. I’m not…”

  “…ready now. I know, but I think that soon you will be.” I hoped that his words were true, but should that step be taken with Wesley? Was it worth it to risk our friendship? All I knew was that there was a lot to sort through and figure out. The span of an hour had changed everything. Caught up in my own pondering, I didn’t know that Wesley had walked up behind me until he touched the small of my back. His lips grazed my ear when he softly and tenderly whispered, “I have so much to tell you. Don’t make me wait long.”

  Chapter 6

  “So you want to tell me the real reason Wesley was here on Sunday?” Paige asked as she fixed me in a shrewd look.

  I turned my attention to my plate. “He told you…”

  “A lie, Charlotte! Do I look stupid to you?”

  No, but I sometimes wish you were. I continued to eat, pointedly ignoring her questions, and hoped she’d just drop it. We finished our meal in silence.

  When we were done we moved to the den and opened another bottle of wine. “So, Wesley?”

  “Can I request a subject change?” I wasn’t up to discussing Wesley or what happened the other morning on my patio. If she knew she’d make me figure it out. I didn’t want to.

  She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine. “Alright fine. Another subject? How about that hot piece of ass Olivier you hired at the school? He thrown you up against a locker yet?”

  I gagged on my wine before glaring at her. “You can’t be serious! Tell me about the kids,” I demanded.