Mr. McAllister does a fine job of ensuring a professional transition.
A light knock at my door draws my attention from the brochure. “Ms. Rose, it’s five p.m., most of the office is leaving for the evening. Did you need help finding your way to the tube station?” Jo asks sweetly.
“Thank you, I remember the way. You have a nice evening, Jo,” I tell her. “And please, call me Charlotte.”
Jo smiles, a slight blush staining her cheeks. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Charlotte. Have a good night.”
“You too.”
She quietly shuts my office door and leaves me once again alone. The silence of the office is my sign, I can’t start working twelve-hour days right from the start. I’m breaking my habit, right? Yes. I decide to pack up my stuff and go home at a normal hour. Maybe I can cook Louise some dinner.
Seven
I’m proud of myself. I’ve made it through my first two weeks at Liberty. It has been a busy couple of weeks which had me just outside my comfort zone, but it was good for me. I’m still waiting to meet the elusive Mr. McAllister, but we keep just missing each other.
I’m trying to figure out why exactly they felt they needed to hire me and offer my salary, when the company is doing as well as it is. It’s profitable and organized. Sure there are a few key areas that I can improve upon, but it felt like they headhunted me to prevent a crisis of some kind and I haven’t seen one yet. I want to ask, but I don’t want to make myself sound redundant. I’m certain they knew what they were getting when they hired me, so I’m just going to do my job and hope I impress them.
It’s the weekend, so I’m going to do what I promised myself and leave work at the office. TGIF, right? I pack up my bag, still astonished at how light it is now that I genuinely leave my work at the door. In years past I would rarely be home before nine…ten maybe, and when I was, I was laden down with files. I feel naked, I’m not going to lie, but I’m doing my best to follow the lead of my coworkers, rather than fall into my old habits.
Louise’s flat is usually empty when I return to it, but for once she’s home before me.
“Hey, Louise, how was your day?” I hang my briefcase in the hall closet and join her on the sofa with a huff.
“Alright, sick of my boss’ bullshit so I left on time,” she replies. “How was your day?”
“Pretty good, want to order some Wagamamas, take our bras off and chill for the rest of the night?” I stretch out the tension I had left in my body and look to her expectantly. With no Cami here, we could have a really relaxed evening.
“You are obsessed with that ramen!” she scoffs.
“It’s. The. Best. I could eat it every day.”
“Well, you’re not eating it today. We have a reservation at THE hard to get into BBQ joint in Soho. The waiting list is like three months. Cami got us in somehow. I don’t know her methods, but trust me it’s going to be good.”
“You have to wait three months to get into a BBQ joint around here?” I ask incredulously, suppressing my groan at another night out with Cami.
“Char, this is London. BBQ joints aren’t exactly sitting on every corner waiting to throw burnt ends at you every time you pass. This place is the real deal, American owned, American run. Time Out listed it in their top ten BBQ places in the world. Bookings are crazy and Cami had some connection. So leave your bra where it is woman because I want BBQ and you’re coming.”
I huff, because I had my hopes high for being braless, but BBQ does sound good.
“Earth to Charlotte.” Louise snaps her fingers in front of my face.
“Yeah alright, I’ll keep my bra on for good BBQ, but it had better be amazing.”
“You are going to love it, I promise. Now go get changed.”
I stand with a groan and head for the hall.
“And wear something sexy,” she adds as I reach the doorway.
“Sexy…To a BBQ joint? What for? It’s just you and Cami. Who am I trying to impress?”
“You never know who will be there, Charlotte. Be. Prepared.”
“I think you have me confused with a girl scout.”
“Just do it,” she demands and I turn with a groan and head for my room.
A couple of hours later, I’m being ushered enthusiastically through the door of a pretty cool looking BBQ joint and I will admit, it smells like heaven. Although, why Cami and Louise are so excited, I don’t know. I doubt they would know good BBQ from bad.
Cami speaks to the hostess and to my surprise despite the wall to wall people, we are taken straight through to our table, leaving many customers in the bar still waiting to be called. I must find out what Cami’s connections are exactly, because this is impressive by anyone’s standards.
We’re led past the open pit in the center of the restaurant. Sausage links hang smoking above, their aroma filling the entire space. We pass table after table of diners with food to die for and head right for the booths in the back. They are all full except one, and I’m surprised to find that there is already someone sitting in the only one that could be ours. Cami and Louise however seem less surprised.
I smell a rat and fight the urge to run.
He’s not looking our way as we approach, so I have the chance to size him up without being caught. He has softly curly rich brown hair and a neat beard with a peppering of silver. I can’t see the color of his eyes, only his profile is visible to me, but his charcoal gray suit looks tailored to perfection and I find myself checking off boxes on my list. Dark, check. Smartly dressed, check.
As we approach the table he turns. Damn. Well isn’t he a sight for sore eyes? Handsome, check. He stands…Tall, check…and smiles. Perfect, his smile is simply perfect.
Jesus. I don’t know what’s going on here, but it annoys me that I’m falling in line with it. Show some self-control.
“Cami!” he exclaims in an American accent.
“Michael.” She grins from ear to ear, kissing him on the cheek. “This is Louise,” she tells him, stepping aside so that he can greet Louise in the same fashion.
“It’s good to finally meet you,” he tells her, kissing her cheek.
“You too.”
Cami cuts their introduction a little short however when she says pointedly, “And this is Charlotte.”
Michael glances first at Cami before turning to me and introducing himself, and I don’t miss the faint look of realization flicker across his face. “I’m Michael, pleased to meet you.”
He leans in to kiss my cheek. “I think we’re being set up,” he whispers.
I laugh aloud, I can’t help myself. “You could be right,” I reply in the second before he pulls away.
Louise is looking worried. Cami looks like the cat that got the cream. I shake my head at the pair of them.
Michael smiles knowingly and motions for me to sit. I slide in to the booth and watch the scramble ensue between Louise and Cami. In the blink of an eye, Louise is beside me, preventing me from escaping the enclosed booth and Michael has been positioned opposite me, wedged in firmly by Cami. Those two are about as subtle as an elephant stampede.
“Your waiter will be with you shortly,” the hostess tells us, dropping the menus on the table and leaving us to some heavy tension.
“So, Michael,” Louise says in what I know to be her rehearsed, stage tone. “Cami tells me your brother owns this place.”
“He does.” Michael grins. “He’s finally useful for something.”
“Hey that hurts!”
I look up to see another fine man standing at our booth. He’s a more laid-back version of his brother, but other than that they are identical. Same killer smile and tall, dark, handsomeness, but without the sharp suit and the precisely cut hair, he seems more at ease. It’s apparent that they are entirely different in character, but genetically they are the same. Identical twins. Hot damn.
“The truth always does,” Michael retorts. “Ladies, this is my brother, Connor.”
“Hi, Connor,” Cami says fl
irtatiously. She turns to Michael. “You didn’t tell me your brother was such a dreamboat,” she says with a purr.
Louise giggles.
Connor barks out a laugh. “I like her,” he tells Michael, pointing the tip of his pen at Cami.
“Of course you do,” Michael sighs.
“Now what can I get you ladies to drink?” Connor asks.
I catch Louise and Cami exchanging some kind of look and before I can interpret its meaning, the show begins.
“Oh shoot! You know what? Lou, we have that thing.”
“Shit!” Louise gasps, her stage tone back in full glory. “How could we forget the thing?”
“I know, right?” Cami takes an exaggerated look at her watch. “You know, if we hurry, we can still make it.”
“Okay.” Louise jumps to her feet so fast that Connor has to step out of her way. He eyes her quizzically and exchanges a look with his brother, but I can’t see Michael’s response because I’m too busy staring daggers at my so-called best friend.
“I’m so sorry, you two, we have to run,” Cami says as she gets up too. “But you should stay and enjoy some dinner together. No sense in eating alone when you have company.”
Louise winces then throws me an ‘I’m sorry, it was her idea and you can kill me later’ look, before they both dash out of the restaurant like the place is on fire.
A stunned silence follows.
I turn slowly to the two men whose company I have just been abandoned in.
“Wow,” Connor murmurs in astonishment.
“I called it.” Michael raises his hand in victory and chuckles.
I simply bury my face in my hands “Oh my God. I. Am. So. Sorry.”
This is ludicrous. What the hell just happened?
Above me I hear Connor bust out laughing and Michael smacks him as he hisses, “Dude, can’t you see she’s upset?”
Michael gently touches one of my hands from across the table. “Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
I snort uncontrollably and lift my head, laughing so hard. “Really? Apart from having the worst best friend in history, who by the way is fired as soon as I find her.”
“Man, that was brutal,” Connor says in disbelief, slumping into Cami’s seat beside his brother, still laughing. “How do you know them?”
“Cami and I work together,” Michael tells him, but his eyes stay on me, full of concern and sympathy while I just do that ‘if I don’t laugh, I may cry’ giggle.
“How about you?” Connor asks me.
“Louise is my best friend, Cami is her girlfriend.”
Connor nods in understanding.
“But I just moved here, so we only just met,” I assert, not wanting them to think that Cami is someone whose behavior I regularly let slide. This is all on Louise and we will be having a discussion in the morning. “I’m so sorry you got dragged into this, Michael. I’ll just go.” I make to stand and Connor jumps up to block my exit.
“No stay,” he says in a tone akin to desperation. “I’ll bring you both a strong drink and some great food. No sense in leaving hungry when we serve the best BBQ east of Texas, right?”
I sit back down and look from Connor to Michael. Michael looks perplexed. God, poor guy does not need this drama in his life. “Connor, let her go if she wants to, it’s not fair to make her sit through dinner with a total stranger when her friends have just ditched her.” He turns to me. “I’ll help you find a cab.” He stands and as quickly as he blocked me, Connor does a sidestep and blocks his exit.
“Bro, it’s the least we can do. Sit, talk, eat.” He gives his brother a look that holds so much meaning. “It might be good for you,” he adds pointedly.
Michael sucks in a breath, lets it out in a long sigh and slowly lowers himself back down to the seat. He looks at me for a moment and then smiles softly. “I’m game if you are.”
I chew on my lip. He seems nice. It’s awkward as all hell, but at least we are both in the same situation and well—the food smells too good to walk out on right now. I’m famished. “Sure, why not?”
“Excellent, strong drinks coming up,” Connor says with a sense of urgency. He seems keen for us not to have time for second thoughts. “Charlotte, right?” he asks me.
I nod.
“What’s your poison?”
I think for a moment. “Do you have any ciders?” I’ve had one or two great hard ciders on my visits to the UK. Unlike America they have some really great fruit flavors.
“We sure do.” He flips over a menu, letting me peruse the selection.
I order a pear cider and Michael orders a beer, then looking pleased, Connor leaves us alone.
“I’m sorry about him.”
“Why are you sorry about him? It’s Cami and Louise who need to be sorry.”
“Well, he’s just as keen to force me onto the dating scene as they seem to be. I feel like you’re here against your will now.” He shakes his head. “Jesus, who needs friends and family hey?”
“I know right?”
Michael fixes me with a stare. “If we’re doing this, I think we should start over don’t you?”
“Agreed. I’m Charlotte.” I reach my hand across the table and he takes it shaking it lightly.
“It’s a pleasure to share your company, Charlotte. I’m Michael.”
All the tension from the scene that just took place seems to evaporate.
“Where are you from?” Michael starts the conversation off smoothly.
“New York, you?”
“Chicago, who would have thought I’d move all the way to London only to be fixed up with someone from the states?” He chuckles deeply and his blue eyes have a twinkle to them.
“I was thinking that exact same thing.” I don’t know if it’s the accent or him that makes me feel at ease, but I feel relaxed in his company despite the rocky beginning to the night.
“So what brings you to England?”
“Life was—you know—I just needed a fresh start. My best friend lives here and my father was born here. I applied to claim my citizenship and I got it. So the move was pretty easy. I've only been here a few weeks, but I’m happy I finally did it. What about you?”
“My story is a little like yours I guess. I couldn’t stand living in Chicago any longer and decided to try London. Connor came too, we’ve been here full-time for a couple of years. It’s...what I needed.”
There is definitely a story there, but I don’t know him yet, so I don’t feel like I can ask. A waitress comes over with a smile for Michael and saves me from the potentially awkward silence that would have followed him giving me such cryptic, but obviously personal information. She sets down our drinks and exchanges pleasantries with my handsome dinner companion and tells us Connor will be back to take our order.
Michael hands me the menu and leaves the other one where it is.
“I suppose you eat here a lot?” I open the menu and my stomach growls excitedly at the prospect.
“More than I probably should. It’s easy, close to work and awesome. This booth is always available to employees.”
“You work here?”
“I have been known to roll my sleeves up on occasion. But I’m not on the payroll, unless you count brisket as a currency.”
“I’d consider it. So what’s good?” My eyes are darting over the menu from one temptation to another and I need some guidance.
“Everything."
“Well, I can’t very well order one of everything. Do you have a favorite?”
“Hmm…” His eyes lift up as he thinks. “We could get the family sample platter so you get to try everything. It's a lot of food but we both can take home leftovers. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.” I place the menu back down on the table.
He makes eye contact with someone over my shoulder and Connor appears rapidly.
“So what can I get the two of you?” Connor asks, looking at us both in turn with interest. I don’t know what he is expecting to s
ee, but he seems satisfied that we are both still here, participating in this bizarre ambush date.
“We’re going to have the family platter. Charlotte wanted to know what was good and I told her, everything.”
“Damn, you two can sure eat a lot.”
“We’ll take the leftovers home.”
Conner raises his eyebrows in surprise. I guess to him it sounded like the ‘we’ and the ‘home’ meant that we would be going home together. I want to correct him, but Michael speaks first.
“Just bring the food, asshole.”
“Sure thing, brother.” Conner smirks as he walks away.
“So what is it you do when you aren’t pitching in here?” That suit is not made for waiting tables, that’s for damn sure.
“I’m in PR.”
“Oh right, that’s how you know Cami.”
“Yeah, we work together. I’m her manager actually.”
“Oh Jesus. She sprung a blind date on her boss?”
Michael doesn’t look amused. “Yep. The woman has no idea when it comes to boundaries.”
“You said it.” I smack my palm on the table with a laugh. “But hey, she’s your friend.”
“I might not go so far as to say we’re friends, more like friendly co-workers. Once we’re off the clock, she’s not my problem.”
“You’re here tonight though,” I point out.
“She begged me to get her a table, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. So I said she could join me and she asked if she could bring friends. It all sounded so innocent.”
“Lesson learned.”
“You’re telling me.” He sips his beer. “So what about you? Are you looking for work?”
“I actually landed something as soon as I arrived. I’m the new CFO for Liberty. It’s a tech company.”
“A woman in high demand,” Michael says flirtatiously.
“Something like that.” I blush.
“And how are you enjoying it so far?”
“I’m loving it, it’s…well, I’m still finding my feet I guess, but a new challenge is always exciting right?”
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