by Amanda Uhl
Julie didn’t hesitate. “Great, thanks. I only have a few minutes before my next meeting. I thought it would be a good time for us to have a little chat.”
I had finally recovered from my coughing episode. I raised my eyes slowly to Julie’s. She was looking at me expectantly.
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked and swallowed hard. If only it had been beer in my glass and not water.
“Oh, don’t give me that innocent look. You and Charlie Solanger are dating.” She shook her golden head at me, like what I was doing was both disgusting and crazy.
“Only for a week,” I said, like the length of time would make it all better.
“Long enough to get yourself hurt! Listen, I know I’m…demanding. I know you don’t always like me.”
If that wasn’t an understatement, I didn’t know what was. I glanced at Bernie. She stared at Julie wide-eyed, obviously as shocked as I by the turn of conversation.
Julie was still talking. I struggled to concentrate on her voice. “I warned you about getting involved with Charlie. He’s a playboy. I suppose he’s taken you on his yacht?”
I shook my head dumbly. “No, no he didn’t.”
“Oh dear, he hasn’t? This is even worse than I thought. What about the family palace on Lake Erie? Have you seen it…I mean, on the inside?”
I cleared my throat. “I…no, no I haven’t.”
Across from me, Bernie stirred. “He took her to meet his family,” she said.
“Oh.” Julie purred, her cat eyes gleaming with some hidden emotion. “His parents? They are darlings, aren’t they? Their New York residence, then?”
I nodded up and down, almost like a puppet on a string.
“I’m pretty certain he takes all his girls there. Charlie’s angels, they call them. After the old TV show. Did you know that?”
I counted the buttons on her jacket. Four. “No…I hadn’t heard that…reference.”
“No, I wouldn’t imagine you had. You’ve only been dating a week. That’s such a short time. I’ve known Charlie for ages, so I was bound to hear it tossed around a time or two.” Julie speared an olive with her fork and laughed—a fake laugh if I ever heard one.
She popped the olive in her mouth, chewed, swallowed, and chased it with a dainty sip from her straw. “You know,” she said thoughtfully, “Charlie has an intended.” She frowned, which made two perfect creases in the center of her forehead. “Clarissa, I believe they call her. A step-relative of sorts.”
I couldn’t stop my nod of recognition.
“Ah…you know her. Beautiful woman. Educated. Accomplished. She and Charlie are close confidants. I believe she runs the family’s European holdings.”
Julie made a show of looking at the clock, which hung on the wall opposite from where she was sitting. “How time flies. I told you I could only sit for a second. I really have to run.”
She pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “Well, at least he didn’t take you to the family island.” Her laugh was overly loud and bright. “Legend has it that only his ‘bimbos’ go there. But I’m sure he thinks much more highly of you than that.”
She pushed her chair in and grabbed her purse. “I’ve enjoyed our conversation, Valerie. I’ve got a meeting to catch. Later, girls.”
She walked away, her two-inch heels clicking on the ceramic floor. The image was an exact replica of the way my cat Mitzi flounced from the room whenever she’d had enough of my company. At any other time, I would have laughed, but my stomach hurt. I wasn’t sure if the cause was her snide remarks or the coming meeting with Seth.
I set my sandwich down and let out the breath I’d been holding. It felt like I’d been sucker punched when I wasn’t looking.
“Val, don’t listen to her, sweetie. Julie’s a she-cat, remember? She’s always looking for a way to ruin a perfectly good relationship.”
I looked down at my hands. They were shaking. I looked up at Bernie. Tried to think. A flash of memory assaulted me. Charlie and I standing on the patio at his family cottage. You’re the only one I’ve ever brought to the island, he’d said. Had he lied? Was that his way of softening me…getting me to make out with him? I thought about what had followed. It had worked. I had been putty in his hands.
“Oh my God!” Bernie was staring at me like she saw a spider, a hairy one with long legs.
“If there’s a bug in my hair, get it off!”
Bernie didn’t move. “I’ve seen that expression on your face before… You’re in love!”
I let out my breath and looked around. Thank God no one else was close by. “Keep your voice down. For Pete’s sake, of course I’m not in love. That’s…that’s ridiculous.”
Bernie closed her mouth. She shook her head. “Yes. You. Are. You’re in love with him. I hate to bring up bad memories, but I’ve seen the signs before.”
I measured the angles between our dishes. If I connected the dots between our plates, forks, and glasses, they made a perfect right triangle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t try to deny it. And don’t listen to Julie. She’s a bitch.”
I stared at her blankly. “That’s a female dog.”
“Okay, a bitch kitty.”
She put her hands together and squealed. “Oh my God. I saw it coming. You guys had the hots for each other since that first day…remember? He was trying to help you with your numbers, and you pretended to want nothing to do with him. Even Julie noticed your interest in each other, and you know she’s the last person to pay attention to anyone but herself.”
I put my hands out as if doing so would make her shut up. “Bernie, stop it. I’m not in love with…with Charlie. We had a nice weekend together. That’s it. I swear.”
“Val, baby, you can tell yourself that all you want, but ol’ Bernie sees the signs. God knows I’ve experienced them myself recently. At least in your case, it hasn’t gone unrequited…has it?”
I stared at my half-eaten sandwich like it held the answers. “I don’t know. Because we’re not in love…” I wasn’t, was I? I mean, Charlie was attractive…he had dreamy eyes. God, his eyes were the perfect shade of sky blue. And he was smart, too. And he made me laugh…but, no. No way. I wasn’t in love…it was much too soon.
“Did he tell you he loves you?”
I shook my head. “No, of course not.”
“Did he say you were the only one he wanted to see? Like date exclusively.”
I thought back to our many conversations. “N…No.”
Bernie put her hand on mine. “If it helps, I know how you feel.”
I nodded, tears close. How did I feel? Miserable.
Bernie pushed her chair from the table and stood. “C’mon. I have to get back.”
We carried our dishes to the conveyor belt. The whole time I fought a sick, nervous sensation in my belly, as if I’d devoured a wiggling worm whole, and it was slowly messing with my insides. Charlie. In love. How was it possible? When had it happened? Because I was afraid Bernie was right. Somewhere between showing me his special place by Lake Erie and his family’s island in New York, I had gone and done what I’d told myself not to. I’d fallen in love with the man. And I had no idea—none at all—if Charlie cared for me or not. I want you, he’d said. We’ll be good together. No I love you. Let’s spend the rest of our lives together.
Bernie hugged me. “Try not to worry, okay? I’m sure Charlie cares about you. Give it time. You’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah,” I said, like I knew it would all work out. But as I walked back to my desk, a single thought was in my head. What in God’s name have I gone and done?
Chapter Twenty-seven
I spied the yellow sticky note and Charlie’s familiar scrawl the minute I walked into my cube. Come and see me when you return. In Larry’s office.
I stared at the note a moment, Julie’s voice still twittering in my head. Charlie’s angels. Dear God. What a fool I was! For a short time, I had honestly imagin
ed a man like Charlie wanted more than a casual fling with me. Foolish girl. What he wanted was a challenge. And he was on the verge of winning. Give him what he wants, and he’ll be gone, my alter ego warned. But if I gave him what he wanted…I’d be gone.
I shook my head as if doing so could shake my morbid thoughts. They remained like fleas on a dog. Charlie’s angels.
Reluctantly, I found a notebook and a pen and headed out. When I got to Larry’s office, there was only Charlie, looking so good I wanted to bottle him like perfume to douse in later. I entered and closed the door behind me. He walked over, taking the notebook and pen from me and setting them on his desk. He grabbed both my hands in his. “Hi,” he said softly.
“Hi back.”
He smiled slowly, and the warmth in his eyes was like balm to my tortured thoughts. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve…missed you, too,” I said, surprising myself. But as the words left my mouth, I knew they were true.
“How was your lunch with Bernie? Has she made any headway with George?”
Charlie was still looking into my eyes. I could see the different variations of blue in his irises and his thick golden eyelashes. God, the man was like an angel. Charlie’s angels. The words came crashing in, like cymbals on a drum set. Panic rippled through my system. I snatched my hands from his.
Charlie frowned. “What’s wrong? What did I say?”
“Nothing… I… Lunch was not great. Julie decided to join us.”
Charlie looked at me warily. He sighed. “Let me guess. She told you fairy tales about my love life, and you believed her.”
Guilt made my cheeks red. He quirked one eyebrow up in the way he had and gestured to his chair. “Sit.”
He didn’t wait for me to move but leaned against a corner of his desk. I found myself walking to the chair next to him and sitting.
“What did you hear? Stories of my harem? Women showing up in my hotel room unannounced?”
Did they do that?
Charlie crossed his hands across his chest, a frown firmly in place. “Don’t look at me like that.”
I tried for a poker face. “Like…like what?”
“Like you smell something foul. Like you believe the rumors Julie told you, whatever they might be. What did she say?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh, come off it. She clearly said something. When I left you last night, you melted into my arms. Now you look like you want nothing to do with me. Why?”
“I… She may have said…Charlie’s angels.”
“Hell.”
The way he said it, I knew instantly it was true. I stood. “Charlie, this isn’t going to work between us.”
“Val, listen to me, would you? Please?”
I stared at him a moment, debating. He sounded panicked. Did I want to hear his excuses? I slowly sat back down.
“I was twenty-two, Val. I’m not going to lie to you. I was a bit wild. Girls flung themselves at me. They always have. My family is loaded, and I’m not bad to look at.”
He shrugged. “I took advantage of it. I gained a…reputation as a ladies’ man. One of my friends at the time coined the term, and it caught on.”
“My God,” I said, and covered my face with my palms. Foolish girl.
Charlie crouched in front of me. “You have to believe me. That time period is long gone. I’m no saint, but I haven’t been with a woman in some time. I— Not since I met you, as a matter of fact.”
I peeked between my fingers.
“Val. I would do anything…anything at all…to win your trust and respect. I’m…I love you. God. There. I’ve said it. I wanted to wait and tell you at a better moment. But Jesus Christ, will you please take your hands from your face and look at me? I gotta believe…please tell me you feel something….anything positive for me…please?”
I had taken my hands from my head and stared, shocked. Had the man said he loved me? Me? Val Wilson? Bitchy, sarcastic, withdrawn, moody me?
Charlie was looking at me, his eyes grave and pleading, no smile in sight. “Val?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, you feel something for me?”
I nodded, my head bobbing up and down like one of those plastic ducks that you set in motion. “Yes, I…I love you.”
I burst into tears, and Charlie pulled me into his arms, and he was raining kisses on my face and everywhere at once. “God, don’t cry. You don’t know how I’ve longed to hear those words from your lips,” he said between kisses.
I gasped. “Tears of joy. I didn’t think…didn’t believe you could love me. I thought I was one of your…bimbos.” I struggled to take in air.
Above me, Charlie was smoothing away my tears with his fingers. “Val. How could you ever think that? I mean I know why you thought it…but I as good as told you I couldn’t stay away from you. You know how many times I showed up at the Q Hall hoping you might be there?”
I laughed, and even to my own ears, the sound was joyous. “You did? Showed up at the Q Hall?”
“I did,” my Charming Charlie was saying.
I had reached the pinnacle of the mountaintop and the view from up here was astounding. By the time we separated my hair was coming apart from the side braid I’d carefully weaved that morning, and we were both breathing hard.
“Larry is due back any minute,” Charlie said regretfully, still running his fingers over my hair like he couldn’t get enough of the sensation.
He rested his forehead against mine. “Tonight,” he said, breathing hard.
And I knew he was laying claim with that single word. Tonight Charlie and I… He would make me his own.
Tonight couldn’t get here fast enough. I held the thought in my mind like a baby and cherished it. Forty minutes later, I took it into my meeting with Seth where it was dashed to pieces.
Chapter Twenty-eight
He loved me. I was loved. We were in love.
Endorphins raced through my system with each mental reminder as I made my way toward Seth’s office. Normally, the thought of a closed meeting with Seth would have my stomach reeling. But memories of Charlie as I’d last seen him trumped all. He promised he would pick me up at my apartment at seven. Where would we go? I had no idea. He hadn’t said. Did it matter? I loved him, and he loved me. I wanted to shout for joy, but I settled for a gentle rap on Seth’s office door, which was shut.
He called out, “C’mon in.”
I opened the door and plopped myself into the nearest chair. I smiled. “Hello, Seth. How are you?”
He looked…different. I studied him. As usual, Seth made a handsome and neat appearance. His light green shirt was the exact shade of his eyes. His face, freshly shaved. His hair neat and sideburns trimmed. There was nothing unusual about him and yet, I realized suddenly, Seth paled in comparison to Charlie.
I looked for a picture of Deirdre, but none were in sight. He put his pen down, leaned back in his chair, and cracked his knuckles. He always cracked his knuckles right before a big presentation. Did I make him nervous? Now that was a novel thought.
He leaned forward, his large hands half covering a manila folder. “Thanks for coming by like I asked. I’m sure you’ve heard the talk.”
I stared at him. So this is what he wanted to tell me? I did not want to get in the middle of a family squabble. “You’ve brought a lawsuit against your own father.”
“Stepfather. Don’t look at me like that. I did. I had to. He left me no other choice. The company is struggling. And that’s not any sort of accident. Our creative marketing genius has been helping himself to the company’s money, and my stepdad hasn’t put a stop to it. That’s because he’s sick.”
I drew in a breath. “You’re accusing Charlie of…of stealing? Whatever for?”
“Yes, Charlie. Who else? And all the credit goes to you.”
“What?” I asked, flying out of my seat like someone had yanked a leash around my neck. “I haven’t accused Charlie of anything!”
Seth leaned back in
his chair, a self-satisfied smile on his face. “Funny. That’s not the way I remember it. I seem to recall it was your idea to look at Euroknight, remember?”
Maybe someone opened a hole in my head and stuffed cotton where part of my brain used to be. I said slowly, like I was speaking to an infant, “What do you mean Euroknight? What are you saying?”
“Charlie and his family own Euroknight. It’s their company that’s responsible for all those extra expenses you outlined in our monthly reports. It appears he’s been selling secrets to Abbott Labs and then dumping the money into Euroknight to make it look like it’s all on the up and up.”
Charlie’s family owned Euroknight? No way. Why wouldn’t he haven’t mentioned this months ago? I gave Seth a sharp look. “I don’t believe it. You have proof?”
Seth settled back in his seat, a slow smile transforming his face. “Of course, I have proof. You don’t think I would act against my stepfather if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, do you?”
He passed the manila folder he had been protecting across the table. I reluctantly opened it and stared at what appeared to be a report from an investigative firm, Brentwood Private Security. What followed were several pages worth of official-looking forms indicating the Solanger family did indeed own Euroknight, Inc. Over the last six months, Abbott Labs had made payments to Euroknight to the tune of half a million dollars. A firm that was clearly owned by Charlie and his family. There was also a slew of large payments from Reynolds to Euroknight, and these had been signed by Larry. But the worst of it was a picture of Charlie shaking hands with the president of Abbott Labs. His face was to the side, so I couldn’t tell how long ago the picture was snapped, but I could clearly see it was Charlie. My God, I was going to puke. I swallowed painfully, holding a hand over my mouth and fighting the urge to grab the wastepaper basket and dump the contents of my lunch into its shadowy depths. I won the battle, but it was a close call.
When I could look at Seth again, he grinned like a cat with a saucer full of milk. “I knew my logical Valleygirl would believe me once she saw the evidence,” he said.
I forced my mouth shut, cleared my throat. “Quit calling me that. What…what are you going to do with this?”
