Ana shrugged, but her eyes never left the screen. “I’m not sure. Jesse said afterward we might find a cozy place to just talk.” The smile on the corner of her mouth was evident. She turned the television off as the ending credits ran through, then turned to Charity. “We’ve really been getting closer and…” her words fell off, and a shadow crossed her face.
“And…” Charity started.
“I just hope you’re alright with it.”
Charity laughed. “What? Why wouldn’t I be?” She didn’t need Ana to really answer that question, as she continued. “You shouldn’t have to be away from the man you love just because of how things turned out with Derek. I want you to be happy.” Charity felt a heaviness in her chest. She wanted to tell Ana the truth about how she was going over to Derek’s house, but she didn’t want Ana to get the wrong idea. She wanted to wait to see how things went, before bringing it up.
Ana smiled. “He makes me happy, Charity.”
Charity nodded. “That’s what matters.”
There was silence in the living room until a knock sounded on the door. Ana jumped up from the couch and hurried to the front door. Charity turned towards the door to find Jesse at the door and wearing a very similar outfit to Ana. Ana and Jesse kissed their opening greeting, then Jesse waved to Charity.
Charity stood up from the couch. “Hey, Jesse.”
Ana grabbed her purse from the table and turned around to Charity. “Do you have plans tonight?” Ana asked.
Charity shrugged and glanced around the living room. “Maybe I’ll binge watch a NetFlix show.” She laughed. “You two have fun!”
They all waved to another and then Jesse and Ana were out the door. Charity breathed a sigh of relief as Ana left. She hurried into her bedroom and grabbed her things for a shower. She had a lot to do and no time. She just wanted the evening over.
****
Derek entered the kitchen and took in a whiff of the baked spaghetti that was still cooking. “Wow…it smells amazing, Mary.”
She looked up from the kitchen counter where she was putting together a salad for the evening. She smiled. “You look nice.”
He looked down at his suit and shrugged. “Just something I’ve thrown together.”
She laughed. “Right and the Taj Mahal was something that was just thrown together.” She grinned and Derek turned away from her enthusiastic look.
He reached his hand out for a cucumber before she tossed it in the salad and she smacked his hand away. “Ouch!” he teased.
She laughed. “You’re like a little kid in a candy store.” She went back to cutting up the veggies, then turned her attention back to Derek. “So…never heard of this woman before. You said her names Charity?”
Derek nodded, moving away from the counter. He didn’t want a bunch of questions to have to answer, but it was clear Mary had other ideas in mind. “Yep. She used to work for me. She took Lilly’s position. I’m sure I’ve mentioned her before.”
Mary shook her head. “Nope. I think I would notice the light in your eyes, should you have talked about her before.” She winked at Derek and Derek felt redness creep up his neck.
“We’re just friends,” Derek replied quietly.
Mary looked back up and lifted an eyebrow to question if that was true. “You said she used to work with you…as in no longer?”
Derek initially ignored the question. He wanted that to be in past-tense. He wanted to think that soon he would be able to say she worked in his office, but he didn’t want to push her into doing something she didn’t want to do. “She got another job,” he finally admitted.
“Oh.” She cut some carrots and threw them into the salad, but continued her thought. “You’re going all out for someone that is merely a friend.” She giggled but kept her back to him. He looked down at the floor and thought about everything he wanted to come out of their date that night. He also didn’t want to get his hopes up, because anything could happen.
“Please keep your dysfunctional thoughts to yourself. I would hate for Charity to get the misunderstanding about tonight.”
She turned around and leaned against the counter. She wiped her hands on her apron. “Want some advice?” Mary asked.
He snickered. “If I said no, does that mean I can leave this kitchen and not listen to it?”
She laughed heartily. “Uh…no.” She chuckled, before continuing with her advice. “One needs to be a friend with someone before there can be more, so you are headed in the right direction.”
He laughed. “That’s your advice?”
“Well…” she paused, before adding, “don’t let your pride get in the way. If you like this woman, as I suspect you do, just be honest with her. You’ll be surprised how perceptive a woman can be.”
Derek didn’t bother pointing out that he’s been as honest as he could be and she didn’t seem to believe him, but it was a good sign that she accepted his invitation. “I’ll remember that. Thanks, Mary.”
She smiled. “It’s part of my job description.” She twirled around and went back to her salad. Derek glanced at his watch. She was due there at any moment, and his nerves kept creeping back in.
He left the kitchen and went into the dining room, where Mary had already adorned the table with decorations to enhance the ambiance. A bouquet of flowers was laying at her place setting. He hoped it wasn’t over the top, but the florist told him it was their bestseller, and he took a chance. He ran a hand over the back of her chair and jumped when the doorbell sounded.
He left the dining room and headed towards the door. He took a deep breath, before opening the door. When he did, his breath nearly escaped him. Charity stood in front of him wearing a sparkly blue dress, and her hair was over one shoulder. She looked breathtaking but nervous. “Hello!” He stepped back from the door and let her come in. Once the door was closed, he turned back around and smiled. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
She looked down and bit her lower lip. It was so cute that he wanted to comment about it, but chose not to push too quickly. “Thank you!” she finally commented, looking back up. She waved her hand at him and smiled. “You look rather nice, yourself.”
He grinned. He didn’t expect a compliment, but he wouldn’t take it for granted. “Thanks!” They stood there for a few awkward seconds before he leaned in and hugged her. She didn’t back down, in fact, she raised her arms, and graciously accepted the hug. When they pulled away, their eyes connected and a friendly light lit up her face.
“Supper should be finished soon. I’ll show you to the dining room and tell Mary you’re here.”
“Thank you!” she muttered. She followed Derek down the hallway, and he pointed her to the room. “I’ll be right back.”
He hurried into the kitchen as Mary pulled the entrée out of the oven. Mary turned around and smiled. “Go entertain your guest and It’ll be five minutes.”
He shot her a smile. “Thanks again, Mary.” He left the kitchen and went back into the dining-room, where he found Charity holding the bouquet of flowers. She turned around and faced him.
“Are these for me?” she asked.
He chuckled, nodding. “Of course.” She took a whiff of the floral scent and grinned. “I hope you like them.”
She nodded. “They’re beautiful. Thank you!”
He smiled at her response and moved closer to her. “Mary can put them in water.”
As if on queue, Mary arrived at the dining room, with the salad in tow. She smiled at both of them. Derek walked over to the chair and held it out for Charity to sit down. “Thank you!” she said, still holding the flowers in her hand.
“You’re welcome!” Derek walked around to the other side, where he took his place. Mary put the salad bowl down on the table, and Derek made the introductions. “Mary, this is Charity Parker…Charity, this is my housekeeper and friend, Mary.”
Mary walked around to Charity’s side, and they shook hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mary,” Charity replied.
/>
“Likewise, Hon. I hope you enjoy your meal.” She glanced down at the flowers. “Let me put those in water for you.”
“Thank you!” Charity responded, handing the flowers to Mary.
Mary shot Derek a knowing look, but Derek pretended not to notice. She walked out of the dining room and Derek reached across the table and uncorked the bottle of wine. “I hope you like red wine.”
She nodded. “Perfect!” She lifted her glass to the bottle, and he poured it until it was half full. His eyes locked with hers. He then pulled the bottle away and poured some into his own glass.
“I’d like to make a toast.” He lifted his glass, as did she. “To friends slowly getting reacquainted and seeing what might come of this evening.” He paused, before continuing. “Charity, I’m so thankful you agreed to get together with me, and I would do anything to make it up to you.”
She smiled, clinking the glass with his and then slowly taking a drink. He didn’t want to tear his eyes away, for fear he would suddenly realize this was all a dream and lose her once again.
****
The chemistry she felt between Derek and herself when she first met him, was still there. She found herself laughing at things that a normal person just might not find funny. She felt it all seemed so strange. She wanted to continue to hate him because it would just be easier, but the more and more she spent time with him…the more and more she realized she was tired of hating him.
She took another drink from her wine glass and just enjoyed the moment. Derek smiled at her and then switched the conversation up, turning things from funny to more serious. “I was nervous today,” he quietly admitted.”
“Nervous?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
He sighed. “I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. I didn’t want to do the wrong thing.” She listened to his words and didn’t immediately judge as she had been doing this whole time. “My feelings for you are as strong as they ever were.” That statement only meant one thing. He was clearly stating he still loved her, and she was now open to hearing his words. “I had no plan of bringing this up tonight because I worried it would push you away.” He smiled in the way that a mischevious schoolboy would smile. “Have I made things weird?”
She considered that question, then shook her head. “No…not weird. In fact, I—.”
Her words were interrupted when Mary stepped into the dining room. “Do you need anything else?”
Derek glanced at Charity. “How about you?”
Charity smiled and looked up at Mary. “No, but thank you. Everything was great.”
Mary smiled. “Not a problem, dear. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Charity just smiled in response to Mary’s statement. Mary said she was heading up to her bedroom and when she left Charity turned to Derek. “She’s a sweet lady.”
He nodded, grinning. “Yes. Mary’s more like family.” She looked down at her empty glass. Then Derek proceeded. “Before she came in you were in the middle of saying something.”
She didn’t forget what she was going to say, but she questioned whether she should have even gone there. Bypassing her worries, she continued. “I’ve had much of the same thoughts as you, Derek. I was nervous tonight and over the past few days I’ve gone back and forth and nearly canceled tonight.” He opened his mouth, but she didn’t give him a chance to butt in. “I was confused as to whether this was a date or just simply two people meeting up for supper.” She hesitated and chuckled, before retracting her previous statement. “Actually, in my heart, I knew this was a date. Or, at least, I figured that’s how you saw it. I just didn’t know how I wanted to see it.”
“And now?” he asked.
She didn’t even hesitate, immediately expressing how much she enjoyed herself. “This was nice. I meant what I said. The food was amazing. The company was even better.” She smiled, blushing through her entire body.
He stood up from his chair and moved around to her side of the table. He grabbed the bottle of wine and filled up his glass and poured the remaining in hers. “Why don’t we go where it’s more comfortable.” She grabbed her glass and stood up. They moved out of the dining room and entered the living room. He waited for her to take a seat on the couch, then he joined her. He was pretty close to her, as she could feel his breath every time he exhaled and was looking at her. “Much better.” He replied with a smile. He took a drink from his glass, and she immediately followed. “Now…you were saying?”
“I’ve struggled with calling this a date because I didn’t want to make things even more awkward and I definitely didn’t want to get even more nervous than I already was. But the truth is…I deep down knew that’s what this was.” She smiled, taking a slow drink of wine and letting things settle in. She swallowed the drink down and continued. “I still care about you, Derek, and I’ve tried not to.”
He smiled, lifting his hand up and softly brushing his fingers on her face. Together, they both moved in closer and their lips connected. It was just a simple moment, without either one pulling away. The kiss deepened for a few seconds and then she slowly parted from the intimate connection. She smiled and nodded. She wanted it to continue, but she also wanted him to know that she wasn’t ready to fully commit.
“I want this, Derek, but I also want to be responsible and not jump into something when I’m still trying to figure things out.” She reached out and touched his hand, and he got that boyish grin back. “Do you understand?”
“I wouldn’t want to rush you,” he softly replied.
She sighed. “So we’ll take things slow and see what happens.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” He smiled, moving closer to her. His body pressed against hers and with her hand that wasn’t holding the wine glass, she wrapped it around his neck. Their lips gently touched, and they stayed on that couch, just enjoying the sweetness of the way things could be. It was passionate but mostly tender.
“I should go!” she whispered, standing up. He immediately stood up and was by her side. He grabbed the glass from her hand and placed them both on the table. She moved over to the table and picked up the vase of flowers. “I’ll return the vase.”
He laughed. “Don’t bother.”
She smiled, smelling them once more. “They are gorgeous.”
He shook his head. “Not nearly as gorgeous as you are.”
She looked away from him, and she felt herself growing warm by his words. He grabbed her hand, and they walked to the front door. She turned to face him. “Will you still keep this a secret?” she asked.
He nodded. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.” She figured it would be easier this way. She didn’t want Ana to get ahead of herself and start planning their wedding when they were taking things slow. She kissed him softly one last time. “Goodbye!” She turned away from him and left his house. When she reached her car, she turned back around and waved at him. He remained in the doorway. This turned out much better than she could’ve hoped for. She was excited to see what was next.
Chapter 11
Charity couldn’t sleep, as she tossed and turned and stared at the flowers on her dresser. Ana wasn’t home yet and if she was being honest she wanted nothing more than to talk to her friend, but she couldn’t. She was the one that made up the silly rule of not telling Ana and Jesse. “In due time,” she spoke, staring at the flowers. She felt so giddy, and she had Derek to thank for that.
She heard her phone signal a text message and snatched it from her nightstand. A smile crossed her face when she saw Derek’s name.
Derek: Can’t sleep! I had a wonderful time tonight.
She quickly sent him back a reply.
Charity: I can’t sleep either. I had a really nice night, too.
The messages went back and forth like that for a half an hour. The messages were simple, each stating how much the other person couldn’t wait to pursue a relationship. Or, talking about their own personal life. They hadn’t discussed the mall project, since groundbreaki
ng on Monday, so Charity made sure to ask him about it. He responded with:
Derek: It’s going really well and I’m still grateful you chose to come to the ceremony. You made the day even that much more special.
He completed the message with a smiley face, and she felt the beginnings of a true relationship forming.
Charity: I wouldn’t have been able to miss it, even if I wanted to.
She didn’t care how corny she got. She wanted Derek to see she was trying just as much as he was. When the phone signaled another message, she looked down, but her face fell. It wasn’t from Derek, but the other man currently in her life.
Damian: Hey, Babe. I miss you so much. I feel like it’s been FOREVER!! In fact today I was thinking about you, and it dawned on me…I’m about forgetting the taste of your skin. I need to see you.
She hadn’t forgotten Damian, as she’d never be able to, but she felt this pull towards Derek, and she had, to be honest with him. Damian always was just a friend that was providing her with what she was lacking. He needed to understand that. They said that if either one needed to stop it, then it would be alright. Before she could comment on his text, she received another one.
Derek: Good answer!
She sighed, first pulling up Damian’s name.
Charity: I need to see you, too, actually. Tomorrow night?
She then went to Derek’s name and wrote a comment.
Charity: Ana’s not home yet…her evening out with Jesse must be going well.
Charity nearly got lost and confused with the texts coming through, trying to keep them all straight, but then Damian replied back to her.
The Proposal (Forever Bound Book 2) Page 12
