by Sherie Keys
“What’d that prick do now?” Angelo asked.
“The guy has the audacity to accuse me of stealing!” Charlotte explained. “I have to admit, math isn’t my strong suit. Sometimes, I might not give people the right change back when they ask for cash. My drawer was short every time I worked this week, so he got a little suspicious that I might be taking change off the top.”
“How short were you?” Angelo asked.
“No more than five dollars. I offered to take it off my tips anyways, but he still doesn’t trust me. I mean, I’m not fired or anything, but it isn’t as comfortable working anymore, knowing he’s breathing down my neck,” Charlotte said.
“If he gives you any more problems, let me know. I won’t let him get away with treating my girl bad,” Angelo told her, squeezing her again, lifting her chin and giving her a kiss on the lips. Charlotte know then that he would do anything for her. She hadn’t felt this strong for a person in her life and didn’t think anyone had thought about her this strongly either.
****
Charlotte’s stomach hadn’t stopped fluttering all day. She had gone over everything she needed to know in her head for the audition, but she still couldn’t help but think of all the things that could go wrong. If she couldn’t land an important role in Jersey City’s summer production, how was she going to make it anywhere in New York City?
How could she keep up with her friends already living in the city and with better roles than her? If she spent her summer sitting around her grandmother’s house, she would certainly lose some experience and skills as a dancer. She needed the challenge that this production brought along and wasn’t willing to accept the possibility that she might miss out on it.
She started to count down her drawer as Angelo walked in. She only had a few minutes left before she wanted to leave for the audition and wasn’t going to leave late. Angelo approached to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she waved him away as her boss was behind the counter. Tina was off for the night, leaving him as the only server. Charlotte was glad that he had to actually come out of the office for a night, even though the restaurant wasn’t that busy anyway. Charlotte wondered why it was so slow even though it was summer vacation.
Charlotte counted her drawer twice just to make sure that it wouldn’t be short at all. She dropped the deposit into an envelope and carried it over to her boss.
“I’m done for the night. I’ll put away some dishes and then clock out,” she told him. He shook his head and grabbed the envelope. He ripped it open and started counting it right there. Charlotte ran to the sink to put the dishes away before officially clocking out. She had a few minutes to spare. She planned to arrive earlier than her audition slot anyway, but still, she wanted to give herself plenty of time to warm up and get ready to perform in front of the judges. Just as she put away the last dish, Pablo let out a long sigh.
“This is short,” he told her, just as she was about to clock out.
“No, it’s not. I counted it twice,” she said defensively. Angelo had just been sitting there until now but started to listen to the conversation once Pablo let out the sight.
“It says $170 on the slip, but there’s only $110 here,” he told her.
“No, that’s a 1, not a 7,” Charlotte explained. “I cross my 7’s. See?” Charlotte asked, pointing to another slip to prove how she wrote her 7’s.
“Oh. Well, you need to be neater with your handwriting,” he told her. She clearly hadn’t done anything wrong, but he wasn’t about to admit that she was in the right.
“Can I go now?” she asked, just as a family walked in. They were the first customers in the past thirty minutes.
“Sure, after you take this family’s order. Get them water too,” Pablo told her.
“I’ll be late though,” she told Pablo, worried about how long that was going to take.
“I have to count this down again, record it, and cook their food. Can’t you just help me out a little bit?” He said to her condescendingly.
She didn’t want a confrontation, so she just grabbed them three waters and headed to the table.
“Hi, how are you guys doing today. Can I take your order?” she asked the family of three, a mom, dad, and teenage boy.
“I think we’ll need a minute actually. I have no idea what we want!” the woman shouted. Charlotte could tell that she was in a good mood, but something about her tone annoyed her. She just wanted to get out of that diner and to the audition. She didn’t want to be rude or bad at her job, but she just wanted to go.
“That’s fine. Take your time,” Charlotte responded. It was the only thing appropriate to say.
“They don’t know what they want, but I really have to go,” she told her boss. “They have their water though. Here you go!” Charlotte said as sweetly as possible, setting down her notepad in front of him.
“You can’t leave; I said to take their order,” Pablo said, grabbing Charlotte’s arm as she walked away.
“Don’t you fucking touch her,” Angelo told the boss.
“Excuse me? Who the hell are you?” Pablo said to Angelo.
“Your worst fucking nightmare if you lay a hand on her again,” Angelo shouted back. They had managed to get the attention of the family of three.
“Angelo, stop,” Charlotte told him.
“Shut up,” Pablo said to Charlotte. “You’re going to disrespect me in my own restaurant like that?” he said to Angelo.
“You think you own this place? I’ll show you who fucking owns this place,” Angelo said, hopping over the counter. He smacked Pablo once and hard, causing him to fall onto the floor in front of Charlotte.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward, causing her to step over Pablo on the way out. Charlotte dropped her time card in the slot quick, still managing to clock out before she left. Pablo was stunned on the floor, and the family of three started to get their things to leave. Angelo held her hand tight as he led her out of the restaurant, not letting go. Charlotte felt as if they were walking in slow motion. He led her to the passenger’s side and opened the door for her. She slid in the car and felt temporarily like she was floating.
“I can’t believe you just fucking did that,” she screamed as soon as the door shut. “Did you see the look on his face?” Charlotte yelled. Part of her was turned off that he had acted out of his anger, but seeing him so passionate filled her with emotions. No one had ever done something like that for her. She had trouble standing up for herself. Someone else doing it felt foreign to her. He made her feel worthy and valuable. Pablo had treated her like a robot, like someone made to work for him. He wasn’t willing to hear her out or listen to her side of the story. He disrespected her, and Angelo didn’t accept that.
“You don’t deserve to be treated that way. I don’t like anyone talking to you like that,” he said, his voice filled with adrenaline. “Who does that guy think he is? What loser talks to a woman like that?”
“I’ve been wanting to do that since he hired me. He was such a creep,” Charlotte told him. “Angelo, no one has ever done something like that for me. Weren’t you scared?”
“What? Of that guy? Charlotte, the only thing that scares me is the thought of you getting hurt. Guys like that, they need to be put in their place sometimes. Someone’s got to remind them they don’t get to act like that. You’ll never have to talk to someone like that again Charlotte, as long as I’m around,” he told her, the passion obvious in his voice. Charlotte was overwhelmed with love.
“Well I guess I’ll have to find a new job,” she joked. There was no way she could go back to that diner. She thought about poor Tina, her only friend so far this summer besides Angelo. She could spend all day talking to Angelo, but still, it was always nice to have a girlfriend.
Charlotte had never quit a job like that. She worked at a local bookstore when she first turned 16 and quit with plenty of notice because she had dance practice that interfered with her schedule. It was all very professional, and she could use th
em as a reference. The thought of quitting without notice was something that terrified Charlotte, but Angelo made it seem exciting. She didn’t know what she was going to do but Angelo made her feel like she didn’t really have to worry about that.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it all,” he told her. He shot her a quick smile, driving quickly to the audition. She didn’t know what that meant, but she knew that he was being honest. She didn’t think he would be capable of lying to her again. He had proved so much to her by sticking up for her back at the diner. He was willing to really put himself out there and do what he thought was best at the time to stick up for and protect his girl. Knowing that made Charlotte feel so loved she felt like she was made out of air.
The nerves about her audition had temporarily fled. She felt confident knowing that Angelo was right next to her. He had proved so many times in the short period they knew each other that he would always protect her. Charlotte knew at this moment that she loved him. It had been in the back of her mind before, but even if he disappeared tomorrow, she would still think that she loved him. They were meant to meet each other. He had already changed her in ways she would never be able to reverse. How could someone like him be so important to her? She couldn’t believe the situation she was in.
Once they pulled up to the theater, her nerves flooded her once again. He dropped her off at the front, and she waited outside the door while he got a parking spot. It had started to rain a little bit. Charlotte always felt like rain was good luck. She first realized it when her junior high softball game got cancelled because it rained. She hated playing softball. If rain was good luck, she didn’t need it. She had everything she needed walking from the car right towards her.
Chapter8
She started to walk in and took a deep breath. She reached out and grabbed his hand. She felt misty from the rain, but her hands were still frozen. She didn’t feel very nervous until she stepped into the theater. Her stomach felt empty even though she had eaten a salad at the diner.
She started to feel hollow, like she had walked away from her body. She wanted to fast forward so bad and skip right through the audition. What she didn’t realize what that this pain, this nervous aching, was going to go away so quickly once she was done. She just had to remember what was on the other side of the finish line.
“You’re capable of anything,” he told her. “Don’t be so nervous! You don’t have anything to be nervous about! You’re my princess and the most amazing dancer I’ve ever seen. They’d have to be crazy to cast anyone but you, Charlotte.”
She was amazed at how supportive he was being. No one else had ever cared for her so much. He was being so understanding in a time that she was so incredibly anxious. She wished he could go into the audition with her and hold her hand the entire time. That might make things a little more challenging for her, however.
He made her feel so confident. She never doubted herself with him. He was so specific and so genuine with his compliments. He pointed out things about herself she had never realized before. The way he thought amazed her. He helped her start thinking in new ways, too. She looked at the world in a different way after being with him. He could have anything he wanted, but he didn’t act recklessly. He had a passion and fire inside of him that burned through her.
“I think I’m going to explode!” she told him.
“If you do, I will too,” he joked. He was good at making her less anxious by telling jokes.
People had started to recognize her at dance class. She didn’t blend in as much. The girls would talk to her in the bathroom afterwards and the boys always had a compliment to give. Kelly had been close with her too. It was crazy to think back about how different her life was at just the beginning of that week. She was single and insecure. Now, she was about to audition for her first role since high school productions. She was terrified but in a positive way that she hadn’t felt before. She realized then that even if she wasn’t able to land a role she wanted in the production, she would still forever be a better person because of that week of practice.
It felt like slow motion walking through halls of the theater, but it was the least anxious she had felt in a while. She waited for her name to be called. There were a few seats set up outside the theater, but most of the people waiting for their names to be called were stretching and warming up. Some people were alone, and others had groups of friends with them. Charlotte was happy to wait with Angelo. She remembered how just moments ago, he had beat her boss to the ground. It felt like a different time. She only had five minutes until her scheduled audition time and wondered how long she would actually have to wait. The theater doors opened, and Kelly stepped out.
“Charlotte James?” she said, looking directly into Charlotte’s eyes.
She looked at Angelo one last time before heading into the audition. She waited to let go of his hand until the last second. He squeezed it tight and pulled her in, giving her one last kiss before she walked away.
She followed Kelly into the theater. It was completely empty except for five people sitting in the front row. She walked onto the stage. She hadn’t gotten a chance to warm up, but her heart had certainly been racing and working out had allowed her to stretch out a little bit as well. She took a deep breath and looked at the people in front of her.
“Go ahead and start whenever you’re ready,” Kelly told her.
****
Angelo and Charlotte burst out of the theater. Charlotte had done so much better than she expected. She had performed an original routine, and the judges were stunned. They asked her for a few specific moves as well, and she landed those, doing a bit extra to show off. It worked in her favor. She stayed in there longer than she expected, a good sign that the directors were willing to work with her.
Charlotte had never felt so confident after an audition in her life. They didn’t have one negative thing to say and seemed utterly impressed at every move. Charlotte felt like she was on top of the world. There was no way to describe the amount of relief she had felt after the told her she could go. Now she just had to wait for them to decide to find out if she would have a part or not.
“I have the perfect place to celebrate!” Angelo told Charlotte. She didn’t have a job, and until they announced the cast list, she didn’t have dance either! She was more than willing to celebrate with Angelo. After the amazing day they had the night before, Charlotte was willing to try anything Angelo suggested. He clearly knew his way around the city. Charlotte couldn’t ask for a better tour guide.
“Anything you want! I can’t thank you enough for supporting me like this! I know it sounds strange to say, but I really don’t know if I could have done this without you,” she told Angelo.
“Are you joking? This was all you, girl! You’re the one who danced, I didn’t do anything. Don’t give me any credit, you’re the real superstar here!” Angelo told her. She gave him a big kiss, and they headed to her house.
Angelo blasted music the entire ride home, both of them singing loudly, not caring who heard. She hadn’t seen the cast list yet, but Charlotte felt like she already won.
“I’m going to wait in the car, so I don’t have to park,” Angelo told her as he pulled in front of April’s house.
“Oh geez, that’s so sweet of you!” Charlotte told him sarcastically. “Just kidding, I’ll only be a minute.”
“Yeah, you better be!” he teased as he tickled her on the way out.
She laughed her way into the house and saw her grandmother sitting in front of the TV.
“Hey, girlie girl! How’d your audition go?” April asked.
“Grandma, it was perfect! I don’t want to be too confident, but I just really think I nailed it! Angelo’s taking me out to celebrate. I’ll let you know when I hear the results!” She told her grandma, running up the stairs. April laughed and looked back at the TV, not sure what to say. She couldn’t remember ever seeing her granddaughter that happy.
****
Charlotte slipped on
a black velvet dress that hugged her figure tight. Her hair and makeup were still fresh and on point, and she was ready to join Angelo. He drove quickly, still not revealing where he was taking Charlotte. When she had run back to the car, she heard him frantically talking to someone on his cell phone, so she had assumed that he was planning something special. He pulled up to the river on yet another dock.
“What, are we going on another cruise?” she asked.
“Something like that,” he said, as he pulled up to a valet driver. The city was breathtaking in the night sky. Charlotte slid out of the car and over to Angelo. He led her to a boat the size of the one that they had taken a tour on early that day.
“Are you trying to make me seasick?” she teased.
“Just get on the boat,” he laughed.
When she stepped onto the boat, she realized they were the only ones on the boat besides a few staff members. There weren’t any loud tourists or tour guides that were trying too hard. There wasn’t cheesy background music, but instead, a string quartet set up on the side. In the middle of the front of the ship, there was a table with a candle on it.
“Angelo, how did you? I don’t understand,” Charlotte said, looking around at the incredible presentation.
“If you two wouldn’t mind taking your seats, we’re about to leave the port,” a man told Charlotte and Angelo. She assumed he was the captain. They walked over to the table and sat down. The quartet started playing a light song that Charlotte didn’t recognize. They slowly left the dock as a server came to fill their wine and champagne glasses.
“I don’t understand what’s going on. How did you do all of this?” she asked Angelo again, more confused than ever.
“I know a few guys, and a few others who owe me a favor. Don’t worry about it. I wanted to celebrate tonight,” he told her. She was speechless. She was also starving, but luckily, the server brought out a seafood dinner plate for each of them. She was excited to get right to the main course.
