by BJ Hyman
And then she wrote: I’m scared.
There was a hesitation on his end. Her stomach clenched at the wait. But then he answered.
You want me to come over?
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
I do, but you can’t. I shouldn’t have texted you.
Why did you?
I thought it would make me feel better.
Did it?
Then he sent: I’ll come over. I don’t care that you’re with him. It will just be as friends. I don’t like you being afraid. It bothers me.
The instantaneous wave of emotions that welled up in her was surprising. She wiped away a tear before answering.
It makes me feel better just knowing you’re there, Dean. I’m sorry for everything.
No need. You read my letter?
What letter?
Time ticked by and she thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then:
I should have known. I gave it to Kellie.
Charlie growled. She was sure that Kellie would just throw away anything that Dean would have given her.
You should have known better. What did it say?
There was a long pause. The answer he sent was different than she expected.
It doesn’t matter. It’s probably for the best.
Don’t do that. I want to know.
Charlie, is this smart? Would he be okay with it?
She sat up higher in the bed.
It doesn’t matter.
Yes, it does. I don’t want to be that guy and you are not that girl.
We aren’t doing anything wrong.
It can very easily turn into something wrong. I’m gonna go. I’m here if you’re still scared, but it can’t be anything else as long as you’re with him. I’m sorry.
No need. You’ve kept me from thinking about darker things. Thanks. Have a good night.
You too.
She looked at the cell and read the whole conversation again. She made screen shots and emailed them to herself before deleting the thread.
Charlie slid down under the covers feeling better than she had all day. She slipped into a dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Calm Before The Storm
Charlie stretched and turned off her blaring alarm. For perhaps the first time, she wondered if the loudness would someday do damage to her hearing, if it hadn’t already. With a chuckle, she climbed out of bed. It was several steps before she remembered her terror.
She stopped mid-step and glanced around furtively. Nothing seemed out of place. There was nothing new (except the whole room but that was there last night) and there was nothing moved that she could notice. With gingerly placed steps, she explored the apartment. The blinking eyes of the cameras caught her attention in each room because of the sudden movement. Would she ever get used to them?
She checked the alarm system, and all was functioning that she could see. With a sigh, she leaned on the wall. Her laptop was just within view on the little kitchenette table. She began to make her way to it thinking maybe she should check the security footage. But before she got there, she realized she’d see herself wandering around and sleeping. The thought was too creepy, and she decided not to make herself do that yet.
Charlie heard the text message chirp from her new phone in the bedroom. One more sound that she’d have to get used to. Maybe she could find her old sound that she used on her phone. When she picked it up, it was from Dean. She had not made him a permanent contact, but she knew the number. She would always know that number.
Things okay this morning?
She smiled before responding. Yes. Thanks for asking. And thank you for sticking with me last night while I was scared. It made me feel better.
She sent it but felt she should make herself close it off. The temptation to keep the line of communication open was too strong. She sent another: I hope you have a good day.
The answer was quick. You too.
She began gathering her clothes to take her shower. Before going in, she turned off what she hoped was only that camera.
◆◆◆
About twenty minutes later, she was working on her hair when the phone chirped again. She picked it up with a flutter in her chest. But it was Craig.
Get your ass to work! DesignTV is HHHHEEEEERRRREEEE!!!!!
She nearly dropped the cell. With a whoop, she jumped and started dancing in the small bathroom. She looked at her flushed reflection and smiled with excitement before rushing to finish getting ready.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Local Fix
Charlie showed up at the store to a flurry of activity. It felt like a holiday. There were people everywhere… many with jackets on that said DesignTV or Local Fix, the name of her favorite show. She was excited to recognize the female host of Local Fix picking up and touching some of her products while nodding and talking to someone beside her who Charlie didn’t recognize.
Craig saw Charlie standing at the door to the back of the shop from his perch on the counter and rushed to her side. “Can you believe this?”
Charlie looked around with wide eyes and said, “No, I can't. This is just amazing.”
She stood there a moment taking in the scene like she was trying to memorize it. Then a man caught sight of her and began to walk toward her. He looked like he was someone of authority. He held a clipboard in his hand that he referred to just before he got to her and Craig. “Hey! I wonder if you're the owner of this store? Charlie Ray?”
Charlie smiled and reached out to shake his hand. “Yes. I'm so glad that you're here. I was hoping you would come to see my store while you were in town.”
One of the show’s usual decorators came up to them. She wasn’t the one that Charlie liked the most. She felt a slight sinking feeling at the sight of her. “Will you give us a deal if we buy most of our stuff here?”
Charlie found her opinion of her least favorite decorator rise quickly. “Of course! Anything and everything.” She swung a hand around like she was channeling Vanna White. “Just let me know what you want.” She couldn't believe it. She felt that disorientating feeling of someone in a dream. The items that she had crafted from scratch or repurposed with love would be showcased on national television.
She looked over at Craig. His mouth was slightly open, and he was breathing shallowly through it. She smiled. When he saw her looking at him, his lips came together into a huge smile. He tilted his head indicating the crowd of people picking up and admiring their creations.
“How do we get started here?” Charlie tried to sound casual but caught a note of hysteria in her voice. She hoped they didn’t hear it.
The male producer seemed too occupied with his clipboard to notice. He glanced up at her and back to his clipboard prior to answering. “There's paperwork we have to fill out first. Do you mind giving me a few minutes before we get to that?”
“Oh no,” Charlie said. “Take as much time as you need.” She made a gesture with her hand to indicate both herself and Craig. “We'll just go about our regular day until you're ready to talk.” Charlie walked Craig to the counter and leaned over the laptop as if they were checking something. She whispered under her breath with such excitement that it was almost regular talking. “Can you believe this is happening?”
Craig leaned over too and practically squealed, “No! I actually have to go to the bathroom because I'm so excited. Should I hold it?”
Charlie looked up at him with an indulgent, amused grin. “Of course not. Go, go, go.” She shooed him toward the back of the store.
As Charlie watched Craig walk away, she pulled out her phone. Her fingers were practically texting without any thought.
You won't believe who's here right now! In my store! DesignTV is here and wants to use my products for the house that they're decorating! Can you believe that?
She hit send. Looking up at the crew of professionals snapping pictures and walking around her beloved store, she realized he was the only one she wanted to text at the mome
nt. He was the only one she was excited to find out what he thought.
A splash of guilt hit her as she received her response from the unknown number that she knew to be Dean.
Oh wow! Is it really them? I can't believe that!
She texted back quickly. Yes! They were here at the crack of dawn! We hadn’t even opened to the public yet!
His response came quickly. Congratulations, Charlie. I'm so happy for you!
Reluctantly, she knew she needed to stop. Craig would be back soon and would ask who she was texting. Thanks! Have a great day!
She chewed her lip while she was deep in thought. Craig walked up at that moment and scared her guilty conscience. “What did I miss?” Charlie nearly jumped out of her skin. Craig noticed instantly. “What's wrong?”
“Oh, nothing.” She tried to brush it off. “I'm just so excited I guess I'm on edge.”
Craig gave her a knowing look but let it go. He instead looked around the room at the flurry of activity. It was the most people that had been in the shop at one time since the opening.
Even though it was not his shop, Craig felt a sense of ownership. He had been there since the first day and he felt as much a part of this business as Charlie. He did some of the artwork. He did some of the advertising. He did some of everything. Charlie paid him handsomely for it. With them being the only two employees of the store, it was their own private Paradise. It was a mix of both of their dreams and he was proud to be a part of it. His feelings for Charlie notwithstanding.
He still had no idea that she knew and that it had been Megan who betrayed his trust. And Charlie was glad to keep him blissfully unaware. He’d always been a good friend, but she had never felt anything more than a brotherhood to him. He was one of her dearest friends and she truly did not ever want him to not be a part of her life.
Right then a very official-looking woman walked up to Charlie.
“Charlie Ray?”
Charlie turned with a smile. “Yes, ma'am.”
“I've got some paperwork for you to sign. It allows us to use product from your store and also to shoot here. Do you mind sitting down with me for a moment?”
“Oh, no. Do you need Craig's signatures too?”
“Yes, but we can get him separately.”
Charlie walked her over to her work table where the woman from DesignTV spread out several pages. “Now, as part of us using your store, you have to sign a nondisclosure agreement. This is just to keep everything secret until the episode actually airs. This agreement expires on the date that the episode airs for the first time. Does that make sense?”
“What does that entail?” Charlie asked.
“Mostly, it means that you just don't tell anybody details about us having been here. So that means that you can't post about us on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter or whatever until the episode airs. At that time, you can share any and all pictures you take today and any and all videos that you take today. You just can't do it until after the episode airs. Does that make sense?”
Charlie almost laughed at how many times she asked if things made sense. It was obvious that she did it at each location. Her whole presentation had the feel of something scripted and well used. “Yes…absolutely. I can understand that. Where do I sign?”
The representative for the network began pointing to lines on several pages and Charlie signed multiple times. It began to feel like she was buying a house with all the signatures.
As soon as she finished signing the paperwork, her phone chirped. Her heart skipped a beat and butterflies fluttered in her belly…without even needing to think an actual thought that it might be Dean.
But it was not.
It was Eli.
Her heart sank.
She tried to shake it off, but the feeling lingered. She read his text while swallowing her disappointment.
Why did I have to find out about DesignTV from Craig?
Charlie cringed before she texted back.
I'm sorry I was just so excited I got caught up in the moment and forgot to text.
The executive eyeballed the phone in her hand. “By the way, the non-disclosure agreement is in effect even if it's a friend or a family member that posts on social media about this. It's the same fine whether it's you or someone else. We know you can't keep it a secret from loved ones but please make them aware of the importance of not posting about it at all.”
Charlie shook her head and raised a hand like she was giving an oath. “Of course. Of course. I would never let them do that. I'll make sure that they are all aware to keep our secret. It's part of what makes your show so fun. You know? The big thrills of finding out which store provided the most product and seeing what was picked.”
The executive gave a tight-lipped smile before looking back down at the paperwork to make sure everything was in order.
After her texting with Eli, Charlie sent a quick text to Kellie, Mitchell, and Sabrina. She didn’t want any of them to get upset at her too. Then she sent one text to all telling them that they had to keep quiet and not post anything on social media until it aired or she would get a large fine. She got back mostly understanding texts except from Kellie who was highly irritated that she couldn’t tell the world of her sister’s triumph. Charlie had to laugh at her.
The executive and producer told her that, beyond paying for the products, that they would pay her for shutting down for the day to regular customers. She could invite a few people that she could trust and were willing to sign forms to come and stand in as “customers.” Another text later and her whole world (minus one important one) was taking the day off to spend in her store.
There were hair and makeup people to make sure everyone looked their best. The production crew rushed around with cameras, wires, microphones, and lights videoing everything. Charlie spent most of the day in awe. It was a whirlwind. Her phone rarely left her hand. She was videoing the proceedings and taking pictures with the crew, host, and decorator. Kellie, Sabrina, Mitchell, Eli, and Megan had a blast being “customers” and picking up or pointing at items thoughtfully. They felt like movie stars.
Occasionally, Charlie or Craig would pretend to be helping someone with a purchase or answering a question. They both had individual shoots where they were interviewed and discussed Rebel Vintage Designs.
It was glorious.
After the producer released all the extras that Charlie had called in, Charlie wanted to tell Dean more about all that had happened so far. Her fingers were just itching to text him with details. Surely, there was nothing wrong with that? He was excited for her, after all, and it was only courtesy to give him details.
Her cell had been nearby most of the day, but she couldn’t find it. Making sure not to get in the B-roll shots the crew was taking to finalize their work, she searched the store. Normally, she would have asked Craig to call it to hear the ringing, but she had to have it on silent due to the filming.
After exhausting the search of the main store, she went to the room she’d only used once the whole day.
The bathroom.
There it sat on the back of the commode.
Next to Craig’s phone. Both went missing?
She felt a twinge of dread. Something just didn’t feel right. She picked hers up and began looking through it.
No extra pictures. No extra video. Nothing was amiss that she could see.
She checked her text messages. There was only one new one that she didn’t remember reading. It was from Sabrina after she had left the shop. She texted everyone not to forget the Halloween party at her house the next night. It ended with her reminding them:
DON’T FORGET YOUR COSTUMES!
It was marked that it was read. And Charlie had replied.
I can’t wait!
Only Charlie couldn’t remember either text.
She felt a queasy, oily feeling in the pit of her stomach, but couldn’t see that there was anything not normal with that. She could put off the memory lapse to the excitement of the day. How
many times had she absentmindedly read a text and responded while deep in thought over a project?
But she could always recall having done it.
There was no memory at all of this.
She stuffed the phone into her back pocket, picked up Craig’s, and gathered supplies from the back room. They wanted to shoot her in action creating one of the beautiful projects they had filmed all day. In fact, the designer had images that she wanted to commission Charlie to make for the design. With a shadow lingering on the fringe of her consciousness, she carried her supplies to her work table to begin. She quietly handed Craig his phone. The look they shared revealed his confusion mirrored hers. Unease filled her before the producer whistled her over to the spot they wanted to film her.
