by Gina Azzi
But Evan is staring right at me when he asks, “Charlie, will you go to dinner with me next weekend?”
Half in shock and half in ecstasy, I nod.
Ollie cheers and shovels a mouthful of waffles into his mouth. “It’s about time, guys.”
15
Evan
The week passes in a blur. The good kind. These days, I’ve got something extra going on, and everyone at my office notices it. I have more energy, take more time to chat with the admins. I even agree to write a letter of recommendation for one of the paralegal’s nephews.
Instead of stacking each day with a to-do list that ensures I barely see sunshine, I’m taking things as they come. I’m looking forward to what each days brings. I’m…happy. Knowing at the end of each workday, I’ll see Charlie when I enter my home is enough to make going to work worth it. More than that, I know Ollie is having fun, working on his secret project with Charlie.
Finally, things seem to be falling into place for me, and by the time Saturday rolls around, I’m excited for my date with Charlie. The entire week, we’ve exchanged kisses and flirty texts. I sent her flowers on Tuesday, and she baked Ollie and I brownies on Thursday. We talked about Drew’s recovery and my frustrations at work. We’re connecting on more than just a physical level, and I can’t wait to share an entire evening staring at her, getting lost in her dazzle.
“I am so proud of you,” Zoe tells me when I enter her kitchen, Ollie’s overnight bag slung over my shoulder.
“Don’t hold back now, tell me how you really feel,” I joke, dropping the bag onto the kitchen island.
“It’s about time you asked her out for real,” Zoe continues.
“I know.”
“And about time you realized that you need to have a life outside of work.”
“True.”
“And passing Frankie off to someone else was really awesome of you.”
I pause from digging through Ollie’s bag to make sure he packed extra underwear. Raising my head, I ask, “Eli told you?”
Zoe nods.
“Did you tell Charlie?”
“No, you should.”
I sigh, noting the extra underwear and zipping the bag closed. “I don’t know. I don’t want to freak her out.”
Zoe’s eyebrows pull together. “Explain.”
“You know, you’re really direct when you’re pregnant.” I slide onto a barstool.
Her expression remains severe. “I’ve been told.”
I crack a smile. “In the past, things with me and Charlie didn’t go anywhere because I didn’t want them to. I never made her feel like she was a part of my life; it was more that she was on the fringe of it.”
“Okay…”
“This time, man, I want her to be in my life. And Ollie’s. To be in our world. But she’s got her sights set on New York, and I’m not trying to get in the way of that, either.”
Zoe gives me a disbelieving look. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I want her to do what’s best for her. This time, I need to make my life fit into hers, not the other way around. Telling her about me handing off Frankie’s case, it’s going to fill her with all of these questions and expectations, and I don’t know what else. But she needs to decide if she wants this with me before she feels any type of obligation because of decisions I made without consulting her.”
Zoe ponders this for a long moment. “That’s very mature of you, Evan.”
“Yeah, well, what can I say, I’ve grown in the past few years.”
Zoe stares at me, as if trying to understand all the inner workings of my mind. “You really care about her?”
“Zo, I’ve always cared about her. That was never the issue. The issue was that I felt like I’d hold her back because I would have. Three years ago, my priority was financial security for Ollie. The only way to do that was by working my ass off. There wasn’t room for anyone else’s dreams, and even if there was, I couldn’t see it.”
“And now?”
“Now, I’m willing to change things in my life to make it work with hers. Back then, I was selfish, and I wasn’t willing to compromise.”
“Does Charlie know all this?”
“You think I should tell her on our first real date?”
Zoe snorts, shaking her head. “Okay, okay, fair enough. But you should tell her soon.”
“I will. When the time is right.” I stand from the barstool, stretching my legs. “Thanks for keeping Ollie tonight.”
Zoe waves a hand. “Are you kidding? Maddie is delighted. She had the best time at your place last weekend. Plus, Eli is relieved he has another guy to have his nails polished with.”
I grin, knocking against the table. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Have fun! Have a lot of drinks. Talk about all the things.”
“‘Bye Zo.” I wave, exiting the kitchen.
Popping my head into the living room, I exchange a knowing look with my brother.
“No rush on grabbing the monster tomorrow morning.” Eli flings an arm around Ollie’s neck and messes his hair. Ollie shrieks, his laughter loud enough to cause Maddie to jump on his back. “I’m taking these rugrats to a movie tomorrow morning.”
This causes both Ollie and Maddie to freeze, stare at each other, and then jump up and down cheering.
I snicker. “You’d think we never take them anywhere.”
“Yeah, man.” Eli rolls his eyes at our kids. Flipping his chin to me, he adds, “Have fun tonight.”
“Thanks.” I hold out my arms for Ollie, and after he gives me a hug and kiss good-bye, I slip from Eli and Zoe’s home and point my car in the direction of Charlie’s.
“You look gorgeous,” I admit the moment she opens the door.
“I’m wearing a parka.”
“And you are rocking it.”
She snickers, rolling her eyes as she flips off the lights and grabs her purse. “I promise, I have something better on underneath.”
Her voice is sultry when she says the words, and I reach out to take her hand in mine, loving the feel of her soft skin. Her warmth, her easy smile, her everything fills me with nerves. Obviously, I’ve dated. But it’s been years since I felt this mixture of excitement and energy and anticipation pumping through my veins. Being with Charlie is a heady experience, and one I appreciate so much more knowing what the alternative is.
I guide her to my car over the slippery patches of black ice. Even though she’s wearing boots, they’re not the winter-friendly kind. Nope, other than her winter parka, Charlie is dressed for a night out. Her tight, black skinny jeans and sexy leather boots with a sharp heel and crystal-looking gems around her ankle make my mouth water. Her long, blonde hair is loosely curled, hanging around her shoulders and beckoning my fingers to run through it. Her mouth, perfectly lined and shaded with a soft pink lipstick, is plump and tempting. But her eyes—Jesus—her eyes are smokey and inviting. Bedroom eyes that make me want to skip dinner and lay her out beneath me.
Instead, I force myself to tear my gaze away and close the passenger door after she clicks in her seatbelt.
Rounding the car, I slide into the driver’s seat, flip the ignition, and ease down her street toward downtown.
“Where are we going?” she asks, settling back against the headrest.
“Antonina’s.” I glance over at her, watching the way her mouth drops open as I name one of the most exclusive steak houses in Chicago.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“You don’t think it’s…a bit much?” she asks, but her eyes glitter.
“Why would it be too much?”
“For a first date?” She wrinkles her nose.
“Not if I’m trying to impress you.” I slide my hand over the center console until it wraps around her knee. I squeeze lightly. “I’ve got a not so great impression to make up for, you know?”
She tosses her head back and laughs but when she looks at me again, I can feel her studying my profile
, searching for clues as to what’s changed between us.
And the truth is, everything.
Everything has changed between us because I matured and she grew up, and I stopped standing in my own way. But how do I tell her that? Do I even tell her that now, as we pull into the parking lot of Antonina’s?
No, after dinner is better for the serious discussions. Hell, even tomorrow is better.
Right now, I just want to enjoy dinner, this date, with the beautiful woman riding beside me.
“He poured it down her shirt,” Charlie gasps, her eyes dancing, as I regal her with tales of Ollie’s worst pranks.
The ones that landed him in trouble both at school and at home.
“Right down the back of it. There was slime everywhere.” I laugh, shaking my head. “It was definitely a science experiment gone wrong.”
Charlie giggles. “I can’t imagine him doing that. Ollie is such a sweet kid.”
“He really is. He told me later, in private, that the girl had said some not-so-nice things about Sophie.”
Charlie winces, shaking her head. “Kids can be so cruel. Sometimes, I wonder if they even realize it. But after that one incidence, Ollie never had another issue like that?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. To be honest, it’s hard to know what he thinks about Sophie. He rarely talks about her with me.”
Charlie’s fingers play with the edges of the white linen napkin she dropped next to her dinner plate. We just ordered cheesecake for dessert and have been talking—and laughing—for the entire meal.
But now, her expression is curious, and she’s slowly chewing the corner of her mouth in thought.
“What?” I ask.
“Do you ever ask him about Sophie?” she asks quietly, as if she already knows the answer.
My eyes narrow at her. “Has he talked to you about her?”
“A little. We talk about her, and we talk about my dad.”
I pull back slightly, this news unexpected. After everything Charlie shared with me about her dad and Frankie, I’m surprised she would want to talk about him at all. But then again, maybe that lack of understanding also extends to Ollie. I figured he never wanted to talk about Sophie because if he did, he’d tell me, right?
Frowning, I wrack my brain for a memory of Ollie and I discussing Sophie and come up empty. Have I somehow been ignoring his desire to know more about his mother for years? Has he been struggling with this? Or wanting to talk about her but found he had no one willing to listen? The thought saddens me, filling my stomach with disappointment in myself.
“I didn’t mean to cross a line—” Charlie holds out a hand, misreading the look on my face.
“No, no, it’s not that. Not at all.” I shake my head. “It’s me. I’m just realizing, in this moment, that I’ve never really given him an outlet to talk about her. To ask questions. I figured if he wanted to know more, he’d ask. Or if he wanted to talk about something, he’d tell me. But that’s not the case, is it?”
Charlie shakes her head, confirming that Ollie confides in her about his mom because he feels like he can’t confide in me. “I think he misses you,” she says suddenly.
“Misses me?” I repeat, dumfounded. How could he miss me? I’m with him every single day. Morning and night.
“Yeah. He’s about to enter a tough age, that preteen period can be…a lot. You should hang with him more, not with a plan or a list of errands or anything, but just doing something normal, like kicking around a soccer ball or going out for dinner. Make some space for him to ask the questions he has.”
“You’re right,” I admit, wondering how Charlie picked up on all of this with Ollie in a handful of weeks while I’ve missed it completely. “I’ve been so caught up in the grind for so long that I’ve missed the signs. I’m not there for him the way I need to be.”
“I’m sure you’re hardly the first single parent, or any parent, who is overwhelmingly busy in the day to day.”
I offer a half smile. “I’m glad Ollie has you, Charlie. I’m glad we both do.”
She rolls her eyes, but her cheeks turn pink, and I know she’s pleased.
Our cheesecake and coffees arrive, and I clink my fork against hers in cheers, but before I can take my first bite, a hand settles on my shoulder. I turn to see Calvin Sowinski, my firm’s managing partner.
“Hey Cal!” I scoot back to stand from my seat and shake his hand.
“How are you, Evan?” he asks warmly.
“Good, good. This is my date, Charlie.” I introduce her, knowing it’s too soon to start throwing around fancy titles like “girlfriend.”
“Hi.” Charlie half-stands to lean forward and shake Cal’s hand before sitting back down.
“Want to join us?” I offer, already knowing he’s going to say no.
“No, no. I’m meeting a friend.” Cal points to a table in the back. “I just wanted to say hello, and hey, Jace explained some things to me, but I guess him taking on Frankie Esposito was your call, huh?” He gages my reaction, his expression relaxed, his eyes sharp.
“Yes, sir.”
Cal nods, clapping my shoulder once more. “We can talk about it more on Monday.
“Sounds good. Have a good dinner,” I say, offering a wave before dropping back into my seat.
Charlie’s gaze meets mine. Confusion flickers in her eyes as she cocks her head to the side. “What did he mean it was your call?”
“I usually represent the Esposito family barring some kind of conflict of interest.”
“And is your representing Frankie a conflict of interest?”
“At the moment, only a personal one. I passed his case to another lawyer at the firm,” I answer, not bothering to go into detail that I can represent Frankie, but I just don’t want to. And, there will most likely be a conflict of interest in the future.
“Why?” she asks slowly.
Sighing, I decide to lay it all out there. In the past, my inability to be fully honest with Charlie caused us both a lot of heartache. I’m not going down that road again. “Because he hurt you, and I know my representing him would hurt you even more, and I don’t want to do that to you.”
16
Charlie
Evan’s words zap through me like a jolt of electricity. Surprise fills my veins like confetti as I stare at him in awe.
“You did that for me?” The words fall from my mouth on a breath of air, like a hushed wish I’m too scared to hope comes true. Even I know that any case the Esposito family is involved in is worth big bucks. It’s money and attention and notoriety that Evan just passed up.
Evan’s expression softens, his eyes tender. “Charlie,” he murmurs my name, his hand reaching across the table until it rests on my forearm. “I know I messed up in the past, but I’d do anything for you not to hurt.”
A lump of emotion swells in my throat, and the backs of my eyelids prickle. I’ve never had a man put me first before. Not once. Not even my dad, which is its own torturous truth that I try to avoid thinking about. And now, Evan Holt, a man I’m not even really with, a man who owes me absolutely nothing, is orchestrating a hiccup in his own career to make my stint in Chicago…easier?
“You didn’t have to do that,” I point out.
“I know.”
“But you’re job…aren’t you up for partner?”
He shrugs, his eyes never leaving mine. “Some things aren’t as important as I once thought they were.”
“Evan.” I let out a slow breath, like air leaking from a balloon. “I’m not sure if, I don’t know how long I’ll even be here. You need to think about you and Ollie and—”
“Why don’t you let me worry about me and Ollie.” His thumb brushes over the skin above my wrist, goosebumps immediately pebbling from his touch. “You worry about you, babe. Your interviews, the city you want to work in, whatever is best for you. Trust me, I can manage the rest.” The corner of his mouth lifts and I can tell he means it.
He means everything he’s saying,
and it’s the most beautiful type of truth I’ve ever heard. Because it’s not attached to any expectations. Evan passed on Frankie purely because it was in my best interest, emotionally at least, for him to do so. Not because he wants something from me. Not because he’s trying to convince me to stay in Chicago. Not because of anything that has a direct benefit for him. Unless…is my happiness really that important to Evan?
The thought zips through my mind like a comet, fast and unexpected. But its tail flickers even after the thought disappears, sentiments of the moment embedding into my subconscious and filling me with a sense of peace.
“Thank you,” I say finally, flipping my hand, so I can catch the blunt edges of his fingertips.
“It was nothing,” he says seriously. I believe him. “Now, let’s eat some cheesecake.”
“Okay.” I laugh, picking up my fork and digging in. My eyes close the moment I taste the cheesecake. “This is delicious.”
Evan’s fingers run over my hand. “You’re killing me with these sounds, babe.”
I snort, opening my eyes. “Will you take me home with you tonight, Evan Holt?”
He grins, holding out a bite of cheesecake for me. I eat it straight from his fork. “It would be my pleasure, Charlie Adams.”
Smiling at him, I fall into the depths of his bottomless eyes. Any lingering thoughts of Frankie float away because I don’t have time for his head games anymore.
When I’m with Evan, there’s no room for Frankie Esposito at the table.
“You sure you want to stay?” Evan asks as he closes his front door and flips the lock.
As he sets the alarm for the night, I slip off my boots and shrug out of my winter coat. “Is that even a real question?”
“Just double checking. I don’t want to rush things if you’re not ready.”
“Oh, I’m ready.” I grin, walking backward into his living room. Evan follows, his eyes tracking my body.
I’ve been ready for a long time. Six years ago, Frankie messed up my life, and I’ve spent every day since trying to move forward. Now, I’m finally in a good place. Even more importantly, I’m with a good man. I don’t intend to waste a second of my time with Evan.
