The Proposal (Forever Bound Book 2) (21 page)

She hadn’t expected him to bluntly ask the question.  She broke eye contact, but only briefly so she could think about what she wanted to say to him.  His hand remained massaging her knee as she thought.  She then looked back at him.  “Dating is such a strong word.  Are we dating?  Not exactly.  Are we seeing each other?  You could say that?”  She let a small breath escape between her lips.  “My new job didn’t go so well and so I have gone back to working for him.”

“Oh…” his eyes looked downward. 

She ran her fingers over his, and he looked up.  “I don’t know what’s between Derek and myself, and I don’t know what could become of us, but I do know that I felt a strong enough will that I needed to find out.”

He smiled.  “Was it the poems?”

She chuckled.  “They might’ve had something to do with it, but in the end, it came down to knowing you.  You’re a good man, Damian, and while I have strong feelings for both of you…I need time to think, but I’m no longer saying it couldn’t happen between us.”

He reached up with his other hand and caressed her cheek.  “I’m so happy to hear you say that.”  He leaned in and they kissed.  She lifted her hands up and caressed his face in her palms.  His body moved closer to her, and they deepened the kiss.  Slowly she started to fall back down to the pillows on the couch and their bodies just melted back to one another.  She could’ve easily gotten back into the same rhythm they were in before things broke off, but then a picture of Derek popped into her head.  His smile was so inviting, and she had to take a breath. 

She pushed him away, and he slowly pulled back.  “I’m sorry,” he breathlessly stated.

She shook her head, gasping for air and looking down at his shagged carpet.  “I need to go.”

She stood up, and he took the spot next to her.  “Will we do this again?” he asked.

She nodded.  “I’ll call you.”  She started to leave, but he grabbed onto her hand and pulled her back to him.  She closed her eyes.  “I can’t rush this.”

He smiled.  “I agree!  I want you to be with me because you have the same feelings for me, Charity.  I love you, and I don’t want you to feel pressured to be with me.”  He moved in and softly kissed her.  She kept her eyes closed and just focused on the feel of his lips against hers.  She felt connected to him.  That wasn’t the problem.  She just didn’t know why when she closed her eyes she thought about the guy that wasn’t there.  She drifted from him. 

“Thank you for supper.  I’ll call you,” she whispered. 

He didn’t follow her, as she walked to his front door and left his house.  She made it to her car and got inside before she looked back and found him watching her from the living room window.  He was gorgeous, and any woman would want to get swept up by someone like him, but he wasn’t the only guy making his intentions known to her, and she couldn’t forget that.  She had to give him the chance he deserved, then she would know where her heart was.  At least, she hoped it would someday be apparent.

She pulled out of his driveway and drove home with her mind on both Damian and Derek, comparing them to one another.  It was difficult to do, especially when they were so different, but each had qualities she wanted in a relationship.  Her mind then shot back to Joe, and she found herself laughing.  They were both totally different from Joe, and she was about to marry him.  She couldn’t believe how much her tastes were really evolving since Joe ditched her and she actually started living.

The ride to her apartment seemed to go by quicker than the normal day, and she was thankful for that.  She parked in her spot and got out of the car.  She headed up to the apartment and unlocked the door.  Inside she found Tiffany on the couch.  Tiffany immediately sat up and turned the television off.  “Eeekkk…” she squealed.  “Tell me all about it.”

Charity laughed, taking a seat on the couch.  “Is Ana still out?” Charity asked.

Tiffany quickly nodded.  “Soooo…”

Charity smirked.  “It was nice.  We had a really good time, and we talked in ways that Damian and I never communicated before.”

Tiffany’s face fell.  “But?” she asked.

Charity smiled.  “But…I found myself thinking about Derek tonight.  I just think I’m way too emotional of a person to really know what I want.”

Tiffany shook her head.  “That’s not it.  You just really have a bond with Derek.  Damian was always the guy that you had sex with so you would have someone to have sex with.  You had sex with Derek because you both wanted it and at the time you were feeling a connection with him.  It’s going to be hard to push that out of your mind.”  She hesitated when Charity didn’t say anything.  “Am I wrong?” Tiffany asked.

Charity shook her head.  It all made perfect sense to her.  “You’re right.  The way my relationship started out with Derek and Damian were so different.  I just wish I knew which way I wanted it to go.”

Tiffany smiled.  “You will soon.  Trust your heart and you’ll figure it out.”

Charity wanted to have the same faith that Tiffany did.  She got up from the couch.  “I’m beat.  Are you going to be?” Charity asked.

“I will be in a few minutes.  I’m going to finish this show.”  She turned the television back on as Charity headed to her bedroom.  She got dressed in a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt and then got under her covers.  Her phone dinged with a text message, and she looked at it.

Damian:  I had fun tonight. 

Charity put her phone down on her nightstand.  She would message him tomorrow when she had a clear head.  She turned her light off and closed her eyes, ready to dream the night away.

Charity spent the next couple weeks going to work, enjoying time with Derek while at work, then taking a few nights out of the week and spending time with Damian.  She didn’t worry about Derek seeing them because they always got together in Briar Ridge and would do things around town.  They went bowling, miniature golfing, to the movies, or out to eat, and then always ended the evening with a nice romantic kiss.  Even if he wanted it to progress to more, he never pointed that out, and she was relieved about that.

With that being said, she was surprised when two weeks went by, and Damian showed up at her work on a Monday afternoon.  “What are you doing here?” she hissed.  Derek was in his office, and Damian was well aware that Derek was also someone she could see her life with.  She couldn’t fathom why he thought it was a good idea to show up…unannounced at the one place Derek would definitely be.

“Relax…” he whispered.  “Your secret will remain.”  He winked at her, and she found herself uncomfortable.  “I want to take you out to lunch.”

She opened her mouth to answer his request when she saw Derek coming out of his office.  She looked to her right and put on a smile.  “Derek!” she exclaimed.

He smiled.  “Hello, I’m Mayor Derek Worthington.”  He put out his hand and shook Damian’s hand.  He then dropped the handshake and inquired, “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Charity’s eyes widened, and she glanced between the two men, but Damian was quick to respond.  “Small town.  I’m sure you’ve seen me somewhere.  The name’s Damian.”

Derek nodded.  “Of course.  I don’t want to interrupt,” Derek stated.  His eyes stayed a little longer on Charity’s, and she thought about climbing underneath her desk to escape the awkwardness. 

“You’re not interrupting, Mayor.  I just came to ask Charity out for lunch.”

Derek whipped his eyes back to hers.  He looked interested, intrigued, and anything but pleased by the simple statement by Damian.  “I’m really busy, and I know hat I really shouldn’t go,” Charity quickly stammered.

Derek shook his head.  “Nonsense, Charity.  You work so hard, and you deserve to take a break every once in awhile, by all means.”  He smiled.  “I hope you both have fun.”  He headed to the elevator and Charity watched him until he hit the button to go down. 

“Where are you going?” Charity asked.

He turned around as the door opened and he backed into the elevator.  “I’m meeting up with Jesse for lunch.  Enjoy!”  The door closed, and she turned back to Damian.

“See.  He didn’t even seem fazed by it.”

Charity laughed.  “You think that was the face of someone that didn’t seem fazed?” she asked.

He shrugged.  “He seemed fine to me.”

Charity rolled her eyes.  “I didn’t even say I wanted to go out to lunch with you.  You threw me by surprise showing up here.  I need you to respect that this is a tough decision for me.”

“I do,” he softly replied.  “I just missed you.”  He leaned in and touched a sweet kiss to her lips.

She groaned, pulling from the kiss.  She still wasn’t happy that he seemed too confident for his own good.  She wanted this to be an easy choice, but they were still equal, and just when she thought Derek or Damian pulled ahead, the other one did something that made her question the way she was judging them.  “We saw each other last night,” she quietly replied.

He nodded.  “I know, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still miss you.”  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him.  She was leaning over the desk but allowed the kiss to deepen.  Then the thought of them kissing in the office, when just a few moments earlier Derek was standing right there, made her break from the kiss.

“Fine!  I’ll go to lunch with you.”

He smiled.  “Good!”

He waited for her to get her purse and phone and they took the elevator down to the lobby.  They got off the elevator and walked to the outside, where his motorcycle was parked along the curb.  She stared at it, remembering the last time she rode the motorcycle.  They took it back to his place and had sex several times that night and now she was considering getting on the back of it once more.  She paused.  “You brought the motorcycle?” she asked, even though she already had the answer.

He laughed.  “I know how much you enjoy riding on the back.”  He winked at her and handed her the helmet.  He put on his own, but she waited for a moment.  She begged him to rethink it and take her car, but he wouldn’t budge.  He motioned to the bike.  “Come on!  It’s just one ride.”

She looked down at her skirt and shirt, and she shrugged.  “Not really dressed for a bike ride.”

He laughed.  “We’re going two blocks.”

She groaned but reluctantly agreed.  He got on and then pulled her on the motorcycle, so she was seated tightly to him.  She put on her helmet and wrapped her arms around him.  He started the motorcycle and pulled away from the curb.  She gripped her hold onto him tighter and tried not to think about how close they were to one another.  He was right, it wouldn’t take long to get a corner diner, and it didn’t.  They pulled into the parking lot, and he parked up next to the building. 

He helped her off, and they put their helmets on the handlebars.  He then grabbed her hand, and they started to head towards the Diner.  She pulled her hand away, and he gave her a curious look.  “We’re not in Briar Ridge now, and people will talk.”

He nodded but didn’t look too happy that she pulled away from him.  He opened the door for her, and she entered the diner.  She was glad they chose the diner, instead of a fancy restaurant, because they had a better chance of running into Jesse and Derek at a restaurant.  The chances of Derek choosing the Diner wasn’t great.  They approached the counter and placed their orders, then went to a table to wait for their orders to be completed. 

She took a sip from her Soda and Damian watched her.  “What?” she asked, feeling that uneasiness feeling reappear.

He smiled.  “You’re so beautiful.”

She looked down at the table, feeling the pink light up her face.  She was a woman and appreciated the compliments, but they never seemed to get easier to accept.  He reached out and touched her hand, and she didn’t pull away.  She looked up into his eyes and smiled.  Things weren’t getting any easier.

****

Who is that guy?  Why does he look so familiar?  Why was Charity going out to eat with him? 
He couldn’t focus on being at the restaurant with Jesse because he couldn’t stop thinking about the man that Charity seemed comfortable with.  “Derek?  Derek?  Deerrreeekkk?”

He jerked out of his trance and glanced at Jesse.  “What?” Derek asked.

Jesse laughed.  “Um…you didn’t answer my question.”

Derek didn’t want Jesse to know that he was completely blowing him off, so he threw out a completely random answer.  “Oh…the answer’s yes.”

Jesse’s eyes widened.  “Interesting!  Very interesting, in fact.”

Derek frowned.  “Why?” he asked.

“Well…I asked you how things are going with Charity working back at your office?”  Jesse smiled and took a drink of his coffee.  “You answered with yes.  So, does that mean things are going well?”

Derek looked down at the dark pool of his coffee.  “Oh.  Things are going fine,” he casually replied.  Jesse didn’t initially drop it, in fact, he pushed inquiring Derek to go a little deeper with his response.  Derek didn’t want to get too much into it, but he did have some advice he wanted to look to his friend to receive.  “Charity and some guy are out to lunch right now.”

Jesse tilted his head.  “Okay.  Does this guy have a name?” Jesse asked.

“Damian,” Derek replied.  “The thing is…he looks vaguely familiar like I might’ve seen him somewhere before.”  Derek just couldn’t pinpoint where that somewhere could’ve been.

“It’s a small town,” Jesse replied matter-of-factly.

“Yeah…I know, and that’s what he said, too.”  Derek shook his head, still having that nagging feeling.

“So, how do you feel about the fact that she’s out to eat with some other guy?” Jesse asked.  His tone was quiet, and he was looking for an honest answer.  Derek shrugged.  He was about to give away too much information.  Jesse continued.  “You don’t look happy about it.  Have you tried expressing these feelings to her before?”

“I feel like we’re replaying the same song,” Derek replied.  “I told you…I’ve mentioned to her that I love her.  She has to know that I wasn’t pleased to see her talking to some other guy.” 
Especially since I thought we were on the same page to see where our relationship could go,
he wanted to add.  Instead, he just took a sip of his coffee. 

“Have you shown her by actions and not just words?” Jesse asked.

Derek narrowed his eyes.  He hadn’t thought about that, but he just assumed that eventually, they would fall into line with one another.  He didn’t consider he had anything to change, but Jesse was right.  He hadn’t made an effort, besides more kisses and a few extra texts for her to see that he was thinking about her.  He could definitely improve some things.  He was excited to start.  “You’re right!”  Derek jumped up from his table.

Jesse laughed.  “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to use your advice.  See you later!”  Derek tossed some money down on the table and took off. 

The first stop he made was to the florist shop that was next to the restaurant.  He ran in and very tentatively asked for a dozen roses.  The woman behind the counter seemed all too eager to oblige.  When she handed over the roses, she beamed at him.  “Lucky woman,” she said.  He smiled back at her and handed her some money for the roses and a tip.  She looked down at grinned.  “Thank you, Mayor Worthington.”

He nodded and with the flowers in hand, he hurried out of the flower shop.  He got into his vehicle and drove back to the office building, vicariously holding onto the flowers as she drove.  He turned into the parking lot and pulled into his spot.  He was headed towards the front door when he spotted a motorcycle pulling up in front of the building.  He noticed her skirt right away.  He stopped inside the parking garage and watched her get off.  She handed the helmet to him.  They talked for a few moments, and he braced himself to see what would happen next.  She touched Damian’s arm, and he brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.  He silently begged her not to kiss him and to his relief, she didn’t.  She waved Damian on and headed into the building. 

He watched the bike heading out of his view and it dawned on him.  He’d seen Charity at Damian’s house.  The motorcycle was parked in the driveway.  He slowly walked across the street and headed into the lobby.  The elevator doors were closing, so he held back until he was certain he wouldn’t stop the elevator from going up.  He touched the up arrow and waited for it to drop her off and then come back down to get him.  He stepped into the elevator and practiced the speech he wanted to say to her.

“Will you go out with me?”  It was so simple, yet so hard to find his way to ask her the question.  The only time they’d gone on what someone could call a date was the night he invited her to his place for supper.  If they were going to be a real couple, then they needed to go out.

The elevator door opened, and she looked up.  Her eyes widened as she stared at the flowers.  “Beautiful roses,” she replied.  She closed the drawer where she put her purse.  “Are they to brighten up your office?”  She smiled to show she was teasing.

He snickered.  “They aren’t quite the décor I go for in my office, but I thought they would be beautiful on your desk.”

She grinned.  “They are beautiful.  Thank you so much!”  He handed her the flowers, and she leaned in and kissed him.  Her soft lips were supple against his.  He never wanted to part from the kiss, but she, unfortunately, decided they needed to.  She turned away from him and left the desk.  He wondered where she was going, but then she returned with a vase.  She placed the flowers in the water, then placed them on her desk.  She nodded with appreciativeness.  “Perfect!”

“You are…” he softly whispered.  She looked up, and a smile touched her lips.  He had already decided he wasn’t going to mention the guy because it wasn’t his business and if she wanted to tell him…she would.  “So, what are you doing on Saturday night?” he asked.

She cocked her head and kept her smile embedded on her lips.  “Why?” she asked.

“I would like you to go out with me.”

“You mean…like a date?” she asked.

He laughed at her sweet question, and he nodded.  “Would anything be wrong with that?  After all, I thought we were going to attempt to see where things could go.  I want us to progress and not stay stagnant.  Would you be alright with that?” he asked.

She nodded slowly.  “Where where will we go?” she asked.

“You let me handle the details.”  He smiled at her, giving her a genuine wink as she sat down at her desk.  Her eyes remained connected with his, and she appeared intrigued.  He, so far, was doing his job, and he couldn’t wait to go out on the town.

****

Charity was excited when Derek asked her out on an official date.  She didn’t even care who would or wouldn’t see them together.  Then as a day passed, then another, she got a text message from Damian, asking her out on Friday night.  While Tiffany kept commenting about how lucky Charity was, Charity knew that the decision was about to come to a head.  She had to make the decision for her own sake.