The Proposal (Forever Bound Book 2) (5 page)

“Hello!”  Charity leaned in and brushed a kiss on his lips.

When they parted, he asked her, “Everything alright with whomever you were on the phone with?”

She nodded.  “Yeah…just an old co-worker wanting to catch up.”  She took in a whiff of the food and sighed.  “Food smells amazing.  I’m starved.”  She moved past him, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. 

“Me too,” he mumbled.  He kissed her with a passionate hunger, making her fall into him and briefly forgetting the meal.

As they kissed, all she could think about was how she needed to call Derek and tell him to stop stalking her, because she was trying to move on and he was stopping her from searching for her own happiness.  She was getting a nice start.

When they parted from one another, they went into the kitchen, and he put together two plates of his homemade spaghetti.  They sat down at the table and did some small talk, as they ate their Italian and drank their wine.  “How have things been at the office?” Damian asked bringing back her back.

“What?” she asked, nearly coughing up her wine. 

He laughed.  “No reason to look surprised by the question.  I figured I haven’t really said a whole lot about your job and thought It’d be a nice time to show you I care about that.  Work going alright?” he asked, as he took a drink from his wine glass.

She hadn’t mentioned that she was taking a few days off, a week, or maybe even more, and now she felt odd for letting him have to ask the question.  Yet, she still didn’t feel comfortable telling him that she hooked up with Derek, and now she wasn’t speaking with him.  Even though they could sleep with other people, while in this relationship, it was like she worried, she just stabbed him in the back. 

She nodded, taking a bite of her meatball.  “Unless you happen to have a job open and I can apply?” She laughed nervously.

He snickered.  “What?  Why would you ever want to leave the life of luxury to work for me?”  He took a drink from his glass and stared at her from over the top.

She smiled.  “To see more of you, of course.”

He laughed, putting his glass down.  “Well, that’s a good reason, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be happy working in catering business.”

She picked up her empty plates and walked them to the kitchen.  With her back to him, she stared out the window above the kitchen sink.  She would work anywhere if it meant she didn’t have to be face to face with Derek.  She felt Damian’s hand on her shoulder, and he slid his plates into the kitchen sick.  His lips went to her neck, and he started to kiss her, producing a growl from her throat.  She slowly turned around to face him and threw her arms around him.  Their lips connected and all thoughts of jobs vanished.

Charity woke up to her phone ringing.  She jumped out of bed, barely containing herself and gathering what was happening.  She fumbled for her phone on her dresser and answered it.  “Hello?”

“Hello, is this Charity Parker?”

“Yes, this is she?” she replied.

“Hello, Ms. Parker.  This is Evelyn Winston.  I’m calling from Jamison Daycare.”

“Oh yes…hello, Mrs. Winston.”  She breathed a sigh, hearing the woman’s voice on the other end.  This was a good sign.

“I'm calling about your application and resume.  I would like to set you up for an interview if you are free sometime this morning.”  Charity glanced at her watch.  It was just after eight o’clock.

“Of course.  I’m free all morning.”

“Will you stop by at ten o’clock?”

Charity agreed, and they discussed where she should arrive.  She got off the phone, feeling happy that she just might not have to step back into the Mayor’s office again.  She took a shower, got dressed and ate a proper breakfast, then practiced a variety of routine questions one would ask of someone in an interview. 

She left the house in enough time that she wasn’t rushing, and she even felt secure she was ready for the interview.  When she got to the daycare, she took a deep breath and got out of the car.  She headed up to the door that Mrs. Winston told her to go to.  Inside, she found a desk.  A woman was behind it, typing madly against her computer keys.  She didn’t look up until Charity softly cleared her throat.

“Yes?  May I help you?”  The woman asked, appearing a bit annoyed by the distraction.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m here to meet a Mrs. Evelyn Winston.”

The woman eyed her, casually washing her eyes over her and Charity self-consciously wondered if she wasn’t dressed appropriately.  “One moment,” the woman said, heaving a sigh and typing in an extension on her phone.  “Evelyn there is a…” she paused and looked up, and Charity recited her name.  “A Charity Parker is here to see you,” the woman continued.  “Alright!”  She hung up the phone and stood to her feet.  “Follow me!” she mumbled.

Charity followed the woman down a long corridor to a door on the left.  She motioned with her hand for Charity to enter.  Before the woman could leave, Charity was sure to thank her.  She just nodded and went back down the corridor to get back to her desk.  Charity turned around and was greeted by a more personable woman.

Evelyn stood to her feet and held out her hand.  “Hello!” 

Charity shook it with confidence.  “Hello!”

Evelyn motioned to the chair, and Charity took her seat.  “I appreciate you coming in on such short notice,” Evelyn started.  “This position has been open for about a month now, but frankly, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the opportunity to interview candidates.”  She smiled looking up at Charity.  “I’m going to give you a rundown of the position, and we’ll see if it’s a position you would still be interested in.”  She talked to Charity, telling her that she would be in charge of the planning of activities.  She ran through what ages they usually took care of and even detailed some field trips they looked forward to going on.  “What made you want to apply for this position?” she asked.

“Well, I started out my education for early child development and unfortunately due to some uncontrollable circumstances, I had to drop out.  Ultimately I would love to go back to school and finish out my degree as children are my passion.  However, at the time I’m trying to save up some money to make that happen, and when I saw this position open, I decided to take a chance.”

The woman nodded, as Charity told her story when Charity was done Evelyn put down her pencil and gave Charity an inquisitive look.  “May I ask you a question about your current employment?” Evelyn asked.  Charity froze but slowly nodded.  “Why would you possibly want to stop working for the Mayor?” she asked.  Her face was stone-like until she finally smiled and it relieved Charity.  “I won’t lie…this job isn’t near as glamorous as a job at the Mayor’s office would be.”

Charity chuckled lightly.  “Honestly, the hours are what’s causing me to look elsewhere.”

Evelyn’s smile softened a bit.  “I’m afraid we won’t be able to compete with the money he can offer you.”

Charity had to admit that thought worried her.  No one would be able to compete with that, but she couldn’t work with him again, and the money would have to take a backseat to her sanity.  She shrugged nonchalantly.  “I realize that, but I’m willing to waver on that a little.”

Evelyn snickered, picking up a paper from her desk.  “Alright, then, let’s proceed with the interview.”

They did just that, and Evelyn didn’t question her intentions of leaving the Mayor’s office anymore.  She kept thinks going rather smoothly, and Charity began to relax.  Every time Evelyn asked a question, Charity was able to fire back an answer.  By the smile on Evelyn’s face, she believed she was giving it her best shot.  Even when she asked the tough questions, Charity felt confident that she provided clear-cut responses that didn’t shy away from the valid points.

When Evelyn was finished asking questions, she put down her paper.  “What are some questions you have for me?” she asked.

Charity quickly thought.  Evelyn had gone over the hours, job responsibilities, benefits, and dress code, all while continuing with the interview questions.  She couldn’t think of anything Evelyn didn’t cover.  “When are you hoping to have the position filled?” Charity asked, if for no other reason than to ask something.

Evelyn smiled.  “Well, I would like to have the position filled by next week, and I’m sure you’ll need to give two weeks notice, at least, should you get the job.”

Charity just nodded, even though she had no intention of doing something so courteous to Derek.  Charity fidgeted in her seat.  “I really appreciate you asking me in today.”

Evelyn nodded and continued her smile.  “It was great speaking with you.”  She was the first one to get up, and they shook hands.  Charity followed her out of the office and down the corridor, where she once again saw the crabby lady.  “Have a great day, Ms. Parker,” Evelyn replied, waving as Charity passed the desk.

Charity nodded to the woman who remained nameless, and she politely told the woman to have a nice day.  Then she walked out of the daycare and went back to her car.  She glanced at her watch on the way.  It's been a little over an hour since stepping foot in the office, and she felt great about the interview.  At least, she didn’t think she could have done any worse.

****

Derek listened as the contractor told him that all buildings have been demolished, and they would be ready to break ground as planned.  He sighed with relief.  It was a long time coming, but he was happy something was finally on schedule.  “Great news!   Thanks for calling.”  He hung up the call, and before it could fully land in the cradle, it rang again.  He picked it up.  “This is Derek Worthington.”

“It’s Amanda,” his HR manager spoke on the other end.  “There is an Evelyn Winston on the line for you.”

“I don’t know any Evelyn Winston and how did you get the call?” he asked.

There was a brief silence before she continued.  “The operator gave her to me.  She’s calling in regards to a reference for Charity.  I thought you might like to take the call since you worked close to her.”  Derek’s jaw dropped.  He couldn’t believe Charity was out searching for another job.  He thought it would all blow over.  “Now, would you like me to put out that you’re hiring?” she asked.

“No!” he snapped.  “I’ll take the call.”

“Alright.  Line one.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled.  Amanda hung up, and he pressed the line.  “Hello, this is Mayor Derek Worthington.”

“Hello, Mayor Worthington.  My name is Evelyn Winston, and I’m calling from Jamison Daycare. I’m calling in regards to your employee, Charity Parker.”

“Yes…” he took a deep breath waiting for her to continue.

“I promise I won’t take all your time, I know you’re busy, but I just have a couple questions to ask you.  Do you mind?”  He wanted to tell her that she had it all wrong, and Charity would never leave him, but instead he found himself telling her she could proceed.  “Great!  Thank you!.  What type of attributes does Charity need to do her current job?”

“Well, she needs to be dependable.  She has to be able to prioritize her day.  She needs to be organized.”

“How do you feel she does on each of those skills?” Evelyn asked.  “Is there one skill she excels in more than the other?  Or, one she could work on?”

He shook his head, still not believing he was having this conversation.  “No, she does each of those skills with ease.  I’ll be honest, Mrs. Winston…when I first looked into hiring her, I was worried she wouldn’t fit the perfect picture I had in my mind of an employee.  When she started, those fears immediately dissipated.  Charity is a well-rounded worker.  She is conscientious, hard-working, and a great asset to this job.”

There was an awkward pause that ensued until Evelyn asked the last question.  “So, you think it would be a smart choice on my part to hire her?”

Derek laughed slightly, before responding.  “Mrs. Winston, I don’t want to see her go, so no I won’t say you should hire her because that means she’s leaving her position here.  However, with that being said…I wouldn’t stand in her way, and I know how much she loves children, so I think you probably couldn’t ask for a better employee.”  As he spoke the last words, he felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest.  He couldn’t imagine Charity not being there, but he meant the words.  He couldn’t hold her back.

“Thank you for your time, Mayor Worthington.”

“Of course!” he quietly stated.  “Have a good day, Mrs. Winston.”

“You, too.  Goodbye!”

He hung up the phone and stared ahead at his computer screen.  He needed to talk to Charity one time before she walked out of his life forever.  He reached for his phone and dialed up her number.  Expecting to get her voicemail, he wasn’t surprised when it came on.  He hung up the phone and pulled out his cell phone.  He scrolled through the contact list and finally landed on Calvin’s number.

He called him up and immediately Calvin answered.  “Hey, Cal,” Derek started.  “I have another job for you.  I’m looking for someone, and it’s important I find her.”  He told Calvin everything he knew, which wasn’t much, giving out addresses for Ana’s parents, Charity’s apartment, and even passing on Jesse’s information.  Just in case Jesse knew more than he was letting on.  After passing on that information, he hung up the phone.  He pulled up  Charity’s employment information and scrolled down until he landed on her profile picture.  He shot an email to Calvin so he would know who he was looking for.  He leaned back in his chair and stared at her picture.  He couldn’t fathom her getting another job, but after his call with Evelyn, he was convinced she would get the job.  It was his job to stop her.

****

Charity and Ana walking into the fifth apartment of that day.  There seemed to be something either one, or both of them didn’t like.  Charity was losing hope that they would finally agree on one.  So, when they walked into the apartment complex just after six o’clock that afternoon, she found herself anything but hopeful.  The landlord showed them around, walking them through every room.  From the look on Ana’s face, she could tell that she wasn’t immediately discounting it.  That was a good sign.

It had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a rather large living room, and a balcony that overlooked one of the lighthouses on the harbor.  It seemed more than nice, and Charity could see them living there, but the price concerned it.  There was no way it would be comparative to what she was paying at Richard’s apartment.  She was the first one to question the price as the tour came to an end. 

“I don’t mean to bring up a negative aspect, but how much are we looking at for rent?”

The woman didn’t even hesitate in bringing out the cost.  “Well we have a two-year lease plan, and we would ask for the first month and last month to be paid before signing the papers.  The monthly rent is seven fifty.”

Charity sighed.  That was about what she expected.  After cutting the rent in half, she was about fifty dollars more a month.  “So, we pay fifteen hundred for the first month, then seven fifty starting next month?” Ana asked.

“That’s correct!” The woman replied.  She smiled.  “I’ll let you both talk with one another.  You can find me in the office when you’re ready for your decision.”

“Thank you!” Charity and Ana replied as the woman left.

“You have to admit that this is the nicest place we’ve seen thus far.  Can you even believe that view?” Ana excitedly replied.  Charity remained quiet as Ana continued to express her interest in the place.  When Charity didn’t say anything, Ana spoke again.  “I could ask my parents to put out your portion of the first and last month.  You’re good for it, and they’d do it for you.”

Charity smiled.  “That’s not necessary.  I could put the seven fifty on my credit card.”  She wasn’t planning on doing that, but she would rather that than the alternative.  Charity glanced around the apartment.  It was nice, and she would give her right arm to live there.  She put on a smile.  “Let’s do it.  I doubt we could find one this nice anywhere else.”