Walking Away (2 page)

“Damn!” I jumped up from the chair and started pulling every file I knew I would need from the filing cabinet.

I could hear Charlie stifling his laughter. Spinning around, I pinned him with a glare that screamed for him to knock it off. “What is so funny, Charlie?”

He raised his hands up in front of him in surrender. “Nothing. You. It′s cute when you′re flustered. I′ll see you in the conference room.” As Charlie disappeared from sight, it took me a few seconds to process what he′d said.

As I walked to the conference room, I couldn′t stop the smile from spreading across my face at the thought of Charlie Cross thinking anything about me was cute. Me, Coraline Renfro, a five foot–six inch mess with boring brown eyes and hair. The thought was beyond comprehensible, but I′d take it.

After the meeting with Mr. Randall, I moved as quickly as I could back toward my office. I could only handle so many of the smoldering looks that Charlie sent my way during that meeting without wanting to explode. Before I made it back to my office, however, Charlie stopped me in the hallway.

“Cora, I wanted to talk to you a minute.”

“Sure, Charlie. What did you need?” I asked as I stepped into the lounge a few doors down from the conference room.

Charlie followed me into the lounge and leaned against the counter while I made myself busy making a cup of coffee. He took that as my signal to go ahead, and started speaking. “I know that this isn′t at all professional, and I′m probably crossing several lines but I need to ask you, Cora. Will you have dinner with me? This weekend?”

The spoon I had been using to put sugar into my coffee clattered to the counter. I looked up at him shocked, and I′m quite sure that my jaw was somewhere near the floor. Had Charlie Cross just asked me out? I couldn′t believe it. I should have said no. I knew I was supposed to say no. Dating your ′boss′ isn′t the best nor is it the wisest thing to do, but I couldn′t stop thinking about everything Abi had said that morning. In that moment, it all came back to me full force, and I knew she had been right. It was well past time I moved on. So, I shocked Charlie and I both.

“Yes. I′d love to,” I told him.

“Really? Great! I′ll pick you up at seven on Saturday,” he said before disappearing through the door.

When he was gone, I finally released the breath I had been holding and sagged against the counter in relief. I had done it. I had taken the first step toward leaving Blake Parrish behind.

The rest of the week passed in a blur. I spent most of it out of the office running between the courthouse and the county jail working on a case Mr. Randall had assigned me. It was better that way, it kept me from attempting to break the date with Charlie, but it also kept me from seeing him. I hadn′t heard anything from Abi, but I wasn′t surprised. She and I had done this before; she′d get angry and then pout like a child for roughly a week. It was a cycle that always played itself out, especially once she realized she was acting childish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday morning dawned, and I was sitting at my dining room table with a coffee mug in my hand and my laptop open trying to make sense of the timeline that the prosecutor had handed to me during the discovery hearing on Friday, still in my yoga pants and robe. I knew I should have been planning what I was going to wear to dinner that night, but the timeline had been driving me nuts.

The knock at the door forced me to snap my laptop closed, and I went across the room to answer it. Instead of checking through the peephole to see who was on the other side, I swung the door wide only to find Charlie standing on the stoop with a lopsided smile on his face.

“You look… comfortable,” he smirked while his eyes scanned me from head to toe.

I was frozen. I couldn′t think, but I could feel the blush creeping up my neck and into my cheeks. I didn′t know what to think, to be honest, so I did the only thing I knew to do, I asked him. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood. Thought I′d stop by and see if you′d like to get some breakfast. I saw a diner just around the corner,” he responded, stepping a little closer to the door.

“Sure, breakfast sounds wonderful. The place you saw is Rudy′s. I′ll just have to get changed. Would you like to come in?” I asked him, backing up a little to let him walk by.

“I would,” he agreed as he stepped into the living room, “Nice place.” Charlie sat down on the couch, and settled in to wait.

I looked around at the open floor plan, and had to agree with him. The dining room and living room were connected so it was essentially one large space. The kitchen was off to the left, and a hallway led back to my bedroom and the only bathroom. I lived alone, so there was no need for a bigger apartment.

“Thanks. Would you like anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?”

He looked up at me from where he was sitting, and shook his head. “No, I′m good. Thank you.”

“Okay, I′ll be right back.” I rushed down the hall and into my bedroom where I grabbed jeans and a sweater and quickly threw them on. I shoved a pair of socks onto my feet, then dashed into the bathroom.

I quickly applied a little bit of make–up and brushed my teeth. With a deep breath and a last look into the mirror, I hit the lights and went back into the living room.

Charlie looked up just as I stepped into the room. “That was fast. You look wonderful.”

“Thanks. I didn′t want to keep you waiting too long.”

He stood up from the couch and walked across the room to me. Standing so close to me, I could smell the scent of spices and cedar. I had been smelling that smell for two years every single time I stepped into the law offices, and it never affected me the way it was here in my suddenly very tiny apartment. The closer he got to me, the more I wanted to press my face into his shirt and inhale deeply. It was truly intoxicating.

“You may want to consider shoes of some kind and maybe a jacket,” he told me, “It′s a little chilly outside.”

I felt yet another blush heat up my cheeks. What was it about this man that had me blushing like a teenager who had never dated a guy before?

“My boots are by the door and my jacket is in the closet. I was going to grab them on our way out,” I told him in a matter of fact tone.

“Ah.”

Flashing him a smile, I grabbed my jacket from the closet and shoved my boots on. We both went out the door and began walking toward Rudy′s. “Rudy′s is great, by the way. You′ll enjoy it.”

“You eat there often?” he asked.

“Every Sunday since the day I moved into the apartment,” I told him truthfully.

When we arrived, instead of waiting to be seated, I lead Charlie to my booth, the same one I had been occupying every Sunday for two years. When we were seated across from one another, Dali made her way to us carrying a coffee decanter and two mugs.

Setting them down on the table, Dali addressed me. “Morning, sweet pea. Who′s the hottie?”

Stifling a laugh, I introduced Dali and Charlie. “Dali, Charlie. Charlie, Dali. She′s Rudy′s wife and has a penchant for handsome men. Don′t let her get to you, she′s harmless.”

Dali humphed at the harmless comment, and leaned down to talk just loudly enough to Charlie for me to hear her. “I know your kind. You can′t fool me. If you hurt my sweet pea, I′ll hurt you. If she comes in here crying her eyes out, I′ll see to it my Rudy tends to you.”

Charlie took it all in stride and looked Dali in the eye.”Yes ma′am.”

Satisfied, Dali took our order and sauntered off to the kitchen. Seizing the opportunity, Charlie crossed his arms on top of the table and leaned in. “What did she mean?”

“Eight months ago, the man I had been with left me. My parents are both gone, so Rudy and Dali have filled the role of surrogate parents. When Blake left I came in here and sat in this booth crying on Dali′s shoulder. She doesn′t take kindly to people playing with me. Not that you would.” It felt good to tell him up front. He needed to know what he was getting into before this, whatever
this
was, went to far. It also felt good to tell someone who wasn′t Abi or Dali about Blake.

Dali came back with our food, and Charlie and I continued to make small talk while we had our breakfast. He told me about his failed marriage, how he had wanted children, but she hadn′t. It had been a short relationship that ended in an amicable divorce.

When we′d finished our meals and Charlie had paid the tab, we walked to a nearby park and continued getting to know one another. It was nice, and not at all uncomfortable. We talked about our career choice, college, interests and the like, all the while strolling through the park holding hands. Spending the day together like that had felt right.

With Blake, things had felt out of control. It was as if our entire relationship had been a whirlwind, but it worked for us until it didn′t work for him anymore; then he left. I had planned a life with Blake, a future, and in the blink of an eye he had stripped my visions of marriage and family right out from underneath me.

As the sun was setting, Charlie walked me back to my apartment and kissed my cheek. I smiled up at him, and told him I would see him in a couple of hours. I let myself in, and went straight to the bathroom. Turning the shower on as hot as I could stand it, I stripped down and climbed in, letting the thoughts of Blake wash down the drain with the shampoo from my hair. Tonight, I was having dinner with the most wonderful man I had met in a while. I was one step closer to putting Blake Parrish behind me, right where he belonged. Abi would be proud.

After my shower I stood inside my closet wrapped in a towel, trying to figure out what I was going to wear to dinner. Jeans were out, as was anything I might wear to work, so that really only left me with two options. A skirt or a dress. It was too cold for a skirt, so I yanked a sweater dress off it′s hanger and dug around in my dresser drawers for a pair of tights.

Tights found and in hand, I strolled back into the bathroom and dressed quickly. I was running out of time. I hurriedly dried my hair, and applied a bit of make–up. Once my teeth were brushed, I went into the living room to wait for Charlie and put on my boots.

I had only been sitting on the couch a few minutes when my phone beeped letting me know that I had a new text message. I grabbed it and quickly read the message from Abi.

Abi– Miss you, Cora. Dinner 2 nite?

Me– Can′t. Busy. Lunch tomorrow?

Abi– It has to be tonight. Going to Colton′s parents tomorrow.

Me– Sorry, Abi. I′m committed. Talk when you get back.

As I hit
Send
on my reply message, Charlie knocked. Walking over to the door, I grabbed my coat from the closet then let Charlie in. He looked perfect. His brown hair was spiked, and I could tell he′d spent a good deal of time on it. He was wearing khakis and a green button down shirt that made the green of his eyes even more noticeable. Over the shirt he wore a dark blazer. As I said, he looked wonderful. His eyes scanned me from head to toe, and he smiled his satisfaction.

“Ready?” he asked, holding his hand out to me.

“I am. Just let me lock up.” I turned and locked the door then we made our way to Charlie′s car, a 1967 ragtop Mustang. I stopped and just stared at the car. Memories of helping my father work on a car exactly like this one as a child came flooding back. Sure, I′d seen several of them on the streets, but I hadn′t ridden in one since before my father died.

“Is it yours?” I asked him.

“She′s mine. Had her for a couple of years but finally got her running a few months ago. I thought we could…” he trailed off when he looked at me. “Your ex had one, didn′t he?”

My eyes snapped to Charlie′s. “What? No. Blake was into trucks. My father owned one. I used to help him work on it when I was younger. My mother sold it not long after he passed.”

Charlie reached for me then and pulled me into his arms. “I′m sorry, Cora. I didn′t know.” I felt his lips moving in my hair as he said the words.

Leaning back so that I could look up at him, I smiled. “It′s okay, Charlie. Let′s go eat. I′m starving.”

Charlie opened the door for me. I slid into the seat and buckled up while he came around the front of the car and climbed in behind the wheel. The engine roared to life, and we headed to dinner. The ride was quiet aside from the rumbling of the motor, but it wasn′t uncomfortable. Every once in a while I′d glance over to see Charlie watching me and it made me smile to myself.

Dinner was wonderful. As we laughed and talked I learned about his parents and his two younger brothers. He told me about the pranks the three of them would pull on their parents growing up and the sports he played. I told him about my parents and more about my dad and his passion for old cars which he′d handed down to me. I told him about Abi and how attached we were to one another, but that because of the break up with Blake and my subsequent self alienation, she′d pretty much given up all hope of my ever going out again and we weren′t currently speaking. Getting to know Charlie had been fabulous.

The days passed and turned to weeks. We kept our relationship separate from work, and even though we would trade flirty looks while we were at the office, it never went past that. We would spend the weekends together, talking on the phone and texting during the week. It was important to me that I remained focused on moving slowly with Charlie. There was a lot of kissing, even more touching, but mostly we talked.

***

Two months after our first date, Charlie and I were curled up together on my couch watching a movie. I was leaning back against his chest, and he was running his fingers through my hair. I had been fighting to keep my eyes open, so I shifted slightly so that I could look up at him. The hand that had been in my hair fell to rest on my hip.

“What?” He asked, looking down at me with a sexy smile touching his full lips.

I didn′t say anything. I just studied his face. His jaw was square without being boxy, his leaf green eyes were almond shaped, and he had high cheek bones. His dark hair fell to the left and right of his forehead, and he desperately wanted to have it cut, but I wouldn′t let him. I liked it slightly longer. When he smiled, there were slight indentations in his cheeks… not quite dimples, but the hint of them. His teeth were perfectly straight, but not blindingly white. I loved looking at him.