Chapter Four
Three years later…
“I wanna stay wit’ you, Mommy!” Charlie’s daughter wailed. The vibrant child generally liked going to daycare so she could see all of her friends, but this morning, Kristy was in a foul mood.
Charlie had spent the last two weeks home with her daughter, in between jobs, and she suspected that Kristy had grown use to her being around more. It broke her heart to drop her baby off at daycare, but she had to provide for the two of them.
“Sweetie, don’t you want to go to school and draw a nice picture for me?” Charlie tried to soothe the cranky toddler as best she could by mentioning Kristy’s favorite activity of drawing.
Kristy stomped her little foot in frustration. “I don’ wanna go! I want you, Mommy!” Kristy began to cry loudly, big tears falling from her ice blue eyes.
Today was supposed to be a good day. This was the first day of Charlie’s new job in a supervisory position making a lot more money.
Unfortunately, Kristy didn’t understand and was unwilling to cooperate. Going into “mommy mode”, Charlie bent down in front of Kristy to feel her forehead. “Are you feeling okay today, baby? Does your tummy or head hurt?” Charlie stroked a stray curl from her daughter’s face.
“I not a baby!” Kristy screamed indignantly. At the ripe age of two and a half, Kristy felt it was beneath her to be called a baby; after all, according to her, she was a big girl. Charlie had told her often enough.
“Well, I guess since you’re feeling okay I have to take you to daycare today.”
“No!” Kristy wailed.
Charlie closed her eyes and counted to ten. She had read in her parenting book that this was a good self-calming method when dealing with temper tantrums. She gathered Kristy’s things in one arm and her screaming child in another. Charlie endured the entire trip to daycare with Kristy crying from the backseat. “They don’t call them the terrible twos for nothing,” Charlie muttered to herself.
Once she had dropped her daughter off, Charlie drove to her new job. It wasn’t that she hated working. Truth be known, she loved what she did, but she was missing so much of Kristy’s life as it was. She was glad she decided to take the two weeks off between her old and new job in order to cement the already tight bond she shared with her daughter.
Charlie pulled into the parking lot of the unassuming building. As she stepped out of her car, she took a deep breath. She was still upset about the scene her daughter had caused earlier, but this job was too important to let Kristy’s tantrum get in the way.
She had to be focused for this new position. Charlie had found out about the job through Laura, who already worked for this company. Charlie had applied and, to her delight, she’d been offered the position. She would have more responsibility than she had ever had before and the thought, although frightening, was very exciting as well. She would be one of the supervisors in the accounting department who reported directly to the CFO.
She sighed, sliding out of her car. It was still hard to believe how far she’d actually come in three years.
When Charlie had received the shocking news of her pregnancy, she didn’t quite know what to do with herself. Her first thought had been to get an abortion. What was she going to do with a baby when she didn’t even know what she was going to do with her own life? She had always wanted children—but with Paul. The thought of carrying Jake Fox’s child made her feel…what? Excited? No! That wasn’t possible. She barely knew him. It was horrifying to be carrying a stranger’s baby. Someone she would never see again. What would she tell everyone?
Charlie’s parents had been bewildered and a little hurt when she broke the news to them. They had raised her to respect her body and not throw herself at any Tom, Dick or Harry without a serious commitment. Of course they had demanded to know who the father was, and how Charlie had gotten herself in such a predicament, but she’d refused to give details. Her parents, being old fashioned, were adamant that she not have an abortion or else they would never forgive her.
Although their declaration hadn’t been the biggest factor in her decision to keep the baby, it was one of them. She discovered she couldn’t end an innocent baby’s life, one who never asked to be born. It just wasn’t in her. Throughout the pregnancy, adoption had been one of her options, but when Kristy was born, Charlie knew she would never let her baby go. Charlie loved her daughter from the moment she held the little bundle in her arms. She knew then she’d dedicate her life to her child.
She reached the guard’s desk and showed her driver’s license in lieu of work IDs carried by employees with the company.
“Newbie, huh?” he asked.
“Yep,” Charlie replied. “First day.”
“Let me look on my list to make sure your name is there, otherwise someone will have to let you in.” He scanned his clipboard and nodded. “Yep. Here you are. Welcome aboard and good luck to ya.”
Her nerves were jumping as she walked through the security door after being buzzed in. Laura had taken her on a tour earlier in the week so Charlie would know where everything was today. Since her friend was in a meeting this morning, Charlie would have to wait until later to find her and thank her for the millionth time for helping her get this job.
In addition to Charlie’s giving birth, Laura was also a catalyst in prompting Charlie to make her decision to move to the D.C. Metropolitan area. Within a week of that heart-to-heart with Laura, Charlie had packed up and sold her home, much to her parent’s disapproval. They didn’t think it was right that she should take off with such a small child and go to a place where she had no family support. Charlie would hear none of it. It was her life and she had Kristy to think about. She felt a fresh start for the both of them would be a good thing.
If someone had told her three years ago she could love someone as much as she did her daughter, especially after losing Paul, Charlie would have laughed. The child brought joy to her life every single day. Kristy looked just like Charlie, down to the heart-shaped beauty mark at the corner of her little mouth. The only difference between mother and daughter was Kristy’s golden brown skin and pale blue eyes.
At the mere thought of her pretty little girl, she smiled. Each step she took toward her new job, her new life, made her hope with all her heart that she’d made the right decision for her and for Kristy.
“Fresh meat in the accounting department.” Steve leaned over Jake’s desk.
“Do you have to start this early in the morning? I take it you’re referring to the accounting supervisor position being filled. I’m sure anyone is an improvement from the employee who previously held that job. From what Brian tells me, the last person didn’t get the job done,” Jake said, not really paying attention to his vice-president and best friend. Steve was a perpetual skirt chaser and Jake was not in the mood to be baited right now.
“That’s not what I was talking about and you know it,” Steve said undeterred. “You should see this one. She’s a looker. Brian didn’t tell me that the lady he hired was so hot.”
“He wouldn’t. Brian is gay remember?”
“Well if I were a homo, this one would make me change my mind.”
“Really dude? That’s not cool. I’ve told you countless times not to call Brian a homo. Steve, you’re thirty-six years old. Grow up,” Jake growled.
“Take it easy, my friend. First of all, you know I like Brian. I just don’t understand how he would rather stick his dick in some dude’s ass when there are all those sweet pussies out there waiting to be plundered.”
“And this coming from a guy who likes anal sex,” Jake said rolling his eyes.
“With women. Besides, if there’s not pussy to go along with a nice tight ass, where’s the fun?”
“I don’t care who he’s with as long as he’s competent at his job. Is there ever a time when you’re not thinking about pussy?” Jake and Steve had been friends, but sometimes Jake wished Steve would lose that frat boy mentality.
“No, and you’re one to talk, Jake. You’re the same age as I am and you go through women like I do underwear.”
“Maybe so, but I keep my work life and my private life separate. Just be careful, Steve. Remember the last girl you dated in the office.”
Steve shuddered. “I still can’t believe that psycho keyed my car. How was I supposed to know the girl was unbalanced?”
“Exactly. You don’t know. You’d be better off leaving the ladies from the office alone,” Jake advised.
“I’d take your advice if this one wasn’t so special. I’m telling you, Jake, this lady is something else. She could be the next Mrs. Suarez.”
Jake rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Yeah, right. Don’t you mean the next ex-Mrs. Suarez? Doesn’t the fact that you already make one hefty alimony payment each month tell you something, not to mention your broken engagement?”
“Aw, come on, man. They were a couple of trial runs for the real thing. Besides, as of next month, I’ll no longer have to pay alimony. Jennifer has found some other sucker to marry her. He makes me look like a pauper and, as part of the divorce settlement, the payments cease when she remarries.”
“Congratulations,” Jake muttered dryly, “but I wouldn’t rush into another failed relationship so quickly if I were you. Look, I have tons of work to do, as I’m sure you do as well. I hardly have time to listen to you talk about your next conquest.”
“Lighten up,” Steve taunted. “When did you become so uptight, pretty boy?”
Jake hated when Steve called him pretty boy. Steve never let Jake live down the fact that he had done some modeling on the side, while he attended college for a little extra cash. Modeling had not been his cup of tea, but the money had been decent.
“Call me pretty boy again and you’ll be swallowing your teeth,” Jake threatened.
“Don’t you at least want to know what she looks like?” Steve asked eagerly. He reminded Jake of a puppy in a pet store window competing to be purchased.
“I’m sure I’ll see her around eventually.” Jake shrugged, not taking his eyes from his computer.
“Fine, but when you see her, back off because this one is mine.”
“I’ll try to hold back the urge,” Jake responded sarcastically. The office fell silent for a few minutes but Jake could feel Steve’s stare. Steve wouldn’t go away until he let him say his peace.
“Okay, Steve, I’ll bite. Describe her to me.” Jake plucked off his reading glasses, sighing with resignation. For such an intelligent guy, Steve let the little head control the big one way too much.
“Well, all I have to say is this chick is smokin’ hot. She’s a black lady, about average height, slim, a little small on top but her ass makes up for it. You have got to check out this woman’s ass. It’s like something out of a rap video but it actually looks natural.”
Jake signed. He didn’t think any woman’s ass could compare to Charlie’s. Damn. He didn’t want to think about her. He didn’t want to think about how much more that night had meant to him than it had to her. After all this time thoughts of her still infiltrated his mind.
“…And her lips…very sexy…”
Charlie’s lips had been very sexy, Jake thought, tuning in and out to what Steve was saying.
“…name made me laugh…”
Jake did pick up on that, and a chill ran down his spine.
“What’s her name?” Jake asked more casually than he felt.
“Charlie Brown. Funny name for such a pretty lady, but what’s in a name?”
“Yes, what’s in a name?” Jake answered absently.
Steve leaned on the desk, waving his hand in Jake’s face.
“What’s the matter Jake?”
“I…I think I know her.”
“Really?” Steve asked incredulously. “From where?”
“From…” Jake trailed off.
Jake had never told Steve what had happened three years ago. At the time he had been too embarrassed by the fact that he had jumped the gun in thinking there was possibly a future in store for Charlie and him. Charlie obviously didn’t. Steve was a good guy, but Jake knew his friend wouldn’t understand his dilemma.
What was he going to say now after all this time? That he met this woman three years ago, they had a one-night stand and then she disappeared? Or should he tell Steve that Charlie Brown had made him feel things he had never experienced with any other woman before or since he’d been with her? How could he explain to his friend that bit of information when Jake wasn’t so sure of his own feelings? Charlie had never given him a chance to find out.
“From where?” Steve persisted.
“I believe I met her three years ago.”
Steve pursed his lips. “Yeah, sure. You’re just saying that so that you can get a piece. I know you have a thing for big asses.”
Jake gritted his teeth with impatience. He didn’t have time for this. “Fine. Don’t believe me.” Jake rubbed his now aching temples before he spoke again. “Look, I really need to concentrate on these reports. So I will talk to you later,” Jake dismissed.
Steve looked lightly perturbed, but didn’t press. “Sure, man. I’ll drop by later with the report you requested. I also want to go over that meeting I had with the Banner group last week when you have some time.”
“Sure.” Jake wasn’t paying attention as Steve let himself out.
Charlie Brown was probably not as uncommon a name as any, but the fact that Steve pointed out her most memorable features, Jake knew in his heart it was his Charlie. Jake thought he would never see her again. After she had disappeared he couldn’t stop thinking about her so he had hired detectives in North Carolina to track her down. He had given them all the information he knew about her, but they had turned up nothing. Now she was here in the very same building. His heart raced.
Jake could still remember the taste of her, the feel of her soft dark skin and the way his cock had felt inside of her. He had been with several women since that encounter, trying to wipe her from his memories but to no avail. No one had felt the way she had in his arms.
Did she have a lover? Was she finally over her husband? Would she remember him? From the sound of it, Charlie was as sexy as he remembered. She may have used him three years ago, but this time things would be different. Finally the time had come to find out exactly what his feelings for her were. One thing hadn’t changed in the past three years. He still wanted her.