Chapter 9
Charlotte
Tip #9: If your boss shows up at your door unannounced, it’s either a very awkward HR violation or because you are much more than coworkers. Handle accordingly.
“I ’m not crazy. My guppies are absolutely multiplying! This is undeniable proof!” Ella gestured wildly at the aquarium tank that teemed with an obscene number of the colorful little fish.
I glanced up from the origami instruction book I was studying, eyebrows raised. From my vantage point on the couch, I could see the tank was ridiculously overcrowded, with guppies darting and swirling around each other inside the confines of the glass. There must have been at least fifty of them in there.
“Good Lord, did they put some kind of fertility drug in the fish flakes?” I set aside my book—which I’d bought the previous day when Isaac and I ate at Literum.
As it was late evening, I was lounging in our living room in my favorite old pink sweater and black sweatpants that harked back to my early high school years. (The word Princess , emblazoned across my butt in glittery letters, was a testament to the fashion of those bygone years.)
“I don’t know, but it sure seems like it,” Ella said.
“How is this even possible? Didn’t you specifically ask for only female guppies at the pet store?” I asked.
Ella froze, a guilty expression spreading across her face. She bit her lip. “Uh….”
I paused. “You did ask for only females, right?”
“I was going to! But I was just so excited to finally get a pet that I may have, um, forgotten to specify that little detail to the store clerk,” she admitted sheepishly.
I snorted and picked up my origami book again, flipping it open. “In that case, congratulations! You are now the proud owner of your very own guppy farm. All because you were so enraptured by their cute little fishy faces you forgot how to use your words.”
“What am I supposed to do with all these fish?” Ella groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “It can’t be sanitary to keep so many in one tank.”
“That sounds like a problem for the guppy farmer to solve.” I found the instructions for the origami project I’d been trying—and failing—to reproduce for the past thirty minutes. “And just wait, as long as you’ve got both boys and girls in there, the population is only going to keep exploding.”
Ella moaned, making a strangled sound in her throat. She pressed her hands to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m going to be swimming in guppies. How will I even come up with names for all of them?”
“Forget names. You better start building an addition on to that tank, or go back to the pet store and see if they’ll take some of those little guys off your hands. Unless you fancy opening your own aquarium?”
Ella sighed heavily and plopped down next to me on the couch. “I’ll call the pet store tomorrow. In the spirit of misery loving company: How goes your latest attempt at origami?”
I shot her an unamused glare and held up the misshapen, heavily creased piece of origami paper pinched between my fingers. “Does this look like progress to you?”
“Yikes,” Ella said with a sympathetic wince. “What is it supposed to be?”
“A box. I’m supposed to be able to make a top and bottom that fit together.” I tossed the crumpled paper onto the coffee table. “So much for origami being a relaxing and destressing hobby.”
Ella plucked the instruction book off my lap and flipped through it, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Maybe there’s some secret technique you’re missing. Like a hidden fold or something.”
“I don’t think a book is going to gatekeep folding techniques.”
“You never know!” Ella jabbed a finger at a particularly complex diagram. “Look at this step—how could you get it to fold like this without ripping the paper?”
I tipped my head back against the couch. “I thought origami would be easier than all those crocheting and cross-stitch projects I massacred. Apparently, I’m just as hopeless at folding paper as I am at wielding a hook or a needle.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Ella gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You haven’t had a real hobby since college thanks to that soul-sucking job of yours. It’s only natural that you’re a little rusty.”
She had a point. My unlikely hobby search was my first attempt at reclaiming some work-life balance. I refused to let a few (OK, a lot of) failed attempts at crafting discourage me.
“Maybe I should just avoid crafting hobbies.” I sighed, eyeing the pile of mangled origami papers littering the coffee table. “Time to cut my losses and try something new.”
Ella’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, I know! You could help me raise my guppies! We could be fish moms together.”
I shot her a flat look. “Absolutely not. I’m trying to reduce stress, not add more chaos to my life. Also, does Nate know about your burgeoning fish empire?” I asked, referring to her Navy/shipbound husband who was sailing the ocean, location unknown.
Ella scowled at me.
I grinned, preparing to make a follow-up joke, but the doorbell rang, startling us both.
Ella and I exchanged puzzled glances.
“Did you order anything?” I asked, furrowing my brow.
“Nope.” Ella shook her head. “Who could be at the door this late? It’s way past dinnertime.”
I shrugged, my mind drawing a blank. “No idea. But my self-preservation instincts are telling me not to answer it.”
We remained on the couch, silently willing the mysterious visitor to go away. The doorbell rang again, more insistently this time. I twisted around to peek at the living room window, the curtains drawn tight.
“Do you think they can see our silhouettes through the curtains?” I wondered aloud.
Ella waved a dismissive hand. “Doesn’t matter. If we stay out of sight, they’ll give up eventually.”
My phone chirped with a text message. I tapped the screen to bring the text up.
Isaac
I’m the one ringing your doorbell. Could you answer it, please?
“It’s… Isaac?” I said, my confusion turning the announcement into a question.
Ella’s eyes widened, shock and annoyance warring on her face. “Wait, hold up. Your boss is at our house? On a weeknight? This late?”
“It seems so.” I hauled myself off the couch and shuffled toward the front door, my mind racing with possibilities.
Ella snorted and grumpily snatched a piece of origami paper off the table. “This ought to be good.”
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to reveal Isaac standing on our porch. Despite the late hour, he looked as put-together as ever in the tailored suit he’d worn to work that day. But there was an unfamiliar edge to his demeanor, a tension I couldn’t quite place but could see in the way he clenched his jaw.
“Good evening, Charlotte,” he said, his tone smooth and professional.
“Hello, Isaac. Come on in.”
He nodded his thanks and stepped inside, his polished shoes a stark contrast to the worn hardwood floors of our cozy home.
Isaac glanced around our living room, taking in the mismatched furniture and the colorful artwork adorning the walls. “Hello, Ella,” he said, acknowledging my housemate with a polite nod. (They’d met several times before, between the Warner Print company picnic I invited Ella to every year and Isaac picking me up and dropping me off for the more important work functions we’d been attending since he made CFO.)
Ella eyed him warily, her lips pursed. “Isaac,” she returned coolly. “You better not be here to drag Charlotte off on some work emergency. It’s too late for that nonsense.”
Isaac shook his head, his posture slightly awkward as he stood in the middle of our living room. “No, nothing like that. I just happened to be in the area and had a few things I wanted to discuss with Charlotte.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking very out of place in our cozy, lived-in space in his expensive suit and classic looks.
Ella raised an eyebrow. “How convenient.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
I shot Ella a pointed look. “Don’t you have something else to do? Maybe research how fast guppies procreate?”
Ella rolled her eyes. “Fine, I can take a hint.” She stood up, scooping up my origami book and the piece of paper she’d been fiddling with. Flapping them in Isaac’s direction, she added, “Don’t take too long, Isaac. It’s way past working hours, and only someone as ridiculously dedicated as Charlotte would be willing to talk shop with her boss this late.”
“Ella!” I hissed.
Ella waved me off, strolled out of the living room, and disappeared down the hallway.
I cleared my throat awkwardly, then turned back to Isaac. “Sorry about that.”
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Isaac’s mouth. “It’s fine. I’m quite aware she’s not wrong.”
“Yeah. Well. Have a seat. I’ll just…” I trailed off, realizing I had no idea what to do with myself.
In the end, I opted for a retreat and walked over to the couch. When I turned around to sit down and face Isaac, his hint of a smile had turned into a playful grin.
I settled onto the couch, tucking my legs underneath me and trying to appear more relaxed than I felt. “What?” I asked.
Isaac sat down in the recliner across from me, his long legs stretched out in front of him and his grin still fully powered. “Princess, huh?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized he was referring to the glittery word emblazoned across my butt. I glanced down at my old sweatpants. “It’s from my high school–era wardrobe. Very dated, I know.”
Isaac tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “I wasn’t criticizing. Merely… intrigued.”
I blinked, trying to process the idea of Isaac being intrigued by my backside. Impossible. This was the man who lived and breathed for work. Shaking off the ridiculous thought, I clasped my hands in my lap. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
Isaac leaned back, his gaze drifting around the cozy living room before settling back on me. The playful glint had vanished, replaced by an intensity that made my breath catch. “Charlotte, I get it.”
“Get what?”
“The way those clients assumed we were married, the fact that you spend more time with my family than your own…” Isaac paused. “I understand why you want to leave Warner Print.”
I relaxed into the couch. “I’m glad you understand, Isaac. I was worried that?—”
“But,” he cut in, his voice firm. “That doesn’t mean I’m willing to lose you.”
I sighed, mentally chastising myself for thinking my boss had actually made progress. “Isaac…”
He held up a hand. “Please, just hear me out.”
I frowned. “Fine. Go on.”
Isaac leaned forward again, his elbows resting on his knees. “Charlotte, you’re not just my assistant—the whole company knows that. I rely on you more than anyone else.” He hesitated, as if searching for the right words. “I know I’m not the easiest person to work for. But I need you to know that I value you, not just as an employee, but as a friend.”
I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying.
I’d known for years Isaac saw me as a friend—that was no surprise. But he wasn’t the type to say it so forthrightly. He was the kind of guy who showed it in his actions or dropped that kind of bomb in an off handed remark.
Isaac Warner didn’t do emotions, which meant he generally didn’t talk about anything that would point to the existence of emotions.
“After Samuel—my twin, whom I share DNA with—it’s you,” Isaac continued.
Against my better judgement, my heart melted just a little. “Isaac, I value our friendship too. More than you know. But me leaving Warner Print doesn’t mean we have to stop being friends.”
Isaac’s gray eyes were stormy in the low lighting. “But what if you move for a new job? What if your career takes you to another city? Another state?”
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips despite the seriousness of the conversation. “I’m not planning on leaving Wisconsin. And even if I do move out of Fox Creek, it won’t be far. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Isaac didn’t seem reassured. He ran a hand through his dark hair, messing it up and looking bothered, and for some strange reason my fingers itched to reach out and smooth the strands back into place.
I took a deep breath, trying to inject some levity into the conversation. “Look, if I do end up moving, you’ll just have to learn to balance your work and personal life a bit better and make some time for me.”
I grinned at him, hoping to coax a smile in return. But Isaac’s expression remained serious, his eyes searching mine as if looking for answers to questions he hadn’t yet asked.
“Charlotte, I…” He paused, struggling with his words. “I don’t think you understand how much you mean to me. How much I’ve come to rely on you, not just at work, but in every aspect of my life.”
Isaac and I had a special bond, but to hear him put it into words? It made my lungs squeeze and my stomach twist with nerves simultaneously.
“Isaac, what are you saying?” I asked softly, almost afraid to hear his answer.
He leaned forward, his knees nearly brushing mine. “I’m saying that the thought of losing you, of not having you by my side every day… it’s unbearable. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
His words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning and unspoken emotions. But for the first time in years, I couldn’t quite interpret what he was getting at. Possibly because Isaac himself didn’t know. Even sitting here in my living room he looked… conflicted.
Isaac abruptly stood up. “I’ve taken up enough of your time tonight.”
Surprised by his sudden decision to leave, I stood as well. “Thanks for dropping in,” I said as we walked to the front door together, “And I’m glad you understand why I had to quit.”
Isaac gave me a flat look, his lips pressed into a thin line and his brows furrowed. Clearly, he wasn’t giving in just yet.
I grinned. “Have a good night, Isaac.”
He nodded stiffly. “You too, Charlotte. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.” He paused for a moment, then awkwardly pulled me into a hug.
I wasn’t alarmed or resistant. We were close enough friends that we had hugged before. I leaned into his embrace, linking my arms around his neck as his hands settled on my lower back. The warmth of his body seeped into mine, and the scent of his cedar and bourbon cologne enveloped me like a blanket.
We relaxed in each other’s arms, the tension from our conversation melting away. The muscles in his shoulders felt loose and pliant under my touch. Feeling daring, and not quite able to recognize why, I lightly squeezed the back of his neck. “I’m glad we’re friends,” I whispered to him, my lips accidentally brushing the rim of his ear.
Isaac abruptly pulled back, staring down at me with alarm. His gaze dropped to his hands, still resting on my hips, as if he couldn’t believe they were there.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
Isaac slowly pulled his hands off me, his fingers trailing across my sides. “I have to go.”
Before I could react, he opened the door and stepped out into the night, leaving me standing in the doorway, bewildered and oddly bereft.
Whatever the conversation we’d just had was, it was clear that Isaac was trying to reach out to me—and not for the sake of emotionally manipulating me into trying to stay at my job.
He’d been level with me, and somehow it felt like something had shifted between us.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Isaac was my boss and my friend. There was no way he saw me as anything more than that—he was too married to his work to even think of anything beyond that.
I closed the door, leaning against it heavily, and took a deep breath, trying to return to normalcy. Whatever that was.
“That was interesting.” Ella emerged from the hallway with a knowing smirk on her face. “That goodbye looked like more than just a friendly chat from where I was standing.”
I rolled my eyes, pushing off the door. “Don’t be ridiculous. Isaac and I are friends.”
“Uh-huh, sure. That’s why that high-powered workaholic bolted from the house after you hugged. Because you’re friends,” Ella said.
“Zip it.” I once again plopped down on the couch. “How did the guppy research go?”
“I’m avoiding it because I don’t want to think about it, so I used your origami as a coping mechanism, and I think I figured out your problem,” Ella said.
“What is it?”
“I measured the origami paper that came with the book while you chatted with your friend and discovered it isn’t quite square. It’s just a few centimeters wider than it is tall, which is just enough to throw off all the proportions since every origami piece in the book requires square paper.” Ella waggled a ruler and the book at me.
I gaped at Ella, annoyed and befuddled. “Why would an origami book come with paper that can’t be used for origami projects?”
“I don’t know, but it’s certainly false advertising!” Ella tapped the ruler on the side of her thigh. “Now, do you want to join me in my second avoidance technique and go raid the pantry to see if we can find that package of Oreos I hid two weeks ago but forgot where I put it?”
Thinking of Isaac’s confusing exit, I hopped to my feet. “Absolutely.”
I needed the distraction, because I should know better. Whatever had gotten into Isaac, it likely didn’t have anything to do with me. Today’s conversation notwithstanding, he wasn’t an emotional person, which meant I was definitely mulling this over more than he was, and I needed to move on.
“If I find the Oreos, I’m taking a finder’s fee,” I said.
“Brat,” Ella said, swatting at me with the ruler when I walked past her.
“Guilty as charged.”