Nathaniel
IT WAS A damn shame how nervous I was right now.
Samp would’ve been encouraging but also laughing his ass off since the Cowboy Casanova felt like he might shit his pants all because of nerves.
Hopping on the back of an ornery bull didn’t move me but this right here? I felt like I needed to throw up. And I’d eaten my favorite breakfast just to ensure I had the energy to do this shit.
The last time I had felt this was when Johnetta Monroe told me she was going to kiss me under the bleachers in fifth grade.
It was going to be my first kiss and I was sweating about it all day.
That shit was anti-climatic because I was a kid and life kept on.
She didn’t give me magical powers or no shit like that, but I felt like Charmy’s presence alone gave me wings.
Which is why I was so damn nervous.
I walked into the office, her head snapped up, and a smile was on her face.
I knew she was angry with me because of how we’d ended things when we were at the house the other night.
Things were getting heavy and the men who had agreed to patrol decided that was the night they wanted to meet up and discuss the information that our connect had found.
I couldn’t flake on something that important just to fall into Charmy’s body because I wouldn’t have been able to give her the focus and attention she deserved.
My mind would’ve been on what they were discussing and if they needed me.
I made an adult decision and now it might cost me something I didn’t want to lose.
“Good morning, Nate.”
Those two big doe eyes seemed to light up when they landed on me and it made me feel a hundred feet tall and like I needed to go run and hide.
I was glad she wasn’t pissed at me because she had been standoffish the last few days.
I didn’t want to look at it too much because I was sure she was in her head.
It was time for me to remove any doubt she might have.
Stop being a bitch, Nate.
“H-h-hey, Charmy.”
Her eyes narrowed and I had to clamp my lips shut because when did my ass start to stutter?
Sampson was gonna roast my ass for sure.
“Are you okay?”
The way she was looking at me was almost offensive. She had the nerve to look worried and the last thing I wanted was for Charisma to ever think that she needed to look out for me.
“Yeah, something got caught in my throat.”
She looked like she knew my answer was some bullshit but was sweet enough not to call me out on it. Would that last? Probably not but I was thankful she wasn’t calling me out on it now.
“Okay. Is there anything you need? I updated the calendar before I left for the weekend and I checked messages for anything that might have come through.” She went to clacking on her computer making the puff ball in her hair bounce around and I walked deeper into the room so that I could command her attention.
“Yeah, I know you’re doing your job, Charmy, that’s not why I stopped in.”
“So I’m not being fired?”
Her grin brought mine out and I was happy that we were back to being playful with one another. “No. Not at all.”
“Whew, okay that makes me slightly less stressed. But you are kinda scaring me.” She wiped her brow jokingly bringing a smile back on my face and putting me at ease.
“This place couldn’t run with you. You’ve got us into shape this fast and it would fall apart just as quickly. If you got nothing else, you got job security.”
“Happy to hear that. So what’s up?” She leaned back in her seat and folded her arms over her chest.
“The family rodeo is this weekend.”
“Yes, is that what’s wrong? I’m more than happy to work the event just let me know what—”
I scoffed because she’d lost her damn mind thinking I was going to have her running around doing work. It was bad enough she’d had to do it with the open house. “Work it? Nawl, I need you, I want you to be my date.”
“Your date?” She looked genuinely surprised and that annoyed the hell out of me.
“Yeah.”
“Like a date, date?”
She cocked her head to the side and while she looked adorable; I needed her to stop playing with me. “Yeah, like a date, date. I don’t like the people who are normally there cause they do too much.”
She chuckled then sat forward and braced her face on her hands. “You want me to be a meat shield?”
“I want you to be my safe space.”
Didn’t mean to say that shit but the smile that crossed her face made that slip of the tongue worth it.
“That seems like a really big order, Nate.”
“Your simple existence occupying the same vicinity as me has always been enough. I’m just asking you to get dressed up to do it this time.”
“I’d love to but it depends on if I have something to wear.”
My wallet was out and my card was in her hand before she could finish her sentence. I nodded to it and tucked it back in my pocket before she could protest. “Get whatever you need on me. Matter fact, take the day off and go shopping.”
“Nathaniel—”
She tried to flex some power over me that she did indeed have but it wasn’t going to work this time. I would rarely go against Charmy, but if it meant I got to spoil her I would disagree every time. “You not gone change my mind. You need clothes, I’ve inconvenienced you, so I need to buy them.”
“You can’t boss me around.”
“Technically…” I waved my finger around the office as her eyes narrowed.
“But you can’t tell me what to do on my personal time.”
“I can’t. But I can make attending it a requirement of your employment and your ability to attend would fall on me. So you can look at this as a business expenditure. Since you’ve gotten done what you needed to get done you can take the time and head into town.”
“You’re serious about this.” I knew I joked a lot but nothing about taking care of her was a laughing matter.
“I am.”
“You’re going to annoy me until I do what you say aren’t you?”
“Yeah, basically. I want you to have everything that you need since you’re doing me a favor. Keep the card until you get everything you need. Shoes, hair, nails—”
Her face balled up and I wondered what the hell I’d said that was wrong. “You calling me a barefoot, nappy-haired, crusty fingered, wanch, Nate?”
“The fuck? Charisma, hell no! I’m just saying get whatever you need.”
She bust out laughing while I was sitting here with my heart beating out my damn chest thinking she was upset. “I’m fucking with you. Not really, cause you listed off a long list of shit like I have a lot of maintenance I need to do.”
I looked her up and down thinking that she ain’t need to groom a damn thing. “You could come in a fucking paper bag and be the baddest bitch in there.”
“But you was just saying to me my fingers were crusty.”
I laughed again because she wasn’t going to let this shit go. “Charisma, you giving me hell.”
“Good. Joy keeps you young. But I can still afford to do all of this by myself. You seem to forget that you’re paying me a crazy salary and I have no bills because this job apparently comes with housing.
” That brow was arched again and I couldn’t believe she was still bringing up the fact that I included the casita in her job benefits.
“All our jobs come with the option of housing. It’s just the way it’s always been so stop looking at me like I’ve done something sneaky.”
“I still don’t believe that shit but your mama said it was true and I ain’t about to call her a liar.”
Maureen was coming in clutch yet again for her baby boy. “Good cause she probably would’ve popped you in the mouth.”
“That lady loves me.”
“She absolutely does. So why don’t you call her up and ask that she and my sister can take you shopping since they know the family colors and shit this year.”
“Family colors?” The panic was creeping back up but I ain’t give a shit. Charmy was going to look like one of us because she was. Even Runt’s ass had gotten a tuxedo that went with Reecie’s dress.
“Hell yeah. We make this shit look good so you know we gotta color coordinate.” Despite the desk between us, I leaned over it and got a whiff of her perfume, forcing me even closer to her.
She swallowed before looking like she wanted to meet me the rest of the way and kiss me. If we started something in here we wouldn’t stop and we both had too much to do today.
“Well, I’m just—”
“Charisma, call my mama. Cause if you finish that sentence we gone have a problem.”
“You are really taking to this boss thing a little too well. I thought you didn’t like that title.”
“It works well with you. You apparently need someone to be bossy. You don’t like to be taken care of and I don’t like that.”
“Because I need to be independent.”
“Yeah, but not to the point of stupid.”
“Now I’m dumb?” Her hand went to her chest and I could see how much she was enjoying this shit.
I laughed her off because I was not about to follow her up. “This is a glimpse into the future, ain’t it?”
“Makes you want to run doesn’t it?” She bounced her brows playfully with a grin on her face.
I caressed the side of her cheek making her smile falter.
“Yeah…so I get to it quicker without you putting up all these weird ass roadblocks and shit.” I pecked her lips and when I pulled back she was looking at me with that wide-eyed, dreamy look on her face.
I wanted to be the one to keep it there permanently.
“You’re serious.”
“Of course I am. Now, are you calling my mama or am I?”
She rolled her eyes but then her face broke into a smile. “I’ll call her.”
“Good. I know she’ll make sure that you spend money the right way. And do me a favor, Charmy.”
“What’s that, Bucky?”
“Don’t look at a price tag today. Get everything you need and want. Just know I got you.”
“I heard you out here trickin’ today, Buck.”