Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHARLIE
“Hector!” the barista shouted, placing a coffee on the counter of Mug Shot Café.
I lifted my gaze while Hector grabbed his coffee, then returned it to my phone to continue typing out a message to Athena. It was four in the afternoon, which meant that she’d be getting out of her internship soon.
Me: Meet me outside when you’re done.
Me: I have plans for us.
Athie: You do?!
Athie: I’ll be down in a couple mins!!
The barista placed two hot chocolates on the counter. “Charlie!”
After scooping them up, I kicked open the door and stepped out onto the cold Pittsburgh sidewalk. People rushed to catch the bus home while others loitered around the square, dressed in black and yellow for this weekend’s sports games down in the city.
“I’m in a bit of a sticky situation,” I said to Hector.
Hector, who had been reading a text off his digital watch, arched a brow and looked up at me. “You, in a sticky situation? No!” he said, feigning surprise.
Hector knew about my secret side hustle—if I could even call it that.
“Ha-ha,” I dragged out. “But I’m serious, and I need your advice.”
Hector thrust one hand into his suit pants pocket and sipped on his coffee. “Michelle mentioned that you stopped by Radiant twice yesterday, looking for me. Does this situation happen to involve your brother?”
“My brother?” I furrowed my brows. “Why do you say that?”
“Because he’s become a member of Radiant.”
I gritted my teeth and stopped. “He what?”
That asshole had told me that he was in town for a couple of days. If he became a member of Radiant, then that meant he either planned on visiting more often or he intended to move into the city. And his one deciding factor had to have been seeing Athena. He’d hated the city before.
“So, it’s not him?” Hector asked.
“No, it’s not him.” But maybe it was now.
That fucker was going to ruin everything that I had built with Athena over the past few years. He’d come right in, sweep her off her feet, and steal her from me, like he had done with all my friends since I had been just a kid.
“Is it about Athena?” Hector asked, continuing to walk toward Athena’s building. “Heather mentioned that she was acting a bit weird the other night. Things must be getting pretty serious if you’re bringing her to Radiant.”
“I’m not bringing her to Radiant.” At least, I didn’t have any plans yet. My hands tightened into fists as Derek flashed through my mind. What if he had brought Athena to Radiant? “Why? Did you see her there?”
“Michelle said you reserved a room for next week.”
“Michelle has a big mouth,” I muttered.
He rolled his eyes. “Tell me about it.”
I sucked in a breath and averted my gaze to the sidewalk. “That’s actually what I want to talk to you about. I need advice. I reserved that room for a—ahem—business meeting.”
Hector shook his head. “Damn it, Charlie. I warned you about doing porn.”
“I enjoy it, and it makes good money.”
“Your family is worth a billion dollars. You don’t need the money.”
“I’m not going to live off them like Derek does.” I flared my nostrils and tried hard not to squeeze the cups in my hands. “Fuck being in their socialite circles too. It’s not what I want.”
Maybe that was what I had wanted in the beginning of college, but since I’d met Athena …
a life outside the city with a couple of dogs sounded really nice.
I didn’t have to worry about what others thought of me, didn’t have to show up at every party.
I could go on silly little dates with her and enjoy my life.
Only if she wanted that too.
“What’s your problem then?” Hector asked.
“I have feelings for Athena,” I said, chewing on the inside of my cheek, “which wasn’t a problem until … I think she might have certain types of feelings for me back. I only got into porn because I … I never thought that she’d actually like me like that.”
“Do you know for sure?”
“No, but we hooked up.”
Hector’s lips curled into a smirk. “It’s about time.”
“You can’t tell Heather.”
“I won’t, but I still don’t know what your problem is.”
“I know that she wants to sleep together, but I don’t know if she has the same kind of feelings that I do. And I’ve already signed a contract with Nadia to film a scene with her next week, which is why I reserved that room.”
“What a sticky situation. It’s not like you can ask Athena how she feels.”
“And ruin years of friendship?!” I exclaimed. “I don’t want it to get weird between us.”
What if she doesn’t feel the same way?
“Besides, if she—”
Before I could finish my sentence, the building door opened, and Athena stepped out. The wind blew strands of her red hair, along with the sides of her pink peacoat, back. I straightened out and cleared my throat.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Hector said, noticing Athena. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See ya,” I hummed, smiling at Athie as she bounced down the steps.
“You didn’t have to wait out in the cold for me,” she said, waving to Hector. “How’s he?”
“Good,” I said, handing her a hot chocolate. “Here.”
“Thanks!” She beamed and looked out at the busy road. “Where are we going?”
I placed my cup on the ground, snatched her coat, and twirled her back toward me, and tugged it together to button it for her. “You’re not going anywhere without buttoning this jacket up. What did I tell you about going out in the cold?”
“Hey,” she said, tucking some hair behind her ear and watching me button it all the way up. “I’m wearing a coat! I just”—she smiled harder, and I couldn’t tell if she was blushing or if the cold was too harsh for her pale skin—“maybe got excited.”
“For our plans?”
She shrugged and tightened her grip on her bag. “To hang out with you.”
Fuck.
Warmth spread through my chest, and my dick hardened.
“So, where are we going?” Athena asked, wrapping her arm around mine and hiding her face behind my shoulder to protect herself from the wind.
“A new mini-golf place opened up a couple of blocks down, and—”
“You’re not fucking with me, right?”
A chuckle left my mouth. “No.”
While still clutching on to my arm, she jumped up and down. Drizzles of hot chocolate rolled down the sides of the cup from her splashing it everywhere. “Yes! I haven’t been in so long! I’m so excited!”
My lips curled into a smile, but the heavy feelings of dread washed away any fluttery feelings I had for her. Hector was right. I needed to talk to her to see how she felt, but I was scared—fucking terrified—she didn’t feel the same way or that maybe she liked my brother.
Because it had been a couple of days since he’d visited, looking for me, and she still hadn’t said a word to me about him. Usually, she was a chatterbox about her day—which I loved—but something didn’t sit right with me.
And I refused to give up our friendship for some feelings that I had for her.