Chapter 7
“Girl, please tell me you got that man’s number!”
Charity Whitlock rolled her head to the side to observe the wide grin on her friend’s face. She heaved a sigh, knowing Paula wouldn’t like her answer. “No, I didn’t.”
“Why not? You had a man who could hold any woman’s attention, and you just let him walk away from you?”
“No… I allowed myself to be picked up by my friend and driven away from him.”
“Stop arguing,” Paula groaned.
Despite the strange occurrences in the past half hour, Charity couldn’t stop from grinning at Paula’s frustration. She’d first met Paula when the irrepressible woman came in to interview for a job where Charity worked. But where Paula was free-spirited, fun to be around, and never had problems finding a man to spend time with, Charity was the quiet one who preferred a good book, warm flannel pajamas, and a glass of wine by herself than dressing up and going out.
“Let’s just say that I didn’t find him to be a very empathetic person. Too judgmental. Too quick to act before finding out facts. Too… too… just too everything!”
Paula’s brows lifted. “Wow, that was a lot to discover in such a short time. And talk about the pot calling the kettle black!”
She whipped her head around. “Are you implying that I’m being too judgmental?”
“No… well, sort of… maybe… yeah, I guess I am.”
“Paula, you’ve always been better in the romance department than I have. Not that I’m looking, of course.”
“That’s not true!” Paula retorted. “Plus, I’m not looking for romance. I’m looking for a good time, and that’s all for right now. But you, sweetie, are looking for more, and that man looked like he might just be the one to romance you.”
She rolled her eyes. “A man who looks like that would hardly be looking for romance with me. I saw him in the pizzeria. He had two women’s phone numbers given to him before he’d ordered.” She looked at Paula, daring her to refute what she thought was the irrevocable truth.
Paula slammed on the brakes as they pulled over to the sidewalk in front of Charity’s door. “Geez, you don’t have any idea how gorgeous you are! Any man would be honored to be with you!”
They were silent for a moment, and then Paula pushed, “I heard you tell him your name was Charity.”
Scrunching her nose, she sighed. “Yeah, that was a momentary lapse in judgment. At least I didn’t give him my last name.”
Paula’s face softened as she reached out to wrap her fingers around Charity’s hand. “I think any man would be lucky to have you. Romance is important to you, and that’s exactly what you deserve. Nothing less. And one day, when I’m ready, I hope I also find a forever love. But, you’re right– until you find that special man, don’t settle for anything less, even if he is the hottest thing I’ve seen around this neighborhood!”
Charity laughed, her heart lighter. “You do know I love you, right?”
Paula winked. “What’s not to love, babe?”
Shaking her head, Charity climbed out of the car and started to close the door. Suddenly, she stopped and leaned down to peek inside. “I hope we both find what we’re looking for.”
Paula nodded, then stretched across the seat to grab Charity’s hand on the doorframe. “Don’t assume that because a man looks like the way he did, he’s not the type to go for romance. You never know what you’ll find, so be willing to give someone a chance.”
Charity unlocked her door and then turned to wave. She knew her friend wouldn’t drive away until she entered, so she walked inside and turned to secure the locks behind her. Her neighborhood wasn’t dangerous, but her door didn’t face the street. The small entrance hallway led straight up the stairs, and her apartment was the only one there. Once she’d climbed up to the landing, she unlocked the door leading directly into her apartment.
She shrugged off her coat, hung it on the coatrack, and moved farther into her cozy apartment. Although not spacious, it was home. A small living room was warmly decorated with colors of hunter green and burgundy. A doorway led into the eat-in kitchen, where she’d maintained the same color palette, only making them brighter with pale green and rose accents. Her space was rounded out with a bathroom and bedroom, both surprisingly sizable.
With no leftovers to store in the refrigerator, she simply filled a glass with wine before returning to the living room and settling onto the deep cushions of her sofa. Instead of turning on the television, her mind drifted back over the past hour”s events as she took slow sips.
When she’d left work earlier, she realized she had missed lunch, and the thought of a microwave dinner since she hadn’t grocery shopped this week was far from appealing. A pizza craving filled her thoughts, and while she didn’t eat out often, she’d given in to the urge to indulge.
Dining alone might be unpleasant for many people, as our society is so geared to couples or groups. Eating alone can feel like standing out. But Charity never minded sitting alone when having a meal. In the past, she’d been approached by men who felt sure she desired company when, in reality, all she wanted was to be left in peace to enjoy her meal.
However, as she thought about the lone man she’d spied several tables away in the restaurant this evening, it hit her that if he’d come over to ask if she’d like to eat with him, she might have been tempted to say yes. But only tempted. After seeing him gain two women’s numbers, even though he appeared not to want them, she’d chuckled aloud, then ducked her head to keep him from seeing her mirth.
He was tall and possessed captivating features. His physique was fit with defined muscles outlined in a long-sleeved T-shirt. His dark hair was trimmed shorter on the sides, and when seen up close under the lights, a slight reddish tint to the thick waves was revealed. A neatly trimmed beard and mustache framed his angular jaw, and his arched eyebrows gave his stare an intense and appraising gaze. But his smile held her attention—it gave him an impish expression.
When she’d landed on top of him, and then he’d rolled them over, she’d stared directly into his face, which was only a few inches away. She then discovered his eyes were green, ringed in gray that became darker toward the outer edge. And even though it sounded like a cliché from a romance novel, she felt she could drown in his eyes with a single glance.
“Good grief,” she moaned aloud, downing half the glass of wine in one large swig. “I’m sure that Mr. I-could’ve-walked-away-with-a-date-with-the-server-or-the-hostesswould have no interest in a short, decent-looking workaholic whose pay rarely allows for more than the occasional pizza night out.”
Her words weren’t self-deprecating but simply stating a fact. There was nothing wrong with her girl-next-door looks, but they rarely caught the attention of a man like him.
When she’d gone to dinner, she had no idea how complicated the evening would become. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her head back and rested it against the soft cushion as she stared up at the ceiling.
She had recognized the teenagers across the street as soon as she saw them. They hadn’t come to the center yet, but she had no doubt of their identity nor that they were up to something—probably something dumb. She’d finished eating and placed the leftovers in the plastic bag provided but had waited, hoping to keep an eye on them. As a crowd had walked across the street toward the restaurant, she knew that continuing to take up a table when she was finished with her meal wasn’t the right thing to do.
She was half a block away when she’d heard the scream and, turning around, had spied the boys racing away with several pizza boxes in their hands. Determined to catch up to them before anyone else did, she’d sprinted forward, darting into the alley where they’d disappeared. Heavy footsteps echoed behind her, and she’d turned swiftly, her heart racing. Running back toward the open end of the alley with her hands flung out to the side, she’d slammed into someone large and powerful. As his arms banded around her in mid-fall, they managed to twist so that he took the brunt of the impact on the concrete.
When he’d rolled them over, she found herself sprawled on the sidewalk, staring up into the eyes of the man she’d shared a table with. The breath was knocked out of her, but he’d jumped to his feet and hauled her upward. With no other words, he’d started after the boys again. His mannerisms had screamed law enforcement, and she was terrified he’d grab the boys before she could step in.
Now, leaning forward on her sofa, she shook her head. Someone like him would never understand why I didn’t want him to take them into custody. “Ugh,” she muttered before turning up her glass and draining the rest of her wine, barely tasting it. Dragging her fingers through her hair, she eventually stood and began flipping off the lights.
With each light extinguished, the darkness crept in behind her as she made her way to the bedroom. The room lacked a picturesque view, so she’d placed a long, narrow table in front of the window and filled it with plants. It had taken her a while to keep her little garden going, but seeing it each evening always made her smile. Her mother used to have a small garden in front of their house, and they’d spent many hours digging in the dirt, laughing and talking as they planted vegetables and flowers.
After watering the plants, she indulged in a soothing shower. Once dressed for bed, she braided her hair to keep it out of her face and enjoyed the results each morning when soft waves were easy to style. It wasn’t much of a beauty regimen, but considering she had little time, it worked for her.
Climbing into bed, she left the lamp on her nightstand and pulled out her eReader as she leaned against the cushions next to the headboard. Romances were her go-to read to forget about the woes of the day.
Normally, her days were filled with relentless work and countless reports– everything from compiling statistics, writing grant proposals, checking on the facilities, or counseling the ones in her care. She loved her job, but it left little time for anything else.
Snuggling against the soft mattress and squishy pillows, she surrendered herself to the imagination of the romance writer who made her always believe in a happily ever after.