Chapter 20
“ I failed my assignment,” I tell Esther two days later.
Her brow crinkles. “What assignment, dear?”
I bite my lip. “I had sex with Charlie.” So much sex with Charlie. “The best sex of my life, actually.”
To my surprise, Esther grins. “Good for you, honey.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Really? But what about the thirty days to get to know each other?”
My therapist’s lips quirk up with the hint of a smile. “It was only a suggestion. You wanted to make sure you were ready for a relationship. Sounds to me like you didn’t need a month to make your decision.”
“I told him everything there is to know about me. I showed him who I am, and he said he loved what he saw.” I let out a swoony sigh. “I’m head over heels for him, Esther. And I think he feels the same way. He says he’s smitten.”
“I’m happy for you,” Esther says. “You deserve this. It’s been a long time coming. ”
“Thank you,” I reply, looking down at my lap. “There’s just one thing that concerns me.”
My gaze meets Esther’s again. She’s nodding, encouraging me to continue.
“Charlie’s a regional vice president for his family’s business…
and his dad works him like a dog,” I explain.
“His parents just got back from a week’s vacation, and his father’s been making up for lost time by slamming Charlie with assignments over the past three days.
He’s still made every effort to see me, but…
I can tell how stressed he is. He’s like a different person, compared to the man I spent the weekend with while his dad was away.
Charlie was so happy and carefree then. And you should have seen the way his eyes lit up when he was taking pictures.
His real passion is photography. But his dad doesn’t approve, of course. ”
When Esther’s neutral expression turns into a frown that matches mine, I can tell she understands. “Sounds like someone else you know.”
“Yup…my father.” I blow out a breath. “I feel like Charlie’s stuck in the same place I was years ago, when I still cared about my dad’s approval.
When I let him convince me that painting was a waste of my time.
But now I’m in a place where I finally feel confident enough in who I am to do what makes me happy… ”
“And you’re worried Charlie will never get there,” Esther finishes for me when I pause.
I nod. “Charlie’s so perfect in every way.
He’s intelligent, sweet, and talented. He’s gorgeous…
and an amazing lover.” My cheeks warm. “It’s hard to believe some lucky lady didn’t snatch him up a long time ago.
Maybe this is the red flag I’ve been af raid of.
If his job is ruining his relationships, and he can’t stand up to his dad, it doesn’t bode well for us. ”
Esther sits forward in her chair. “Let’s focus on what you can control in this situation.”
I tilt my head, considering her question. “Well…I’ll stay committed to pursuing my passion, for one.”
“That might inspire him to do the same,” Esther adds. “You never know.”
“He already said as much,” I tell her. “I guess that’s a good sign.
He also said he’d love to see my paintings, whenever I’m ready.
I know I’ll muster up the courage to show him eventually…
but the idea of displaying my work at a gallery still terrifies me, for some reason.
Which is frustrating, because that’s my ultimate goal. ”
Esther’s gaze is sympathetic as I continue.
“I figured the confidence I’ve gained in therapy would carry over into sharing my art with the world…
but I don’t think it has yet. I mean, it’s one thing to show my pieces to the people who know and care about me.
But baring my heart and soul to strangers, who may not connect with my paintings or understand them? It makes me feel so vulnerable.”
Esther nods. “Artists do make themselves vulnerable. It’s a risk to open yourself up to the opinions of others. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if it’s a risk you’re willing to take.”
“I want to make a career out of painting, I really do. And I think I’m getting closer to taking the leap. It sure would be nice if the universe sent me a sign that the timing’s right…you know, gave me a little nudge, or something,” I joke.
My therapist smiles .
“A girl can dream, I guess. And as for my dilemma with Charlie’s job…I guess the only other thing I can do is talk to him about how I feel. But I think I’ll wait a bit, and see if his dad mellows out after a few days.”
“That’s a good plan,” Esther agrees.
I leave the session feeling a little bit lighter, and looking forward to spending more time with Charlie.
Later that night, he comes over to my place for dinner.
We’re eating carryout pizza and watching baseball on TV.
It’s Charlie’s favorite sport. He played Little League as a kid in Denver, and is a diehard fan of their MLB team.
Tonight they’re in the Windy City, playing the Starlings at Wrigley Field.
Unlike Christy, who played softball on a coed recreational team with Kyle, then became a baseball enthusiast, I don’t know a ton about the sport, so Charlie’s teaching me.
He’s in the middle of explaining what a 6-4-3 double play is, when thunder strikes his phone.
He ignores it, but his dad is relentless, sending text after text, until Charlie finally caves and reads the messages.
He pinches the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes shut .
“Everything okay?” I ask, rubbing his arm.
“I have to be in Denver for a lunch meeting tomorrow. That I’m leading—apparently.” His jaw clenches.
My eyes go wide. “And you’re not prepared, I take it?”
He shrugs. “I’ll get it done. I’ll prep a little after we’re done watching the game, and I can take care of the rest on the plane in the morning. I was looking forward to spending the night with you, though.”
“Me too,” I say, threading my fingers through his. When I look back up at him, he cups my face with his free hand and kisses the hell out of me. I pull him on top of me as I lie down on the couch.
“My workload should ease up soon,” he says, his gaze apologetic, and maybe the slightest bit anxious. “Dad’s looking to make a few new hires, which should take quite a bit off my plate.”
“Don’t worry about me, Charlie. I just want you to be happy.”
If he’s happy, we’ll be happy. Isn’t that what I learned from Dex and Sunny? They had to choose to be true to themselves before they could be together.
“You make me happy,” he says before kissing me softly.
“We should go on another adventure this weekend,” I suggest after his lips part from mine. “The arboretum, maybe—someplace scenic. I know you want to make more time for your photography.”
Charlie frowns. “I won’t be back until Sunday evening, most likely. My mom asked if I could stay the weekend. It’s been a while since I went home.”
“Of course.” I weave my hands into his hair as he lies on top of me. “We’ll have an adventure some other time.”
“Thank you for being so understanding,” he says before planting a kiss on my forehead that gives me butterflies.
I bite my lip. “I guess this is the last time we’ll see each other for a few days, huh.”
He nods with a furrowed brow, then reaches for the remote on the coffee table and switches off the TV. “We should probably make the most of it,” he says, his free hand cupping my breast.
“What about the game?” I ask him with a teasing smile. “And that 6-2-1 play, or whatever it was?”
He laughs into my neck as his hand travels up my thigh. “It can wait. But this can’t.”
My plan is to spend the entire weekend painting.
Charlie’s in Denver. Vanessa just left for Europe with her sister, Denise.
They’ll be gone for two weeks—on the tour that was supposed to be Vanessa’s honeymoon with Nico.
They’d scheduled it four months after the wedding to accommodate Vanessa’s new job.
I haven’t told her yet that I’m sleeping with Charlie.
This seems like a tough time for her, and I don’t want to gush about my new relationship.
I can’t imagine taking this vacation with her sister will be easy, but I’m hoping, somehow, it’ll provide the closure she needs to move on.
Who knows, maybe she’ll meet someone on the tour that will sweep her off her feet.
It doesn’t even have to be love—a fling might do her some good.
Or it could leave her yearning for more, which is how I feel with Charlie out of town.
I really miss him—and not just the sex. I miss his company.
The way I can tell him anything, and never feel like he’s judging me.
I miss the adorable way he laughs at my jokes, and the way he holds me while we sleep.
I miss the look in his eyes right before he kisses me.
I miss him so much that I contemplate texting Sam to see if she wants to hang out and help me get my mind off him, but she’ll take one look at me and know that I’m having mind-blowing sex, then grill me about it. And I don’t like to kiss and tell.
But when I call Christy and mention that I have the weekend free, she books a flight to Chicago on a whim. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since we were home for Christmas, over eight months ago.
I pick her up from the airport on Friday afternoon, and I almost don’t recognize her.
My tightly wound little sister, who typically sports a sleek, high ponytail, along with a sensible outfit from her carefully-curated capsule wardrobe, looks happier and more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her.
She has on a breezy floral sundress that shows off those new curves she acquired when she stopped marathon-training, and she’s wearing her beautiful auburn hair down, in loose waves.
“Christy, you look amazing!” I squeal when I see her. “Where did this gorgeous wavy hair come from?”
She laughs. “Apparently this is what happens when I stop flat-ironing.”
“Lucky you,” I say, threading my fingers through my stick-straight mane. “And the dress?”
“Post-breakup shopping spree,” she explains. “My entire closet was black and beige. I was so sick of it.”
“I like this side of you,” I say before I pull away from the curb.
We head back downtown, where I park in my building’s garage, then we walk to a nearby restaurant for happy hour.
Christy orders a dirty martini—a far cry from her usual glass of pinot noir—and we have the best time catching up, just the two of us.
Although we do get a lot of male attention.
Typically I’d be annoyed, but not tonight…
because my sister has been ap proached by three hot guys so far, and she’s grinning from ear to ear.
“Isn’t it great, Jenna? All I had to do was change my hair and wardrobe, and boom—men are finally noticing me,” she says before taking a sip of her martini.
I shake my head. “You’ve always been beautiful, Christy. You didn’t have to change a thing about the way you look. You’re just happier and lighter now. That’s what these guys are picking up on.”
She heaves a sigh. “I probably should have broken up with Kyle a long time ago. I’d been unhappy with our relationship for years.”
“But look at you now,” I say, reaching across the table for her hand. “You’re glowing. I have no doubt that you’re going to find an amazing guy who’s spontaneous, and fun…and will want to have sex with you any day of the week.”
She giggles. “I hope you’re right. My chances seem decent based on tonight, at least. Maybe I should move to Chicago.”
My eyes go wide. “Would you really?”
She tilts her head, smiling. “Let’s see how the rest of the weekend goes.”
I can barely contain my excitement, but I try to play it cool. “Deal,” I say, clinking my glass to hers.
After taking Christy to my favorite neighborhood Italian place for dinner, we start heading back to my apartment. As we’re walking, I pull my phone out of my purse, and see a couple of sweet text messages from Charlie—and a voicemail from Tati Marie .
I’d left her a message earlier, letting her know I wouldn’t make it to class, because my sister’s in town. But why would she call me back? Curious, I listen.
“Jenna, dear…it’s Marie. I’m calling with good news. My friend who owns an art gallery reached out to me today. She’s hosting a show for local artists, and wanted to see if I had any talented students who would be willing to contribute a painting. I told her I’d speak with you.”
“Oh my gosh,” I say, my heart pounding and my head spinning. Is this really happening?
“Take the week to think about it, and let me know what you decide,” she goes on. “I know it’s sooner than you planned, but I think you’re ready.”
“What’s going on?” my sister asks when I hang up.
I let out a breathy laugh. “Christy…I think I just got the little nudge from the universe I was hoping for.”