Chapter 19 #2
Charlie held her breath for a moment, then decided to go for it.
Her mother had taught her long ago that she needed to stand up to bullies no matter how scary it was, no matter how much power they seemed to have.
It had been good advice and she was sure it was how her mother had managed to live with her father all those years, why he treated her so well when Charlie knew him to be the kind of authoritarian man who liked pushing his weight around when he could.
“No. Not when it comes to this project and John Doe. I’m the only one who will see those files.
There’s a reason the subject is John Doe and not using his real name and you can damn well keep Lisa Cooper out of it.
” She didn’t go so far as to tell him it was none of his business either, but he got her message.
His eyes widened in surprise for a flicker, then his mouth tightened as he considered her.
“Very well, you can keep your John Doe files confidential. But that’s all.
And remember, the university police will be poking around and they will not be answering to me—or to you.
The Board of Trustees wants to get to the bottom of the missing serum.
They understand the implications. They are concerned about it getting into the wrong hands, being sold to competitors, for instance. ”
She nodded, because that was all she could do.
She turned to the door, not waiting for him to signal that the meeting was over.
He didn’t stop her or say any more, so she left.
When she got a few feet down the hall, she hurried back to her lab, to her haven with her test tubes, aware that she still had that mountainous goal of getting her serum approved for use staring her down, but feeling the pleasure and excitement of her minor victory.
After passing and greeting co-workers and vendors along the way, when she finally got to her lab, her first impulse was to get to her office and call Trent to share her victory, let him know his file was safe from the prying eyes of Lisa Cooper. She herself stopped short.
“Good morning, Dr. Morneau.” Wendy Yu, her number-one assistant, the best lab assistant in the entire research facility, smiled at her. “Great game yesterday, wasn’t it?”
Everyone in the building seemed to have watched the damn game and talked to her as if she played it herself. Without realizing it, she’d been smiling and felt it slip before she forced the curve back into her mouth.
“Yeah, how are the numbers looking this week?”
“Excellent. I sent you the report electronically. All you need to do is add the week’s numbers for John Doe. How is he doing?”
“Very well. I’m optimistic for our serum, even though it’s way too soon, I can’t help myself.”
“I know what you mean. This would be a fantastic breakthrough for you.”
“For everyone,” Charline said. She meant it.
Hoped it would mean a breakthrough for her mother, but that was a longer shot.
She was counting on it to help her sister.
And it would definitely be a breakthrough for Trent.
He would be on top of the world if things worked out.
These thoughts buoyed her through the rest of the day and she missed lunch.
But she went home early because her four o’clock appointment cancelled and it was the one day she didn’t need to test Trent, and didn’t need to be at practice because the team was concentrating on game films.
After dinner, she gave her mother a mild dose of an antidepressant drug that she’d researched and found to be most appropriate to go with her other meds. Then she and Suzette sat in the living room alone.
“Trent wants me to get a new wardrobe.”
“I’ve been telling you to update your clothes for years. Are you upset with him?”
“No. You’re both right. Thing is though, I have no time for shopping. You know that.”
“I do. But . . .” Her sister gave her a cat-and-canary smile as she reached for her iPad on the coffee table. “There is a solution for that.” Suzette lifted the iPad and nodded meaningfully at her.
“Online shopping? I don’t think that’s the kind of wardrobe Trent had in mind.”
“Don’t worry. Even designer labels sell online these days. We can find you some stylish clothes and if we’re careful about shopping sales and finding coupons—”
“I forgot to mention there’s no need to worry about the cost. Trent is picking up the tab.” She pulled her wallet from her bag and slipped his black credit card from it, placing it on the couch between them.
Suzette’s smile went from tentative to giddy with excitement in one blink of her eyelashes.
“What about the fit? I’d need to try the clothes on,” Charline said. She wasn’t sure it would be as easy as Suzette seemed convinced it was.
“Don’t you worry. I know your size, I know how various designers’ sizings run, and I know what styles will flatter you. It may be a frivolous talent next to yours, but fashion is one area where I know my stuff.”
With that, Suzette powered up the iPad and with a serious and relentless pursuit, she ordered up a designer wardrobe for Charline for all occasions in the short window of time they shared that evening.
“Your new clothes should start arriving by Saturday.”
Charline was satisfied that she’d taken care of that problem as she went upstairs to her bedroom. If only all the problems she faced could be dealt with so handily. But Hogarth was complicated. Tammy Lockheed was unpredictable. And the press was ever present.
Once in bed, she picked up her phone from the nightstand and held it, procrastinating.
She was afraid to do it, but she couldn’t stop herself.
She tapped in Trent’s number. As she listened to the ringing of his line, she told herself she owed him this phone call, that she was obligated to tell him that his John Doe file was safe from being requested.
She hoped the damn man answered after all her anxiety about calling him.
There was no way she could leave a message on the off chance that someone might listen to it.
Four rings, then five sounded before he answered.
“Charlie, everything okay?” He sounded sleepy and worried at the same time and she heard the rustling of sheets. He was in bed. The irrational question exploded in her mind and she barely kept herself from asking if he was alone. Stop it. You don’t care.
They’d promised to see only each other, fake engagement or not, to avoid problems with bad press. And they were sleeping together, damn it. She was a one-man woman, even if it was only sex.
Or was it?
She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of her clogging emotions, tried to sound normal when she spoke.
“Yes, I’m okay—everything’s okay. In fact, that’s why I’m calling. To let you know that Dr. Hogarth agreed to call Lisa Cooper off—agreed that she would not have access to the John Doe files after all, and we won’t have to provide them.”
“That’s great news, Charlie—how’d you manage to convince him?” She heard the smile in his voice. She knew a smile popped onto her face automatically in response. Watch out, Charline. Don’t let yourself be charmed by him. He’s only a temporary bedmate. A temporary partner in crime.
The thought of their crime—her crimes—sobered her as she told him all about her confrontation with Hogarth.
“Little Snow White bared her teeth and the Big Bad Wolf backed down. I’m proud of you, Charlie.”
She couldn’t help the swell of emotion and the goofy grin, no matter that he was a temporary partner.
She laughed. “I think you’re mixing your fairy tales.”
“I like mixing things up.” His voice took on a sexy teasing lilt and her face heated. Everything in her heated.
“Good night, Trent.” She rushed to get off the phone, fear of her exaggerated reaction to him making her hand shake.
She had to get herself under control. Tapping the call off, she put the phone back on her nightstand.
His knowing laugh rang in her ears. She was being ridiculous.
Why would she be afraid of a little sex talk?
She’d had mad sex with the man numerous times.
So what if she enjoyed it? Was that so unreasonable, so out of control?
Maybe she felt out of control because there was something more intimate about it all when she was in her own bed. Or maybe it was the genuine pride he’d shown for her when she shared her small victory over Hogarth that made this about more than sex.
She couldn’t afford more than sex with Trent. Hell, she couldn’t even afford any sex with him, not really. She was already stretching her conscience further than she could stand. Now, all titillated and guilty, she was supposed to go to sleep.
Good luck with that, Charline.
After the call, Trent felt hot and bothered and considered masturbating. But it held no appeal without Charlie’s voice on the other end of the line. He was a sorry case. It was a good thing she hung up. He needed to save his strength and concentration for football.
That he looked forward to seeing Charlie the next day at practice annoyed the hell out of him.
Punching his pillow, he turned over, determined to sleep and dream about football, winning the Super Bowl.
Making the Football Hall of Fame. That’s all he deserved to dream about, all he could afford to dream about.
He’d made his bed. All those years ago. Now he was lying in it.
The next morning in the training room, Charline showed up at the last minute to give him his injection of EM-HGH-1-JD.
He sat on the table bare-chested and watched her as she readied the needle for injection.
She wore pants and a sweater today. He hadn’t seen her in either before and the sight was R-rated to him—never mind that he’d seen her sensuous shapely body naked.
The way the pants hugged her rear, the way the sweater fit snug across her breasts, would have made him drool if he weren’t exercising a massive amount of control to concentrate on practice.