15. Charlotte
Charlotte’s professional life was thriving, from her students and colleagues to the drama department and other various extracurricular activities she oversaw, and her personal life was pretty close to fantastic, evidenced by a dinner out with Nora and Trixie at La Hacienda.
Only her romantic life stood still, after her ill-fated attempts at dating last year.
“When is your Beverley two-year anniversary, Lottie? It has to be coming up, right?” Trixie’s question unknowingly saved her from focusing too much on what her life was missing.
It was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and though there was no school, Charlotte had fittingly taken part in a Zoom call concerning diversity in literature that morning.
She’d presented part of her curriculum from last semester, where she had included books from authors of color with her lesson in The Canterbury Tales.
“Yes, April. Just a few months away. I can’t believe how time has flown since my first visit here.
” Or since I first saw Henry, she silently added, missing him more than she believed she had a right to.
Thankfully, a pitcher of frozen margaritas arrived for their table before she could dwell too much on Henry or her longing for him.
Thinking of him brought Effie and Josh to mind.
“Have you guys seen the dress Effie got for the wedding?”
“Oh, yes, it’s stunning,” Nora proclaimed. “Our first wedding in the family of the next generation. And hopefully for Josh, things will work out better with Effie than they did with Tess.”
Trixie declared, “Effie isn’t the one we have to worry about. She and Josh are as head-over-heels as a couple can get. It’s her mother I’m concerned about. The way she acted at their engagement party. She should be ashamed.”
“Trix, that was five months ago. I’m not defending DD, but she is trying to be better.” Nora poured salsa into a cup. “Speaking of the party, though, I was surprised you weren’t there, Charlotte.”
“Yeah, I was sorry to miss it.” She cast her eyes down.
She’d already made an excuse to Trixie but couldn’t remember what she’d told her friend about why she hadn’t come.
Anxious about seeing Henry again, her nerves had her running late that day, after talking herself into asking him out, finally.
Hoping to ask Henry to go on a drive with her after the party, she had driven resolutely to Effie’s house in her Tempest. The moment she rounded the block, her eyes landed on Henry, more handsome than she remembered.
With his hands on his hips, his legs were long in the jeans that encased them, and even from half a block away, sexual awareness flooded her.
Her expectations abruptly screeched to a halt, though, as DD fell into his arms from the stairs.
Unable to face the sight of him holding another woman, particularly that one, Charlotte continued driving, not relaxing until she reached the Dairy Barn on the outskirts of town, where she drowned her sorrows in a Butterfinger and cookie dough stuffed cyclone.
“Well, we missed you,” Trixie assured her. “And you missed DD making a spectacle of herself. I’m sorry, Nora, I know she’s been your friend for ages, but—”
“I know. Honestly, I’m about at my limit with her, too. And George is furious with her for roping Henry into helping her again.” Nora shook her head.
“That’s my brother. Once he heard about Burnside’s second heart attack, he felt guilty. Why I will never understand. I mean, she could just hire someone to help. Or what about Hamilton? Why can’t he help her again? He was doing it before.”
Nora added, “Hamilton is DD’s son with Burnside. Sweet boy. Really good-looking, too. Not as good-looking as our sons.” Nora grinned at Trixie.
Trixie raised her glass in agreement. “Yes, Felix and Daniel are quite attractive, if I do say so myself.” She flashed Charlotte a grin. “And you already know Liam—too gorgeous for his own good, that one. Ooh, Lottie, didn’t you say your daughter was single?”
“Forget about it, Trix,” Nora told her sister-in-law. “Liam is still nursing a broken heart from that woman in New York. Won’t even look at another woman, according to his sister. But Hamilton is single.” Nora scooped up salsa with a tortilla chip.
“I don’t know. Isobel isn’t looking to settle down. Plus, she lives three hours away.”
Nora waved her hand, the giant diamond on her finger sparkling. “Forget that, then. Ham just got out of a long-distance relationship with a woman from Philadelphia.”
“Oh, right.” Trixie nodded. “They met at the street dance in Beverley a couple of summers ago. She’s a bit older than him, if memory serves—”
“A bit?” Nora burst in. “DD had a fit every time she talked about her precious son dating an older woman. Acted like they were committing some kind of terrible sin.” Nora helped herself to another serving of chips and salsa.
“Back to DD and Henry. I agree she is leaning too much on him, but you know him. He always goes out of his way to help everyone.” Nora leaned in, whispering, “And we all know what a terrible crush he had on her.”
“In high school, Nor. Ages ago. Over for decades,” Trixie said pointedly, with a brief nod at Charlotte.
Nora’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes—I mean no, he’s not still hung up on DD. That was nothing more than a teenage crush.” After a bite of her enchiladas, she asked, “Speaking of dating, what about you and Henry, Charlotte?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I’m not really—”
“According to George, he’s talked about you. And he never does that.”
Charlotte blushed, feeling like a teenager. “I’m sure that was a while ago.” More than likely, after one of her trips to the garage, which seemed like too long ago at this point.
Nora assured her, “No, it was recent. Would you be…interested?” Charlotte looked from Nora to Trixie, gaping.
Trixie raised her hands. “I didn’t say anything, Lottie. She got there on her own.”
With her tongue loosened by her margarita, she admitted, “I just…I don’t know. It’s hard, starting over. I thought we shared a couple of moments, but he’s never called me. Even after I told him to.” She confided in them about the day she’d seen him, a year ago, in the diner with DD.
“I did warn you that he may require patience, Lottie,” Trixie reminded her. “But even I have to admit that I didn’t know he would require so much.” She shrugged. “He’s so cautious.”
“And scared of opening himself up.” Sympathy was written on Nora’s face. “But if he’s talking about you with George, that means something.”
Trixie nodded. “He keeps his cards close to his chest, Lottie. Getting information out of him can be impossible. But once he lets you in, he’s loyal.”
“He may need a bigger push, unfortunately; as scary as it sounds, you may need to make the first move,” Nora advised her.
No way, Charlotte thought. She couldn’t. Instead, she put her head down, focused on new lesson plans, and busied herself with her students. Until spring break.
With no plans except to narrow down next fall’s theatrical selection, Charlotte strolled over to the high school from her house in the fresh, albeit chilly, air.
Forgotten once the bell rang on the previous Friday, the plays were on her desk, and her trip provided her an opportunity to think about everything that was not happening in her life, despite her wishing otherwise.
After picking up Our Town and The Crucible, Charlotte wandered down Main Street, heading to Mr. Beans for lunch.
As she passed the library, she waved to Effie, who was standing on the steps with her arms around Josh.
The younger woman looked more in love every time she saw her, and in her opinion, Josh was a sweetheart who would clearly do whatever he could to make Effie happy.
As fluffy snowflakes fell, she debated her drink order: one of Mr. Beans’ decadent hot chocolates or an equally luxurious coffee concoction?
Before pulling open the door to the coffee shop, her eyes fell, as they always did, to Henry’s auto shop across the street.
A little voice tried to encourage her to go over to see him, but with a shake of her head, she entered the coffee shop as planned.
Once inside, where the order line was several people deep, she waited for her glasses to clear after they had fogged from the cold outside.
Standing behind a man significantly taller, her phone pinged in her pocket, and she pulled it out.
Amy
How’s spring break?
How’s Henry?
Make your move yet?
A guy like that can’t be single forever, you know…
Charlotte
Stop!!! No, I haven’t made a “move” yet.
Do you really think I should?
Amy
It’s that or keep waiting.
Aren’t you tired of that?
Amy was right; she was tired of waiting, and made up her mind that after lunch, she’d go see Henry and try one final time with him.
Invigorated by her decision, she started replying to Amy but froze when the man in front of her gave his order to the barista.
“I’ll have my usual smoothie order and one of those warm chicken salad sandwiches.
” That deep voice belonged to only one man. Henry.
Sadie, the barista, laughed. “Henry, when will I convince you to try another smoothie blend?”
Entranced, Charlotte watched his wide shoulders lift as he told Sadie, “If I find something that works, I stick with it.”
“You’re just like your future daughter-in-law, who also orders that same sandwich. I swear, Effie is in here every other day for it.”
Screwing up every ounce of courage and bravado she possessed, Charlotte blurted, “That’s my favorite, too,” to his broad back, hoping she displayed a calm demeanor as he turned around.
Heart slamming into her chest, her brown eyes locked with his sky-blue ones.
Breathlessly, she noted how his pupils dilated.
A sign, according to Amy, of interest, still evident after so many agonizing months of no contact.
“Is that everything, Henry?” asked Sadie.