Guess Who I Pulled Last Night? (27 page)

Charlotte nodded and started to chew her thumb nail; Bets slapped
her hand away from her mouth, startling Charlotte.  “Oww, that hurt, but
maybe you’re right.  He did say to give him until the end of the week.”

“There you go then, but Charlotte my God, fancy him feeling
like that about you.  How do you feel about it all? I mean after enduring
a miserable Christmas because of
him?”                         

The smile said it all.  “Bets I’m so happy, Christmas
seems a long time ago now.  I hope that it all works out.  You know
despite that gruff exterior, he really is sweet, and so incredibly sexy. I just
can’t wait for us to be together.”

“Well it won’t be long now.  I hate to mention this,
but did the name of a certain mutual acquaintance crop up?”

Charlotte’s face drained as she remembered Grant’s
visit.  “We talked about him, but I don’t want him to find out what
happened between us.”

“Why, it’s not like you were an item at the time,” said
Bets, shaking her head.

“I know, but to say I’m embarrassed about it is an
understatement.  Apart from which, I want Niall to know I’m serious about
him, if he finds out I slept with that shit head, he’s going to think that I’ll
jump into bed with anyone.”

“Except for him,” Bets quipped.

Charlotte ignored her.  “They
socialise in the same circles, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that Grant took
my threat seriously.”  She smiled, remembering her slight on Grant’s
manhood.  “Anyway, what about you, how did the demonstration go last
night?”

Bets told her friend all about the
events of the previous evening, including Michael. 

“So although he was nice and everything, there just wasn’t
any, you know...oomph.”

“There may be if you gave it a chance,” said Charlotte.

“Charlotte, I’m 30 years of age. I don’t want to wait and
give things a chance.  I think that I should know by now whether a bloke
is right for me or not.”  Bets stood up and stared ahead.  She was
beginning to feel that time was running out for her; even so, she wasn’t
prepared to make do with second best.

“Maybe the man you think would be perfect for you doesn’t
exist, perhaps your standards are too high,” commented Charlotte, standing next
to her.  “On your wish list you’ve got good looks, sense of humour,
successful business man, decent body, gorgeous eyes, sense of style, popular,
kind to animals, romantic, under 35 and lovely to his mother.”  Charlotte
counted each of them off on her fingers.  After years of trying to find
Bets the perfect man, she and Kerry knew the wish list off by heart. 
“Come on Bets, what are the chances of finding someone who fits that bill?”

“I understand what you are saying Charlotte, but I can’t
help it if that’s how I feel.  Maybe Stuart was that perfect man, but at
least I can have some fun trying to find another one who matches up.” Bets
laughed at the preposterousness of the wish list that she’d had since she was
sixteen years of age.  A few things had been changed over the years; a
large collection of House Music was no longer a must, but generally, it was the
same.

“Hmm I suppose so, you never know you may get lucky and meet
the second Mr Right.”  Charlotte paused for a moment, taking a huge
breath.  “Do you think he will break it off with Ingrid?” she asked; a
worried frown upon her face.  “What if he was lying just to get me into
bed?”

“Well if he was he failed,” replied Bets, smiling widely. 
“Charlotte if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.  I’m sure even you, the
Charlotte Bronte of our time, would have noticed if he were spinning you a
yarn.  Not even your spectacles are that rose coloured that you don’t
notice when a man is trying to get your underwear off.”

Charlotte managed a weak smile.  “I know; he was so
lovely when I was leaving, telling me to drive carefully and kissing me on the
nose.  And he did promise to call me, despite that I told him not to.”

“Well then, if he wasn’t really interested he would have
left it at that and said “okay I’ll ring you sometime, see you soon.”  God
Charlotte, it feels like we’re sixteen again, discussing whether Paul Roberts
smiling at you in Geography means that he loves you.”

“I know pathetic aren’t I?  At least, I knew where I
was with Paul Roberts.  The fact that he put his hand up my shirt at every
opportunity sort of proved the way he felt about me.  Niall though is a
different matter, I really don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“Yes you do, he told you, so stop worrying.  Anyway,
are we still going over to see Kelvin tonight?”

Charlotte nodded glumly.  “Yes, I said we’d take a
curry around. I'm not sure he’s eating properly, so we can make sure that he at
least gets one decent meal. What shall we do about Kerry’s birthday present?”
she asked with an ache in heart.  It would be Kerry’s birthday in a couple
of days’ time, and she would be spending it away from them all.

“I think that we should take it, you never know she may come
home, and then it will be there waiting for her. I just wish that she would
come home, I’m so worried about her.”  Bets led Charlotte out of the room.

“I know, but she obviously doesn’t want to come home yet,
and she certainly doesn’t want us to know where she is.  Look I’d better
go; your client will be here soon.  I’ll pick you up at about 7 o’ clock,
is that okay?”

Bets nodded.  “Yeah sure, see you later, and Charlotte
don’t worry. He'll ring I know he will.”

Charlotte walked out into the street wishing she could feel
as confident.

It was the day after her chat with Bets, and Charlotte was
in her office; almost having a seizure every time her telephone rang.  She
snatched it up and shouted a rushed greeting down the mouthpiece, but it was
never who she expected it to be.  She was so worried that things were
going to turn out badly, and she didn’t think that she could stand that.

When Charlotte had arrived in the office that morning, she
had been greeted by a hysterical Gwen, being comforted by Laura.  Bobby
was cowering behind his desk, obviously frightened by the looks being thrown at
him by his two female colleagues.  Seemingly, Bobby upset Gwen by rubbishing
her tarot cards. Apparently earlier in the week Gwen had told him that she
could see money coming his way, through taking a chance on something that he
couldn’t resist.  Bobby, not one to miss out on a money winning
opportunity, had placed a £50 bet on a horse called “Simply Irresistible,"
it had romped home last.  What Bobby had failed to tell Gwen was that only
that morning a £5 voucher had arrived for him, from a confectionary company;
compensation for Bobby losing a filling on a piece of their nougat, nougat that
he loved and ate by the bucket load.  Gwen was so upset that Charlotte had
no alternative but to send her home.  Bobby in the meantime was given the
task of working out the consultant’s commission, a job that he felt beneath
him.  He had tried to argue, but there was no beating Charlotte on this
one, and so he had to succumb.

As she looked at Gwen’s empty desk, Charlotte wondered about
asking her to read her cards for her, so that she could find out what the
future held; plus it would cheer Gwen up to think that at least someone
believed in her powers.  Charlotte was just about to swing around back to
her desk, when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar car driving
slowly onto the car park; it was Niall.    Her heart began to
rumba inside her chest. Her mouth became dry, and she had suddenly lost the
power of walking. She was rooted to the spot.  Charlotte watched, through
the window, as Niall walked past looking extremely handsome.  Endeavouring
to look professional, yet wanting him to see the pleasure in her face,
Charlotte gave a little wave.  There was not a response from Niall, not
even a hint of a smile.  Charlotte could tell by his face that something
was wrong; there was nothing in his eyes when he looked at her, just tiredness. 
She couldn’t stand it. She had to speak to him, but something deep inside her
head was telling Charlotte that she should stay where she was.  He would
come to her, if that was what he wanted.

Niall knocked politely on the office door, entering at
Paul’s behest.

“Niall what a nice surprise, are you here to see
Charlotte?  I assume that everything went well, she hasn’t said
anything.  That smile she’s been wearing all week kind of gives it away,”
Paul gabbled, eventually noticing the lack of a smile on Niall’s face. 
“Oh, I guess from the look upon your face that my assumption is wrong.”

Niall nodded slowly, taking a seat opposite Paul.  “You
could say that.  I can’t believe what a fool I’ve been.  I almost
gave up everything for her.  I’m so mad that I need to calm down before I
speak to her.”

“What’s happened that you should feel like this?” Paul
asked.

“Grant, that’s what happened,” Niall replied shortly.

“What, Grant who went out with Charlotte?” Paul looked at
him questioningly.

Niall nodded.  “Grant, who is going out with
Charlotte,” he answered solemnly.

“No he’s not, she hasn’t seen him for about three years,”
said Paul, pulling his chair closer to the desk.

“Not according to him, he took great delight in telling me
all about their current love affair.”

“You don’t seriously believe him, do you?  He’s a liar
and a cheat; I know he’s your friend Niall but…”

“Niall interrupted him.  “Yes and Charlotte’s yours, so
you are bound to stick up for her.  Why would Grant lie to me?”

“I don’t know,” answered Paul, “but I do know Charlotte, and
I know that she wouldn’t cheat like he does.”

“Well I know what I’ve been told.  I’m sorry to drag
you into this Paul, but can I use your office for a while?”  Niall’s tired
eyes looked intently at Paul.

Paul nodded as he stood up.  “Okay, but listen to what
she has to say, don’t just take his word for it.”  He walked to the door,
leaving a bewildered Niall staring into space.  “I’ll send her along,” he
called over his shoulder.

“Thanks,” was the dejected reply from behind him.

Charlotte sat for nearly half an hour, trying to look busy,
yet not doing anything at all, except feeling more and more nauseous. 
Eventually, she could stand it no longer, and picking up a pamphlet on a new
computer system, walked towards Paul’s office, only to meet him in the
corridor.

“Oh Charlotte, I was coming to find you, Niall is in my
office.  I think that he would like to see you, go in I’m just popping
over to admin’,” he said without looking at her.

Charlotte with slight trepidation walked into Paul’s outer
office.  She nodded a greeting to Agnes and walked through.  She
pushed the door open gently, taking a few seconds to look at Niall before she
went in.  He was sitting with his back to her, dressed in a dark charcoal
coloured suit, looking every inch the solicitor, yet strangely vulnerable.

“Hi,” she almost whispered, afraid of startling him.

Niall turned slowly and got onto his feet as soon as he saw
her, but Charlotte’s heart sank.  He did not move towards her or smile,
but stood with his arms folded across his chest.  Charlotte realised that
there was no point in pussy footing around the subject; she may as well find
out straight off why he looked so angry.  She moved to him, placing a hand
on his arm; he didn’t shrug it aside, but Charlotte could sense that it wasn’t
wanted, so she dropped it to her side.

“Niall, what on earth is the matter?”  She looked at
him pleadingly hoping that he would tell her that nothing was the matter,
everything was fine he just hadn’t told Ingrid yet.

“You tell me,” he asked somewhat sarcastically.

“Sorry I don’t understand, what do you mean?” 
Charlotte was amazed by the look of disgust upon his face, what could she have
possibly done to make him be like this?

“Well what if I said the name Grant Beddows to you; does
that give you a clue?” he asked sharply, staring at her.

Charlotte’s blood ran cold at the sound of his name; the
little shit had told Niall all about what had happened. Niall must hate the
thought of her and Grant. He looked so angry.

“All that rubbish about us not kissing because of Ingrid,
yet all the time you’ve been knocking Grant off.  You must think that I’m
a real mug Charlotte.  I have to finish my engagement before you’ll even
kiss me, but its okay for you to sleep with Grant isn’t it?  I might not
have minded if you had told me about him, but I can’t stand liars.”  Niall
turned away from her now, as if he found it unbearable to look at her.

Charlotte swung him back around to face her.  “Now just
a minute, I am not sleeping with Grant, and how dare you call me a liar?” 
You know how I feel about you.  I thought that I was being totally
honourable by saying and doing what I did, by leaving your house before
anything happened.  Anyway, why have you been talking to him about us, you
know how much I hate him?”  Charlotte was enraged by what she had
heard.  S couldn’t understand how Niall could believe Grant over her;
however, he knew Grant better than he knew Charlotte.

“I happened to mention that I was coming here on business
and let us say he was less than complimentary about you.  Foolishly I
tried to defend your honour, after all it was my woman he was slagging
off!  I told him about us, about our plans, before he said something about
you that could damage his health.  He laughed and told me that you were
taking me for a mug.  He said you called him after leaving my house, and
he’d spent the night with you on Tuesday, all night.  Grant told me you
were laughing about me for being such a suck!”  Niall’s eyes narrowed as
he stared at Charlotte, as though he were looking at some sort of alien
creature that he’d never seen before.

“That is absolute crap,” cried Charlotte.  “I don’t
even know his telephone number.”

Charlotte’s brain pounded, as thoughts of what she would
like to do to Grant rushed through her mind.  She decided to try to
salvage the situation, hoping that telling the truth may convince him.

“Look, I admit that I have slept with him recently, but it
was just after New Year when I didn’t know how you felt about me.  When I
thought that you were having a romantic festive period, with your
fiancée.”  She paused, hoping to catch a glimmer of hope in Niall’s face,
but there was nothing.  “I promise you. I have not slept with him since
then, I swear.  I don’t want to sleep with him. I don’t even want to set
eyes on him again.  I have finally seen Grant Beddows for what he really
is – a bastard,” she almost screamed at him.

Niall started to laugh.  “Yeah, he said you’d say that,
apparently it’s not the first time you’ve two timed him.  Once was with
Kerry’s husband, Kelvin.” 

Charlotte sank down in the chair, aghast at the lies that
Grant had been feeding Niall.  Slowly tears of frustration and anger
started to roll upon her cheeks. She knew by the hurt in his eyes that nothing
she could say would change things.  Grant had done a very good job on him,
and all because she had insulted his manhood and sexual prowess.  The most
heart-breaking thing of all was that Niall believed her to be a liar, and a
cheat.  She was devastated that he would think such a thing, with all her
being she wanted to shake him and make him believe her.  However, there
was the awful realisation that it was useless, he’d let her down already.

She spoke in measured tones, the tears still falling. 
“I don’t believe this. He has you totally fooled, but if that’s how you want to
play it, then so be it.  But remember one thing Niall, when you find out
the truth don’t think that you can pick up the telephone, and I’ll come
running, because I won’t.  You have no right to call me a liar. I have
been totally honest with you, and I opened up my heart and soul to you. 
Do you know how hard that was after what your ‘friend’ Grant did to me?  I
thought that you were an intelligent man, but obviously not, because you don’t
realise that there are always two sides to every story.  You are just as
bad as Grant, a bigoted, opinionated, male chauvinist, who can’t stand the
thought that a woman is doing to you, what you were willing to do to your
fiancée.  How very big of you,” she gasped as the tears continued to flow,
more quickly now.  “When you see Grant, tell him thanks from me, for
saving me from a fate worse than death.  I thought that he was a shit, but
you, Mr Devine, are just as bad, if not worse.  At least, he is openly a
prat and didn’t even try and pretend that he could love me.”

“Charlotte, please stop crying, you’re going to make
yourself ill.”  Niall showed no emotion in his words. They were more of a
command.

“Like you care,” she spat back at him.  “I hope that
both you, and Grant get what you deserve out of life; absolutely bloody
nothing.  You wouldn’t even give me a chance to explain, you gave up on
me, on us, straight away, at the first hurdle.  Maybe you just aren’t
worth it anyway!”  Charlotte finished and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

She calmly placed the pamphlet she was holding on Paul’s
desk and walked out of the room.  As she reached the door, she heard Niall
take a sharp intake of breath, but she didn’t look back, she carried on to her
own office with sticky tears drying on her cheeks. 

“Bobby I’m going home early,” she whispered.  “I have a
headache. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Once in her car, Charlotte allowed the tears to flow and the
cries of anguish out.  She had been let down once more, by someone she had
started to trust with her heart, and there was no way that she was going to let
that happen ever again.