Authors: Gina Hummer
Shirley kept her gaze glued to her paper and shook her head. “Just wondering,” she replied.
David and Charlotte looked at each other again as the room filled once more with the sounds of easy conversation and eating.
“David dear,” Emma said as she casually flipped the pages of the magazine splayed in front of her on the table. Charlotte rolled her eyes, and David took another bite of his sandwich.
“Yes, Emma?”
“I hope you wrapped your rascal last night,” she drawled, cool as ice. The entire room burst into laughter, David nearly choked on his grilled cheese, and Charlotte turned as red as her tomato soup before she dropped her forehead into the palm of one hand.
David took a sip of iced tea and cleared his throat. “Come now, ladies. A gentleman never kisses and tells.”
Angela let out a wolf whistle. “Well girls, I think we have our answer.”
#
“I wondered when you’d emerge from the love shack,” Karen chirped as she joined Charlotte on the bench by the lake.
Charlotte looked up from her notepad, where she was scribbling notes for an outline she owed to her publisher. She chuckled. “Publisher’s been calling me, hounding me for my next title, so I’m working on some stuff to placate them.”
“Huh. I guess that’s why they keep calling me, too. Of course I just pretend like I can’t get cell reception up here.”
“Remind me again why they keep you around?”
“’Cause I sell books honey, and lots of them.”
“Ah, right,” Charlotte said as she set her notepad down and picked up the bottle of water at her feet.
“So what’s Mr. Wonderful up to?”
“Taking a jog around the lake. I don’t think he’s missed a day since we’ve been here.”
“He is dedicated; I’ll give him that.” Karen whipped out her newspaper. “Speaking of, did he tell you about our little chat?”
Charlotte lowered the water bottle. “Dare I ask?”
“I just wanted to see what his intentions were.”
“What are you, my father?”
“He seems pretty devoted to you.”
Charlotte cocked an eyebrow. “
Seems
?”
“Just want to make sure he’s not harboring some Mrs. Robinson fantasy or something.”
Charlotte let out an exasperated sigh. “Karen, where is this coming from? First you tell me to go for it, and now you’re telling me to be careful. I’m dizzy from trying to keep up.”
“All I’m saying is know what you’re getting yourself into.” Karen flicked the paper open again. “That’s basically what I told him, and now I’ve told you.”
Charlotte opened her mouth to say something else but then thought better of it. She took another sip of water.
“Thanks for the advice.”
#
“Do you keep a calendar?”
“
Hmmm
?”
“A calendar -----you know, for appointments?”
It was nighttime, and David and Charlotte were laid out on the couch, her feet perched in his lap while she continued to add notes to her outline. He had been thumbing through a script when he stopped to query her about calendars.
Charlotte set her notepad down. “I’m sorry; what are you asking me about calendars for?”
“Where do you keep yours? On your phone?”
“No way. I’m old school. I tote a big old bulky agenda around with me everywhere I go. Why?”
David tossed the script onto the table and pulled his Blackberry out of his pocket. He frowned for a moment before he opened his calendar. “Do me a favor and grab your agenda.”
Charlotte heaved an annoyed sigh and went to retrieve her agenda from her purse. She flopped back down on the couch and looked at him.
“Okay, now what?”
David’s face was screwed up in concentration as he tapped buttons on his BlackBerry.
“We are coordinating schedules so we can plan out when we can see each other,” he said casually.
“Ah, I see. Does that mean you’re not sick of me yet?”
“Never, sweetheart. Now; I have to be in Vancouver at the end of the month. What are you doing?”
Charlotte perused the pages. “My publisher is due to send me back my current manuscript for a little bit of editing.” She looked back at him. “Why?”
“Well, I have to be in Vancouver for a week or so doing some reshoots for a film. After that I’ve got to jet off to New York for a premiere.” David gave her a sidelong glance. “And I want you to come with me.”
Charlotte gulped. “You want me to do what?”
“Allow me to whisk you away for some bona fide movie-star business.” David streamed his fingers up her arm. “Seriously, all jokes aside, I want you with me. Besides, your job allows you to go wherever, be wherever.”
Charlotte swallowed again, trying to comprehend everything he was throwing at her. “Wow. Premiere. With all those photographers and everything?” Charlotte shook her head. “That’s not really me. I’m not so sure I want to do that.”
“Listen…. I understand if the thought of walking the red carpet makes you nervous.” He started to play with her fingers. “I made the commitment, so I have to be there. But if you’re really not keen on it, you don’t have to actually walk the red carpet with me. So long as I can stash you somewhere nearby.”
Charlotte smiled and cocked her head to the side. “And what do you plan to do with me once you’ve stashed me?”
“Well, for starters, let me show you New York. We can see a show, see the sights. See it all.” He threw the BlackBerry down and began to crawl toward her with that glint in his eye that Charlotte had come to know and love in very short order. “Of course, I already have the sight I want to see every day right here in front of me,” he said as he ran his hands over one of her nipples, which hardened beneath her tee-shirt.
A moan slipped from Charlotte’s lips as David began to stroke her neck with his tongue. “Do I at
least get some time to think it over, or do I have to book the flight right now?”
David pulled Charlotte’s shirt up and began to nip at her breasts through her bra. “You can think it over all you want, but you know you can’t stand the thought of being without me.” He paused. “So, you know you’ll be going with me.”
Charlotte ran the sole of her foot against David’s leg. “You are
awfully
demanding, Mr. King,” Charlotte purred. “Must be the movie star ego.”
Before David could answer, his phone vibrated on the table. “Just ignore it,” he murmured as he started to kiss her. Within the space of three minutes the phone vibrated five more times. Charlotte stopped and held his face in her hands.
“Sounds like an emergency,” she said. “Maybe you should answer it.”
David let out a frustrated sigh and picked up the phone. He looked at the caller ID and got the same disturbed look on his face he’d had when he had pulled the phone out of his pocket to look at his calendar. He hit the ignore button before he turned the phone off altogether.
“Is everything okay?” Charlotte asked.
David nodded. “Oh yeah. Everything’s fine.” He gave her a devilish grin. “Now, where was I?”
Charlotte snaked her hands around his neck and pulled him to her. “I think right about here.” They kissed again, and before Charlotte knew what was happening, David swooped her up and over his shoulder and carried her to his bedroom. She squealed, and David laughed.
“You Tarzan, me Jane?” she asked.
“I’ll have to remember to pick up a loincloth.”
“You won’t need it,” Charlotte whispered as she jerked his jeans down.
David stepped out of his jeans, and then he bent down to his knees, cupping Charlotte’s face in the palm of one hand. She ran her fingertips along the edges of his face, getting lost in the luscious green fields of his eyes.
“Charlotte,” he whispered.
Charlotte leaned back against the bed and spread her legs, inviting him to come in.
He didn’t waste any time.
#
Charlotte’s hand dropped into the empty space beside her. She ran her hands up and down the cool sheets in search of David’s body. She opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows. She took a big sniff, expecting the customary scent of coffee to fill her nostrils.
Nothing.
“Hmm,” Charlotte frowned. “That’s not like him,” she muttered to herself as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood and felt like she might topple over. She and David had made love no less than six times over the past few days, and it was starting to catch up with her. Her body wanted to know what was up. In spite of the sore muscles, she’d never felt more alive; even through the pain her body tingled with desire for David. Charlotte wandered out to the kitchen to make coffee. While she waited for it to start, she looked out the window and saw David by the lake. His back was to her, and he was on the phone. Charlotte crossed her arms and watched him. Whoever he was on the phone with had him highly agitated. He paced back and forth a bit before she saw him punch his index finger in the air in an angry, stabbing motion. Charlotte ran her tongue across her teeth, curious. She watched him for a few moments more before she poured a fresh cup of coffee. She busied herself with leafing through her outline, but after a while, it was clear David wasn’t getting off the phone anytime soon. Charlotte drained her coffee and headed to the shower.
The hot water was a salve for the knots in her muscles as she melted underneath the steam. Charlotte scrubbed herself clean before dumping a glob of shampoo into her hand and lathering it through her tangle of curls. As she rinsed the shampoo from her hair, she saw David’s form through the frosted shower door. She slid the door open and poked her head out.
He stood before her wearing nothing but a naughty grin. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes traveled up and down his finely sculpted work of art. She shivered inside.
“Hi,” she said softly. “You okay?”
He nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m fantastic.”
“That seemed like a pretty intense phone call. Want to talk about it?”
“
Psshh
. Oh, that. That was nothing.” He narrowed his eyes. “Mind if I join you?”
“Are you sure?”
“About getting in the shower with you?”
“No, no. About the phone call. Everything’s okay?”
David nodded. “Yes. Absolutely. Now, we were negotiating showering together?”
Charlotte bit her lip, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on her hesitation. It was one thing to be flirty and fun under the covers. It was quite another to be standing in the stark light of day where there was no hiding the stretch marks or cellulite. She took a deep breath and admonished herself for acting so silly after everything they’d been through.
“Of course,” she finally said as she stepped aside to make room for him.
He reached around her and grabbed for the body wash, which he squirted on her shoulder. He began to soap her up.
“I’ve already washed myself.”
David lathered up her breasts from behind. “Are you sure? I’ll do it again just in case.”
“I’m starting to wonder if I should have let you in here.”
“Oh, I wasn’t going to take no for an answer,” he said as he flipped her around and continued to whip frothy bubbles up and down her body. He leered at her.
“You ever done it a shower?” he asked.
“I can honestly say that’s one I’ve never tried,” she giggled.
He plastered himself against her. “Well there is a first time for everything, isn’t there?”
“So I’ve heard,” she smiled.
David stood staring at her for a few moments, shaking his head in awe.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s just that…you make me happy. Dizzy, crazy, silly happy.”
Charlotte snaked her arms around his neck. “I do? How?”
He groped the air for the words. “Just by being who you are…funny, smart, and passionate.
Compassionate
. He leaned back. “Most important, you think I’m funny and smart.”
They both laughed. “Of course that’s
the
most important thing,” Charlotte said.
“Indeed.”
Charlotte put the bottom of her chin on David’s chest as she gazed up at him. “Don’t ever change, okay?”
He grinned. “You either. Now, about that doing it in the shower bit…”
#
David’s phone continued to ring off the hook all day. Mostly he ignored it, though there were a few times he stepped outside to take the calls. Each time that Charlotte would query him, he would brush it off. As they were walking to dinner, his phone rang again. David looked ready to throw it in the lake and told Charlotte he’d have to take the call but that he would meet up with her at dinner. Of course, everyone asked where David was and Charlotte was nonchalant as she told them he had some business to take care of. He never showed for dinner, and as Angela helped Charlotte with the dishes, she was starting to worry something was truly wrong.
On her way back to the cabin Charlotte chewed on the nail of her index finger, her nerves unraveling. Her overactive imagination was running rampant with all sorts of terrible scenarios---- scenarios she didn’t dare voice.
When she opened the door, David was sitting on the couch, his shoulders hunched up around his ears, his hands wound together. Charlotte’s heart stopped when she noticed his backpack loaded and ready to go. He gave Charlotte an uneasy look. She cleared her throat and shut the door.
“Um, we still have a few more days here. Do you have to go to Vancouver sooner than you thought?” she asked, her voice low and soft like a shy little girl.
He patted the spot next to him on the sofa. She waited a moment before joining him. He took her hand in both of his and kissed it repeatedly. He focused in on her eyes.
“I’m afraid I have to cut our time a little short. I’ve had something come up that I have to take care of. I’ll need to leave first thing in the morning.”
“Oh,” Charlotte said, taken aback. “I see. What is it? Does it have to do with all those phone calls you’ve been getting?”
David let out a deep breath. “Yes, it does, but I… I can’t get into it right now.”