Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
‘So you’re admitting it. You’re interested in Charlie.’
I stopped working down my shirt and levelled my gaze at her. ‘Charlie and I are friends. I don’t date coworkers. This is the first and last time I’ll indulge you on this. There is nothing going on between Charlie and me.’
‘Okay. Got it.’
She gave me a thoughtful look and a quick nod before heading towards the door.
Releasing a long breath, I reached for my jacket and put it on as I watched Gayle leave. My eyes strayed and I glanced around: half of the office had already left.
‘Charlie actually texted me ten minutes ago,’ Gayle added in a light tone, standing next to the open glass door. ‘But I guess that wouldn’t interest you.’
I watched as she held her phone up. ‘So?’ I muttered. If I wasn’t being more harsh with her that was only because I knew she was close with Charlie, and I could understand her trying to protect her or whatever she was currently trying to do. I reached for my own phone across the desk. I, on the other hand, had not received any texts or calls from Charlie. Not that I did before. Nor was I waiting for one.
I mentally shook myself. ‘Do you have a point, Gayle? Or can I leave?’
She gestured outside my office with her hand. ‘Of course you can. It’s just that Charlie needs my help with something, but I thought you’d be a better choice under the circumstances. Plus I’m waiting to hear back from someone so I need to stay here. But if you don’t want to, I understand. I’ll help her and come back here.’
I put my phone in my pocket and tried to act nonchalantly when I wasn’t exactly feeling it. ‘Is it related to work?’
‘You wouldn’t help her if it wasn’t?’
I kept staring at her until she gave up.
‘Fine. Yes, it’s work-related. I’ll text you the address.’ She started typing on her phone. ‘She is babysitting a client for Kimberly since she is out of town, I think she ran into some trouble.’
My phone pinged in my pocket.
‘I’ll go, of course. If you can’t, that is, but Charlie is more than capable of taking care of a client.’
Gayle smiled, and I narrowed my eyes at her as her smile only got wider.
‘Yeah, well, I’d agree with you, but maybe not this one. I’ll give you that much, that’s why Douglas wants her in as many meetings as possible. She is great at interacting and convincing them to work with us. But, yes, maybe not this one.’
* * *
When the clock hit 9 p.m., I was standing in front of a fairly simple building. It had taken me over half an hour to get there with an Uber, and I’d already called Charlie five times, but each call had gone to her voicemail. I tried one last time, but heard the same recording. Hoping Gayle hadn’t sent me out to the wrong address or on a wild goose chase, I headed inside what looked like a bar or club. They asked me for the word of the night, but Gayle had already helpfully sent me that in another text. The second they opened the door and I walked in, the heavy, loud music surrounded me. The interior of the space wasn’t as dark as you’d expect a club to be, but the lights were dimmed. People were dancing in the middle in a big circle and the giant space was edged with tables. I could see some people dancing right in front of their tables instead of getting onto the dance floor.
I looked over to my right to see if I could spot Charlie, but instead my eyes got caught on a couple enthusiastically going at it at their table as the guy’s hand slowly sneaked under the girl’s dress.
Thinking I might actually consider killing Gayle if I found Charlie in a similar situation, I spotted the bar on the other side of the writhing bodies. I decided to cut through the crowd to get on higher ground and try to spot Charlie and the client that way.
It took me quite some time to make it to the short stairs that led up to the bar that ran the length of the entire space. Feeling the heat, either from the place or the bodies that I had to get a little too close to, I ran a hand through my hair and loosened my tie a little before starting to walk up the steps.
I had no idea what Charlie was thinking bringing a client here, but I couldn’t wait to find out.
A tall blonde girl was at the top of the steps, looking down at the dance floor; when our eyes met she slowly smiled at me. Next thing I know she had her hand on my shoulder and then my tie in her hand. In one hand she was holding a drink – what looked like a martini with olives at the bottom of the glass – and the other was currently pulling me forward a little by my tie. When she reached the end she let it drop and leaned towards me.