Mayor Worthington looked up, and his eyes went straight to Charity’s. At first, she thought maybe he didn’t recognize her, but then it seemed to hit him. Jesse put the cover on the grill, and they both walked over to her. “Charity Parker, I’d like you to meet Mayor Derek Worthington. Derek, this is Charity.”
Derek placed his hand out to her, and she momentarily stared at it, then slowly responded with a handshake. “Mayor Worthington…I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Please…call me, Derek, tonight.” He casually glanced at Jesse, and he didn’t look pleased. “You’re not the only one surprised.” He paused. “Where do I know you from?” he asked. She started to open her mouth and say he gave her that ridiculous large tip the other day at the Diner, but he corrected himself. “Actually, I remember. You work at Bill’s Diner, right?”
She nodded and looked at Ana, who seemed rather invested in their conversation. She smiled, and Charity quickly looked away. “You are correct. I just didn’t know you were friends with Jesse.”
He hit Jesse on the shoulder, and Jesse pretended he was hurt by uttering ‘Ow.' Jesse and I go way back. What about you and Ana?” It was like they were the only two people in the backyard, carrying on a conversation as if they were on a date and getting to know one another. Jesse and Ana remained quiet throughout the whole encounter. In fact, shortly after Derek asked the question, Jesse went back to the grill to make sure the burgers and hot dogs weren’t burning, and Ana left to prepare the condiment table.
“We have been best friends most our lives,” she responded. She looked past him, then brought her eyes back up to his. “I’m going to go see if Ana could use some help. Excuse me!” She walked past him and went to the table where Ana was displaying the plates, cups, ketchup, mustard, and other necessary things to have a great barbecue. “You didn’t tell me that Mayor Worthington was Jesse’s best friend.”
She looked up, and her eyes went over to where Derek had walked back to Jesse. “Didn’t I? It must’ve slipped my mind.” She shrugged and went back to working on the table.
“Slipped your mind? How convenient,” Charity mumbled.
She helped Ana with the rest of the table, then Ana said something else. “He’s handsome…don’t you think? Even cuter than on television.” She whispered the words, so Charity was the only one to hear her.
“Maybe, but there’s an obvious reason he’s still single,” Charity huffed.
Ana stopped and looked at Charity. She smirked and shook her head. “I won’t even say it.” She turned away from the table and headed back to the house. Charity quickly followed behind.
Once inside, Charity forced her to look at her. “You won’t say what?” Charity asked.
Ana looked her in the eye and didn’t hold back as she explained what that meant. “There’s probably a reason he’s single, just like there’s a reason you’re single. You’re a beautiful girl, Charity, and you could have any guy you wanted, but you don’t. You want to be miserable, and that’s fine, but don’t judge someone else that’s single. He’s a good guy, Charity. I might have only met him today, but I can see he has a good heart. Maybe I should’ve been honest and told you that you guys were going to be the only people here, but what does it matter? Try to have some fun and not be so serious. Otherwise, you just might let an opportunity pass you by.” Ana grabbed the relish dish and left the house. Charity couldn’t move, and she couldn’t believe Ana said the things she did. She didn’t feel like she was too serious. She had a great life and wasn’t missing anything. What opportunity is she referring to?
Like an answer to all her questions, she heard a text ding on her cell phone. She withdrew it from her pocket and found the message from Damian.
Damian: I want to see you tonight. I’ll pick up a pizza and meet you at my house at 8:30?
Charity stared at the message, then started to reply to him, explaining that she had plans, and she needed a raincheck, but as she read the message she wondered if maybe she could cut the strings now. She reread her words.
Charity: I’d love that, but already have plans tonight. Raincheck?
She slowly erased every letter and every word and stared at the blank message. She cleared out of the text message and slipped the phone back into her pocket. It was best to ignore it, and that’s exactly what she chose to do.
***
Derek felt the evening would be awkward. It was obvious they both were thrown into a situation neither one wanted to be in. However, as they sat at the table and talked, things started to become less awkward and more normal. He even found himself engaged in a conversation with Charity. Whether it was discussing the weather or ideas she had about what she wanted to see come out of the new mall project, it was real. Again, he found himself drawn to her appearance on the outside. She was a beautiful girl, with long flowing dark hair and big blue eyes, but she didn’t act like she even knew it. When she smiled or laughed, he found himself captivated and it strangely confused him.
“Ana tells me that you’re looking for another job,” Jesse said, taking a bite of his burger.
Derek took note as he remembered Jesse mentioning that, and it was clear from the get-go this was the friend that Jesse had been thrusting upon him, but it didn’t seem to be the right moment to delve into that with her. They were having a nice meal and a friendly exchange, that he didn’t want to pull away from that to discuss something that had been stressing him out for the past week.
She just nodded. “That’s right. I’ve been working at Bill’s Diner since I was in high school and I think it’s time for a change.” She didn’t make note of the position he had open, so he questioned whether she even knew. However, again Jesse was quick to point it out.
“My friend here…he has an opening for his assistant. Interested?”
Derek wanted to jump across the table and strangle Jesse. Immediately the cool and collected evening turned into the awkward night he wanted to avoid. She seemed just as uneasy as she fidgeted in her seat a couple of times, before answering. “Interested? Sure, but…” her words trailed off, and he felt compelled to save her.
“I would love for you to drop off your resume,” he stated. He got the chance to toss an aggravated look towards his friend and Jesse just winked at him. Derek quickly glanced back at Charity so she wouldn’t notice.
She looked up at him, and a smile slowly appeared on her lips. “Thank you Mayor...” she paused. “I mean, Derek. I would like that. Can I drop it off on Monday?”
He nodded. “Whatever works best for you.”
“Great!” A soft breath escaped her lips, causing a strand of hair to go up like it was the wind.
He looked down so she wouldn’t see his smile. The good thing about taking control of the conversation at that moment was he could stop things from being any more awkward. Things went back to being more like four friends reminiscing about the good ol’ days and even though he didn’t know Ana and Charity well, he felt like that’s exactly what they were.
When they finished eating, they sat around in lawn chairs and continued to talk about small things. Nothing seemed off limit. He discovered the names of various fabrics to making a dress and Jesse and him excitedly discussed the New York Yankees season. He started off the evening expecting to not stay long, but the longer he stayed, the more relaxed things were.
He stood up from his chair. “I’m going to go grab a beer from the cooler, anyone else want anything?”
Jesse and Ana both said they were fine, but Charity looked at him. “I’ll take one.” He moved to the cooler and grabbed two ice cold beers, then went back to the circle and opened her bottle before handing it to her.
“Thank you!”
He nodded. “No problem.” He sat back down and opened his and found himself staring at her a little longer than he planned to. She seemed oblivious to it, as she went back to talking to Ana. He smiled, taking a drink. Maybe he was open to a relationship after all.
***
“It was
nice getting to know you, Mayor Worthington,” Charity said, shaking his hand as they walked out to their cars.
“You too, Charity. Remember…call me Derek.” He smiled a genuine smile, and she was surprised by how a simple smile could make her feel. He was warm, nice, funny, and a typical normal man during the course of the night. He wasn’t at all arrogant, as she perceived him.
She turned to Ana and Jesse. “Jesse, you have a great house and I appreciate the invite so we could all get to know one another.”
He nodded, smiling at Charity as they stood on the porch. “You’re welcome. Thank you for coming! I look forward to more evenings like this.” He wrapped his arm around Ana, and she snuggled up to him. Charity smiled at their interaction. He made Ana happy, and that’s truly what mattered.
“Ana, give me a call when you need help moving this weekend.”
“I will. Thanks, Charity.” They waved from the porch as Charity stepped off the porch and headed back to her car. When she reached her car, she looked up to find Derek had gotten in his. She opened the driver’s side door and slid into the car. Once inside she glanced at her phone. It had made so much noise that she had to silence it during the evening. She didn’t even read the messages, because she figured they were all from Damian and when she glanced at the phone she was correct, except for one.
Damian: I take your busy tonight. No worries! We can do it some other night.
Damian: Charity, are you going to at least respond to my messages?
Tiffany: Hey, Sis…long time no hear. Hope all is well with you. I have a vacation coming up next
month, and I thought I would come to Maine. Let me know if that works for you. Love ya!
Damian: This is my last message tonight. Let me know that everything is alright. Sleep tight!
She sighed, looking up from the phone. Derek had pulled out of the driveway and was long gone. She put her phone on the passenger seat and started her car. She drove away from his house and thought about what she planned on saying to him. Spending time at Jesse’s house made her wonder if spending so much time with Damian was really the smart thing to do. Sure, before she met him she was open to hanging out with multiple guys, but deciding to focus on one man seemed too much of a commitment. Then meeting Derek and fully getting to know him, made her question everything. Was she really interested in a friend with benefits package? Or, did she want more? She turned onto her street and went a few blocks before pulling into her apartment complex and weaving her way through her building. She parked in her parking spot but didn’t move.
She sat in the car for a while, just staring ahead. “Why do things have to be so complicated?” she asked out loud. She heard her cell phone go off with another text, and she glanced at it from her seat.
Ana: I’m sorry for throwing this night at you. I hope you’re not too angry.
She smiled at the message and picked it up from the passenger seat.
Charity: Not angry at all. I had fun. Call me tomorrow!
She then put in Tiffany’s number and typed in a message.
Charity: I would love to see you. Can’t wait!!
She scrolled through the messages and stared at Damian’s name. In a heartbeat, just twenty-four hours earlier she would’ve jumped at the chance to see him and probably paid a late night visit to his house. Now, she just wanted to go into her apartment and crash in her own bedroom. She hit reply to his latest message.
Charity: Been a long day. Have a good night!
She got out of her car and walked up the stairs to her apartment, unlocked the door, and entered her empty apartment. For the first time, the quiet was actually inviting. She tossed her purse on her couch and went to her bedroom. Before she laid down, a message lit up her phone.
Damian: Thought you were giving me the silent treatment. If you’re stressed…I know how to destress
you.
She put her phone down on her nightstand and didn’t respond to his message. It was best to make sure a little space was between them…at least for now.
Chapter 8
Charity woke up early the next day so she could work on her resume. It'd been a long time since she had to put one together, that she forgot how draining it could be. When she finished it, she looked it over and inwardly groaned in disgust. It seemed so minute to what Mayor Derek Worthington would probably be interested in. She wanted to come across as the textbook candidate, and yet she felt more like a child applying for an elite job. She was way out of her element.
“There’s nothing else I can do to make it any better,” she mumbled, placing a clean copy into her folder. Her stomach growled, signaling it was time for her to eat. She’d been going gung-ho on her resume that she nearly forgot it was past lunch time. “I hear ya,” she replied with a laugh.
She got up from the kitchen table and went over to her refrigerator. She opened it up to find that the only thing she could lunch on was a piece of cheese and a cup of milk. She groaned. It's been a while since she had gone to the grocery store. She shut the refrigerator and grabbed her purse and keys, then left the house to go do some much-needed grocery shopping. She opted for the closest grocery store to her house. She pulled into the parking lot. It was dead for the most part, so she would be able to get in and out. She hurried into the store and grabbed a shopping cart and started with the first aisle. She threw in things that were easy to fix and wouldn’t require a lot of prep time. She reached the frozen aisle and grabbed some French fries, vegetables, and pizza, then whipped around to the next aisle, when she bumped into another cart.
“Sorry!” she mumbled.
“Charity?” She looked up into the eyes of Damian.
“Damian? What are you doing here?” She stared at him, and he held a smug smile on his face.
“What does it look like? I’m grocery shopping.”
She folded her arms in front of her, feeling like something sketchy was going on. “You came to a town that you don’t even live in to do your grocery shopping? Seems a little fishy to me.”
He shook his head. “I have a party I’m catering that is two blocks away. I forgot to get a few items. That’s all. Why? What do you think’s going on?”
“I’m thinking you’re following me.”
He laughed. “You're full of it, you know that?” She looked away from his wandering eyes. “Do you think I put a GPS tracker on your phone?” She didn’t say anything, just looked back into his general direction. She kept her eyes away from his. “Wow…you must think I’m an ass. Don’t worry, sweetheart, I didn’t track your phone. I seriously had other things on my mind. Besides, I think you made yourself perfectly clear by not responding to my last text last night.”
“I was tired,” she replied casually, shrugging. “Besides I didn’t think this type of relationship demanded mandatory…” she glanced around the grocery store to find them alone, before saying, “sex.”
“Right! I’m not going to pressure you into doing something you clearly don’t want to do. All you had to do was be honest. That’s all I asked.”
“Get over it, Damian. We knew what this relationship was the minute we brought it up. We know where we stand with each other, right?”
He nodded. “I suppose we do.”
Without trying to pursue her further, he moved past her, ignoring her like she was just another shopper. She stood there, stunned. She didn’t know why Damian was taking it so seriously, but clearly there was a different understanding from him, than from her. He seemed angered that she didn’t come over to his place, and she couldn’t even talk some sense into him, because he was already halfway out of the store.
She stared at her shopping cart that was only half full, suddenly not in the mood to continue shopping. She went to the checkout and paid for her items, then carried her three bags to the car. She fumbled with her trunk, but finally got it open and shoved the bags into the bag. Her phone started ringing, and she fished it out of her purse.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Charity
. I was just seeing if you could come over about ten thirty to help out? You can arrive at my apartment, and we’ll load up the vehicles. We might only need a few trips.” Charity didn’t respond, at first. She stared out the window and saw Damian walking to a truck, pushing his cart. “Charity? Still there?”
“Uh…yeah, I’m here. Tomorrow…I’ll be there.”
“Great! Thank you so much.” Before she hung up, she added, “I don’t want you to think I’m hiding anything else from you, but Jesse is going to see if Derek can help, too. Are you alright with that?”
Charity laughed under her breath. She watched Damian pull out of the parking lot. “That would be fine. See you then!” Charity hung up the phone and sat there for a long time. She needed to get home before some of the food melted, so she turned the car on and pulled out of the parking spot. She hoped she did the right thing letting him go.
***
Derek sat at his computer in the den. He had to focus on what the next steps of the project would be, should he have to postpone it for a while. The idea bothered him, but eventually he needed to come to that understanding. He shot emails back and forth between Ted, Ray, and himself. It was when he received a call from Lily that put things into perspective. He answered the phone. “This is Derek.”
“Did you get the email I sent you?” she asked. He looked down at his emails. Unless he accidentally deleted it, he didn’t know what she was talking about.
“No, I’ve been on my email all day and haven’t seen anything coming through.”
“Hmmm…that’s strange,” she mumbled on the other end of the call. “I’ll resend it. I was wondering why you didn’t respond. Give me a sec.” There was a long pause, before she said, “I resent it. Let me know when you get it.”
The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1) Page 9