by Holly Rayner
He gestured toward the seat on the opposite side, and Charlotte nearly collapsed into it, realizing she was living her dream. She swallowed, her eyes large as she looked toward him, worried about what he might say.
“You know, I remember the day I lost this thing perfectly,” Sean said, his voice far away. “So much time has passed, and I’ve given a million speeches, and met many people all over the world. And yet, I remember this day so well, because it was the day when everything started.”
Charlotte tilted her head, aching with curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it was my first speech, I suppose,” he said, scratching at his black, tousled hair. “I prepared day and night for it, because I knew several important journalists were going to be there, just to hear me. I wasn’t so worried about the high school seniors, of course. They would maybe listen for a moment before flirting with whomever they stood next to. But I knew that if I put my idea in the right investor or journalist’s ear, then it might have the chance of getting picked up.” He shrugged, lost in thought. “And it did. After that, I did interview after interview. I was featured in magazines I had read obsessively as a child. It was this great cascade of events that I never could have foreseen.” He looked up at her, having an intense revelation. “And you know, before all of it happened, I had this very special moment that I never, ever forgot.”
The air between them was tense. Charlotte could hardly breathe; she was losing oxygen, waiting for him to continue his story.
“Right as the reporters first leaped on to me—at that moment when I saw the first glimpse into my future—I turned away from it all and saw a beautiful, shy blond girl staring at me. She blinked at me with these huge, blue eyes, and she seemed like she was ready to say something important. But we just grinned at each other like children, and then I was swept up into the mob.” He turned his face toward her once more. The sun lowered in the western sky, over the ocean. July was nearly over, and the feeling of lost time flashed through Charlotte’s mind.
“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you yesterday,” Sean finally said, his voice quiet. “You were the girl that I made a connection with. I saw you for a moment, probably the most important moment of my life so far, and then you were gone.”
Charlotte didn’t move. She hoped this moment would go on forever. Her fantasy was coming true.
And then, they were forced on.
“Anyway,” Sean continued, shaking his head. “I knew, after you gave me this cufflink, that you were the lawyer I needed to represent me. You’ve been keeping this memento all these years, since the very moment when everything came together for me. This kind of dedication is exactly what I need on my team if I’m going to beat Evan Greene. Do you understand?”
Charlotte said she did. She nodded absently, bringing her notebook to the table without looking away, hoping they’d begin the meeting before she said something ridiculously unprofessional like “Let’s go for a drink sometime.” Because the glare of his passionate, soulful eyes wooed her. And she felt she would fall to her knees at any moment.
“But there’s one thing I can’t get out of my mind,” Sean continued, bringing his finger into the air, addressing his point. “Why did you keep this cufflink all these years? I mean. That was all the way across the country, at Yale, and we’re both in Seattle now, and it’s been like…a decade. And you didn’t even know I would come to Ellis and Associates for a case. I have my own in-house attorneys, after all.”
Charlotte felt the words hit her like a bomb. But she chose to answer with honesty. “I was a kid, Sean,” she said, almost brushing it off. “I was eighteen years old, and all I wanted in the world was to go to Yale. When I saw you deliver that speech, it felt like everything I had ever wanted could be possible. It felt like college wouldn’t be a waste, even after growing up in such a small town, with parents who didn’t really believe that there was a need to pursue education past high school.” She swallowed, her brain swimming. “And afterwards, I just wanted to go up and speak to you. I wanted to see you for who you really were.”
“And what would you have asked me, I wonder?” Sean asked her, his eyes twinkling with intrigue.
Again, Charlotte turned bright red. “I wanted to ask you out,” she said, shrugging. “I know. I was such a teenager. It sounds insane now. But maybe that’s the reason I kept the cufflink. You were a boy I crushed on and respected, and I wanted to remember that moment for eternity.”
Sean gazed at her for a long time. Charlotte couldn’t quite keep the eye contact and kept sweeping her glance away, out the window. Such intensity formed between them in those moments, her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
And then, Sean said the unthinkable: “I don’t suppose you want to go out now, if ten years isn’t too long to wait?” He gave her that sly grin, so similar to the one he’d given her a decade before.
Charlotte opened her mouth, a thousand things coming to her mind. Number one, she needed to explain that she hadn’t actually asked him out—she was just explaining to him the musings of her eighteen-year-old self. And number two, she needed to explain that she absolutely couldn’t date him, not now that she was going to represent him in court.
She paused far too long between breaths, trying to articulate the right words. All the while, Sean gazed at her with the kind of attraction and genuine absorption she’d always hoped for from someone. Nobody had ever looked at her like that.
But suddenly, someone was rapping loudly at the door, disturbing the moment. A panicked voice called out to them. “Sean?”
“Yeah? Come in!” Sean responded, standing. He left his cufflink on the desk.
Denise, the secretary, appeared at the entrance, breathless. She huffed and stuttered for a few seconds, her eyes nervous. “Mr. Lawson. There’s a situation in the lab downstairs. They need your assistance immediately.” She coughed, shaking her head. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
Charlotte frowned, noting that Sean had unplugged his office phone, allowing them complete privacy. But Sean didn’t respond. Instead, he leaped from behind his desk and followed Denise from the room, giving a final, meaningful look to Charlotte. The look seemed to say so much—it seemed to tell her he would remember their conversation, and that he was glad she was back in his life.
She was that shy, beautiful blond girl who’d been there just before the world had exploded open for him. And he had remembered her, after all those years.
Charlotte felt like she was floating. She stood from the chair, realizing that the meeting was, most assuredly, over. Her stomach growled, but she ignored it, walking in a trance toward the door. She couldn’t date him, she reminded herself sternly; she would tell him as much the next time she saw him.
Even so, as the elevator rushed down toward the first floor and she walked back into the sunshine of a near-perfect Seattle summer day, Charlotte couldn’t help but feel as if she were walking on clouds. She couldn’t help but feel like every decision she’d made, every opportunity she had taken in her life, had brought her to this stunning moment.
Sean Lawson considered her a beautiful, tenacious woman from his past, and the perfect lawyer to ensure his successful future. As she marched back to her office, her head high, her back straight, she chose to memorize this feeling and store it in her heart, to keep it close. Life is a series of fleeting moments, she reminded herself. So many had escaped her. But this one wouldn’t. This singular afternoon, when everything she’d ever wanted had come together.
SEVEN
It was a Friday, a day that generally stretched on forever, causing Charlotte to lose herself in all the work she needed to finish before she was free for the weekend. But because she’d seen Sean Lawson that morning, because he’d told her his straight-from-the-heart confessions, she felt as if she could live in that headspace forever. She hunched over her desk, hardly noticing as Katrina, Lyle and the interns all left the office in hurried strides, eager to enjoy their Friday nights.
/> And then, suddenly, it was seven o’clock. Charlotte stretched her hands high over her head, feeling her back pop. Chelsea had called off their plans to go out for the evening due to a sudden headache, and while she was sad that she wouldn’t get to catch up with her friend, Charlotte was secretly looking forward to heading home, taking a relaxing bath, and getting into her pajamas. She closed her computer and swept her papers into her briefcase, allowing her brain some much-needed rest after a day of whirring, ravenous thoughts and innovative ideas.
Charlotte switched off her office light and walked into the empty, unusually quiet hallway. A janitor stood vacuuming over by Lyle’s door, and she gave the man a small, friendly wave before heading into the elevator. She contemplated what she might do that evening. She considered watching a documentary, but as her stomach growled with hunger, she knew she’d end up ordering Thai food and watching a chick flick. She thought she deserved some pampering after the chaotic, tumultuous week she’d had.
The elevator halted at the first floor, and Charlotte took her time walking toward the front, gazing through the glass doors, admiring the scene before her. Beautiful Seattleites meandered through the downtown streets; some dressed up to go clubbing, while hipsters headed to local breweries, ready for a good beer and burger. She loved the dichotomy of the city. It was much more her style than anywhere on the East Coast. For a moment, she felt a tinge of pain at the thought of her father, all the way across the country, celebrating his birthday without her. But if life had taught her anything, it was that she was meant to follow her heart, and she knew this would make him proud and happy.
She opened the door of the office building and was surprised to find a long, red carpet stretched out before the entrance, leading straight toward a limousine which was parked against the curb. Her mouth opened in shock. Charlotte’s heart began its reckless beating again, as she understood the conversation she’d had with Sean earlier that day hadn’t been lost to his other commitments. No, it had stuck with him. And now, he was making grand gestures. He was pursuing her.
She stepped onto the carpet, smiling widely. She righted her posture, suddenly self-conscious. All thoughts of pajamas, takeout, and chick flicks immediately rushed from her mind.
And of course, beyond anything, she felt a thrill about doing something she knew was completely out of bounds. She wasn’t meant to be fraternizing with a client—she could be taken off the case, and her career could be over, more or less, if word got around.
These thoughts forced her head down. She stared at her shoes as she walked toward the limo, forcing herself to calm down. She had to tell Sean this couldn’t happen. She had to tell him to take the limousine back to his mansion—or wherever it was that he lived. They didn’t have to speak about this again. They didn’t have to talk about the cufflink or what they might feel for each other. Rather, they could continue on as friends and colleagues. And that would be the end of it.
Just before leaping into the car, Charlotte turned her head left, then right, ensuring that not a single colleague was there to see her. Even getting into the limousine was reckless, she knew. She gave a final, longing look toward her bicycle, which seemed to beg: “Don’t go. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
But she pulled open the door and nestled into the back of the limousine, directly next to Sean. The moment she saw that grin, his five o’clock shadow, and his dark, beautiful eyes, she lost all hope of listening to her educated, rational self. Rather, she leaned her head back, flashing her own, gorgeous smile, and she said a single word that would propel her into an incredible adventure—and maybe a huge mistake.
“Hello.”
Sean laughed at this. He reached toward the limousine bar in front of him and lifted out a champagne bottle, pouring the bubbling liquid into one crystal flute, then another. He handed one to Charlotte, and she brought her fingers around the stem, trying to steady her quaking hands. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“I had it shipped in from Paris a while back,” Sean admitted. “Two years or so. I’ve been meaning to try it. I thought that, perhaps, this would be an opportune time. After all, it seems you’ve been waiting much, much longer than that to meet me.”
The limo crept from its position next to the office building and Charlotte clinked her glass with his, gazing into his eyes. She cleared her throat. “So. What is this all about?” she asked finally.
“What do you mean?” Sean replied, his smile devilish. “I just wanted to take my attorney out for a drink. Is that against the rules?”
Charlotte shrugged, not wanting to say what she really felt. She unbuttoned her coat and shrugged it off, her delicate collarbones visible through her lace blouse. She could tell he noticed, as he staggered into his next words.
“Anyway. I’m terribly happy you’re free this evening. You never know, on a Friday night. And such a pretty girl like you.”
“I’m in love with my work,” she said, shrugging. “You know the Yale persona in me. This is who I am. I’ll never change.” She felt her cheeks turn bright red as she told him this honest truth.
Sean sipped his champagne, pensive. “I’m similar to you in that way,” he said. “I’m addicted to it. I spent my 20s slaving away at the office. I don’t think I had a single night off without thinking: man, I should be doing something.”
Charlotte nodded. “I went out for my friend Chelsea’s birthday last week, and I couldn’t stop checking my email. Somebody actually had to come and take the phone out of my hand. But I love the thrill of it. I love feeling like I’m making a difference in the world. It’s almost enough—but I do miss a great deal.” She thought once more of her parents, back home. When was the last time she’d visited, anyway?
“Real friends can be hard to come by when you’re…successful,” Sean said, not in a bragging way, but more as if he were truly bothered by the lack of genuine people in his life. “During all of the birthday parties I’ve had since I made a name for myself, I remember looking around, wondering how many of those people were genuinely there because they liked me. I think most of them were there because of what I’d built. Or because of the money I have.” He shrugged. “But you knew me before that.”
“I didn’t. Not really,” Charlotte breathed. But his words were already working on her; she felt warmth flow through her entire body. She turned her eyes toward the window, noting they were leaving the city, heading north. To their left, the ocean swept on. “You don’t get sick of the ocean, do you?”
“Never,” Sean said, joining her as they watched the sun set over it, burning oranges and pinks and reds into the water. “It opens my soul in ways technology cannot.”
This resonated with Charlotte. She remembered her long walks along the Atlantic with her father, during which he’d told her that he’d always longed to work outside, to work with his hands. Becoming a salesman had never been his dream, it was just steady and convenient. When she’d explained to him her love of the law, disappointment had ripped through his face. He hadn’t imagined an office life for her. He’d wanted her to be out in the world.
The limousine continued to whisk them from the city out into the countryside. Charlotte couldn’t get enough of the scenery as she finished her champagne far too quickly. She watched without words as Sean poured her another, and then added to his own. Clearly, he could sense her anxiety was high. They weren’t doing the right thing. Or maybe they were.
EIGHT
The limousine crept onto a dusty, dirt road and then parked beside an old restaurant, which had been converted from a train station nearly fifty years before, Sean said. The train station sat directly beside a lake, which offered a pier that held countless sailboats, all of them tilting in the slight evening breeze. Charlotte felt breathless, looking at the view.
“This is gorgeous,” she whispered.
“I got us a table on the pier,” Sean said, smiling and finishing his glass of champagne. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Sta
rving,” Charlotte said truthfully. She waited as Sean rushed around to her side of the limo, helping her from her seat. “Such a gentleman. I don’t think I sensed that in you during your speech.”
“I should have known it was a pre-date interview, rather than just a speech at Yale,” Sean breathed, laughing. “You look gorgeous, by the way.”
“I’d have worn something more fitting, if only I’d known,” she said, gesturing to her office attire. She knew she looked good regardless, her lean, fit body on display, her outfit revealing just enough but not too much.
“I can’t imagine what I would think if you’d actually tried, then,” Sean said. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her toward the old train station. A maître d’ greeted them at the entrance and led them down the hill, towards the pier, where a table had been set up along the water. The pier faced west, allowing them to see the grand painting of oranges and pinks and reds once more as the sun dipped lower in the sky.
“No clouds tonight,” Sean said, gesturing. “I can’t believe our luck.”