What About Charlie?

by Haley Michelle Howard

  “One snake is a hell of a lot different than 20.”

  “I concede 20 was a little much. But I decided to end things when he started buying poisonous snakes and keeping them in his house. He had permits for them, but I was scared to death that one would escape or he’d start letting them roam the house, too. It got to be too much.”

  Evan smiled. “I would say so.”

  “Well, I know Adam is not a weirdo. He’s a photographer, and if he’s anything like Ken, he should be fine.” Charlie took a sip of her sweet tea. “Evan why don’t you take Liza with you tomorrow night to the game? She can have my seat for the night.”

  Evan looked away from Charlie and said, “We broke up last night.”

  “Broke up? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He looked back at her, his face devoid of emotion. “It’s not something you broadcast, Charlie. I was planning on telling you today.”

  “Did you love her?”

  He looked at her like she was crazy. “No!”

  “Good. I’m glad you broke up with her. I never did like her.”

  “You never said anything about not liking her.”

  Charlie shrugged her shoulders. “Evan, you’ve gone out with a lot of women who I haven’t liked, but I kept my opinions to myself out of respect for you and your choice regarding who you want to see. If you like someone, I will get along with her for your sake. Now, if you’d gotten all crazy in the head and had decided to propose to one of them, I would have said something.”

  “If I ever think about proposing, I will run it by you for your opinion before I do it,” Evan said dryly.

  Charlie shook her head. “Be serious, Evan. You don’t need my permission to do anything.”

  “I am serious, Charlie, and your permission would not be what I would be seeking. I’d want your input. You’re a good friend and I respect your opinions. You have a gut instinct about people that I don’t have. You can instantly read between the lines in ways that I can’t.”

  Charlie shook her head. “I have no secret gift. Usually, your girlfriends behave perfectly in your company, but when you leave the room, they show their claws.”

  “They weren’t that bad.”

  “Yes, they were. You remember the one who had the fingernails that looked like eagle talons? She was always so nasty nice to me and she always got so angry with me when I would ignore her and wouldn’t dignify her comments with even an acknowledgement.”

  “You should have told me.”

  Charlie looked at him squarely and said in a serious voice, “I didn’t know how you’d take it and I didn’t want to risk our friendship over something like that.”

  “Nonsense, Charlie. You know you can tell me anything. Anything. If that ever happens again, you tell me. I’m not going to put up with anyone being discourteous towards you.”

  “Do you have anything planned for next weekend?” Charlie asked, changing the subject. “It’s Easter weekend.”

  Evan shook his head. “Nope.”

  “You should come with me to the farm in Iowa. I’ll be cooking daddy a big Easter dinner. It would do you good to get away.” Charlie took the last bite of her salad and put down her fork. “Evan, why don’t you come with me back to the farm next weekend?” she asked again, her voice becoming more animated with every word. “I’ll be leaving Saturday morning. It’s only a five-hour trip to Iowa from here. It would do you good, give you a nice break.”

  She was looking at him expectantly, her eyes all bright and hopeful, but Evan knew there was no way he would ever go to her father’s farm and stay. The one and only time he had met her father was an uncomfortable experience that he’d rather not repeat. Charlie’s father had grilled him regarding his intentions toward his only child. Once was enough. He definitely didn’t have any desire to experience that again.

  “I’d love to, Charlie,” Evan lied, seeing no sense in hurting her feelings. “But I have appointments lined up for Monday. It would be too rushed driving up Saturday and driving back Sunday.”

  Disappointment flashed across her face. “You’d have a great time.”

  “I know. Maybe another time, ok?”

  Charlie nodded. “I’m going to hold you to it.”

  “I’ll pick you up tonight, ok?”

  “There’s no need. I can drive myself.”

  “It’s not safe for you to go alone. I’ll pick you up.”

  Suddenly her eyes turned serious. “Thanks for looking after me like you do, Evan. You’re a great friend.” She glanced down at her watch. “Oh. I’ve got to run. I’m going to be late back to work.”

  Evan quickly stood as she did. She leaned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks for the lunch, Evan. Next week it’s my treat. I’ll see you tonight.”

  Evan watched her rush out of the cafeteria, feeling a sense of disappointment that their lunch, like always, had ended way too quickly.

  Over the years, Charlie had come to forge an important place in his life. She was like a breath of fresh air to him, always happy and upbeat, direct and truthful, not telling him what he wanted to hear but, instead, what he needed to hear. She truly cared about him. To put it simply, she was genuine; there was nothing fake about her.

  Many of his friends and colleagues couldn’t understand their relationship. How could they only be friends? How could they not be sleeping together? No matter what he said, they didn’t believe him. With nods and winks they accepted his explanations of their relationship, but he knew they didn’t believe him.

  But in truth, all they were were friends. They had always been just friends. The thought of dating or sleeping with Charlie had never crossed his mind. She was his good friend and that’s all she would ever be.

  She was not a great beauty by any means. If one were to describe Charlie’s looks at first glance, the word plain would definitely come to mind. Overall, her features were even and pleasant, nothing spectacular, but still there was something about her that garnered attention, drew people. She had a quality of genuineness and brimming vitality that seemed to resonate from her. People couldn’t help but notice. That’s one of the things that first drew him to her.

  And Charlie possessed a gift that few people had. She could instantly make people feel comfortable and at ease. He was no exception. Her smile and laughter was infectious, and no matter what had been worrying him, it seemed to disappear when he was with her. Before he knew it, he was laughing and smiling with her.

  Thinking back to the day he met her, Evan firmly believed that had been a turning point in his life. At that time, he’d been staid and stern, a man of few smiles and even less laughter. But Charlie had brought joy and laughter into his life and changed him and his life for the better.

  Because of that, her beauty or lack there of didn’t concern him. If she had a wart on the end of her nose or two missing front teeth, it still wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t a person who judged his friends by their looks; he judged by their character, their heart. And Charlie was a person of stellar character and a heart of gold. The best friend a person could have.

  ***

  Dr. Alan Kincaid clasped Evan on the shoulder as he walked by.

  Evan looked away from Charlie as she exited the cafeteria door to Alan, his close friend and colleague.

  “Have a seat, Alan.”

  Alan set his tray on the table, taking a seat in a chair across from Evan. The chair Charlie had been sitting in.

  Alan turned and followed Evan’s gaze in time to see Charlie open the cafeteria door and walk outside.

  “Did you have a good lunch with Charlie?”

  Evan smiled. “As usual. She’s putting in a lot of hours at her new job and is looking tired.”

  Alan nodded. “What are your plans for the weekend? Anything exciting?” he asked, moving his lunch from the tray to the table.

  “Charlie and I are going to a hockey game tonight. Blues and Red Wings.”

  Alan raised his right eyebrow. “I’m surprised Liza is ok w
ith that. Or does she know?”

  “Oh, she knows all right. We broke up last night over it.”

  “Does Charlie know?”

  Evan shook his head. “She knows we broke up. She doesn’t know why.”

  “You know it seems to me that Charlie is always a factor in your breakups.”

  Evan shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that. She’s usually a component in the ending fight, though. No one is going to tell me who I can and can not see on a friendly basis. But the breakups are really about the direction of the relationship, not about Charlie.”

  Alan regarded Evan for a moment. “It seems to me that the one woman you should be dating is your hockey buddy.”

  Evan snorted incredulously. “Date Charlie?”

  “You have a better relationship with her than with any of the women you’ve seen in the past five years. You’re always concerned about her. You talk about her all the time. Not only that, Evan. She truly cares about you. I can see that every time I see you two together.”

  Evan held up in hand. “Slow down, Alan. You’re reading way too much into a simple friendship.”

  “No, I’m not. What you and Charlie have is much more than a simple friendship. You two have a special bond,” Alan said seriously. “You and she have more in common and get along better than a lot of married people I’ve seen.”

  Evan shook his head and said in a tone that ended ending conversation, “We’re good friends, Alan. That’s all.”

  Turning his attention to his lunch, Alan nodded and smiled knowingly. “As you wish.”

  ****

  During the hockey game, Evan couldn’t help but think about what Alan had said. Was she truly his match? Was she the woman for him?

  He watched Charlie out of the corner of his eye as she cheered for the Blues. Suddenly she jumped up when the Blues made a goal and hugged his neck in excitement. She brimmed with vitality and happiness. Her emerald eyes sparkled, her face glowed. She smiled and sang along and clapped her hands with the songs during the game. She bought them hotdogs, Cokes, and nachos to eat and wouldn’t accept any money when he offered to pay. And to his surprise and pleasure she presented him with a package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, his favorite candy.

  It was true that they were very close, that they cared deeply about one another, that they enjoyed each other’s company.

  But see Charlie romantically? She was his best friend, his cheerleader when life got tough, his buddy. Was that a good enough basis for a relationship? He shook himself mentally. He was insane to let the idea even cross his mind!

  Evan felt confused, something he rarely felt. Damn Alan and his observations! Why did he have to go and plant these thoughts? Why couldn’t he have kept his damned mouth shut? Evan thought angrily.

  Admit it, he thought to himself. Alan was right.

  He felt an overwhelming sense of irritation and unease. For once in his life, he didn’t know what he wanted; he didn’t have a clear path of what to do.

  Charlie’s hand touching his arm brought him out of his train of thought. He turned and looked at her and smiled, determined not to let the indecision swirling around inside him ruin his evening. She tilted her head and was about to say something, then quickly closed her mouth and turned her attention back to the ice.

  After the game they took their time walking out to Evan’s car. The crowd was rowdy, caught up in celebration of the Blue’s win. Evan walked closely beside Charlie to make sure no harm came to her. With her so close, the sweet scent of her perfume tickled his nose. Her laughter and excitement over the Blue’s win warmed him.

  When they reached his car, he opened her door and waited for her to get settled before he closed it behind her. A few moments later, he was behind the steering wheel.

  “You’ve been awfully quiet this evening, Evan. Is anything wrong?”

  Evan’s gaze met her questioning eyes. Gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears; her lips were cherry red from the slushy she’d been drinking earlier. A crazy urge suddenly came over him. What would it be like to taste those lips?

  Whoa, Evan, he told himself fiercely, get a grip! She’s your friend!

  “No,” he said quickly, looking away from her and putting the key in the ignition. “Everything is fine.”

  She reached out and touched his forearm just as he was about to start the car. He stilled. “Are you sure? You’ve been distracted all evening. Are you still upset about Liza?”

  Charlie’s hand was soft and smooth and warm. Evan looked down at it, her creamy skin contrasting vividly with his darker skin tone. The skin underneath where her fingers touched felt like it was on fire, with the heat rapidly spreading to other areas in his body like a wildfire on parched earth.

  Looking back up at her, he carefully schooled his features to hide what he was feeling. “No, Charlie. My relationship with Liza wasn’t at all serious.”

  She searched his eyes and then suddenly removed her hand from his arm like, she too, had felt the same scalding heat as he.

  On the way to her apartment, both said little. Evan’s thoughts kept drifting back to when she’d innocently put her and on his arm. His reaction had shocked him and left him reeling. It was crazy to think that such an innocent touch could reduce him to this. His insides felt like they were twisted and tied into huge knots.

  Why now? She’d touched him like that hundreds of times. She was the same Charlie as yesterday. He was the same Evan as the day before. But he was now seeing her with new eyes, seeing things he’d never seen before. He’d never noticed until now how soft and creamy her skin was, how her big green eyes could bring a man to his knees and how her laughter and smile could brighten even the darkest of times. What was happening to him?

  When they reached Charlie’s apartment, he walked her to her door as he usually did. Under the faint porch light, she smiled up at him, pleasure filling her eyes. “Thanks for the great evening, Evan.”

  He returned her smile. “I enjoyed myself as well.”

  “Evan, I know I’ve told you before, but I can’t thank you enough for the season hockey tickets you bought me for my birthday. I have had the best time.” She looked away from him. “I know they cost a lot.”

  “Charlie, the tickets were something I wanted to give you because I knew you would enjoy them.”

  She bit her lip as Evan witnessed a rare flash of uncertainty cross her features. “They cost so much, Evan. I can’t afford to give you things like that though I wish I could.”

  Evan touched her chin and forced her to look up at him. “Listen, it’s not the cost of something, Charlie. It’s the joy you feel in giving and the joy in receiving. Just enjoy it. That’s all I ask.”

  Evan watched her run her tongue across her lips. Flames of desire that he had thought he extinguished just minutes ago began to flare once again. All he could think about was tasting those lips.

  “Thank you, Evan. I really mean it. You’re a great friend. I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you, but whatever it was, I am thankful that you are my friend.”

  “Charlie, I should be the one saying that.” His eyes softened and his fingertips lightly traced her jaw line. “You’ve given me more than all the money in the world could buy,” he said softly, his lips coming within mere millimeters of hers. His heart thudded in his chest as if he’d run a marathon. His thumb gently touched her bottom lip. “Charlie, you’ve given me more than you’ll ever know.”

  Damn he wanted to kiss her!

  Chapter 2

  Charlie Johnson was wide-awake. Finally resolved that she would not fall back asleep, she opened one eye, focusing on her beside clock. The large red numbers read 4:30 am. She had been tossing and turning all night long, trying in vain to clear her mind. So she could sleep, she had tried to tell herself her sleeplessness was caused by the excitement of going out on her first date in six months. But Charlie knew deep down that wasn’t it at all.

  Her thoughts drifted to Evan. Something was wrong. He wasn’t a
cting like himself. At lunch yesterday she knew something wasn’t right; she had passed it off as overactive imagination.

  But last night at the hockey game, she had definitely known something was wrong. He had been quieter than usual. He was never quiet at a hockey game.

  But it was more than that. It was the way he had looked at her. His eyes had been soft and they seemed to be trying to read her mind, peer down into her very soul. Several times during the game she’d caught him staring at her, his spring-leaf green eyes unreadable. It had unnerved her and made her feel extremely self-conscious.

  And then when she put her hand on his arm in the car, like she’d done a hundred times before, she instantly knew, for whatever reason, things were different between them. The energy was different. His eyes had been warm and they had flared with appreciation and heat, and as quickly as it had been there, it had disappeared.

  Not only did his reaction shock her, but her own reaction surprised her as well. Though she hated to admit it, she had liked the way he had looked at her. The sexual awareness that was suddenly between them excited her. She had felt beautiful and desirable and totally sexy.

  Why was looking at her that way? Why now after so many years? The questions nagged her.

  She could still hear, like a tape recorder, Evan’s parting words.

  You’ve given me more than you’ll ever know.

  She could still feel the soft warmth of his fingertips tracing her jaw line, his thumb tracing her bottom lip. She could still see his eyes boring into hers. And she could still feel her heart hammering from the intense desire coursing through her body. The confusion she felt then was still with her now, even more so.