On My Way To Mr. Right

Chapter 55

“Charlotte!”

I toss and turn in my bed, trying to silence that God-awful shouting. But it doesn’t seem to stop. Completely blank and still snoring, I reach for my alarm clock and start pressing it, hoping that the annoying shouts would also stop.

“Charlotte!”

There it goes again. Nothing made it stop. I fumble around in my bed, struggling to get out of the pile of comforter and blanket that has swallowed me whole.

“Charlotte forking Mary Smith, if you don’t get up from there right now and answer your goddamned phone, I will literally throw it out of the window,” a loud voice erupts.

It takes me by surprise. I didn’t even know where it came from. It made me jump up in bed in an instant.

“What?” I answered to Alex, who didn’t get the memo of winter break being a week of rest. Not shouting. Not freaking loud noises.

“Your phone has been ringing nonstop. Answer it or I’m gonna throw it out,” he grunts before leaving the room.

My head plops back down on the comfy pillow and I start to drift off again into wonderland. I had such an amazing time there, too. The bells of the church begin to ring again, but before I can rush to church, Alex bursts my bubble once more.

“Charlotte!” He screams and shuts the door rather rudely.

I stretched out my hand over to my desk to reach for my phone. I was slightly more awake than I had been a minute earlier. Alex has a way of waking up even those that are dead asleep.

There was a faint ringing sound in my room, but I couldn’t figure out where it originated. I’d only ever leave my phone on my desk, sometimes charging even. But it wasn’t here.

I opened my eyes, sighing. My precious sleep has once again been ruined. It wasn’t even that late in the morning. He just couldn’t turn it off himself, could he now?

Aha, found it. It was under a pile of socks in the first drawer. I was looking for a decent pair last night before sleeping. The winter season wasn’t going to disappoint.

Without checking the caller ID, I answered my phone. It had been ringing nonstop for a while now. Who could be energetically awake at this time of the day, especially after such a blast last night?

“Hello?” I answered with a yawn.

“Charlotte?” My father’s strained voice answers the other line.

“Daddy?”

“I need you to do something for me, sweetie. I need you to bring over some important papers for daddy.”

I groaned, taking the phone away from me for a minute.

“What? Why?”

“It’s for a work project, and it’s extremely important. I forgot it. It’s on my desk. Won’t you be a good girl and bring it over to me?” He pleads.

Why today of all days? God.

“Why me? Why not Alex?” I protested.

“Your brother’s not answering his phone. Maybe he’s still asleep. Won’t you be a darling and make your daddy a solid?”

Taking a deep breath, I place my phone gently on the desk. Grabbing a pillow from under me, I screamed as loudly as I can into the thick fluff. Stupid brother.

I took the phone back after I had calmed down a little.

“Where have you placed the papers?”

Dad left me very specific instructions before I had left the house. Of course, I couldn’t leave the house before casually passing by Alex’s open door and showing him my middle finger, which only made him laugh.

The jerk.

I still had Alex’s car keys. I forgot to return them to him last night. Dad’s work was a little way out of town. It was a thirty-minute drive. He worked as an accountant for some company whose name I cannot remember. I do, however, remember Kenny Hastings’ dad being dad’s boss. I hope I don’t run into him. He has been trying to convince my father to transfer to New York for an indefinite period of time now. Although he hadn’t officially dropped the ball to him, as dad said, he was going to any day now.

I grab myself hot coffee from a local coffee shop before my lengthy drive. I have still been in a daze since last night. Fresh black coffee would at least liven up my spirits.

Before leaving the town, there was a gorgeous unowned landscape by the edge of town. It was a dip down below. Its mountains are covered in green trees and grass. Back when I was a child, no older than eight, I think, we used to head on these amazing road trips. My parents were a bit of outdoorsy, adventurous dorks. But their feelings about the outdoors were contagious and they got me in of the love for a good view, too. Every time we leave town for a fishing trip or a short hike, I wouldn’t sleep until I passed by this landscape. It remained untouched, for which I was thankful, seeing all these landscapes in other towns just being demolished and destroyed for commercial uses. That’s a waste of God’s talents.

With the seasons greetings and all, the greeneries were lacking and clouds of snow covered the side of the mountain. But it was still a serene and peaceful sight. As it was also by a curve in the road, you could see a glimpse of the cars behind you. It was nine in the morning. The sun casted an overshadow on the car. The wintry winds were too tired from last night's snowstorm to cause inconveniences this morning.

My phone begins to ring from my purse, getting me out of my morning daze. I picked it up to see it was James calling.

“Hey, babe,” he whispered in a low voice. The sun hasn’t shone on him, probably.

“Hey.”

“Where are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Uhh, I was coming over to bring you coffee and maybe chat, but no one’s answering in your house. No cars in the driveway, either. Are you out?”

“Stupid Alex. My brother’s in there but he’s probably going to ignore you until you decide to leave. He’s too lazy to entertain you.”

“Oh,” he sheepishly responds. Stupid Alex for making me drive to dad’s work and ignoring my boyfriend outside.

“I’m out right now. Dad had me deliver him some important work papers. I’m still on my way over. I’m sorry,” I apologized profusely.

It was very thoughtful of him to surprise me with coffee. He knows I can’t start my morning without it. And he’s up early, too. Ugh. And here I am miles away from him and the comfort of my own home because of my stupid brother.

“That’s okay. I’ll be on my way home now. Just text me when you get back, okay?”

“Sure. Can I come over to your house when I get back? You know, to chat?”

“That’d be nice. I’ll prepare your favorite comfort food,” I could hear him chuckle.

“Oh, yeah? What is it?”

He doesn’t know my favorite food. I love lots of food.

“Fried chicken and some creamy carbonara.”

“Oh, you do know.” I guess he does.

“You’ve been eating that since I met you, Charlotte,” he says, laughing. “I’ll get on home now. Text me, all right?”

“Yes, sir,” I responded before ending the call.

I finally arrived at my dad’s workplace. It was a huge building outside of town. He instructed me to leave it with the receptionist and text him after.

There were a lot of businessmen and women out in the hallway. I looked like a crayon in a town of fountain pens. Everyone looked incredibly professional. The types that look like they couldn’t even be bothered with the smallest things. It was oddly busy for a Saturday.

“Hey,” I called the attention of the receptionist who was handling three phones at once. She doesn’t acknowledge me immediately. Probably because of the cropped jacket I was wearing. “Hey, miss?” I said again in a louder voice.

“Yes, child?” She smiled at me with a stern look in her face and a tone that told me instantly that she had a lot of work to do and I should carry on or stop interrupting her.

“I’m here to deliver papers for my father.”

“Mister?”

“Mr. Smith. He told me to leave it with you.”

“All right, hand me them, please.”

I handed the papers precariously. The lady looked like she would bite. I texted my father before driving on my way home again. He had a handful of thankyous to offer.