Charlie Foxtrot (Book 2 of Love is War Series)

Chapter 12

Three days later, Auden could still feel the series of kisses Jim had given her over the course of several minutes the week prior. She honestly didn’t know how long they stood there over the blue bioluminescence with their mouths fused and hands roaming and clutching. She just knew that her skin heated quickly up, and everything seemed hyper-focused on their tangling tongues.

With her breath almost gone, she’d finally pulled back, gently so that she wasn’t rejecting him. She wasn’t, but she also needed oxygen before she passed out. When they finally started to leave to head home, she was lightheaded and speechless, her body a subtle tremble as he escorted her back to the Mercedes and they drove away.

On the following Monday, she was featherbrained, forgetful, and kept f*****g up. Jim’s proximity in the building was probably part of the cause, and she needed to get her s**t together before she started messing something up and got herself fired.

After finishing up her work from the previous Friday, she was given an assignment to do inventory, because they were running out of a few essentials, and the new temp knew less about the job than she did, and another clerk was out sick. That fell to her and Greg.

Given a list, they both went through each floor’s supply room and made notes on how much of everything was needed.

“We’re low on everything,” she muttered to herself before deciding to back down to the 4th floor. Greg was leaning against the wall, munching on half a bagel because he said his sugar was low. He’d admitted to being a diabetic from a young age earlier that morning when they took their coffee together. She’d noticed he never used sugar and preferred sucralose. He wasn’t embarrassed about it. It was a part of his life, and he didn’t see the difference in the way he lived and ate and the way she did.

Nodding over to his half-finished bagel, she pointed at it. “That making you feel better?”

He shrugged. “Yeah. It’s not the greatest without the cream, but it’ll do in a pinch. Thanks. I forgot to bring snacks.” She had given him part of her bagel since he looked pretty pale and was complaining of feeling faint because of his hypoglycemic state.

“Well, what do you usually have for snacks when your sugar gets low?”

“Usually cereal.”

She c****d her head at him. “What, like Frosted Flakes?”

He laughed and shoved another bite into his mouth before chewing. Thankfully, he waited until after he chewed up the food before answering her. “Usually something like Life or Shredded Wheat or Kix. Nothing too sugary because the fiber turns to sugar anyway. I don’t need pendulum glycemic state. Been there done that. Zero stars. Would not recommend.”

They opened the door to the fourth floor and started to walk down the hall to their desks. “Well, I’m just glad I could do something. I only end up eating half of it ninety percent of the time anyway. I should start—wait, what’s that?”

She pointed to her desk where a blue-tinted crystal vase sat on her desk. It held a dozen roses with a small white card peeking out the top.

“Huh,” was all Greg could say. “Is it your birthday and you didn’t tell me? I didn’t eat some celebratory birthday bagel of yours now, did I?”

She rolled her eyes at him. He tended to be ridiculous at times, but it was actually quite funny. Most times. “Don’t be an i***t. Birthday bagel.” She let out a huff and walked over to her desk in order to see what the card said. Greg was right behind her, and she walked away so she could read the card in private. She was a little shocked at what she found.

Dear Auden,

I just wanted to thank you

for Friday night. I

really enjoyed myself.

I was also wondering if

I could invite you to my

new place when I move in.

It’s ready for me, and I

admit I cook a pretty

mean pasta.

Let me know.

—Jim

Auden blinked at the note and thought Jim was a little nuts. He was thanking her for taking her out and buying her food with a dozen roses? If this was part of his ploy to charm her, it was a good one. Not that she needed to be tricked, because she actually did enjoy being with him, talking with him—definitely kissing him. She’d even had some pretty explicit dreams about him over the weekend and should probably invest in some more batteries after reliving all the nasty fantasies she’d had after their date. She wondered if he’d done the same, but figured since he was a guy, it was probably a foregone conclusion.

“Who are they from?”

Auden jumped. She’d forgotten all about Greg being there with her, so she made something up on the fly. “They’re from my mom, congratulating me on the new job.”

Greg made a face. “That makes no sense. You’ve been here for over a month, Auden.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Well, my mother also forgets my birthday and she was kind of there at my premiere. Always a day late and a dollar short, but she’s my mom, so what can you do?” Placing the card in her small skirt pocket, she patted it to make sure it stayed there. When she checked the time on her cell phone, she saw she was about 15 minutes late for lunch. “s**t. I have to go on lunch. You good?” She pointed unsurely to the last couple bites of his bagel.

“Who me? I’m golden, sweetheart. I don’t have lunch for another 45 minutes, but this should tide me over. Why? You need company while you eat your noms?” He affected a simper, and she flipped him the bird before she went into her desk drawer to grab her purse and cell phone. Hurrying from the large room and down the hallway, she doubled back and slipped into another stairwell and walked up to the 5th floor. She hoped Jim wasn’t in a meeting.

When she walked onto the floor, she saw that it was quiet, and Clay’s door was thankfully closed. Walking past, she noticed that Jim’s door was ajar, and she could hear him tapping away on his laptop. For a moment, she hesitated, but ended up knocking lightly on the door, which inched open a little bit more. There was silence, and Jim’s voice called out for him to come in. She did.

“Auden? What can I help you with?”

“The flowers,” she blurted out. “Why?”

He blinked at her, looking surprised. “Well, in the words of someone or other famous, because it was there? f**k, I don’t know. Come in all the way, sweetheart, and close the door.”

She came to her senses long enough to do what he bade her, and then sat down across from him in a chair. Leaning forward, she clutched the edge of his large desk after setting her purse down on the surface. “Why? I mean, really why?”

“Do I need a reason honestly? Because I wanted to, because I meant what I said in the note, and because I really, really want you to come to my home and have dinner with me. I’ll pick you up. Clay extended the driveway all the way up to the ranch house he gifted me, and it has a little turnabout and leads to the garage. If you’re concerned about being seen by Marietta and Clay, they won’t even know you’re there. Venetian blinds can be handy.” He smiled disarmingly at her, and she felt only relief.

“Okay, I believe you.” She didn’t know how to ask her next question, but decided to spit it out anyway. “Just why?”

Jim still looked nonplussed and took a moment to study her. His gaze softened after he took in her curious expression, like he understood exactly what she wanted to know without asking. “I don’t know why I’m drawn to you. It’s inexplicable.” He paused, stood up and walked toward his window. For good ten seconds, he didn’t say anything else. “Did you ever go window shopping and instinctively see a pair of shoes or a sweater or a purse you really liked but it wasn’t your style before?”

She thought of that. It had happened before, but it was rare. “A couple of times. Like when I was a kid, I always wanted to dress up as a princess or a mermaid or butterfly for Halloween. Something girly. One year, I wanted to be a frog. I think it was primarily because I had seen a cartoon movie that I really liked. When I told my mom, she asked me if I was feeling okay. At first, she didn’t believe me.” Auden laughed. “Sorry. Tangent. Yeah. Sometimes you need or desire something different. I can only imagine why, but I never usually give in to the desire. It’s too illogical for me.”

“I can understand that,” Jim said with a nod as he turned around to face her. “It’s like that. I see something and want to take, but you aren’t something I can buy like a pair of shoes or a box of cookies. I’m used to being able to take what I want. Sad facts, but women can be easy to nab, if you know what they need to hear or how to woo them. I…I didn’t want that with you, but I still felt that I needed something as a hook. It was instinct, and something I need to suppress if I want this to work between you and me. And I do. I want this to work, but I can’t buy you.

“Auden, I’m not here to f**k you over or hurt you. But I also know that if I were to tell Clay or Mary that, they wouldn’t believe me. It was instinctual to send you flowers because I wanted to. Everything I know has been a trade-off all my life. I couldn’t help myself, and I don’t regret it. I’m not trying to buy your affection or win you with expensive things. I saw the flowers online and instantly thought of you. There is no obligation to come to my home for a meal, and I wasn’t trying to soften you up or anything. I am sincere when I want you to be the first one to share a meal with you in a new home, though. What do you say?”

He looked hopeful, and it softened Auden’s heart a little more toward him. Everything he had said rang true. It wasn’t so much the words, but his timbre. There was no reticence or nerves. He sounded sincere, and she shrugged her shoulders as her whole form relaxed.

“Okay.” It was simple, but it felt right, and she smiled at him. He mimicked her and smiled right back.

“Good. I move in the rest of the stuff this weekend, but my bed, living room, and dining room stuff is already in place and ready. The bed I have in Clay’s house belongs to him, but he’ll probably either give it away and replace it with new or turn the room or save it to turn into a nursery someday. Not that I know that they’re trying to have kids, but he’s hinted as much, and kicking me out of the house by building me a new one is pretty indicative of how determined he is to get his wife pregnant and have his family grow. Clay always wanted a brother when he was young. Well, he found one a little too late in life for any form of childhood companionship, but it just goes to show you, it's never too late. Things can change, people can too. It takes a lot, but no one—and I mean no one—is beyond redemption.”

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