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“You two should do lessons. I have a few places in mind. I’ll text them to you," Liv said, her face set into a smirk.
Ugh. She’d rather be tied to a chair than be in a dancing class with Charlie.
“Sure!” Violet said, somehow forcing her fake smile back on her face. Charlie was still touching her. He was too warm. He smelled too good, and it had been far too long since Violet had been on a date with anyone.
Because somehow Charlie felt sort of nice.
“And I will get the details from Violet… you know, since we’re friends," Charlie said.
“Of course!” Violet said, trying not to pass out. “This is all going to be perfect.”
It was so not going to be perfect. It was probably going to end in murder, and she wasn’t sure which one of them would be left alive.
Chapter Three
Charlie
Every morning, Charlie had a routine. He would wake up at six and go on a jog. Then, he would make coffee, eat a bowl of oatmeal, and go to work.
To some, his routine might have been boring but to him, it was everything. His work was mentally taxing, and the regular exercise and healthy food made sure he was prepared for the day ahead.
He worked for a large IT company. He had his master’s degree in computer science, and now held a high-level position in coding for website design. He was busy nearly every day from the moment he walked in to the moment he left.
After doing his morning routine, Charlie drove to work in a decent mood. He got in, brewed some more coffee at the main coffee pot, and turned to find one of the directors of the company waiting for him.
“Hi, Paula," Charlie said. She was looking at him expectantly. “How are you today?”
“My computer is frozen again.”
Charlie nodded. Technically this wasn’t his job. Paula should call IT and deal with the problem through the proper channels. But no one was going to tell the director of the company no.
You’d think a director of an IT company would know how to work basic technology, but Paula was over sales. She didn’t know how to do even the most basic of things computer related.
Paula liked to feel important and getting Charlie to do her IT work for her probably made her feel just that. So, he went along with it. He gestured to her office and followed her in.
As he worked on her computer, Paula sat across from him, trying and failing to look innocent.
“How is that girl you’re seeing?”
Charlie grimaced. He hated when people asked about Lauren at work, especially Paula.
“She’s fine," Charlie told her.
“Any plans to move in soon and start a family?”
“No, not yet.”
“Well, there’s got to be something wrong with her, then. Why make you wait?”
Charlie paused for a moment. If he was being honest with himself, he knew it wasn’t Lauren making him wait. It was mutual. For one, he and Lauren couldn’t stay together for more than a few months at a time. Two, Lauren hated where he lived and preferred her apartment.
And three, Charlie could never see himself loving someone enough to move in with them. He didn’t know if he believed in love in the first place. His parents had failed at it. He knew millions of others did too.
Ultimately, people couldn’t be trusted to stay. They relied on feelings and those faded. There were times he wanted nothing more than to drop Lauren out of his life, but then there were times where he wanted to keep her close too. He knew he loved her. He had to after six years, but love was futile. It was a feeling and nothing more.
Settling down wasn’t an option. Charlie was going to spend his days alone in his house, probably with Lauren coming in and out of his life. And he was happy with that.
“We like taking it slow," Charlie said instead. There was no need to have a debate with Paula over love in the office.
