Charlie's Last Stand (5 page)

“They talked for awhile on the phone before she started
getting ready. He babysits his sister's kids every Saturday night. When he's
not doing the pharmaceutical rep thing, he's writing the next great novel. Oh
and he wears motorcycle boots. She mentioned that a few times. I overheard her
talking to Sue.” Will looked down at Chris’s roughed up sneakers and then back
up at his face.

“I don't know what you want me to say.”

Will finally stood up. “I'm just trying to help you, man.
You'd be good for each other. I don't want you to wait until it's too late. She
deserves to be happy.” Will had turned to leave the room but Chris could still
hear him say, “You do, too.”

He stopped at the threshold and called over his shoulder, “Oh,
I forgot to tell you that I had booked a night at the Excelsior Hotel. When I
thought you were going to have that heart to heart with her tonight, I figured
you'd appreciate the privacy. You don't mind staying the night, do you? You can
make sure Charlie gets in okay.”

Will walked out without waiting for an answer. There really
wasn't any necessary. Of course he would stay if it meant seeing Charlie and
finding out exactly what kind of date she ended up having.

This dating thing wasn't too hard. Rob held the door open
for her, held her hand when they walked to the restaurant, and kept the
conversation moving throughout dinner. He talked about work and his writing but
he also asked her all about her job and hobbies. He was sweet, really sweet,
and attractive. He said all the right things and made all the right moves.

She tore her attention bit by bit away from the day, away
from the way Chris looked at her when he knocked on the door before her date,
away from that hug and the way she wanted to sink into him. She threw her logic
into gear and told herself that any attraction was completely one-sided and
things between them were never meant to be more than just a really great
friendship.

Slowly she sank into the comfortable feeling of having a
sexy man attend to her. They had a great meal and then an awesome date perusing
the shelves of a little independent bookstore. They sipped coffee and chatted
about their favorite books. He loved science fiction and fantasy while she
stuck to anything with a happy ending. Somewhere in between their tastes, they
found books they both enjoyed and discussed at length.

After they finished their coffee, he took her to his house,
a small ranch not far from the shore. She looked at his bookshelves while he
poured them two glasses of wine.

She lifted a picture of him on a motorcycle, a little boy
seated in front of him.

He came up behind her, his voice only inches from her ear. “It
was just for the photo. I swear I didn't actually take my nephew out on my
bike.”

She laughed a little but his closeness kept her on edge. “I
figured. He's a cute kid.”

He wrapped his hands around her upper arms and pulled her
back into him. She stiffened. He was so awesome and hot and, damn, did he look
sexy on the motorcycle with his nephew.

But she wasn't ready.

He slid her hair out of the way and kissed the spot below
her ear. She bumped his chin and spun out of his arms. “I'm sorry.”

“It's okay.” He rubbed the dimple in his chin. “Too fast?”

“I'm just a little nervous. This is the first date since my
divorce.” And she felt like a complete idiot. She walked away. Her ex had
nothing to do with it but he was a convenient excuse.

She hadn't realized that Rob had crossed the room until he
touched her upper arm. “It gets easier, you know.” He linked his hand with hers
and brought her over to the couch.

“You're divorced.”

“Five years. You get to the point where you've been apart
longer than you were together and you realize that you might not be the person
you were before but you kind of like the person you've become.”

They sat together on the couch for a few minutes in silence
and it was totally okay. She settled into the feeling. “Thank you for
understanding.”

“No problem. We'll take it slow.” He waited a few seconds
before continuing. “How is it working with your ex?”

“He left town before the divorce was even final. I haven't
heard from him in over a year.”

Rob leaned back and quirked his head. “You mean the doc
isn't your ex?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Why would you think that?”

“Oh, he just seemed to be giving off this vibe that he
didn't approve of me.”

“I don't know why. He's been friends with my brother
forever. He helped me get back on my feet, gave me a job when I needed it. He's
been in a mood all day. I wouldn't take it personally.”

“Okay. Well, are you still up for a movie?”

At least some of the awkwardness had faded. “Absolutely.”

They spent the next half hour looking through an instant
video queue online to pick out a movie they'd both enjoy. In the end, they
chose an action adventure film that satisfied both of their interests and he
set it up to stream to his huge flat screen.

It wasn't until twenty minutes into the movie that she
noticed how stiff and distracted he'd become. He looked unwell. He rubbed his
mouth a few times. When the screen lit up with explosions, she noticed little
droplets of sweat on his forehead.

“Rob, are you okay?”

He looked away from the movie. “I'm fine. Why do you ask?”

“You look a little...off.”

“I'm good.” He said it with absolute certainty but she
didn't believe him. Indian food didn't agree with everyone and they'd eaten
there at her suggestion. “Was it dinner?”

“I'm fine, Charlie. Really. I enjoyed our meal. Don't worry.”

She leaned back, his hand settled along her shoulder, and
they watched the movie in silence for another twenty minutes before Rob excused
himself.

She didn't need to be told that he was well and truly sick.
She gave him privacy and picked a book off one of his shelves to thumb through.
When he wasn't back in twenty minutes, she started to worry.

She found him on the bed in his bedroom. His arm over his
eyes. “Are you okay?”

“No. I'll get up in a minute to get you home.” His voice was
raspy and he didn't look like he'd be up to getting off the bed, never mind
driving her home.

“You're staying here. I'll call my brother for a ride.”

He tried to get up but dropped back down, clutching his
head. “I don't know what's wrong with me.”

“Stomach bug. It’s going around. The office was packed today
because of it. I'll be right back.”

Her bag was still on the couch and she ran to it. She had no
idea how to help Rob. He was pitiful and she couldn't leave him like this.
There was only one person she could call on to help. She pulled out her phone
and dialed.

****

It was on.

He'd done the babysitting thing. They'd watched both movies,
ate way too much popcorn, played a little too much Jenga and Operation, and
he'd wearily gotten through a bedtime routine that involved several books and a
few water then potty breaks.

Now that he could think, he was coming up with a plan to win
Charlie over. It couldn't be that hard. All he had to do was convince her that
she was attracted to him, that he was obviously a great catch, and that they
would be a great couple together.

So he'd come up with the seed of an idea. All he needed was
for Charlie to show up, preferably before he passed out on the couch.

It took him an hour to create the perfect playlist. He’d
already had a few of the songs but he bought a few more to cap off the list. It
was just something to set the mood while they talked. He was putting his phone
down when it rang.

Charlie's number came across his screen and he answered it
as visions of her in trouble filtered through his mind. “Charlie?”

“I need your help. Rob’s in bed. I think he's sick with the
stomach bug but I don't know. He doesn't seem to need an ambulance. What should
I do for him?”

He went into doctor mode. “Is he breathing okay?”

“Yes. He's talking to me but he’s hot to the touch. He just
seems really knocked out and I don't want to get him up to bring me home. I
think it's the same tummy bug everyone else seems to have.”

“Okay. Get some water into him. If he can keep it down, he
should be fine. Call me in twenty and let me know what his status is. I’ll wake
the kids to come and get you.”

“Don’t. Let me see how he does. I don't want to leave him
alone like this.” There was silence on the other end until she said, “Thanks,
Chris” and hung up.

He threw the phone down, conflicted about the entire
conversation. A stomach bug was hardly romantic but her words kept replaying in
his mind. Rob was in bed. Did she move him into the bed or was he already there
when he became sick? It sounded like she was going to stick by Rob's side which
meant his plans for the evening were out the door. This was Charlie's Kryptonite.
Being needed, having someone to take care of, was the best way to win her. He
had known that two years ago when she separated from her ex and had moved out.
Will and Sue were struggling to balance both of their jobs and taking care of
their kids so it was completely natural for Charlie to move in and help out.
When her career as a real estate agent went through a rough patch, he knew it
was the perfect time to branch out on his own. There was no better person to
help him than Charlie and it was just the thing to get her out of her funk.

Rob in need of care was probably more of an attraction to
Charlie than those stupid motorcycle boots he wore. Chris slumped on the couch
and closed his eyes. He imagined Charlie bustling around an unknown apartment.
His mind flitted from watching her walk around in nothing but one of Rob's
t-shirts to the clothes she left wearing. His stomach clenched every single
freaking time he thought of her sleeping with Rob.

He couldn't do this again. He couldn't sit by and watch her
get involved with another guy. He jumped off the couch and looked around for
something to do. It hadn’t hit midnight yet. Maybe he should insist on going
over there to check on Rob. If it didn't mean waking up the kids and dragging
them out of their beds and into the cold night, he would be on his way now.

He exhaled and walked into the kitchen to load the
dishwasher. He usually drew the line with housework when he babysat but he had
too much nervous energy to do nothing. He was drying his hands when the phone
rang again.

“How is he?”

She sighed into the phone. “He's better, I think. He drank
some sports drink he had in the fridge. He hasn't been sick or anything since I
talked to you last. I can't really ask him about, you know, the specifics. Do
you think I could hand the phone over to him?”

“Of course.”

After a moment of silence, Rob got on the phone, his voice
soft and scratchy. Chris ran through a list of questions, ascertaining how sick
the guy really was. It always seemed to be the big ones to fall the hardest.
Once he confirmed that Rob had the same stomach bug going through the rest of
his patient, he gave him some orders. After a day or two of a bland diet along
with keeping hydrated and getting rest, he'd be fine. Rob handed the phone back
to Charlie once they were through talking.

“He wants me to take the keys to his car and drive myself
home. Do you think it's okay if I leave him or should I stay?”

“It's up to you, Charlie. If he's taking fluids, there's not
much else you can do but let him rest. It seems to run its course in about
twenty-four to thirty-six hours. I can come and get you, I'm sure the kids won’t
mind a little adventure.”

“No. I think I'll stop at a convenience store and stock his
fridge with some sports drinks. Do you know what time my brother and Sue were
planning on getting in tonight?”

“They're not coming back.”

“Oh. You're waiting on me then.”

“No, no. Just do what you have to do. I can stay the night
if I need to. That was the plan anyway. Text me when you head out though.”

She agreed and he threw the phone on to the couch. He looked
down on the blanket and pillows Sue had put down for him before they left. If
he was going to spend the night, he might as well get comfortable. He grabbed
his car keys and went out to get his gym bag for a change of clothes.

****

Her eyes fastened on the half-naked body in front of her.
Rob was incredibly built. He had a solid body, muscles on top of muscles but
she wasn't really enjoying the view. He must have stripped down to his boxers to
cool off from his fever.

It wasn't just the situation that had her averting her eyes.
She threw the comforter over his lower body, giving him some privacy before she
bent down and felt his forehead again. His eyes opened and he smiled weakly at
her. “Great date, huh?”

“It's been interesting.” She pushed a curl of his dark blond
hair off his face. “Are you feeling a little better?”

“Much. I'm sorry that I've ruined your New Year's.”

She stood and stepped back from the bed. “Don't. It happens.
I stocked your fridge with sports drinks and I opened one for you.” She
gestured to the fluorescent yellow bottle on the bedside stand. “Is there anything
else I can get you?”

He shook his head. “Are you okay with driving my car home?”

“If you're okay with allowing me to take it.”

He nodded again. “Please. I'd drive you home but I'm not up
to it.”

“That's okay. I'll drop it off tomorrow. My brother or sister-in-law
can give me a ride.”

“Don't worry about it. I can always pick it up when I'm
feeling better.” He rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow. “I'd ask
you for a rain check but...”

“But?”

“I don’t think the doc would like that much.”

“We’re just friends.” She hesitated for a moment before
asking, “Did Di put you up to this?”

“Do you mean did she tell me to ask you out? No.” His smile
was weak. “She did however tell me that you didn't have plans for the evening
when I asked her yesterday.”

“Oh.”

“Charlie, if things don't work out with him and you're
interested, let me know. I promise I can deliver a much better date.”

She patted his shoulder before walking to the bedroom door. “If
you need anything, food, drinks, help in any way, call me. Please.”

Rob nodded and put his head back on the pillow. She left him
as comfortable as she could. It was weird walking out of there with his car
keys, locking up before she shut his front door.

She was pulling in front of her brother's house before she
realized she'd never texted Chris. She slipped into the kitchen and made her
way down the hallway to the living room. The television was on but she couldn't
see him. She shrugged off her winter coat and draped it on an armchair before
walking around the couch.

Chris stretched out, his hands on his stomach and his eyes
tightly closed. She stood there for minutes watching him sleep. She had to
restrain herself from lying down on top of him.

Until Rob's illness, she’d tried hard to block Chris from
her mind and she'd been fairly successful at it. But Rob was not the man of her
dreams and it'd been the moment he dropped a kiss on her neck that she knew
she'd never be into him the way she was with Chris.