Forgetting Charlotte

Slightly awkward

Chapter seven: slightly awkward

                The next morning I awoke to the sound of Jolene taking a shower and steaming up my bedroom. After a rushed shower, rushed breakfast and what felt like a rushed drive I found myself back at my desk.  I was sitting across from a well filled grey pencil skirt, red silk blouse and extremely attentive brown eyes. Don’t look up and she won’t speak to you, I kept saying to myself.  The lengthy legs jetting out from the pencil skirt began to move up and down, and I looked down to see green Prada straps staring at me from the side of our desk.

“Charlotte?” even her voice sounded sultry, I felt my self esteem drop several more notches.

“Alicia, look I’m really sorry about your shoes. I can’t be more embarrassed. I’ll replace them. Or pay for them, where did you get them?” I looked up and smiled meekly at my cubicle mate.

“Chanel, but really…”

“Oh well…. Is there maybe another shoe you like, maybe in the local mall price range, I can swing Macy’s?” I felt my face getting redder as her petite features scrunched up at me.  I couldn’t tell if she was angry or pitying me, either way I felt deeply uncomfortable.

“Charlotte.”

“Charlie.”

“What?” she looked at me with shock and somehow it made her look even more attractive, another few points lost.

“Charlie, you can call me Charlie.”

“Why?”

“Um,” I shifted in my seat and my nausea seemed to be bubbling up. I suddenly had an urge to get up and run to the bathroom.  “That’s what people call me, really only my mom calls me Charlotte.”

“Why?” she still look stunned, like I had just told her I forgot to bathe. It was obvious she was a reporter now, the questions just kept coming. I suddenly heard my name called out from the other side of the room.

“YES?! Phillip, I’m coming.” I grabbed my papers and scurried over to Phillip’s office, waiving bye as I left Alicia still tapping her feet.  Phillip greeted me at the door staring at me like I had lost my mind. I threw myself down on the seat opposite him and began fumbling with my paperwork waiting for the burning feeling in my cheeks to subside. Normally I didn’t feel so, well insecure, but the last few weeks had seemed to be working against me and seeing someone as put together as Alicia just kept reminding me how much I was falling apart.  I fought back the tears of embarrassment mixed with sadness that were stinging my eyes. I took a deep breath and looked up at Phillip.  My boss took a deep breath himself and reached out and grabbed my hands.

“Charlie, honey, Jolene told me what’s going on. I just want to remind you that Rose and I are here no matter what.” My boss’s soft brown eyes stared at me with sympathy, a look I was getting used to.  “I know it will be tough for a while. As your boss there are things I expect from you, but as your friend I am willing to help you get through it.  Okay?” he gently cupped my hands in his and gave me the best smile he could. I felt the knots in my stomach unknot slightly, but I knew there was still an elephant in the room.

“And the features editor position?” I held my breath for his response.

“Charlie, don’t worry about that now.”

“Phillip please, I got a great idea for a monthly column.  Let me write a couple and you can decide then. Please, please don’t make a decision yet.” I was pleading knowing that the sum of my career may be coming down to this conversation.

“Charlie, don’t worry about that now.” Phillip repeated his words in a soothing tone and gently squeezed my hands.  “Now I just wanted to check on you, mainly because Rose would skin me alive if I didn’t, we can talk about that column a little later, I have a meeting in a second.” He looked down at his watch and waived me off.  My boss could only show heartfelt concern for so long, and my time was up. I gathered my things, mumbled a thank you and walked back out of his office.  I almost walked into Jolene who seemed to have her usual face of mischief on.

“Charlie, remember what we talked about last night, about you finding the prat and informing him he knocked you up?” Jolene whispering to me in her usual careless manner as we walked back to my cubicle.

“Yes Jolene, but I’m kind of busy trying to hang on to my position right now.” I hissed at her. Jolene stopped and stared at me.

“Is stiff pants Phillip trying to can you, bleeding hell! What an insensitive Arse! I would say he must have never had his heart broken but I doubt he ever possessed one. I’m going to ring Rose.” Jolene looked over at Phillips office and stuck her tongue out.

“NO! he’s not going to can me Jolene,” though in my mind her really had every right to, “no he’s thinking of placing Alicia in MY features editor position.” I sighed and held my head in my hands.

“The skirt?”

“I don’t even know what you’re saying Jolene. What was your point again?” I was wishing the day was over.

“Oh well, I was wondering if you had tried yet.” The mischievous look had replaced the insulted one.

“No, I wouldn’t even know where to look, he disconnected his phone after, everything.” I recalled how hurt I was when I heard the pre-recorded message from the phone company, as if it was not good enough to just get away from me but it was like he needed to erase every trace of himself from my existence.

“I know a good way to find him.”

“What?” I wasn’t wrapping my mind around what Jolene was getting at.  

“You could ask David.” She glanced behind her.

“And how would I get a hold of David Jolene? I’m sure if his best friend wants nothing to do with me David shares his sentiment.” I was getting irritated at Jolene as she kept glancing behind her, not even paying attention to me.

“Uh huh. I don’t think so, either way you have to try, it’s only right.”

“I know that Jolene. We talked about it last night, remember? I will look for him as soon as I clean up the other messes in my life right now.”  Jolene turned quickly and suddenly I was talking to the back of her head.

“Uh huh, yeah, well this will be an easy mess to clean, he’s here.” And with that Jolene pointed to the front doors of our office. I looked at the door and I saw the 6’3 image of my lost love, the looks that seemed inspiring to everyone but him.  I walked towards the physique that formed a perfect v as he stood carelessly with his hands thrust into the pockets of fantastically fitted jeans. My heart started to pound as I got closer and my emotions were thrust back to the day I first saw him, his steely gray eyes staring at me from across the room. My breath stopped just as he lifted his head and pushed back his messy chestnut hair, to reveal sky blue eyes and a slightly crooked smile.

“Hi David.” I exhaled just as I remembered how his best friend David shared his striking looks.

“Hi Charlie. What’s up?”