This chapter is dedicated to blackswan101 and lucky07
becuase some times a few kind words are all that's needed to make you better
*************************************************************************************
Chapter twelve: It’s been nice
“You’re David’s what?” The words fell out of my mouth, as I was pretty sure my jaw was somewhere around my ankles.
“I’m here at David’s request Charlotte, I am his date.” Alicia spoke slowly, emphasizing the last word with a click of her tongue.
“Alicia came down to meet me for lunch Charlie.” David gave me a quick smile and resumed eating his waffles, blissfully unaware of the tension at the table.
Alicia casually wrapped her arm around David and eyed me with the same smug look she had given me in Phillip’s office. I sneered back at her.
“And how did you end up here Charlotte?” I could sense the words she really wanted to say.
“I saw Charlotte’s at her doctors and invited her to come.” David answered for me as I moved the food around my plate.
“Oh?” Alicia’s dark eyes looked me up and down and I was painfully aware of how unkempt I must have looked.
She was stunning in a red fitted dress while the pregnancy had made me gain enough weight to outgrow my normal clothes; it was not enough to justify wearing maternity clothes. I watched as she took in my oversize jeans and cotton shirt combo with disdain. Even my hair lacked attention, as the only thing I could muster lately was a messy bun on top of my head and away from my mouth.
“Good thing she came to, she was starving! Charlie was inhaling those chicken and waffles.” David let out a boisterous laugh as Alicia eyed my half empty plate. I blushed with embarrassment.
“What were you guys talking about when I arrived?” Alicia returned her focus to David and began twirling his hair in between her fingers.
“Charlie was telling me about work.” David said in between bites.
“Oh?” Alicia perked up a bit, “What about work? Is something wrong Charlotte?” She asked me with such fake concern I almost forgot whom I was talking to, almost.
“That’s right! I forgot that you guys work together. Well that’s great, tell us what’s wrong Charlie and I bet Alicia here could help you out!” David, ever helpful, foolish David. I struggled to figure out a way to avoid the continuation of this conversation.
“How exactly did you guys start dating?” Alicia raised one perfected eyebrow at me at the change of conversation but David just continued eating.
“Well David called the office a while ago looking for you, but I had to tell him you were out.”
“And where was I?” and why didn’t you tell me he called I thought to myself.
“Well Charlotte.” She emphasized my name just enough for me to catch the irritation. “You were at one of your doctor’s appointments and I did not feel it was right to share your private information.”
“Oh.” Damn her
“Anyways, Davy was so concerned,” seriously, Davy? “I invited him to come down to the magazine, telling him he could wait at our desk for you till you returned.” Alicia took her water from our waitress and shooed her away. “I was telling David how we all care for you and worry for your emotional well being during this difficult time.”
Difficult time I repeated to myself? Was I dying and no one had told me?
“Well one thing led to another, and by the end of the day we had exchanged numbers. We have been seeing each other ever since.” I watched as Alicia smiled sickeningly at David, and it was all I could do to keep from gagging.
“I don’t remember David waiting for me at work?” I searched my mind trying to recall the day I found David sitting at my desk.
“You didn’t come back Charlie; I waited for you till 6pm. Alicia insisted.” David smiled at me. I bet she did, I thought to myself.
“I figured you weren’t feeling well.” Alicia gave me an exaggerated look of concern before turning to David. “Poor dear has been so under the weather, what with being pregnant with your best friend’s baby and all.”
“So you guys are together?” I asked with a stunned expression. It seemed an odd thing to ask, it’s not like I cared, or even had a right to care, but something about it seemed unnatural.
For the first time in the conversation Alicia didn’t pipe up first, she gave David a sideways glance waiting on his response and I sensed that maybe she wasn’t too sure on where she stood with David.
“We’ve been seeing each other. It’s been nice.” David took a long drink from his water. “Alicia is great; she really cares about you Charlie.”
I could tell by the darkness that settled in Alicia’s eyes that David’s response was not to her liking. She waited a moment before continuing her charade. “Yes, we all care for Charlotte.”
I didn’t know which one to believe less, the fact that I was hearing this or that Alicia was feigning concern. I had to get out of here. I shook my head in disbelief as I waived our waitress down.
“Hi, can I get the check?” I hoped she read my mental waves begging her to return quickly.
“Where are you going Charlie? You’re not even done with your chicken and waffles.” David reached out to grab my arm but missed as I dug in my purse for my wallet.
“I just remembered that I have to finish that article at the office before I leave for the weekend.” I pulled out my phone and saw 7 missed calls from Jolene.
“SHIT!” Jolene was supposed to pick me up from the doctors after picking my mom up from the airport. “I completely forgot Jolene!”
I began yanking money out of my wallet and throwing it on the table. I hit dial back on my phone as I jumped up from the booth nearly knocking over Alicia’s water.
“Thanks for the lunch David.” “I could hear Jolene pick up and prepared my ear drum for the accented screech that was coming. “Alicia, uh, well I’ll see you back at work.”
I ran out of Lucky’s just as I the sound started to die down on the phone allowing me to press my ear to the receiver. I just caught the end of what appeared to be a profanity laced rant “…and do you know how many visions I had of you lying in some godforsaken lou somewhere, our baby napped and taken by some horrid monster! Why even momma Boyd is upset with you…”
“Jolene.” I answered softly, taking note that she had started to refer to the baby as ours.
“WHERE ARE YOU Charlotte Jesse Boyd?” I had images of my timid mother sitting next to Jolene unable to understand what half of what had just come out of Jolene’s mouth.
“I’m at Lucky’s grill, can you pick me up?”
“Be there in 5 Charlotte and it be best if you not mutter a sound to your mum and me until I feel less murderous!”
Jolene did in fact arrive 5 minutes later with my sixty-eight year old mother in her passenger seat. She screeched to a halt in front of the diner, honking and waiving frantically at me as she pulled up to the red curb.
I leaned in the front passenger seat and gave my mom a quick peck on the cheek before I let myself in the back seat.
“What were you doing here Charlie; I told you I would pick you up after your appointment.” Jolene hissed.
“I forgot.” I watched out the window as Jolene attempted to find an opening to merge into traffic. “I saw David and he invited me to lunch and we were talking when Alicia arrived.” I cringed recalling the way she had emphasized your best friend’s babyto David.
“What was the skirt doing here?” Jolene asked while revving the engine, warning the vehicles to her left to move or be moved.
“Well apparently they are dating. I guess for some… OW Jolene!” Jolene had hit the brakes so hard my whole body had flung forward. As I picked myself up from the floor of the car I looked up to see Jolene’s wide green eyes staring at me.
“You’re yanking my chain Charlie.”
“No, I guess they have been seeing each other for a while” I huffed as I tried to lift my butt back up onto the seat.
Jolene flipped back around in the seat and pulled the emergency break up, tossing me back onto the car floor. I could hear the click of the hazard lights as she jumped from the vehicle and ran inside Lucky’s.
“Hi dear. Do you need a hand?” my mom was looking at me from the passenger seat with an amused smile on her face as I tried to unstick myself from behind the driver’s seat.
I nodded and my mother got out and came around the car to open the back door. I fell out with a thud onto the street gravel. She leaned down and picked me up just as we both turned to see an angry Jolene being led out of Lucky’s, by the arm, by David.
“I believe you forgot something Charlie.” David had a smirk on his face as he lightly tossed Jolene back towards the car.
“You can keep her, thanks.” I laughed as I saw Jolene give David a glare before turning and marching towards the driver door.
“I was ordering something you damn wanker! I saw you and thought I would say hi, I didn’t even see the glass so how could I have known I would knock it in her lap?” Jolene’s voice cracked a bit with the glee she was holding in. David nodded his head in disappointment right before she jumped back into the car.
“Well, I guess we should go now. Nice to see you again David.” My mom gave David a quick hug and got back into the front seat of Jolene’s car.
David walked over and opened the back door for me and waited till I stepped in before closing it behind me. He leaned in the car as Jolene revved the engine again, threatening to drive off with his head.
“So I’ll see you next Monday then?” he leaned in close to me so that he could be heard over the engine.
I looked into his crystal blue eyes and saw the same look that I had been trying to decipher for months now. Unable to read David I just shrugged and patted his hand.
“Okay, see you at 3:30pm” I gave David a smile as he reached out and patted Jolene’s head from behind.
“Bye Mrs. Boyd. Bye Jolene” David pulled his head out of the back window just before Jolene pulled off into traffic.
I watched David through the rear window, waiving to us as the car drove away. As if on cue Alicia came out of Lucky’s and grabbed David’s hand, turning him towards her. I chuckled as I saw the large visible stain right in the middle of that stunning red dress.