Chapter Fourteen: Friends with the Devil
"I'm having a godson!" Jolene was turning heads as she yelled across Lucky's, frantically waving to the waitress. We had decided to head to Lucky's after the ultrasound, partially because I was starving, but mostly because Jolene was in the mood to make a spectacle of herself. "Waters for everyone!"
The waitress walked over and gave Jolene a look of stunned annoyance. " 'Cept you missy, you look a tad suspect." Jolene cocked her head and gave our booth neighbor an enthusiastic thumbs up as our waitress rolled her eyes and walked away. I recognized the talented eye roll from the last time I had eaten at Lucky's.
We were crammed into a booth at the back of the diner, my mother and Jolene on one side and David and I on the other. Jolene had chatted excitedly the whole ride over, while my mother gripped my hand and laughed at Jolene's comments. David on the other hand had been surprisingly quiet, staring out the window at the passing traffic and only murmuring a response when asked something.
I shared David's stunned silence. I gripped the black and white prints of my baby in my hand as the appointment replayed in my head. The images of the small human being moving around the screen, his tiny feet, his tiny arms, his tiny head, his tiny... WOw, a boy!
I had lain down on that cold slab of a table as Charlotte, sad and broken from his leaving and unable to comprehend why Karma had given me a permanent reminder of him.
But as I watched the images of my son I didn't see a reflection of the man that had left me, I saw my future, and it was scary and wonderful all at the same time.
"Charlotte, honey, are you okay?" My mother reached across the table and patted my hand. I looked up at my mom's tender smile and smiled back.
"Yeah mom, I'm okay" I looked over at David who was concentrating on removing every droplet of moisture from his glass. He ran his fingers up and down the outer edge, seemingly focused on whatever was running through his mind.
Jolene glanced over at David and gave me a shrug. "Momma Boyd I have to go to the loo, would you like to accompany me?" Jolene bounced out of the booth and held out her hand for my mother.
"What's the loo again?" my mother gave me a confused look as she took hold of Jolene's hand and slipped out from behind the metal table.
"I believe you yanks refer to it as the rest-room." Jolene overdramatized the word restroom, making it sound as foreign as possible. "Although I can't fathom why, you're not doing much resting in it, are you?" My mother began splitting with laughter at Jolene's reasoning while Jolene led her to the front of Lucky's.
"Jolene's a nut." I turned to David for a response but he remained entranced with his water glass.
"Uh David?"
"Hmm..." I heard sound come from David but his face made no indication that he had comprehended what I had said.
"David?" I placed my hand on David's knee and his head spun around so quickly I ripped it back. I could see a deep blush infect David's cheeks.
"Charlotte?" David's crystal blue eyes remained unfocused as he looked at me.
"David, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, of course Charlie! Why do you think something's wrong?" David grabbed his water glass and began taking a very long, dramatic drink.
"Well, for starters you have been quiet ever since the doctor showed us the baby..."
"Yeah, that was crazy wasn't it, seeing that little person, inside you." David laughed nervously.
"And you have just inhaled your water." I watched as he grabbed my water glass and chugged the contents before I had finished my sentence. "...aaannd mine."
"Boy I'm thirsty, never can have enough water Charlie." David's eyes frantically searched the restaurant. He began clapping like a seal when he saw the waitress. "Excuse me, can I have more water?"
"David, I know something's wrong." The waitress returned with two full glasses of water. David grabbed the one closest to him and tossed it back. Before he could pick up the second glass I placed my hand firmly on the top and gave him my best no nonsense look.
"David if I didn't know better I would say you're a little bit freaked out?" I smirked as David's eyes tripled in size right before he let out a loud sigh and placed his hand on mine.
"Charlie don't get me wrong, I knew I was going to an ultrasound and all, but that was incredible. I was sitting there watching that screen and thinking the doctor was crazy. There was nothing there!" his ran his free hand through his hair and rested it behind his neck. "Then, out of nowhere, I hear, thump, thump, thump. And then I see the baby, a real baby, all human looking and amazing, and it's all you! All I kept thinking was..."
"That he should be here?" I cut off David midsentence, not wanting him to voice the thought I was sure was next.
"Um, yeah. That HE should be here." David gave me a strained look and slowly pulled his hands back in front of him.
I looked at David confused. He had an unreadable look on his face and I wondered if maybe I shouldn't have cut him off. I was going to ask if there was something else bothering him when Jolene came running up, dragging my poor mother behind her.
"You...won't...believe..." Jolene leaned over the metal table trying to catch her breath while my mother slipped back into the booth. As soon as my mom had scooted in far enough Jolene plopped herself down and spread her arms across the table.
"Jolene, what the hell are you doing?" This was it; Jolene had finally lost her mind.
"Hi Ladies, may I sit down?" It couldn't be I thought to myself. I turned up to see a well fitted navy striped suit and pair of sultry dark eyes staring at us.
"NOPE! No room, absolutely no place for you to sit!" Jolene was spreading her body out as wide as she could in attempt to block the entire table from view. Alicia gave Jolene a quick glance before turning to David with a pleading look.
"I'll get you a seat Alicia." David looked at me and I moved unwittingly to allow him out of the booth.
"Hi Charlie, how did your appointment go?" Jolene and I turned simultaneously in disbelief to look at a smiling Alicia.
"What did you just call her?" Jolene had reeled back in her limbs and unhooked her jaw as she stared at Alicia.
Alicia fidgeted uncomfortably, searching the room for David. "Charlie, that is what you like to be called isn't it Charlotte?" she turned to me and gave me a small smile.
I couldn't find a single word in my mind.
"Yes it is dear. Though why she doesn't like the name I gave her is beyond me." My mother had broken the shocked silence by answering a very nervous looking Alicia. She sat up a bit and extended her hand to Alicia. "I'm Charlotte's mother, Deandra Boyd."
Alicia took my mother's hand with relieved enthusiasm and sat down in the seat David had just brought over. I got back into the booth and began to crawl back to the wall, assuming David wanted to sit next to Alicia.
"David dear, is it okay if I sit next to Charlie?" Alicia said in a sweet voice. I froze mid-crawl. I looked under my arm at Jolene whose mouth was hanging open wide enough to swallow the table.
"Of course Ali." I heard David move back out of the booth. I felt the heat from everyone's stares on my newly widened bottom, waiting for a reaction. I pinched myself to see if I had fallen down some insane wormhole before I slowly started to crawl backwards.
David wrapped an arm around my waist and gently lifted me off the bench. I blushed as he slowly put me down and turned just in time to catch a familiar look pass on Alicia's face.
"Thanks David." I muttered. David winked at me and jumped in the seat.
I sat back down in between David and the devil. I looked over at Jolene who was shocked into silence, my mother was smiling, and Alicia was giving me her hardest attempt at a sincere smile. What is happening here?
The awkward silence floating over the table seemed to go on forever till at last the waitress walked up to take our order.
"Are you ready?" She gave us a raised eyebrow, noting the weird silence.
"You know love, I lost my appetite. I really think we'll be off." Jolene's voice had returned with a vengeance.
"Whatever." The waitress rolled her eyes sensationally and began to walk off.
"Wait, please." Alicia had grabbed the waitress by her arm but had addressed her plea to Jolene. "Look Jolene, I know we got off on the wrong foot."
"Yours being covered in vomit." Jolene noted with angry sarcasm
"Yes, well, I would like to make amends." Alicia was pleading. "Can I please just have a moment with Charlotte, I mean Charlie? Please?" Alicia turned and grabbed my hand.
Jolene opened her mouth to respond but it was David who answered first.
"Jolene I think Charlie will be fine. Would you and Mrs. Boyd like to go see the front of the diner?"
"No" Jolene pouted but stood up. My mother scooted out of the table and gleefully grabbed David's extended hand.
"Thank you David, such a gentleman, and handsome to boot." My mother turned and gave me a wink. David offered my mother his arm and left towards the bar stools in front, Jolene sullenly dragging behind.
I watched them leave and then cautiously turned towards Alicia.
"So what's going on Alicia?" I asked as confidently as I could to the woman trying to steal my career and ruin my life.
"Charlie, can I call you Charlotte?" It sounds better..."
"No!" I cut Alicia off midsentence.
"Okay well then, Charlie, I have been seeing David for a little over a month now, and I am developing feelings for him." Alicia shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "I'm hoping maybe..." she looked away and I saw her bite her lip.
"Maybe..." I was gaining confidence watching the usually confident Alicia squirm in her seat.
"I was hoping that maybe we can start again; try a less hostile relationship, for David's sake."
"What are you talking about Alicia? Why does David care how we get along?" I was a little confused. Why did David care if we got along, I wasn't dating him.
"Well I see how close you and him are, how he cares for you."
"I'm having his best friends baby Alicia." Something you so quickly pointed out.
"It's more than that Charlie." A flash of desperation crossed her eyes, or was it anger? I was so taken back by this abnormal show of emotion from her that I couldn't read her clearly.
"Well I'm sure you've figured out by now the idiot isn't here Alicia. David is just trying to make up for my ex being a douche." I felt my stomach turn.
"Come on Charlotte; please tell me you are not that dim. Surely you are aware of David's... attachment to you." She paused mid sentence and began staring at me like I had suddenly grown a huge red nose.
"Attachment?" My mind jumped to the moment David blushed when I placed my hand on his leg. No, just concern, it was just concern.
"Yes, well I would like to start over, I think it will benefit both of us." She was still staring.
"How so?" I cocked an eyebrow at her.
"If we work better together it could only benefit the magazine project, plus." Alicia paused and gave me a once over before continuing. "Plus I will make sure I do everything in my power to ensure you are first candidate for the Features editor position."
"But don't you want the position to?"
"I actually have another position in mind." Her eyes squinted as she mulled the thought over in her mind.
"Which is?"
"Nothing that will affect you, the point is I will help you get the position I know you desired before all this," She waived her hands in a circle around my midriff area "happened."
I didn't want her to change her mind, but I still did not agree with the project "I don't know Alicia."
"We can do it your way Charlie." She answered quickly reading my hesitation.
"What do you get out of this?" I eyed her suspiciously.
"I get David." She said flatly.
"Agreed?" she stuck her hand out for me.
I looked at it for a second and grabbed it enthusiastically. "Agreed!"