Chapter Fifteen: A little bit randy
"You've gone mad." Jolene said to me when I explained the pact.
"She said we'd do it my way, no more lying."
"When she stabs you in the back can I keep the knife?"
"What? What does that even mean?"
"I just want to keep it so when you start whining about the skirt I can hold up the knife and say, I TOLD YOU SO CHARLOTTE BOYD!"
"Jeez Jolene, have some faith."
"That's a great idea; I'll name the knife Charlie's faith."
Jolene remained suspicious but did not utter another word on the matter. She would watch Alicia and me from her desk and contrary to Jolene's belief, Alicia kept her word.
The whole staff began working on a new plan of attack to revive the image of our faltering and beloved magazine. With layoffs looming the office had come to the conclusion that something needed to be done, and though I had not agreed originally when I despised her, Alicia's plan to update us to the internet was looking better and better.
Phillip had placed a select few of us, Jolene being the sports editor included, into designing a website that would attract attention. Alicia and I organized meetings with the editing staff of each department to organize their sections on the site. Everyone enthusiastically joined in except for Jolene, who would sit at the meetings and hide behind a copy of what to expect when you are expecting.
Alicia shared the lead position with me at the meetings. With the stress of competition out of the way I threw myself back into work, jotting down ideas for the website, typing up columns, and translating them to something easily readable for internet readers. As my belly grew, so did my confidence.
"Charlie, I just want you to know how proud I am of you." Phillip had grabbed me after one of the site meetings and dragged me into his office. "I just went over the list of the potential candidates for the Features Editor and I must say you are looking good. I am going to hold off making a selection till after we roll out the new website but at the rate you and Alicia are going I have no doubt you'll be top of the list."
"Thanks Phillip." I could feel my heart jump with excitement but I kept my response cool.
As I opened the door to leave Phillip raised his hand and motioned for me to re-shut it.
"Charlie, I'm not just proud of the great job you are doing at work." Phillip paused and glanced at his wife's photo. "I'm also proud of how well you are handling everything." He casually pointed at my protruding midriff. "Rose and I are really in awe of how amazingly strong you have become." Phillip looked up and for a moment I thought I saw the glimmer of a tear.
"Thanks Phillip, that really means so much to me." I began to walk around the desk to hug him but Phillip raised his palm up and stopped me mid-step.
"That's it. You can go." Phillip turned his palm inward and waived me off, focusing back on the stack of paperwork in front of him.
"Okay." I was so excited about what Phillip had said that I didn't even care that he was his normal stoic self. I skipped out of his office, my belly bouncing in tune with my mood. The list was made and I was on top, it's like everything in my life was piecing itself back together. I skipped over to my desk, narrowly missing a set of long legs jetting out from underneath.
"What did Phillip have to say Charlotte?" Alicia had given up calling me Charlie soon after the pact was made, but it didn't bother me anymore. She was on all fours underneath the desk.
"He told me that if we continue at the pace that we are at then I would be at the top of the list of candidates for the Editor position." I let out a giggle as I plopped down in my chair. I waited for response from Alicia and when none came I leaned over to see what she was doing. She appeared to be frantically searching for something on the ground.
"Um Alicia, what are you doing?" I asked, hoping she didn't need help.
"I dropped something and I need to find it." Alicia's voice muffled as I saw her feet pop out and in from underneath the desk.
"What is it? Do you need help?" Please say no, please say no. the image of me getting stuck on all fours flashed though my mind.
"No, I... I found it!" Alicia jumped up triumphantly holding a tiny green flash-drive in her perfectly manicured hands.
"What's so important about that?" I snickered at the image of perfectly coifed Alicia rummaging under her dirty desk.
"Nothing, Have you seen David? He is supposed to be here any moment." She looked about the room and then snapped her head back at me.
"No, are you guys going to lunch?" I watched as Alicia dug in her Louis Vuitton and pulled out an oversize mirror.
"Not in this state I'm not." She was pinching her face and pulling imaginary specks of dust out of her hair. "I'm going to freshen up. Will you tell David just to wait for me here?" She returned the large mirror to her purse, and forcefully pointed at her seat to indicate where David should wait. I nodded my head and she ran off to make herself even more stunning.
David would visit often, always offering to take "his girls" out to lunch. I would try to refuse but David always countered with "You should eat for the little man's sake at least." I would look over at Alicia, not wanting to ruin the bond we had just formed, but she never indicated any displeasure. Nor did she show any anger when David insisted on going with me to my lunchtime doctors visit.
The first time he had offered I had made him wait in the waiting room, but doe eyed Susie had brought him back to the exam room and reprimanded me for not including the father. David had just stood there and laughed while I struggled to explain to the receptionist, finally resolving that letting him come in would be easier. Since then he had accompanied me on every appointment that Jolene could not make.
I chuckled recalling the recent argument they had shared over who would be taking me to my next appointment when I heard footsteps stop behind me.
"Hi Charlie! Why the big old grin momma?" David's voice sang with amusement. I turned to greet him and stopped dead.
It was David behind me, but not the David I was used to. David was dressed in a sky blue button up polo and fitted jeans, both cut perfectly to his frame, highlighting every movement of his taut, tan muscles. He ran his hand casually through his chestnut waves, recently cut to frame his face handsomely. The blue in his polo matched the blue in his eyes, making them puddles of water so enticing you wanted to drown in them. Even his beaming smile seemed brighter and less crooked, framed by full luscious lips, seemingly inviting me to reach out and bite them. I stared dumbstruck for I don't know how long before I realized the lips were not inviting me, but actually forming my name.
"Charlie? Charlie? Are you okay?" I snapped back into reality as David shook me with concern. Jolene had heard the commotion and was quickly making her way from her desk to David and I.
"What? Oh yeah David, I'm fine." I blushed at the dirty images flooding my mind.
"You looked flushed, are you feeling dizzy? Are you okay?" David had my head in his hand, checking my eyes as I noted how warm, soft, and large his hands were.
Jolene stood behind David's shoulder eyeing me curiously as I heard Alicia's heels tapping behind me. I squirmed in the chair trying to shift the heat rising up from the lower half of my body. David had released my head and was now checking around my chair, burning every inch of my skin he grazed with his movement. I caught myself inhaling the intoxicating smell that was left behind as he stood back up to shrug at Alicia.
"I can't figure out what's wrong with her?" David turned to Jolene who was standing there rubbing her chin with a cocked eyebrow.
"Huh? Oh It's probably just a pregnancy thing, some 7 month something or other. I'll watch over her, just take Alicia to lunch David." Jolene began to shoo David away as Alicia grabbed her purse, eyeing me out of the corner of her eye.
"I can't leave Charlie like this Jolene!" David reached back out to grab my hand and for a moment I wished he would grab me and do much more.
"You're not abandoning her David! She's with me; I'm perfectly capable of handling my best friend." Jolene began pushing David down the corridor.
"Come on David, Jolene's right, we should leave Charlie alone." Alicia was already walking towards the exit, grabbing David's hand and pulling him along side her.
"Call me if you need me Jolene." David yelled as he disappeared through the main doors behind Alicia.
Jolene turned and opened her mouth as I ran to the bathroom. I slammed through the doors, ran to the sink and began pulling paper towels, soaking them and drenching myself in cool water. I was breathing heavy, trying to wash the fantastically erotic images that were making me sweat waterfalls. I stared down at the water trapped in the sink and saw David's eyes staring back at me, sending a flush all over my body. I sat on the cool floor just as Jolene walked through the door, her face covered by her book.
"What's wrong with me Jolene?"
"Were you imagining shagging David Charlie?" Jolene held the book under her green eyes as they sparkled with amusement.
"What?"
"Fancy a little how's your father?" Jolene's voice was cracking with the sound of hard held laughter.
"Stop talking nonsense and help me Jolene." I looked up at Jolene who appeared to barely contain herself.
Jolene lowered the book and pointed at the page she had open. "Well my pregnant friend, it says here that women in your state go through a period where their hormones go all wacky, making them emotional, and sometimes..." Jolene bit her lip as the sides curled up. "A little bit randy."
"A little bit what?!"
"You're horny Charlie."