How I Paid For College
Chapter 1
“Keep the change.” Charley Donavan said as she handed the driver a twenty.
She hastily got out of the cab and pulled the collar of her camel coat closer about her face. Despite it being mid spring in Boston, there was a biting nip in the light breeze that brushed at her long golden curls.
Not wanting to be out in the cold longer than necessary, Charley made her way to the main entrance of the Boston Plaza. A doorman, dressed in a thick navy blue winter coat smiled at her sweetly as she approached.
“Good evening, miss. Welcome to the Boston Plaza.” He greeted as he slid open the glass door.
“Thank you.” Charley greeted returning the man’s warm smile.
As soon as she was inside the main lobby, Charley instantly felt grateful for indoor heating and felt a bit sorry for the doorman who stood in the biting cold.
The Boston Plaza was definitely by far one of the best hotels in the area. Just the main lobby alone showed the elegance and finery of this establishment. With its high ceilings and rich colours, it had a homey, relaxed feel that really drew visitors in. Charley had never spent a night, let alone a few minutes in one of their suites, but she could only imagine the elegance of the rooms. Just being here made her feel posh and part of high society. That was laughable. Charley Donavan and high society were never in the same sentence. Oh, but it was tonight.
With the warmth seeping back into her bones, she removed her coat. Charley glanced at her watch. Oh, she was so late. Rachael was going to kill her. With the help of one of the hotel’s attendants, she was directed to the Imperial Ballroom. Hurrying as fast as her black pumps would allow her; she made it to the elevator and headed to the second floor. She half sighed when she reached the entrance to the party, which was already in full swing.
A man, dressed in a black suit, white shirt, completed with a black tie, stood with a clipboard in hand.
“Hi,” she greeted. “I’m here for the charity benefit.”
The man smiled at her. “Could I see your invitation please?”
“Sure, just one second.” Charley opened her handbag, but to her dismay the white envelope was missing. “Shoot.”
She remembered taking the envelope from Rachael and putting it on her… dresser!
Charley sighed in frustration. She’d completely forgotten to take the invite. She’d been at the university’s library, catching an extra hour of study time, but had lost track of time. She’d had just about enough time to run across campus, back to her dorm room to change and in her hast she’d forgotten to take her invite for the party.
She offered the guard, what she hoped was an enduring smile. “Look, I forgot my invitation. I’m Charley Donavan. I know the woman who organised this event.”
“I’m sorry, but no invitation means, no entry.”
She battered her eyelashes at him. “Can’t you make an exception, just this once?”
The guard eyed her. “Sorry, I can’t do that, miss.”
She scowled at the guard, crossing her arms over her chest. This guy was way too uptight.
“Fine,” Charley pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll just call her. She’s not going to like this.”
She sent the guard a threatening glare and was about to dial Rachael’s number when a male voice called out.
“There you are, honey.”
Charley looked at the guy walking toward her in confusion. Was he talking to me? She resisted the urge to look behind her as the guy crossed the threshold and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. In shock, she didn’t even pull away as this perfect stranger placed his hand on her lower back.
“What are you doing out here?” he dazzled her with his smile.
“I – err – I forgot my invite.” She got out a bit dazed.
“I told you to double check that you had it last night.” he continued the smile still on his face. “She’s always doing this.” He addressed the guard. “She says she has things to do before the party so I trust her with the invite, telling her to put it in her bag immediately and still she forgets it.”
Was this guy actually insulting her?
Charley studied him out of the corner of her eye. He had black hair, combed back in a neat style; he stood about an inch taller than her, even with the heels on and she wondered how tall he would be beside her with them. His smile was easy, friendly, but Charley could still detect a hint of mischievous behind the façade he was putting on now. He wore all black, except for his tie, which was pure white, while a red rose was pined to his suit jacket. She thought he looked real sexy and sophisticated, the all-round American dream boy.
“Would it be okay if you let her in? I don’t want you getting into any trouble over this though.” He said, playing the guard.
“I’m sure it will be fine, Mr Thorp.” The guard assured.
“Thanks, Fred.” Her rescuer said as he patted Fred on the shoulder and then turned to Charley. “Come on, honey.”
Charley stood amazed not at the fact that he’d coaxed the guard or because he was known, but at the brilliant blue eyes that smiled back at her. She’d met many guys in her time, but none had eyes as clear blue as the waters of the Seychelles Islands. It was refreshing and dazzling at the same time and she had to mentally slap herself to break from her trance so she could continue to play along.
“Thanks, Fred.” she smiled innocently at the guard, wrapping her arm about the guy – whose name she still didn’t know – she let him guide into the ballroom.
When they were out of sight of the guard, they couldn’t help but laugh at their cunning deception.
“Thank you for that.”
He waved it off. “No problem.” He straightened his tie, sniffing and placed the black hat he held in his hand on his head, tipping it to the side. “It’s my lot in life to never leave a hot girl standing outside of a party. Especially one I’m in.”
Boy; wasn’t he cocky.
“I’m sure it is.” She laughed. “Well, thanks again.”
She was about to walk away when he called out to her. “Hey, what’s your name?”
She was grateful to this guy and all, but by the look in his baby blues, Charley could tell that he wanted more than to rescue her from her invitation problems.
After a moment she decided that giving him her name couldn’t do any harm. After all, he did help her out. “Charley,”
“Charley,” he repeated with a lazy smile, making her shiver. “You don’t have a last name, Charley?”
“It’s just Charley.”
Knowing when to back down he extended a hand to her. “Tate Thorp.” After a second, Charley slipped her hand in his, “Nice to meet you, just Charley.”
She laughed. “You think you’re funny, don’t you.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’m funny. I know I am.” He said with a wink.
His cockiness made her smile. “It was nice to meet you too, Tate Thorp. I really have to go. I’m meeting someone.”
She made a move to walk away, but he intercepted her. “Your boyfriend?”
That lazy grin of his returned. Charley just shook her head. This guy really didn’t know when to give up.
“If I told you I had a boyfriend, would you be upset you went through all that trouble to get me in?” she was real curious about his answer. She knew guys like him. They saw a pretty face and did everything right just to get into your good graces.
“If you had a boyfriend, I’d be more upset at the fact that he got to you before I did.” He replied.
This guy was real smooth.
She smiled, nodding her head. “Smooth answer. I don’t have a boyfriend.” She found herself answering. What was that all about? “But I really have to meet up with my friend. I’m already late.”
She was about to make a move to leave when again he stopped her. “Can I ask you something?” she looked at him sceptically, feeling a bit frustrated that he kept stopping her. “Don’t worry it’s not personal.”
Sighing, she gave him her full attention. “Shoot.”
He looked at her intensely as he closed the short distance between them and lowered his voice so only she could hear. “I’m just curious. Did you really forget your invitation or am I aiding a party crasher?”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry you’re not an accessory to anything. I really did forget my invitation.”
“Good, I get to sleep with a guilt free conscience tonight.” He joked. “But I most likely wouldn’t give you up if they came looking for you anyway.”
Charley stared at him again. She couldn’t quite figure him out. He seemed genuine, but then again so did other guys.
“So, I guess I’ll see you around.” He took her hand and brushed his lips to her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I guess so. Oh, and just so you know I’m not usually one to forget things.”
“Noted,” she turned from him once more. “Maybe you won’t forget about me then.” She heard him say, but didn’t turn back to see the smirk on his face.
***
The Imperial Ballroom was packed with Boston’s most elite. Wherever she looked, Charley recognised some influential person or another enjoying either a card game or one of the various slot machines. The Women’s Society had annual fundraisers each year since they’d formed back in 1987 and each year these fundraisers were held at the Boston Plaza. This year they were having a casino night along with 1920’s fancy-dress, raising funds for a women and children shelter. Charley wasn’t one for gambling, but this cause was close to her heart and spending a few dollars wouldn’t do anyone any harm.
Charley was in awe. The Women’s Society had really out done themselves this year. The room had a hazy glow, as if she’d really stepped into the 1920’s. Though most of the room was occupied by slot machines or craps, poker and blackjack tables; there was also a bar to the far side of the room, with a live band playing, while men and women swayed to the music on the platform dance floor.
The waiters, bartenders and dealers were all dressed for the occasion too and there were even a few guys who had the toy Tommy gun strapped to their waists.
She marvelled at the costumes of the party goers, just as Tate had been dressed in his black suit with his spectator shoes (black shoe, with a white top); many of the men tonight had the same. She even saw one man dressed in a purple suit. She had to admit he pulled it off really well. The women looked divine in their flapper dresses, some displaying their fingerwave or bob hairstyles, which were very common for that era; while others had on the cloche hats.
As she made her way through the crowd, Charley jerked her head in the direction of the slot machines as a loud bell went off. To her right she could see a young lady celebrating with what looked like her boyfriend. Well, someone’s winning big tonight.
Smiling at the good fortune of others, she continued her search of Rachael. It didn’t take her long to spot Rachael Rhodes at the bar. Sighing Charley shook her head. Maybe she should have gotten here sooner.
“I take it your mom’s driving you insane already.” She commented, coming up beside her best friend.
Rachael, about to take a sip of her drink, turned to face Charley. “Finally, what took you so long?” she hugged Charley in relief.
“Wow,” she practically smothered her, “I’m sorry, I lost track of time. But I’m here now.”
“Yes, but it was the first hour of the night that I needed you.” Charley watched as her friend gulped down her martini. “I swear; if she wasn’t stressing about tonight, then she was introducing me to every one of her society ladies son’s who are still single. Even though she knows I have a boyfriend.”
Charley squeezed her arm. “You know she means well.”
Rachael looked at her, infuriated. “Means well? She’s only doing this because she doesn’t approve of Tony or should I say his background.”
Charley really felt sorry for her. She knew how much Rachael loved Tony and to Tony’s credit, he was a really good guy. His Hispanic background was what put Ms Rhodes off. Simply put, Tony had no money, Rachael did; his family was huge – two older siblings and two after him, while there was only Rachael and her brother, Scott. Both Tony’s parents were working-class citizens who did their best to give their children the best. Charley had met his family once and instantly fell in love with them. They were inviting and loving and they definitely loved Rachael.
Though Tony was a student at Boston University like her and Rachael, this for Ms Rhodes wasn’t enough. Rachael’s father, Mr Rhodes, on the other hand loved Tony. Charley knew why, because he too, just like her, could see that he loved Rachael for her and not her money. Plus he made Rachael happy and that was what Mr Rhodes liked most.
“I know your mom isn’t always accepting of Tony, but one day she’ll see what I see.” Charley added with a smile.
“And what’s that?” Rachael asked, glumly.
“That he makes her daughter happy.”
Rachael smiled. “He does make me happy.”
“Now let’s not drink ourselves into a stupor tonight.” She took the martini from Rachael’s hand.
“You’re right. I won’t give my mom that satisfaction.”
Charley smiled. “Good.”
Feeling somewhat better, Rachael looked at her friend. “You look really amazing by the way.”
Charley looked down at her dress. It was a simmering green flapper dress. It sat loosely on her body, as the style was meant to be, the bodice decorated with gold sequences. A gold pendent hung around her neck, something she never left home without. Her blonde curls were topped off with a gold and green band, with a long yellow and green feather.
“Thanks, you look gorgeous yourself.”
Rachael smiled, confidently. Her flapper dress was made of ivory silk, the entire dress covered in white, sparkling sequences. Her usual long dark brown hair was styles in a fingerwave and knotted at the nap of her neck, with a silver flower comb on the side.
“Thank you,” she looked sombre again, “it’s just too bad Tony won’t get to see it.”
Charley frowned. “Why? Where is Tony? I figured he’d be fighting off all the guys your mom keeps throwing at you.” she joked.
“He had to work. Extra shifts.”
She nodded, understanding. While Tony studied, he worked part time was a bartender in a local bar. It wasn’t the best job, but it was enough to help his parents out and still have money in his pocket.
Charley was about to say something that would cheer her friend up when someone caught her eye. “I’m sure whatever Tony is doing right now he is thinking of you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I am.” Rachael spun around to see Tony beaming behind her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as she threw herself into his arms. “I thought you had to work.”
He shrugged. “I did, but I figured I’d rather be here, with you.”
“What about the money, I know you need it and the extra shifts don’t come along that often.” Rachael asked concerned, as she clung to his jacket.
He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead then said. “Money will always be there, but me spending a few hours with my girlfriend, that’s priceless.”
“Aww,” a familiar voice said, “that was beautiful. I should remember to write that down. I could use some new material.”
All three turned to see Scott Rhodes, Rachael’s older brother, grinning at them.
Rachael elbowed him in the side as he leaned in for a hug. “You just ruined the moment.”
Rubbing his side, he apologised. “Sorry, not my intention, but that really is a good line.”
“Are you ever going to grow up?” Charley commented.
Scott beamed at her, sweeping her off her feet in an embrace. “You know I’ll never grow up, but you…” he placed her on her feet and took a step back to admire her, “… definitely have.”
She playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll definitely never change. Once a flirt, always a flirt.”
He winked at her. “You know it.”
Scott had the same dark hair as Rachael and that was where their similarities ended. Scott had light grey eyes, while Rachael’s was a hazel green. He was much taller, board in build, while Rachael was petite and short.
“So, have you brought another blonde bimbo with you tonight or are you flying solo?” Rachael asked, well aware of her brother’s healthy appetite for women.
“Solo. I figure I’d give mom a rest tonight.” They all laughed. As much as Ms Rhodes didn’t like Tony, she hated all the girls her son dated, mainly because none of them had ambitions. Just the way Scott liked them.
“Good, I suggest we mingle with the crowd before mom finds us.” Rachael suggested.
“Agreed,”
They’d no sooner said the words when Ms Rhodes popped up. “There you are, Scott. Don’t you greet your mother anymore or are you ignoring me?”
Scott kissed her on the cheek. “I wouldn’t dream of ignoring the woman who gave life to me.”
Ms Rhodes sent him a look that said he was a suck up. Scott of course didn’t care. He’d put up with her whining and complaints, even when she ragged him about settling down with a nice girl, because at the end of the evening he knew he got to go home and live the life he wanted.
Scott had graduated about two years ago and was working in Boston’s financial district. He might not always behave as a twenty four year old, but when it came to his work he took things serious. It was one of the things Charley admired about him. Sometimes she wished she could have the same attitude he did, but she was too much of a hard worker to even consider slacking off.
Charley smiled at the older woman. “Ms Rhodes.”
“Charley, I’m so glad you could make it.” Ms Rhodes greeted, kissing her on the cheek.
“I must say I’m glad too. This place looks amazing and so do you if a may add.” She gestured to the ballroom and its spender.
“Thank you, dear.” She sighed wistfully. “We put a lot of work into this evening. And so far everything’s been going smoothly.”
Ms Rhodes wasn’t so bad, Charley thought, at least not to her. She loved her children and only wanted the best for them, but her only flaw was that she couldn’t see just how happy her children actually were at times.
“Where’s Mr Rhodes? I haven’t seen him tonight.”
She waved her hand, “At one of the blackjack tables.”
“Dad still loves his card games.” Scott added.
“Good evening, Ms Rhodes,” Tony greeted.
“Oh,” she looked momentarily stunned, as if she hadn’t seen Tony standing beside Rachael. “Tony, I wasn’t aware you’d be here. Rachael said you had to work.”
“Yes, well fortunately for us I didn’t.” it was said a bit bitterly, but Ms Rhodes didn’t care. Tony was well aware of her dislike of him and didn’t hide it.
“Yes, how fortunate.” They all could hear the sarcasm in those words.
Charley could see the storm brewing in Rachael’s eyes and was about to say something that might prevent her friend from exploding when Scott interjected.
“If you’ll excuse us, mother. Tony and I were just about to take the girls for a swing on the dance floor.”
“Of course, we’ll chat later. I see Ivy over there and I need to have a word with her.” with that Ms Rhodes disappeared into the crowd, while Tony and Scott led the girls to the dance floor.
“Thanks for that. I think Rach would have exploded if we didn’t make our escape.” Charley said as Scott led her on the dance floor.
“Tell me about it. But I know how she feels. Some days our mom can go a bit too far.” He acknowledged. “In fact I’m kind of getting tired of her always nagging me about marriage. Life has too many surprises for me to want to get married right now.”
She chuckled. “One day life will surprise you in a twisted way when you find a girl you’ll actually want to marry.”
He laughed at that. “True. And what about you?”
“Me?”
“Yes you, miss I’m not one for serious relationships.” He teased as they continued to dance.
“So I’m not looking for a relationship right now. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to get married someday.”
“Yes, but in order to find the right guy you need to start dating. For all you know all those guys you’ve passed up, one could have been your future husband.”
She raised her brows. “All what guys?”
“The ones whose hearts you’ve broken.”
She rolled her eyes, “Stop being so dramatic. And you’re one to preach. How do you know that one of the girls you’ve used and abused wasn’t the one?”
He answered her as if it was the simplest question in the world. “Because I know. Do you really think I would be playing around if I had found the one? Even I, Scott Rhodes, wouldn’t pass her up. And you shouldn’t either. You deserve to be happy Charley, so be happy. And stop worrying. If it’s meant to be it will work out.”
They fell into a comfortable silence, just swaying to the beat as the song changed. Charley couldn’t help but think about what Scott said. Having a boyfriend in her life would be great and she knew if she’d given any guy a chance she’d most likely be in a relationship now. She looked over at Rachael and Tony and couldn’t help but be a bit jealous of what they had. If a guy offered her exactly what they had she’d take him. Or would she?
She had her reasons for not dating, but couldn’t at times wonder if she was missing out on something. Looking at the love that shone in her best friend’s eyes, she knew she was. Charley knew she could have gone out with every guy who asked her on dates before, but there was never the luxury of time, not only for dating, but also for daydreaming about Prince Charming. She couldn’t hold out that she’d actually find her soul mate while in college. So, she did what she could: she worked and she studies, two things she knew she could rely on.
Scott’s words about her possibly passing up her soul mate came to mind and weirdly Tate Thorps face popped into her head.
Where had that come from?
Charley knew her instincts about him had been right. She barely knew the guy and already she knew getting involved with him wouldn’t be a good idea. Tate Thorp was the kind of guy who could really mess with a girls head.
Maybe you won’t forget about me then.
Tate’s words echoed in her mind, making her visibly shiver.
“Are you okay?” Scott asked.
She offered him a reassuring smile. “I’m fine.”
Or at least I will be as soon as I forget Tate Thorp.
***
Charley tried her hand at one of the slot machines. Rachael and Tony had joined her, but soon after had disappeared, leaving her to her own devises. Charley had found Mr Rhodes not long after, but he was so intensely focused on his game she thought it better if she didn’t disturb him.
She wondered among the tables, moving from the blackjack table to roulette. There were some big winners. One being Devin a guy Charley recognised as one of the regulars at her work establishment. She wasn’t surprised to see him. He was a high roller, someone who liked to spend money as much as he liked playing around with girls.
She wasn’t too worried about him recognising her. With all the women who hung onto him, she could tell she wasn’t in any danger of being spotted by him.
Charley watched as he placed his bet, downing what looked like whiskey. The dealer let go of the white ball and as the roulette spinner came to a stop, the ball landed on 36 black. Devin yelled out his victory, while his admires cheered beside him.
Shaking her head, Charley moved on. She never liked Devin. Though she’d never dealt with him personally – thank goodness for that – he’d always come across as arrogant. He was the type who knew he was good looking and rich, and because of this he could have any woman he wants.
As she manoeuvred between the crowds, looking for Scott or Rachael and Tony, she spotted a crowd around a craps table. It seemed someone had just placed a huge amount of money on the roll of two dice.
Curious she inched closer to get a better view, to her surprise, when she looked up at the player, she recognised Tate. His hat was still tilted slightly to the side and Charley couldn’t help but admire the look. He looked good. The 1920’s style suited him.
With the dice in hand he looked seriously at the board. Even with the concentration on his face, she could still see the mischievous glint in his eyes. They glittered like the waters on a star filled night and Charley found herself once again getting lost in those eyes. Even when they weren’t looking at her they had this strange effect on her.
It was the young woman at his side that caught Charley’s attention drawing her eyes away from his. She was beautiful, a few years younger than Tate. He her blonde hair was styled in the same manner as Rachael’s, a style that really suited her well. She wore black, a startling contrast to her dusty blonde hair and pale skin.
She leaned closer to Tate, her hand going to his arm as she whispered something into his ear. Charley frowned. Was that his girlfriend? She felt resentment toward Tate for flirting with her while he had girlfriend.
Tate rolled the dice, “Common snake eyes.” She heard him call out.
She watched as the dice rolled landing on a one and three. There was an audible sigh of disappointment from the crowd and slowly the spectator’s started to find other entertainment. Charley watched as the young girl consoled him. Serves him right, she thought.
She was watching Tate and the blonde as they spoke. Even though she was angry at him, she still couldn’t help but want to see those clear blue eyes again. As if he could feel her gaze upon him, his looked up at her and smiled.
Before she could make her escape, he strode toward her. “Well, seeing you definitely makes the pain of losing all that money go away.”
Was he really flirting with her, in front of his girlfriend?
“You wouldn’t be in pain if you hadn’t taken that risk.” She added a bit icily.
His brows creased in confusion at her manner, but shrugged it off. “Did you find your friend?” he looked about obviously looking for this friend of hers. “You’re alone again. I’m beginning to wonder if this friend is real. It’s possible you could have used this ‘friend’ to get away from me.”
“I was meeting a friend, she just happens to be missing at the moment.”
“Then her loss is my gain. Join me for a drink?”
She shook her head at him incredulously. “How do you feel about yourself?”
Now he was totally lost. “What are you talking about?”
She was about to give him the answer when the young blonde approached them. “Tate! Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realise…” she trailed off, her eyes on Charley.
“It’s okay Kayla. I want you too meet someone actually. Kayla this is Charley.” He introduced.
“Just Charley?” she asked, making Charley frown at the reference Tate had used for her.
He obviously must have told Kayla about her. But if she was his girlfriend why would he tell Kayla about her?
“One and the same.” He smiled that lazy smile again looking at her. “Charley I’d like you to meet a very special person in my life, my baby sister, Kayla.”
OH!
Kayla elbowed him in the side. “I’m not a baby.”
Shocked, Charley raised her hand unconsciously in greeting. “Hey, nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. Tate told me about what happened.” she leaned in closer, whispering. “You really aren’t a party crasher, are you?”
Suddenly Charley started laughing at the hilarity of the situation. She’d completely jumped to conclusions. Kayla and Tate bared no resemblance so it wasn’t her fault she hadn’t noticed the sibling familiarity between them.
“No, I’m not a party crasher. As I just told your brother, I am actually with my friend. She took off with her boyfriend and I haven’t seen her since.” She replied.
“I hope he behaved himself around you after he helped you out.” Kayla eyed her brother. “He’s been known to flirt with the ladies.”
“Okay,” Tate steered his sister away from Charley, “you’ve said enough. Whose side are you on anyway? You’re supposed to be helping me.”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk away now.” Kayla teased.
“Time for you to go and meet up with your friends and leave us alone.”
“Fine,” she said annoyed, but smiled at Charley. “It was nice to meet you. Please behave yourself.” She directed at Tate.
Charley watched as the two squabbled and couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that she hadn’t noticed they were related, it was so obvious now.
Although she knew Kayla was only teasing, she couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t better for her to just walk away while she could. This was dangerous, getting close to a guy. She didn’t want to give him false hope about her availability. After all, she’d horribly miss judged him and he seemed like a nice guy that she wouldn’t want to string along.
“So about that drink.” She heard him say, breaking into her thoughts.
“I can’t.”
The smile on his face dimmed and it actually hurt to see it fade from his face. “Why? Is it something Kayla said? She was just kidding about my flirting with women.”
“I know.”
“Then what is it?”
“I just can’t. You should try and make you money back. You’ll have better luck with that then with me.” she said.
“I can’t win it back. I’m afraid all my money’s spent.”
She reached into her bag then, pulling out a fifty dollar chip. She tossed it toward him and he caught. “This should get you started.”
“I can’t take this.” he moved to give it back, but she stopped him.
“Take it. You can give it back to me when you’ve made it back.”
“And what if I don’t?”
She shrugged. “Then I guess it’s my loss.”
***
Charley sat at the bar, enjoying her cocktail. She smiled as she watched Tony twirl Rachael on the dance floor to an upbeat jazz tune. Rachael threw her head back in laughter as Tony tried to do a fancy move but failed. But he soon recovered as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her deeply. The tempo changed to that of a slower, easier song and Tony pulled her closer, their foreheads touching.
It was great that even with the obstacle of her mother; Rachael was still able to find happiness. It was as if she and Tony were made for each other. Charley was happy for her friend and could only hope that someday she could find that kind of love too.
She turned from the happy couple, feeling annoyed with herself for getting caught up in the romance. That just wasn’t her. She grinned as she caught sight of Scott. He was chatting up a girl she recognised as Jade Haynes. Charley met her when Rachael had dragged her along to one of Ms Rhodes social events. She seemed like a nice girl and would be giving her a warning against Scott, but she knew Jade was smart enough not to get caught up his flirtations.
When Jade looked away from Scott, he saw Charley looking at him and sent her a wink which only made her laugh cause she knew there was no way he would be get things right with Jade.
Shaking her head, her eyes roamed the room. The place was still pretty packed, even though the evening was starting to come to an end. She didn’t mind sitting like this by herself, watching others. She found when she did this it was easy for her to spot some of the regulars at Coco’s. It had amazed her in the beginning to see just how many men were unfaithful. One minute they’d be wearing their wedding rings and the next it would have mysteriously vanished. Charley prided herself on being observant and could spot about two or three men out of the elite society as regulars at Coco’s.
Not that she was judging them, she had no right. After all they were the reason she had a job and money in her pocket to pay for college, but the fact that some of those men pretended that they weren’t married made her sick. She’d had more than one offer to leave with one of her clients when she’d given them a special treatment, but she would never do something like that.
She already felt weird about the job she had, but knew there was no other way to get enough money to pay for her tuition. It was just temporary, she’d always tell herself, just until she graduated college.
Sleeping with the clients wasn’t something she did. There were other girls who did it though, regardless if they knew he was married or not. It’s probably the reason Charley never really believed in love. She believed yes, she wouldn’t be able to be happy for Rachael and Tony otherwise. She knew not all men were the same but when you’ve seen enough to make you believe otherwise, she felt it was better to be alone then be hurt.
She was lost in her own thoughts when a chip dropped in front of her on the bar. She frowned at it as it spun and landed on its side. She picked it up and noticed it was a fifty dollar chip.
“I’m here to repay my debt.” Tate sat beside her, that lazy smile visible. “I don’t want any loan sharks after me. I like my limbs as they are.” He joked making her laugh.
“Well you can rest assured that I acknowledge the full repayment of the fifty dollars. But,” she tapped her lip with her finger, “there’s still the matter of interest.”
“Hey now, there was no talk of interest.”
She snickered. “I’m just messing with you. You look like you won big.”
“Yeah,” he replied as he signalled the bartender. “I actually made double the amount I had earlier.”
“Really?” she was stunned.
“Really,” he grinned. “I’ll have a beer and the lady will have another cocktail.” He said to the bartender.
“Who said I’ll have a drink with you?”
“I do. We need to celebrate my victory. Thanks.” He said as the bartender handed him his beer.
Sighing she gave in. “Fine, to you then.” They toasted, both taking a drink.
“So,” she started studying him over her glass, “what do you intend to do with the money? Spend it all on party or spoiling you various ladies your sister told me about?”
He shook his head. “You really shouldn’t listen to Kayla. I happen to be a respectable guy.”
“You are?” she asked dubiously earning her a glower from those baby blues.
“I am offended. I happen to be a one woman kind of guy.” He stated.
She smiled. “That’s good to know. You still didn’t answer me though. What are you planning to do with your winnings?”
He took a long pull from his beer before answering. “Giving it the cause.”
This really surprised her. “You are?”
“There you go again. Why is it so hard to believe that I am in fact a good guy?” he looked at her exasperated. “I only date one woman at a time, I like giving back because I’ve been given some many things all my life.”
Wow, he really was a great guy. There was the chance that he could be lying to her, but Charley had a feeling he wasn’t. There was something in the way he said it that showed his sincerity.
“I really underestimated you Mr Thorp. I apologise.”
He seemed satisfied by this. “Thank you.”
They sat in silence for a bit. Charley finished off her drink as she watched the crowd. She could feel his eyes on her. It usually didn’t bother her, but for some reason this time his stares did.
“What?”
“Nothing,”
Deciding he would probably keep staring at her if they sat in silence she decided to keep the conversations flowing. “I take it you’re the only one who’s giving their winning to the charity.”
He finished off his beer, shaking his head. “No, there’s actually a few of us.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“Yeah, you see my dad works at a law firm and all the partner’s wives are in The Women’s Society. They said they would match any amount raised tonight. I figured the more money they get the better.” he shrugged. “A few of my friends are doing the same.”
Feeling a sudden tug at her heart, Charley reached into her purse. She had played at a few of the tables, but hadn’t used all her chips. She’d planned to cash them in, but this seemed like the better thing to do.
“There’s about a three hundred there.” She handed Tate the chips. “It’s not much, but I want you to add it to your winnings.”
“You sure? You don’t have to do this.” even with his words, Charley could see how happy he was by her actions.
“I’m sure. I lost the other money I had, might as well give them the rest. It’s for a good care.” She stated.
“It is.” he beamed.
Charley found herself lost in those eyes of his again as they smiled back at her. It was weird but whenever she was around him tonight he’d not only surprised her, he’d made her smile and laugh. She was always so uptight, though her friends had a calming effect on her it was nothing compared to this feel she got when she was around him.
This wasn’t good. She couldn’t let herself get sucked in. She broke their eye contact and picked up her bag. She needed to get out of here.
“I have to go, Tate. It was really great to meet you.” she made a move to leave but he stopped her, taking her hand.
“Please,” she looked back at his pleading eyes, “Don’t leave.” She started to protest but he persisted. “I know I come on strongly, but that’s cause I like you. I’m only that way with girls I really like. I know you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but if you give me a chance you’ll see I’m actually a good guy. All I really want is a chance.”
He was looking at her so earnestly that it was hard for her to look away, but she knew she couldn’t. “I can’t, Tate. You are a great guy, I see that, but I’m not a great girl. You deserve better than me. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “I don’t believe that.”
“You yourself said you don’t even know me. How could you know that I’m not telling the truth?”
He thought for a minute. “You’re right, but if you stay not only can I prove to you that you’re wrong about yourself. I can prove to you that I’m worth your while.”
Charley faced an internal battle within herself. She knew this couldn’t end well, but despite her warnings, she could feel her resolve breaking.
“One more drink, that’s all I’m asking.” He tempted.
Sighing she gave in. “Fine. One drink.”
She sat back down and the bartender brought them another drink.
“Here’s to new friends and an interesting night ahead.” Tate toasted.
“Cheers.”
***
That was the first chapter. Hope you like what this has to offer. I’m real excited about this :)
Love Nikki