I knew she heard me but she didn’t turn around. I caught up to her and grabbed her arm, immediately feeling that familiar surge of electricity jolt through me as I touched her. How much I had craved it, how much my body missed that feeling. Closing my eyes for a millisecond I allowed myself to get lost in that sensation. She turned to face me. Her once loving chocolate brown eyes had turned to fire, her smile and laugh no longer apparent. She pulled her arm away from me and folded her arms under her breasts. Oh fuck, no no no… Now it was all I could notice. They were so round and full that I had to stop my hands from reaching out to caress them.
“Charlotte, please…” I stopped talking.
Her expression confused me, like she had seen a ghost. Her icy silence gave me a moment to examine what stood before me. She was tall, of course the heels played a part in that. Her skin was sun-kissed showing off a beautiful tan. Her hair was pinned up into a bun; I so desperately wanted to take it out and have it flow down her back, just the way I remembered her. Her face looked exactly the same but she wore a little mascara which accentuated her long eyelashes, a trait from her Cuban heritage if I wasn’t mistaken. Her lips were full, covered in ruby red lipstick. Despite her picture-perfect beauty, it was the deep chocolate brown eyes that stared back at me, capturing me and making my heart beat so fast I could have sworn it fell out of my chest. She had become a beautiful woman, even more so than the girl I left behind.
“I looked for you, after you left.” It was all I could say. I felt pathetic after it came out of my mouth. Since when did I ever stumble on my words? Fuck, what the hell was happening to me?
“Obviously not hard enough,” she angrily shot back.
I was caught off guard. I had not seen this side of Charlotte. She was always sweet and innocent. Well at least she was seven years ago. I knew my leaving abruptly would hurt her, but we were young. You’re supposed to get over these things. How ironic that I was thinking that, because one look at her and I knew I hadn’t.
“Can we please go somewhere and talk?” I pleaded. This was not like me but I wanted her to know how sorry I was. I needed a chance to explain what happened.
“Alex, there is nothing left to say. It was years ago, a high school fling. It’s all in the past. I really need to get back.”
She called me Alex. No one called me that anymore. I was known as Lex in the business world, of course because of my ruthless behavior compared to that of Lex Luthor which I overheard a bunch of interns call me once. Instead of firing them I enjoyed that they were afraid of me. Not long after that, I demanded that my family stop calling me Alex because it was a shadow of who I used to be. I was no longer the Alex Edwards she knew but this wasn’t the moment to correct her for calling me that. She tried to push her way past me but I grabbed her arm again. She didn’t turn around; instead she stood still with her back towards me.
“Is he your boyfriend?”
I don’t know why I asked, maybe it was the sadist in me. I knew it would infuriate her but that fucker was all over her and knowing it was her now, I wanted to go back and beat the shit out of him.
“Excuse me? First of all, you have no right asking me that. It’s none of your business who I am fucking, Alex!”
I felt my blood boil as she said that. So what, she’s fucking him!? I was losing control and ready to walk over and show him who the fuck she belonged to but as I bowed my head to cool down the shimmer of a large diamond caught my attention. I felt my pupils enlarge, my stomach twist, my heart pumping hard as my adrenalin spiked. Without hesitation I grabbed her hand and pulled it towards me to make sure what I was seeing was indeed a ring on her finger.
“What’s this? You’re engaged?”
She allowed her hand to linger for a moment but then with force she pulled it back. Her face looked slightly guilty then quickly transformed into anger.
“Julian is my fiancé.”
“Your fiancé? So you’re marrying that jerk?”
“Typical Alexander Edwards. It’s all about you, right? Remember you left me, without a goodbye, without an explanation. I’ve moved on just like you did…with her. Goodbye, Alex. Have a nice life.”
I loosened my grip on her and she stormed off.
I walked back to the table thinking of ways to end this meeting. She sat back down before leaning in and whispering something in his ear. He placed some cash on top of the bill and they both stood up. She grabbed her purse and started walking towards the door. For a split second her eyes met mine and something passed between us. It was just like back in high school, and seven years later it still felt the same. He grabbed her hand to hold it. That fucker thinks he can touch her! I was losing control, my temper getting the better of me. I needed something; I needed to find a way to talk to her, to get her alone and get that chance to explain everything. I was certain if she knew my side of the story she would forgive me, understand my mistakes and regrets.
In a moment of clarity it all started making sense. I ruled the business world. I was on top of my game. I had everything I wanted, at least everything I thought I wanted. Now it had stood before me, the one thing I never knew I desired more than life itself. The one thing I would give up everything I owned for. It wasn’t a fixation of my imagination. I had touched her, felt that surge that no other person in this lifetime would make me feel. It was her that was missing all along and now I knew I would stop at nothing until she was mine.
Chapter 5
Charlie
“Oh, em, gee,” Eric screeched like a Hyena on crack.
He pulled my hand towards him so fast my body jerked forward, crashing into his. After I gained my composure, I allowed him to examine the diamond ring that adorned my finger and reminded me how surreal this all was.
“Charlie, this is a Harry Winston princess cut diamond. I need a total replay. What were you wearing, what was he wearing, the speech…oh, did he get down on one knee?” Catching his breath, he sat down on the chair and crossed his legs in anticipation.
I replayed the whole night to him and even re-enacted the proposal part, getting down on one knee which was interrupted as Bull’s walked in. Her face fell slightly, as if she thought me accepting Julian’s proposal was a bad idea.
“Charlie, I think we should talk about this.” She swayed her head, motioning Eric out of the room.
“Whatever it is, Bull’s, it can be said in front of Eric.” I laughed and he laughed in return.
“Okay fine, have it your way. Don’t you think you should get to know him for a little bit longer rather than jump into marriage? I mean, what’s the rush? You’ve only been dating, what? Six months?”