in the storm alone and something happening to you. I didn’t like it at all.”
“Okay.”
“And I’ve worked for a long time at not giving a fuck.”
I blink in surprise, not sure where this is going, exactly. He finally turns around and stares at me for a long moment. His face is sober, but his eyes are intense, almost tortured.
“But you give a fuck.” It’s a whisper.
“I give a fuck,” he replies softly. “And I don’t know what to do about that.”
“Maybe there’s nothing to be done.” I’m leaving soon. I’m never going to see him again after this trip.
“Maybe.” He crosses to me, stopping just short of touching me and stares into my eyes. His hands don’t reach for me. Instead, he takes a long, deep breath and walks around me. “Drink your tea. Good night.”
And, with that, he’s gone.
What in the world?
I take a sip of my tea and sigh in happiness. It’s exactly sweet enough, and just the perfect temperature.
Simon does tea well. Of course, he is British.
I grin and reach for my phone, wanting to hear Van’s voice again.
“Miss me?” she asks.
“Madly. Have you heard anything?”
“Yes, I just spoke with Eli. Kate’s fine. The doctor said that this sometimes happens in early pregnancy, and she should be great.”
“Good.” I sit on the edge of the bed, relieved. “And you’re sure that I shouldn’t come home?”
“I’m positive. Everything is fine. Are you okay?”
“I cried in front of him,” I say, surprising myself. Van laughs on the other end of the phone, and I sit here and wonder who the fuck I am.
Chapter Four
~Charly~
“I’m so damn hungry,” Violet says the next day during our lunch break. She, Heidi, and I are at the restaurant in the hotel, waiting for our orders. “Who knew that thinking so damn hard could burn so many calories? No matter how many of these retreats I come to, it always surprises me how exhausted I am at the end of the day.”
“I hear you,” I reply and long for the burger I just ordered. “I’ve eaten more since I’ve been here than I do when I’m working a sixty-hour work week.”
“It’s all of this emotional stuff,” Heidi adds. “I’m really looking forward to the dating advice later in the week.”
“That’s a fun day,” Violet replies with a knowing smile. “Simon gets lots of crazy questions.”
“I bet,” I say with a giggle. “Women can be nutso.”
“You have no idea,” Violet replies. “I won’t tell stories because that’s a breach of privacy, but Simon has seen and heard it all.”
“Is that Shelly chick still bugging him?” Heidi asks, and I remember the incessant flirting from Shelly that first night at dinner.
“No, she actually went home after Friday.”
“Really? Why?” I ask, surprised.
“Because she finally realized that this wasn’t a way to get a date with Simon,” Violet replies. “But that’s just between us.”
“I don’t know, Simon looks at Charly like he’s interested,” Heidi says, looking at me thoughtfully.
“He does not,” I reply immediately and smile when our plates are set before us. “God, this looks good.”
“Yep, that’s how he looks at you,” Heidi says.
“How?”
“The way you’re looking at your burger.”
We all crack up and dig in, sighing in delight. “So good,” I say around a huge bite of burger and fries. “I should have ordered two.”
“Back to the subject at hand,” Violet says, ignoring my bad manners, “I think Heidi’s right.”
“Trust me, I have way more lust for this burger than Simon has for me.”
“Whatever,” Heidi says, rolling her eyes.
“Besides,” I continue, “he’s made it clear that this is strictly professional, and I already know that he’s not right for me.”
“You already know that?” Violet asks.
“Yep. I always know.” And it’s not just a little disappointing that I haven’t found the right one yet.
“Now, this is advice I need,” Heidi says and leans in. “Because I always choose badly. How do you know?”
“I can tell in the first five minutes if a man is the one. And trust me, Simon isn’t him.”
“How in the hell can you tell in five minutes?” Heidi asks.
“I just can,” I reply with a shrug. “Sometimes it’s based on the clothes they wear, or what they do for a living, or their opinion on food.”
“Oh Lord,” Violet says and laughs. “You can’t be serious.”
“Of course I am,” I reply. “These are all deal breakers for me. And, Simon is out of the running based on geography.”
“Now I’m intrigued. Do tell,” Heidi says.
“He’s international, and I live in New Orleans. It would never