Once out, he went to his closet to get his clothes. When he bent down to get his shoes, he noticed an old box. It was the same one that he’d thrown all his old high school memories in. He thought it was at his mom’s house in her attic.
He pulled the box out from the back of the closet and set it on his bed. The first thing he was when he took the lid off was his High School Yearbook. He laughed to himself because the book was decked out with first place ribbons and gold and black stickers and cards. If he hadn’t known better, he would think the book belonged to a girl.
He flipped through it quickly, knowing exactly what part of the book he was looking for. How he remembered exactly where the picture was they took together was beyond him, but he never forgot the page number.
He ran his finger across the picture of him and Charlotte at the prom. They didn’t go together, but the yearbook editor was there and just happened to catch them for a pose. He could remember that night perfectly. He as dressed all in black and was really looking “GQ”, as they say, and Charlotte was dressed beautifully in all black, also. It wasn’t planned that they matched, it was just something that happened. Thinking back on that, he wondered if that was a sign.
The picture, too, was flawless. He remembered he just whispered in Charlotte’s ear that he thought her dress complimented his suit more than the one that Bianca had on when she looked up at him. The photographer just so happened to catch the most loving look between them he’d ever seen two people give each other. He knew that’s what his look was, but for Charlotte, he had no idea.
He looked over at the side table to check out the time. It was almost and hour before the time he was supposed to meet Charlotte, so he figured he’d have to do his reminiscing some other time.
He hurriedly got dressed. He was just about to spray on his cologne when he remembered something.
Back in the day, Charlotte bought him a bottle of cologne that she thought was perfect for him. He never wore it anymore because Robin thought it stank and didn’t want him to touch her when he had it on. But today, he wanted to please Charlotte. He pulled it out of his cologne bin and spritzed some on, especially around his neck, the spot that he knew she would fit in perfectly in a hug.
Then he headed out the door. He wanted to stop off and pick up some sunflowers for her before he left. He hoped those were still her favorite flowers.
Charlotte primped in the visor mirror before stepping foot out of the car. She looked around the parking lot to see if she saw Jeremy’s car. She then laughed at herself because she had no clue what his car looked like. She thought how ironic would that be if she were parked right next to him.
She got out of the car and shut the door. She slowly walked to the restaurant door and took a deep breath. After letting it out, she opened the door and walked in. She was shocked at how few people were in the place. Usually there was a big crowd, but today was very mellow. She was happy for that.
She walked around the wall that blocked the tables from the entrance and stood in the doorway. She looked around, but didn’t see anyone that resembled him. She looked back down at her watch to see that she still had a few minutes before she could officially label him as late.
She figured she would sit down and wait for him to arrive. She thought it would be rude to eat or drink anything before he got there.
As she was sitting there, she had this weird feeling that she was being watched, so she decided to scan the room again. She stood back up in the doorway and, very slowly this time, checked out each person in the room.
When she got to the darkened corner in the very back of the room, her eyes locked with a man, the man she was there to see. It was the first time in 10 years that they’d laid eyes on each other.
A slow smile spread across her face as she slowly maneuvered her way through the tables to him. When she got some feet away from him, she stopped. He was as handsome as he’d always been, but with a little extra something. She figured it was just his grown-manness. Whatever it was, though, she liked it.
She watched as he stood up. She smiled as she remembered his height compared to hers. She loved tall men, being as she’s 5’11 herself. He towered over, though. She looked up at him as closed the gap between them.
“Hi,” she said. Once the words were out, she was a little disappointed that after 10 years, that was all she could muster out.
“Hey you,” he replied.
She couldn’t help but smile at him. His dimples, those eyes, his sexy lips… they all had her mesmerized. She knew that she still wasn’t over him, but the feelings she was having right then were ridiculous. She wanted to jump all over him, but she knew she had to restrain herself.
She watched as everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Him reaching out to her. Touching her hand. Drawing her to him. Engulfing her in a hug that sent her senses into overload.
She knew in that very instant that she was in trouble. She was in love with Jeremy.
When Jeremy got to the restaurant, he sat in a darkened corner. Every time he heard the door open, he looked up, hoping that that person was Charlotte. He kept checking his watch, it seemed, every 10 seconds. Patience was not with him today. He was anxious to see her.
He wanted to get something to eat, just to keep him busy, but he thought it would be rude to eat or drink anything before she got there to order.
Just as he looked at his watch again for the seventy-third time, he heard the door. He held his breath until the person rounded the corner of the wall.
He released the breath as he saw her standing in the doorway to the main section. She was still as beautiful as he remembered her to be.
He thought about standing up and waving her over, but his body wouldn’t cooperate with him. All he could do was sit back and watch her. His mind had turned to mush and he couldn’t think about anything but how beautiful and graceful she was.
He watched her as she did a quick once over of the room. He figured she didn’t see him because she looked down at her watch in what looked an exasperated way. He could see her take deep breaths as she walked to the bench along the wall to sit down.
Next thing he knew, she was on her feet again. This time, she really seemed to be taking her time scanning the people in the room again.
He was getting nervous, as her line of sight got closer to him. But he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her since the moment she walked into the room.
He stared at her. She was getting closer and closer to being seen by her. When her eyes landed on him, it was as if everything and everyone else disappeared. Her eyes were one of her sexiest qualities. They were big and cat-like and you could see all her emotions in them all the time.
At that moment, he knew he was a goner.
He watched her intently as she made her way around the table to get to him. He stood up when she stopped a few feet away from him. He stared at her some more. He couldn’t help it, his tongue wouldn’t work!
“Hi,” she managed to muster out very quietly. It was like they were alone in a room, she could whisper and he would hear it as if she screamed.
“Hey you,” he replied.
He couldn’t take it much longer. He slowly, so as not to startle her, closed the distance between them. He reached out and took her hands and pulled her the short space that was left between them into a hug.
Once he had her in his arms, he knew he was a dead man. The feelings that he used to have for her, he knew hadn’t disappeared at all, but the ones that he was feeling at that exact moment, he’d never felt before. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have an idea of what they were. But it was too late to do anything about it.
He was in love with Charlotte.
4 comments:
Gosh, Lady. I LOVE THIS STORY! I felt like I was right there watching it. mum
Wonderful story!! Absolutely wonderful. Lady, you have a gift with words!!! I can't wait to read more. Love it!!!
Thank you very much. Its been years since I put something out for others to read. This story was one of my first and its my favorite. I'm so glad you all like it.
Lady
This is gonna get juicy! I can't wait.....I'm into it now Lady...Great job!! Kaboodall
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