But still.
I smiled, opening to the first page and leaning back against the arm of the couch, my laptop abandoned.
CHAPTER10
Samantha
“Before I forget,I brought you this,” Charlie said, immediately upon our arrival at the neutral ground of the high school library.When was neutral ground ever so over-filled with memory?I thought as he dug into his backpack, looking for all the world like the same boy he was a decade and a half ago. Instead of an algebra textbook, though, he drew out a familiar paperback to hold up between his thumb and forefinger: an advance copy of one of my authors’ latest books, a rom-com. I was proud of this one. I’d gotten her top dollar for it.
I frowned. “Where did you get that?”
“Thanks, Charlie,” he prompted, snatching it away as I held out my hand. “Come on, Sam, ‘Where did you get that?’Do you think I’m sneaking into your office to steal your romance novels? Flora gave it to me.”
“What?” I asked. I’d given the book to Flora, yes, but why would Flora give it toCharlie?
“I saw her when I was here on Friday. She actually asked me to give it to James, to give to Edie, to give to you, but…” He shrugged, riffling through the pages with one thumb. His nails were short and blunt. “I couldn’t help myself. A sexy, yet wounded billionaire falls in love with his dog walker? I mean, come on, who wouldn’t love that?”
“I get it,” I snipped, and held out my hand again, waiting. “Thank you.” I didn’t have time to play his little games, and I didn’t want to hear his smarmy opinion about romance novels.
He passed it over with a smirk and watched as I slid it into my work bag, but dropped the topic. I refused to be grateful, instead turning back to the table with pen and notebook in hand.
“So,” I said. “The fundraiser.”
He nodded once, the hint of a smile still playing around his lips. “Right.”
“I thought we could do a silent auction.”
He huffed out a laugh. “I’m sure you did.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
I waited as he took a deep breath, letting it out in a short sigh. Sometimes–like today, with his hair disheveled from a long day at the office and then a post-work meeting–it was almost too easy to look past the faint crinkles at the corners of his eyes and see only the boyish face underneath. Like at any moment, he would tip his chair back on two legs, grinning over the tabletop at my brother until the librarian came to scold them both for chatting during study hall.Sebastian’s not here, I reminded myself.
Things could always be worse.
I hadn’t done more than exchange thebarestminimum of niceties with my brother in months and I hadn’t seen him in years, but I could still picture the intent expression he always wore when he looked atme: assessing. Nothing like the smug smile he wore around his friends.
“Just that… You know as well as I do that there’s a silent auction fundraiser every other week, and there’s always the same things up for auction. I mean, how many weeks in St. Barths can one person really need?” Charlie said.
“I’ll certainly deserve atleastone after this,” I muttered. I instantly regretted it as Charlie’s eyes dropped to my body for a split second. Was he imagining me in my bikini? Heat rose in my cheeks.
“Let me know if you want company,” he said, raising his eyes back to mine. My jaw clenched.
“Charlie,” I warned.
“...and I can ask around for adiscreetcompanionship service.”
“Charlie!” My cheeks were burning now.
“No?” he asked, and I wanted to wipe the smirk from his face. I gripped my silver pen a little harder than necessary. “A shame. I thought it might make a nice add-on for your silent auction. Spice it up a little.”
“Okay,fine,” I said, my voice admirably calm. “You’ve made your point: you don’t like silent auctions. Do you have any other ideas you’d like to suggest?”
“I do, actually,” he said. “Have you heard of a hack-a-thon?”
“No.”
“It’s an event where donors sponsor teams of programmers–”
