The Secret (Watty Award Winner) | ✔️

Thirty One - Charlie

Ch31 - Charlie

"Do you have room at the dinner table for one more?" Charlie asked, walking into the busy kitchen of The Ivy House.

Ms. Wilson laughed as he made is way toward her for a quick kiss. "Of course! There's always room for you. You know that."

"Good evening, Talia," he said, turning toward her and offering a lazy smile. He watched with delight as she blushed and turned away, biting her lip shyly. It was an expression of her's he had grown very fond of.

"Hello, Charlie."

Talia had warmed up to him considerably over the past several weeks, but he suspected there were still times when he caught her off guard. Like now.

He watched as her delicate hands moved quickly around the kitchen, preparing for the dinnertime hour. He enjoyed watching her work. In fact, he enjoyed watching her do damn near anything.

Charlie caught sight of his mom, watching him watch Talia and gave her a small shrug. He couldn't help being attracted to the girl - he was only human! She was a beautiful woman. Very beautiful. And he found himself thinking of her often, even when he'd had no reason to.

I would think she'd be happy, he thought to himself about his mother. She was always trying to get him to date, even going as far as setting him up — unsuccessfully, of course. But he had never been interested before. Talia was the first woman since Emily that had caught his attention.

"Actually," his mom began, "I'm glad you're here, Charlie. Do you think you could give Talia a ride home after dinner tonight?"

Suddenly, a loud noise resonated through the kitchen, startling both of them. Ms. Wilson and Charlie looked over at Talia and then at the bowl of potatoes that fell from her hands and onto the floor.

Blushing, she bent down to clean up the mess, "I'm so sorry. It must have slipped from my fingers," Talia explained quietly.

Charlie and his mom rushed over to help.

"Are you okay, dear?" Ms. Wilson asked, picking up the bowl and setting it into the sink.

"I'm fine, just clumsy I guess," Talia admitted, her cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"I can give you a ride home, Talia, that's not a problem." Charlie threw away a handful of potatoes he'd picked up from the floor. "Is there something wrong with the bike?"

"No, it's —" Talia began, but Ms. Wilson cut her off.

"The bike's just fine, Charlie. We've had a very busy week is all, and Talia's exhausted. I've released her from her responsibilities early this evening."

Charlie watched Talia fidget nervously, and grinned as her cheeks flushed bright red. "It's not a big deal, Talia. I'm going that way anyway."

Talia glanced at the floor before looking back up at him. "Are you sure it's not a problem?" she asked hesitantly.

Charlie laughed. "Cross my heart."

"Well, it's settled then," Ms. Wilson announced. "Charlie will give you a ride home, dear." She removed her apron and set it down on the counter. "Now, will you be a gentleman and continue to lend her a hand? I'm going to freshen up a bit." But before he could respond, his mother had disappeared.

Laughing, Charlie said, "She certainly has a way about her, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she certainly does," Talia agreed with a sigh. "I'm not always convinced it's a good way," she grumbled under her breath.

"I can't argue with you there. She can be pretty obvious sometimes. And she's as stubborn as a mule. Always has been. She wants what she wants, and there's no arguing with her."

Talia chuckled. "So, I've noticed," she said, as she got to work peeling more potatoes.

"You know," Charlie grabbed another bowl from the cupboard. "I do believe she's trying to set us up - in her own little way."

"Ya think?" Talia teased.

"You know, it's not a horrible idea..." His voice trailing off.

Talia looked up at him, but didn't say a word.

"I mean, I could think of worse ways to spend an evening."

"What are you suggesting, Charlie?" she asked.

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?" Had he really just asked her out? He hadn't expected to do that.

Talia cleared her throat and looked away, busying herself with her task.

"I don't know, Charlie..." Her unease was evident, and he braced himself for rejection, when a realization occurred. He didn't want to be rejected! Suddenly, Charlie very much wanted to take Talia out — just the two of them.

"Come on," he coerced, warming up to the idea. "I don't bite. You might even have fun."

After a moment of silence, Talia stopped what she was doing and looked up at him with her intense blue eyes. What he would give to be able to read her mind!

"So," she sighed in resignation, "When is this date?"

* * * * * * * * * *

After everyone finished up with dinner, the B&B guests went about their separate ways, tackling their individual agendas, and Charlie helped Ms. Wilson and Talia clear the table.

"You two take off," his mother suggested. "I've got this under control. Besides, you staying to help defeats the purpose of me letting you go home early," she said, smiling at Talia.

Loading Talia's bike into the back of his work truck, they hopped into the cab and Charlie let out a laugh, "See, I told you she's trying to set us up." Starting the ignition, he put the truck into drive and they pulled out into the street.

Talia joined him in his laughter. "It does look that way, doesn't it?"

"She's not being very subtle," he snorted. "Although I'm sure she would argue that. She's been trying to get me to date for awhile now. I should have seen this coming once you came into town."

"Do you mind if I ask — why haven't you dated yet?" Talia asked, quietly.

Charlie ran a hand through his hair and gave into a long, drawn-out sigh. "I've just never felt ready," he admitted.

"And you feel ready now?"

He gave her a small smile. "I think so."

"But what if you discover you're not ready? That you've acted too soon?"

Charlie was quiet for a minute, mulling over her question. "I'm not interested in jumping into a relationship with anyone. When the time — and the girl — are right, I want to take it slow. See where it goes on it's own. If I've learned anything from all of this, it's that you should enjoy every little moment of every single day. I'm in no rush."

From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw her sigh in relief.

What was she so afraid of?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Charlie and Talia on a date?! Do you think it's too soon or is their chemistry making it too difficult for them to resist?

Thank you so much for reading The Secret! If you liked this chapter, please leave me a vote.

I have found the news article of the real life woman who inspired the IDEA for this story. I have included the link in the comment section below. You can also enjoy the song Only Human, which I felt was appropriate for this chapter, I've included that in the media section. :)

This chapter is dedicated to @PurpleAgainstScarlet! She has been a big supporter of my stories and has promoted them on Twitter, which was such a nice surprise! I have the most awesome readers in the world! Thank you, @PurpleAgainstScarlet!