Chapter 6: A Night Out

NEW YORK CITY, PRESENT DAY

“Charlotte!” 

I shook my head and pulled myself out of my thoughts to see Kate staring at me.  “You with me now?  It seems I had lost you there for a minute.” 

“Yeah, sorry, I was in my own world for a moment.”   

“Okay, well I need you in this world if you are going to learn everything before the end of the day,  after today you are on your own.” 

Oh shit, I forgot today was Friday, and Kate’s last day before she leaves for five months.  This week flew by fast, I am a little nervous to do this on my own starting Monday.   

“Sorry, I am here now. You have my full attention.” 

“Good,” she slides her computer screen so I can see it better.  “The meeting for the merger went well.  You did well.”

“I didn’t exactly do anything Kate, I sat there while you took notes and I handed out files when Mr. Woods asked me to.” It is still so weird to refer to Nathan as Mr. Woods. 

“That is what we do as assistants, sit there quietly while the meeting goes on and only speak when spoken to.  We are not part of the meeting, we are only there as help.”

The office phone rings and Kate gestures to me to answer it.  As I pick it up I hear his voice on the other end, “Kate, please get the files for the meeting today to my office so I can look through them.” 

“Sure Mr. Woods, but this is Charlotte.” 

I heard a pause on the other end, “oh, Charlotte, where’s Kate?”

What? No ‘hi Charlotte’? God this man is so frustrating sometimes. 

“She is right here, I am just practicing answering the phone.” 

“Answering a phone isn’t hard Charlotte, I am sure there are more important things to be practicing.  Please tell Kate I need those files.”

I sigh.  Why is he so cold towards me sometimes.It almost seems like he doesn't want me here.

“I will, Sir.”  

“Don’t call me Sir, I am not my father.” 

“Yes, Mr. Woods.” 

As I hang up the phone, Kate already has a file in her hand.  “Here go ahead and run this up to him, when you get back down here we will go over the notes so you know how to write them up while I am gone.” 

I take the file from Kate and head up to Nathan’s office. The door was open when I got there, he was on the phone and waved me in.  

“Yes, don’t worry Mom, I will be there for dinner.” 

He hung up the phone and looked at me, “I figured Kate would have brought the files up, I need to talk to her about a few things.” 

“I am sorry, she sent me instead.”  

He gave me a sarcastic look, “obviously.”  Those words hurt.  How could he be so cold towards me? What did I do to him? 

“Nathan, why do you hate me?” 

A stunned look appeared on his face, “what are you talking about? If I hated you Charlotte, I wouldn’t have hired you.”  I could see something appear on his face just before he covered it again with a cold stone stare, “and please call me Mr. Woods.” 

“Sorry, Mr. Woods.” 

We finished the rest of the day out and I wished Kate well with the rest of her pregnancy.  I got home and plopped down on the couch.  I could not get over how he was treating me, I kept playing it back over and over in my head.  Why was he so cold towards me? Some moments, I could see a glimpse of the old Nathan, the one I grew up with, but he quickly covers it up with coldness.  I am almost nervous to go back to work on Monday. 

My phone rings pulling me out of my thoughts.  I see Ally, my best friend, appear on the screen. 

“Hey Ally.” 

“Hey Ally? That is all I get? I haven't heard from you in almost two weeks and I get ‘hey Ally’?” 

“Sorry, I’m just not in the talkative mood tonight.”

“Well, you need to change that, because tonight we are going out.” 

I gave her a confused look, “going out? You are over 1,000 miles away.” 

“Go open your door!” She hangs up. 

I get up and go to the door.  Reluctantly I open it.  To my surprise I see Ally standing in front of me. 

“Oh my God! What are you doing here?!”   she flings her arms around me in a tight hug. 

“A little birdy told me my best friend needed me.”

I shake my head, “ you didn’t even know that until just now when you called.” 

“Okay so maybe I needed my best friend.”

Ally was dressed in a beautiful red evening dress that came down to her thighs.  It showed off everything she had.  Her light brown hair was curled and twisted up.  She looked beautiful.  

“Why are you all dressed up?” 

“I got changed at the airport, I wanted to be ready when I got here.”  She grabs her bags and enters the apartment.

“Ready for what?”

“To celebrate, silly.”

“Celebrate what?”

She smiles big, “my engagement of course!”

Shock filled my face at the last comment, “WHAT?! Roger proposed?!”  

She nods with a big smile on her face, “of course we won’t do any planning until after I graduate, but, YES!”

“Okay, let’s celebrate then! I’ll go get dressed, you find a good club.”

An hour later we arrived at Club Vuze, a new night club that just opened up and had amazing reviews.  The line was long, but moved quite fast, before long we were inside.  The dance floor was lit up by colorful flashing lights, and the floor itself changed colors.  There were a lot of people already dancing.  

Ally and I found our way over to a booth and slid in as a gorgeous waiter with blonde hair and bright blue eyes came over to take our drink order.  I could see Ally staring him down as if she was ready to attack.  

“Do you come with our drinks too?” she asked him in a flirtatious manner.  

“I’m sorry miss,but I’m not allowed to fraternize while on the clock, find me in about two hours though and I am all yours.” he winks at her as he walks away to get our drinks. 

“Seriously Ally?  You’re engaged!”  I rolled my eyes at her.  She has always been flirtatious, Roger just learned to accept that fact about her. 

“Yeah, but dancing with a guy won’t hurt anything Char, you need to learn to loosen up some too!”  She scans the room and points out a man standing at the bar.  He is decent looking, tall, light brown hair and brown eyes.  He has a nice body, a black tight shirt and black pants that hug him in all the right places.  “Him, right there, I want you to go talk to him.”  

He must have seen us watching him because within seconds he was making his way over to us.  “I guess I don’t have to go to him.” I shrugged at her.  

“Hey there ladies, I couldn’t help but see you staring at me.” He looks from Ally to me.  

“We couldn’t resist, you were too good to look at.” Ally replied to him, as she took each inch of him in.  He smiled at her but his eyes instantly went to me.  

“I couldn’t help but notice your beauty,” he said looking me up and down, “would you like to dance?” 

“Um,” I hesitated as Ally answered for me, “yes she would!” 

I shot her an icy glance before turning back to the man in front of me.  “I’d love to dance.”  He held his hand out as I stood.  I took his hand and let him lead me out to the crowded dance floor.  

He was a pretty good dancer and made it easy for me to follow his moves.  The whole time we danced he never took his eyes off me.  As the music changed, he shifted his dance moves, pulling me closer to him.  I could feel his hands move down to grope my ass.  “Woah, move your hands back up to where they are supposed to be please.”

“Oh baby don’t be like that, you don’t come to a club like this without wanting something.  I am willing to give everything to you tonight and then some.  I will rock your world.”  I looked up at his face and saw the intention in his eyes.  I knew what he wanted and I was not ready for that.  I am not someone who sleeps with people they don’t know.  

“I’m sorry, but I am not here for that, I just came to have fun with my friend, I am sorry if you got the wrong impression.”  I pulled away from him and turned to walk off the dance floor as I felt his hand wrap around my wrist pulling me back to him.

“You are not going to play me like that you little bitch, you don’t come out here swinging and moving that body around me and not expect me to want more from you, I will not let you get away from me without getting what I want in return!”  Anger in his voice as I saw the lust in his eyes.

I began to panic as I tried to pull my wrist from his grasp, only making his grasp tighter.  “Please let me go!” He yanked me to him and whispered in my ear, “not a chance babe.”  

I don’t know exactly what happened in that moment, or where he came from, all I remember is seeing the man in front of me on the ground and Nathan in front of me grabbing my hand and dragging me off the dance floor.  He led me over to an empty area and pulled me in front of him.  His hands brushed over my face, sincerity and worry showed on his face.

“Are you okay Charlie? Did he hurt you?”  He looked at my face for any kind of marks or bruises.  

“I am fine, thank you for saving me,” I glanced at him with confusion on my face,”how did you know I was here? What are you doing here?” 

Still looking me over he responds, “I was here with my friend Toby, as a last boys night out before having to be locked into this marriage.”

His face changed, a look of anger appeared.  “What were you doing on the dance floor with that man?! Don’t you have any common decency for yourself?!”

“Are you serious right now?!” I yelled back at him.  Who is he to criticize me about who I dance with? “You are not my father Nathan! You do not get to dictate what I do!” 

“You’re right, I’m not your father, he’s dead! Someone needs to teach you morals!” 

SMACK!

Tears began to well up in my eyes, I couldn’t hold back my anger.  Before I could even think straight, my hand connected with his face. “You do not get to talk about my father, he was an honorable man who died for his country!” I yelled at him.

When he looked back at me, his eyes were murderous.  He pushed me against the wall.  I gulped and closed my eyes.  Just when I thought my life was over, I felt his mouth on mine.  He was kissing me!  His kiss was hard and demanding, his tongue shoved against my lips to part them, not asking for entrance, but forcing its way into my mouth.  My eyes flew open as my lips parted.   I could feel his tongue connect with mine.  There was a familiarity in his kiss, almost like going home again.  My hands began to take on a mind of their own as they ran through his hair, pulling his head closer to mine.  My whole body began to tingle at his touch as his hands gripped my waist. He left one hand on my waist as the other slid up to grip my chest, never breaking the kiss.  I closed my eyes and let out a moan at his touch. 

After a few moments of being locked in a forceful, demanding, heated makeout session, my mind finally gained control of my body again, and reality of the situation began to re-emerge.  I pushed him away as anger took hold of me once again. 

“What do you think you are doing?!  You do not get to come over, save me, scold me, then kiss me like that!”

The look of irritation appeared on his face again, “come on, I’m taking you home.”  

I yank my arm away, “I’m here with my friend, I’m not going anywhere with you!”

I look around trying to find Ally, I see her dancing with the bartender.  Nathan’s eyes follow mine.  

“It looks like your friend is busy, you can text her and let her know where you are. Come on.” 

He leads me out of the club and into the cold night air.