22

AUDREY
Charles invited me for a walk that afternoon in the town park. Strangely, for someone I hadn’t seen for a long time, I didn’t feel like he was a stranger. He’d follow Samuel wherever he went when they were kids, and he’d always give me a popsicle.
He was saddened at Samuel’s sudden death but still managed to ooze charm with his smile. He was such a serene and gentle speaker. How he walked was mirrored with grace, yet with his broad shoulders, you’d still find a solid physique. His cobalt blue eyes looked as if it was speaking to me.
Though we still hadn’t talked about the house, I was still planning to open it up.
“After Dad divorced Mom, I went to Berlin with her and continued my studies. But as an only child, Dad’s legacy was passed on to me. I had no choice but to go back.” We stopped by a bench beside the swing and settled on it. He exhaled a breath lightheartedly and breathed in the air again. “It’s a quiet night, isn’t it?”
I smiled as I watched him look over the dark skies and only the moonlight illuminating us.
“And come to think of it, you almost became my stepmother.” He chuckled, but there was no unpleasant sound from it. “I’m really sorry about that, Audrey. I never knew about it until he passed away.”
“It’s okay. I couldn’t imagine myself married to your dad anyway.”
“But I wouldn’t know what to do if you really became one. I probably would’ve kidnapped you and taken you away before it happened.”
I laughed at his statement. It might’ve been a joke, but it would mean a lot to me if he meant it. “But for people like us, no one would really care what we’re going to do,” I murmured. It was good to speak to someone else about my past at ease. I could never really stand talking about it, even with Chelsea. I always tend to break down. But with Charles, I don’t know… It felt natural.
He shifted his head to my side. “Right, but you were brave enough to run away,” he said softly. “Where did you go? I’m sorry, during those times, I was already in Berlin.”
“It’s really silly to say that I ran away.” I chortled humorlessly. “I could never have left Arizona while I was still a minor. I went to Tucson when I continued into high school. I started to live independently, sometimes lying about my age to find a job. Then, I met Chelsea at school.”
“Oh, your friend? I’m sorry if I had to ask you to speak alone, but will she be all right?”
“She’ll be fine in the hotel. I couldn’t drag her everywhere anyway. She needed to rest, too.”
He nodded, agreeing. “And she's been with you ever since high school?”
“Yes, but she isn’t originally from Arizona. Her father had a long-time project as a journalist in Tucson. So they had to stay there for a while. Chelsea and I worked part-time jobs together, and when we graduated, we decided to attend Collins University.”
He grinned sweetly. It was so contagious. “I’m glad you found a true friend you can share your life with.”
“You can say so, but I had to stop for a year. She finished college first and left for New York. Her father was promoted to stay permanently in Manhattan.”
Charles listened diligently, like my story didn’t bore him. I couldn’t tell him everything because I didn’t want him to pity me, but he understood enough not to ask too many questions.
Later that night, he asked me to go to Mr. Frank’s, a 24-hour sandwich diner that stood in the middle of the central city for years. I’d always gone there with him and Samuel after school. Dad and Mom didn’t want us eating here as much as possible, but we’d managed to sneak in. It was so surprising that the menu was still the same.
I had a hot dog. Charles had a chicken Parmesan sandwich and two paper cups of juice. We sat across from each other.
“I never had this for a long time, not even when I returned home. I didn’t want to go alone.” He took a bite of his sandwich. He was surprisingly still prim and proper, eating a commoner’s food.
“The taste is still the same,” I commented after eating a small portion.
“Some places don’t change. It brings back memories.”
I enjoyed watching him eat; it made the food even more appetizing. I wouldn’t deny that he had become such a fine man. Charles had become as gorgeous as hell. I was worried about him back then because he seemed so frail, and Samuel was the only friend I knew he had.
The man who returned to Phoenix was still the Charles I knew from before, but the better version. He seemed confident with himself. It’s like he knew that oozed charisma and sex appeal. There were times I wanted to run my fingers over his dark blonde hair or touch his chest to see if it was hard.
However, behind all those descriptions, there was one thing I most liked about him. It was being carefree.
“You said you are working in New York now, in a fashion company, am I correct?”
“Yes, and it’s been a big step for me.” I was still glad that after all my misfortune, I could still say something worth sharing. I was proud of my job.
“Which company?”
“Stark Apparel.”
“Stark!” he said, his voice surprised. “One of the best premium clothing brands in Europe as well. They have tons of stores in Germany.”
I chuckled. “Yes, I work for the CEO. The main office is on the Upper East Side.”
“The CEO! Wow, congratulations, Audrey. I knew you could do it. I hate to say this, but leaving home is probably a good decision, but I guess you’ve had hard times as well.”
“Who doesn’t?” I asked, “It is what life is all about. I don’t regret leaving, but I regret not showing up to see Samuel when he asked me, at least.”
He sighed but didn’t answer. It was probably hard for him, too. Samuel’s death was too sudden. He was only twenty-eight.
Charles spoke about the things he accomplished in Germany. He was able to open a one-star restaurant after finishing a Master’s in Gastronomy and was aiming for more. His mother stayed in Berlin to look after the restaurant while Charles was doing his best to take over his father’s businesses.
“I never really wanted to take it. It’s only more of the papers. I may be his only son, but Uncle Philip pretty much did all the management. What I always wanted is to open Wagner’s second branch in America.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“Nah.” I shook his head. “Not yet, when I’m still figuring things up. It’s been a few years since Dad passed away, but I still haven’t perfected how to run the business. Uncle Philip was never too interested in running it, but we had no choice but to work together. My father might’ve been cold at times, but we didn’t want his legacy to go to waste.”
Like what happened with ours, we lost everything because of Dad and Anton’s mismanagement.
“But that sounds responsible for you. Who knew Charles Scott was into the food business?”
He laughed softly. “I’ll let you try my cooking sometimes. Wagner might be in Berlin, but my restaurant specialty is French.” He winked at me. “If that’s, of course, if you allow me to see you again.”
“Of course. We’ve known each other for a long time, and I wouldn’t want this to be our last meeting.”
Charles and I continued to talk even after we left the diner. I had to admit that I liked talking to him. I was able to be myself, and I never had to pretend. Though I wasn’t sure if Charles fully knew what had happened to me, he didn’t make me feel like a stranger.
We walked back to the park where he left his car and spoke endlessly until we noticed the time. It was already past midnight. I hadn’t asked him about the house yet.
“Charles?” I called. “I wanted to ask you about the house.”
“I don’t want to talk about that, actually, but I understand your situation,” he said. “I wanted to help you, Audrey, and I was still thinking of something that could support you, but can we talk about this some other time? I just really didn’t want to spoil the night.”
“I won’t be staying here this weekend. I need to go back to New York.”
“I understand.” He nodded. “But we can still meet until the weekend, or I can visit you in Manhattan if you like.”
“Is that okay with you? Flying to New York, I mean.”
“Why not? We have properties in Brooklyn. It might be the best time to visit it as well.”
I laughed. “How can I possibly refuse that?”
“Then, are we good?”
I bit my lower lip. “Yep. Good.”
He glanced at his wristwatch. “Well, it’s getting late. I’m sorry I kept you up. Your friend must be waiting for you. I’ll drive you to your hotel. Where are you staying?”
“The Waldorf. Thank you, Charles.”
He winked at me. “No problem.”
Charles drove me back to the hotel, but there wasn’t enough time in the world for our conversation. I apparently liked listening to him. That night, we parted ways like old friends. Waving at each other, I watched him drive away.
Honestly, I felt exhausted when I got into the elevator, and my feet were killing me from walking around for hours. Chelsea was probably already slumbering in her room, so I decided not to disturb her and texted her.
Lazily, almost dragging myself, I stepped into my suite and turned on the lights. But as the light spread throughout every corner of the room, a huge frame appeared by the window. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.
“G-god!” I stuttered breathlessly. “What are you doing here?”
Holding a glass of liquor, he sprang up and strode towards me. He gulped the drink straight, and its strong scent spread across the room.
Angrily, he whispered, “Where the hell have you fucking been?”