Loving David (5 page)

“Oh,
man
.” Charlotte rubbed her hands across her eyes, smearing the crust of sleep across her face as she did so. She yawned and stretched, her sore limbs yelping in pain.

Maybe tearing into the second bottle of wine wasn’t such a good idea after all
. Charlotte thought as she flopped back against the couch. She frowned when her head landed on something that definitely wasn’t a couch pillow. Charlotte turned and smiled when she realized it was the rolled-up blanket that David had thrown across his legs the night before. She sat up and ran her hands across the nubby pills of the blanket, impressed by his thoughtfulness. Charlotte bit her nail and looked back in the direction of his bedroom, then crept towards the room, those glasses of wine splashing around inside, her and saw the door was open. She pushed the door back a bit and peered in. The bed was empty, though the sheets and blankets lay in a rumpled mess at its foot. She noticed David’s backpack in the corner, a pair of jeans spilling from its mouth.

“Well,” Charlotte mused. “He couldn’t have gone far.”

Charlotte stretched and yawned again before she made her way into her room to shower and dress. The steam of the shower ironed out the kinks in her muscles, and Charlotte started to hum nonchalantly while she washed her hair. After slicking back her curls into a ponytail and throwing on a pair of frayed blue jeans and form-fitting red tee-shirt, Charlotte bounded into the living room, ready for the day.

“David?” Charlotte called out but was greeted with silence. She shrugged and headed to the kitchen. “Guess he’s not back from his mystery mission,” she muttered as she went to pull down a package of donuts. She smiled as she realized he’d made a pot of coffee before he’d left. For an international movie star, David King was turning out to be quite the gentleman. Charlotte poured herself a cup of coffee and blew on the steaming liquid before she took a sip. As she opened up the donuts, Charlotte looked out the window and saw two of the ladies sitting on a bench facing the lake, though they were too far away for her to see who they were. Whoever they were, they were having a grand old time judging from the muffled hoots and the way their shoulders shook with laughter. Charlotte picked up her coffee and donut and headed outside.

The air was still brisk, though the brightness of the sun washed over Charlotte, providing some respite from the chill. Charlotte squinted as she realized Emma and Karen were the source of the early morning entertainment.

Charlotte tapped Karen on the shoulder and laughed as she wedged herself onto a corner of the bench next to the woman. Karen had dropped last night’s multicolored poncho for a pink one, though her eyes were now hidden behind tiny, wire-framed sunglasses.

“Well, good morning sunshine…rough night?” Karen sing-songed, though her meaning was clear.

“Ha Ha,” Charlotte said as she bit into her donut. “Yes, but not why you think. If you must know, I’m a tad bit hung-over this morning.”

“Oh, oh, oh…. lemme guess, a looove hangover!” Karen howled. Emma, her own face obscured by Jackie O sunglasses, quaked with silent laughter.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, exasperated. “You know, Karen, one of the reasons I love you is because your mind is perpetually in the gutter, but you’ve got it all wrong.” Charlotte polished off the donut. “We spent the night talking.”

“Honey, in my day we called that
pillow talk
,” Emma drawled as Karen slapped her on the thigh, her body hunched over in fits of amusement.

“Oh my gosh! I passed out on the couch.” Charlotte poked Karen’s ribs. “Alright. What else are you guys laughing at?”

Charlotte followed Karen’s gaze to the shore of the lake in front of them. David was there, doing sit-ups, his body pumping up and down at a furious pace, oblivious to the fact that he had an audience. Charlotte gulped at the sight of his muscular back, which glistened in the sun, his sinewy muscles flexing with each movement. Charlotte forced some coffee down her throat as a distraction.

“Nice huh?” Emma said. “I may have a whole new reason to change my Depends today,” she said as she nudged Karen, who shrieked.

Charlotte choked on her coffee. “Oh God Emma, that’s disgusting.”

Emma shrugged, unapologetic.

Karen turned to Charlotte. “You know I’ve been meaning to ask you --- when is the last time you got laid, Charlotte? During the Bush Administration?”

Charlotte’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment; mostly because that
was
the last time she’d gotten laid. She squirmed. “Not here to discuss my sex life, Karen.”

“Huh. That long.” Karen leaned over to Charlotte. “Listen girl; if you don’t take advantage of the fact that you have
that
under your roof at night, you’ve got some serious problems.”

“Amen,” Emma murmured.

Karen looked over at David, who had switched from sit ups to bending over and touching his toes. The three women paused to take in the sight of David’s firm butt pointed right at them. Emma broke the silence with a faint click of her tongue. “My God. If I were ten years younger, he’d be in trouble.”

“Emma, you’re almost eighty,” Charlotte replied.

“Okay---twenty years younger.” Emma quipped.

Charlotte put her hand over her face and sighed, “Good Lord.” under her breath. “Ladies, please! He’s
thirty
! He looks at me like some sort of mother figure, I’m sure. Besides, he can get any woman in the world.” Charlotte turned her attention to her nearly empty coffee mug. “Now, will you knock off the comments?” Before either lady could fling a smart remark in Charlotte’s direction, David began to amble toward them, smiling. His face was flushed and ribbons of sweat cascaded down every inch of his muscular body.

“Morning beauties! Isn’t it a great day?” he winked at Charlotte and headed toward the cabin. Six pairs of eyes followed David and his backside as they both retreated into the cabin.

“Charlotte, how can you stand it?” Karen grinned. “Girlfriend, either you get him drunk and take advantage of him, or I’ll do the honors!”

“I already told you I’m too old for him, so stop teasing me,” Charlotte snapped. “It’s infuriating.” Karen and Emma shot each other a quick look before they stood.

“Well, we’re headed to breakfast. Care to join us?” Emma asked.

Charlotte shook her head. “Maybe in a little bit.”

Karen bent down and gave Charlotte a hug. “All in fun, dear. You know we love you!”

Emma grabbed Charlotte’s arm. “The last time I got any action was during the Bush Administration too, so don’t feel bad,” she whispered with a reassuring squeeze. Charlotte rolled her eyes as Emma and Karen trailed off, furtive whispers passing between them before they began to giggle like high school girls. Charlotte let out a deep sigh and let her shoulders slump.

Did that just happen and which Bush Administration was
she
talking about
? Charlotte asked herself before she shook her head and headed to the cabin. The shower from David’s bathroom was running, and Charlotte went to rinse her coffee cup in the sink. Charlotte heard a yelp come from David’s bathroom. Startled, she dropped the mug in the sink and ran toward the door.

Charlotte pressed her ear to the door. “David, are you okay?” she asked.

“Yes---- there was a rush of cold water for a sec,” came David’s muffled reply. “It's okay now; just startled me a bit!”

Charlotte bit her lip, embarrassed yet relieved he was okay. Turning on the hot water to rinse out the coffee cup had violated shower courtesy; it had been so long since she had lived with someone that she’d forgotten.

The shower stopped. Not wanting to be found lurking outside David’s door, Charlotte scurried over to a chair in the living room and began to thumb through a
People
magazine. David walked over to Charlotte, a blotchy green towel wrapped around his waist. His dark hair was slicked back, and the sunlight danced across the muscles of his nearly nude body. Charlotte gulped.

David grinned. “So what’s the routine for a little breakfast? I’m starved.”

Charlotte gripped the magazine, the glossy pages sticking to her moist fingertips. She licked her lips and tried to stave off the coming heat wave threatening to overtake her. It
had
been such a long time…

Charlotte cleared her throat. “Dining cabin in about five minutes. And I have dish duty today.”

“Well, it’s been some time since I washed dishes. Should be fun.” He turned to leave the room. “Give me a minute; I’ll be right out.”

As David disappeared into his room, Charlotte slammed the magazine shut and began to fan her face with it. What was wrong with her? She never got this undone by, well…
anything
. She couldn’t remember the last time the mere presence of a man made her swoon like a school girl. Besides…it was like she’d told Karen and Emma, there was no way in the world someone like him, at his age, would
ever
be interested in her. He was just an incredibly sweet person who was being nice to her, repaying his gratitude for helping him hide.

Right?

For what seemed like the millionth time that morning, Charlotte shook her head and resumed leafing through the magazine. A few minutes later, David emerged in a pair of stonewashed jeans and a blue tee-shirt, the sleeves of which hugged the width of his biceps. Charlotte bit her lip in an effort to keep from taking a big bite out of him. The scent that had intoxicated her yesterday engulfed the room, and David’s green eyes flashed that now- familiar devilish charm.

“Shall we?” David motioned to the door.

Charlotte tossed the magazine to the coffee table and stood. “Sounds good.”

David held the door open for Charlotte, and the two stepped outside. In the few moments they’d been in the cabin the early morning chill had been replaced with gentle, balmy winds. The sun burned bright, and Charlotte made a mental note to herself to pick up some sunglasses in town.

“How’s your head this morning?” David smiled.

Charlotte tucked an escaped strand of hair behind her ear. “Better after I had my coffee. Thank you, by the way, for leaving me a fresh pot.”

David shrugged. “I figured that’d be the first thing you’d want. Besides a big plate of bacon and eggs. Unless you’re a vegetarian.”

Charlotte snorted. “Hardly. Or do you not remember me inhaling those meatballs last night?”

David opened the door to the dining cabin for Charlotte. “Ah--- that you did.”

David and Charlotte had missed most of the breakfast rush, though there were still plenty of carbs to be enjoyed; cheese Danishes, bagels, and donuts were on one side of the table, while a bowl of scrambled eggs and a plate with three lone slices of bacon stood at the other end. The requisite boxes of sensible cereals, cartons of yogurt, and a decimated fruit salad rounded out the middle.

As David and Charlotte perused the breakfast offerings, many of the ladies made a point to stop by to say hello to David, who in turn asked each woman how she was. Even Hendra, on her way out to set up a writing workshop for the day, asked David how he’d slept and if there was anything she could get him. Charlotte bit her tongue over what a difference a night made.

Charlotte picked off the last of the bacon, a cheese Danish, and another cup of coffee. David scooped up the remaining eggs, fruit salad, two yogurts, and a cup of coffee. They sat by themselves at the far end of the table. Still more admirers streamed over to talk to David, eager to hear additional tales of Hollywood and bask in his charisma and good looks. David was gracious and charming with each woman. Charlotte chewed her Danish, watching him. She would have thought a famous actor like David King would be pompous and demanding. However, in less than twenty-four hours with him, Charlotte could tell David was the real deal.

David stood and began to collect his and Charlotte’s dishes. “Well ladies, please excuse me, but I promised Charlotte I’d help with the dishes. I hope we can pick up where we left off later.”

The small gathering was duly impressed by David’s adoption of domestic duties, and several gave Charlotte winks as they headed out the door.

”Once again you’ve got the ladies eating out of the palm of your hand,” Charlotte said as she filled the sink with suds.

David shrugged and began to scrape the breakfast remnants into the trash. “I enjoy people. Besides, everyone here has been so nice and gracious. Why shouldn’t I return the favor?”

Charlotte mulled this over as she gathered a small pile of plates and plunked them into the hot, soapy water.

And they say chivalry is dead
, Charlotte marveled to herself while David went back into the dining room to collect the remaining dishes. Charlotte began to scrub the plates and stack them in the adjoining sink. She heard him come back in and motioned with her head toward the dishes. “You’re on rinse-and-dry duty.”

He nodded. “No problem.”

They worked in silence, but before long, Charlotte got the sense that David was looking at her again. It was confirmed when she turned and saw he’d stopped drying a plate. Instead, his head was tilted to the side, a confused look on his face. She brushed a shoulder across her nose, thinking there really was something hanging out of it this time.

“What?” Charlotte dropped her shoulders, exasperated. “You’re always looking at me like that. What is it?”

David cleared his throat. “I really want to ask you a question, but you may consider it rude.”

“Five-foot-two if I stand up super straight,” she said as she jutted her shoulders back and stood as tall as she could. She smiled and gave him a wink.

David rolled his eyes. “No, no, no. Not how tall you are or how tall you’re
not
… Though it’s another question that’s almost as personal.” He stopped and looked at her, hoping she’d bail him out. He shifted his feet and looked down at the kitchen tiles. Charlotte gave him a questioning look.

“Okay, you caught me… I’m really a brunette.” she teased.

”No, no. Not your hair color, which is gorgeous. It’s just…the rudest question you could ask a woman, but it’s making me crazy,” he whispered and paused for a moment. “How old are you, Charlotte?”