How was she ever going to face him again?
But face him she did. In her usual no-nonsense, tackle-things-head-on, hard-headed businesswoman manner.
‘Morning, Charlie,’ she said briskly on Monday morning, striding into his office and standing her briefcase on his desk. ‘Don’t say anything. Just listen. Friday night was a mistake. We both know it. Let’s just mark it down to stupidity and forget it ever happened. OK?’
Charlie blinked. Stupidity? ‘OK…’
‘Good.’
Carrie picked up her briefcase, pivoted on her heel and strode out of his office. It wasn’t until she sank down into her chair in the staffroom that she gave her shaking legs and thundering heartbeat any attention. She took a deep breath and congratulated herself on her performance. She flipped open her laptop lid, resolutely putting Friday night behind her and ignoring the betraying tremble of her fingers as they tapped at the keyboard.
Charlie stared after Carrie for a long time. He was still staring when Joe waltzed in with two mugs of coffee.
‘One week to go,’ Joe said cheerily.
Charlie refocused on his friend’s face. ‘What?’
‘One more week,’ Joe repeated, pulling up a chair, propping his feet on the desk and leaning back. ‘You know. The blood test. No more pills. The end of twelve months of celibacy.’
‘Oh, that.’
Joe sat up straighter. ‘Yes, that. You know the HIV thing? The thing that’s thrown you for a loop, put your life on hold for an entire year?’
‘Mmm.’ Charlie said, preoccupied by thoughts of Carrie’s moan when he’d pressed his knee hard against her. Thoughts he was supposed to be putting behind him.
Joe cocked an eyebrow. Something screwy was going on. His friend seemed very distracted this morning. ‘OK, what’s up?’ He blew on his drink and took a swig.
Charlie realised he’d only been half listening to Joe. He sighed. ‘I ended up in Carrie’s bed on Friday night.’
Joe almost spat the contents of his mouth all over Charlie’s desk. He coughed and spluttered as he struggled to swallow. ‘Hell. I hope you’ve started carrying condoms again.’
Charlie shook his head. ‘Nope.’
‘Did you…?’
‘No. We were interrupted…thank God.’
Joe whistled. ‘So I guess it’s going to be weird around here now?’
Charlie shook his head. ‘Apparently not. She’s just marched in here all prim and proper and announced that it was a mistake. That we should put it behind us and move on.’
Joe chuckled. ‘Well, that’s very mature of her.’
Charlie saw the amused twinkle in his friend’s eyes and shook his head. ‘Pain in the butt. Both of you.’
Joe gave a full-on laugh this time. ‘So it was good, huh?’
Charlie threw Joe a quelling look. ‘That’s not the point.’
‘Come on, man. Twelve months. Three hundred and sixty-five days. Without it. Without any action whatsoever. It must have been sweet.’
Charlie felt his loins stir with hot memories. Sweet as sugar. ‘That’s not the point,’ he reiterated.
Joe sobered and placed his coffee on the table. ‘Look, you have to break the drought with someone when you get your tests come back negative. Why not Carrie? She’s a great girl. She even wears pinstripes.’
Charlie looked at his friend with exasperation. ‘What did I tell you when Veronica and I split up?’
‘You were never doing the whole commitment thing again as long as you lived?’
‘Right.’
‘So?’
‘So, Carrie has commitment written all over her. She has a four-year-old child. I don’t know the first thing about being a father, a good one anyway, let alone to a child that’s not my own.’
‘Rubbish. You’re great with kids. Just take whatever your father did and do the opposite,’ Joe stated.
Charlie shot him a quelling look. ‘You’re not listening. She’s not a drought-breaker girl. She’s a hot roast dinners and slippers by the fire girl.’
Joe winked at him. ‘Who just happens to look hot in pinstripes.’
‘Joe! Work with me here.’
He laughed. ‘Charlie, relax. I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself, don’t you?’
Charlie shook his head. ‘No. That’s the point. She has commitments, big commitments. She can’t just be a quick roll in the hay. I can’t think about sleeping with her without looking at the bigger picture.’
Joe shook his head. ‘How the hell you grew up to be so honourable in your family I have no idea.’
Charlie ignored him. ‘I think she’s been pretty messed up by her ex. And she’s auditing me, for goodness’ sake. She could put me out of business.’