“What?” My heart starts to pound even more.
“And I’m not sure when he’ll be back. He had an emergency and had to go back home for a while.”
Suddenly, it feels hard to breathe. What kind of emergency? He went to South Carolina? And Dave doesn’t know how long he’ll be gone?
I knew I shouldn’t have waited this long to try to reach out to him. My God, my stomach is swaying as I take in this information.
“Oh, well, okay…”
“Just so you know,” he says, “Damien told me it was his idea for you to be his girlfriend.”
That has my heart twisting a bit. “He did?”
“Yes, even though I saw the video and heard what you said. But I think it was the best thing you could have done for him, Charlotte. You changed him for the better, and he knows that. So do me a favor and tell him how you feel before it’s too late. I almost lost my chance with Erin years ago because I was too stubborn to admit my feelings. But I know what I saw between the two of you is real, and you’d both be fools to let it slip away.”
“It was real,” I whisper. Every kiss, every conversation, every moment with him was indicative of the type of relationship I’ve always wondered if I would find.
And I found it with him.
“Then make it real, for real,” he says, resting his hand on my shoulder. “And another thing, Erin and I aren’t swingers.”
My stomach drops. “What?”
Dave laughs and takes his hand back. “Damien told me about the misunderstanding, and I talked to Erin. She and I never knew about the pineapple thing.”
“Oh, Jesus.” I cover my face with my hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“Nonsense. It was partially our fault. Now we know.” He waves his hand through the air. “Anyway, find a way to make things right with Damien, and we’ll call it even.” He winks.
“Deal. Thank you, Dave, for being understanding about all of this.” I go to walk away, but he calls after me before I get too far.
“He won the account by the way.”
“He did?” I ask, looking back at him.
“Yup. He nailed the Remedy account pitch, and apparently, you were his muse.”
Remedy... Remedy…
“Remedy? Damien was pitching to a company that sells tampons and pads?” I remember wondering about this, but never asked him about it.
Dave laughs. “Yup. And he nailed it. You obviously taught him a thing or two about being a woman during your fake relationship.”
I laugh at the irony. “I guess I did. But, you know, he’s taught me a lot too.”
He smiles. “I’m sure he has. So make sure you can keep teaching each other things for years to come, Charlotte.”
“I’m gonna try. Thanks again, Dave.”
“Hey, what can I say? I love love. I think everyone deserves to feel the real thing once in their life. And if you’re lucky, you get to help others find it too.”
* * *
Sitting on my couch, I unwrap another Dove chocolate as I read the message inside. Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.
“Oh, everything is definitely not okay right now,” I mumble to myself as I chew the candy and say a silent prayer to God for the creation of chocolate. But perhaps the wisdom on this piece of foil is correct—this isn’t the end quite yet.
After leaving Damien’s office today, I felt lighter and heavier somehow, the weight of what happens next hanging over me like a black cloud that just keeps raining down on me even though Dave’s words gave me a sliver of hope that the sun would break through those clouds soon. And my mind keeps wondering what happened that had Damien leaving town so suddenly.
I hope he’s okay and that he’s safe. And I wonder if he’s eager—maybe not as eager as me—to get back home.
I grab my phone, debating sending him a text. At least I could break the ice, let him know that I’m thinking about him, let him know that I stopped by his office today to talk to him, but he obviously wasn’t there.
Looking at the time, it’s just after six here in California, which would make it past nine in South Carolina. I’m sure he’s still awake, but is this how I want to reconnect with him? Via text?
As I debate what to do, my phone rings in my hand with a Facetime request from my dad, and my pulse kickstarts while I decide if I want to answer it or not. I haven’t spoken to either of my parents since Hawaii, but I guess there’s no time like the present to face the music.
“Hello?”
My father’s face appears on the screen, the poor lighting highlighting the wrinkles in his skin as he smiles back at me. “Charlotte.”
“Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, my girl. God, it’s good to hear your voice and see your face.”
Tears instantly form in my eyes. “It’s good to see you too.”
“How have you been?”
“Well, that’s kind of a loaded question.” He chuckles softly and nods in understanding. “Feeling a little lost and sad. Embarrassed, but relieved. Heartbroken…”
“I think we all are, honey.”