“Cramp?” Charles asked.
She tried joking, hoping it would ease the pain a bit. “Yes, a Charlie horse.”
Charles didn’t laugh. Instead he asked, “Where and I’ll rub it.”
“Don’t you dare touch it! It hurts,” she exclaimed.
He placed her in the passenger seat and then ran around the car to the driver’s side. “I know what you need.”
“It’ll be fine. It’s just a cramp.” She hoped he wasn’t rushing her off to the hospital or something.
“I have a Jacuzzi. The hot water and jets will ease the pain. It’ll only take a few minutes to get there.”
Knowing they were on the way to his place wasn’t helping ease her tension, but it was a damn good way to distract her from the pain. When she moved her leg, it tensed up again and she winced.
“Almost there,” Charles said.
“Charles, slow down. This is not a medical emergency. I’m okay,” she stressed once again.
“Rosslyn, you’re in pain.”
She reached out and placed her hand on his thigh. “Not as much as I’m going to be if we get in an accident.”
Charles did as she asked, but his focus didn’t change. Within minutes they were parked in front of one of the tallest buildings in the city. “Where are we?”
“My apartment. Or at least we will be once I get you inside.” Charles called over a man standing in the doorway. “I need you to park it. Then bring up the bags in the back.”
“Yes sir.” The man took the keys.
Charles came around to the passenger side and said, “Hold on. Let me carry you.”
Rosslyn put her hands up. “I am not letting you carry me anywhere.”
“It’ll hurt less,” Charles said.
“Not my pride. Haven’t you ever had a cramp? I need to walk it off. It’ll be fine. I forgot to change my shoes and did all the rushing around on heels. Now I’m paying for it. It’s life’s way of reminding you not to do that again.”
The man waited, holding the keys as though he wasn’t sure what to do. Once Rosslyn was out of the car, he got inside and drove away.
“Oh, my purse. It’s in your car.”
“He’ll bring it up too,” Charles said.
“I guess if you can trust him with your car, I won’t panic about the few bucks in my wallet,” she teased as they went through the lobby.
“He’s paid to keep this place secure. Stealing any amount would be foolish.”
She shook her head. “I was joking.”
“Sorry. I take the safety of this place and the people in it, very seriously.”
I guess so.As she made it to the elevator and the doors closed, she finally took a moment to gain her bearings. There was a sign on the front of the building. What did it say? As she thought back, it came to her. Lawson Steel.
“Charles, what are we doing here?”
“I live here,” he replied.
“At work? Why?”