Her cheeks grow flushed. “I’m sure you do the same in the legal community. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re very likable.”
“But mine has a purpose. You… You’re just being yourself.”
“And what’s your purpose in getting everyone at camp to like you?”
Her question brings me crashing back to reality. No matter how I feel about her, she’s right—a relationship between us wouldn’t work. I’d let myself feel that spark of joy until she digs a little deeper and realizes I’m not good enough for her and cuts me loose.
“That’s the thing about this camp,” I say. “There is no try, only do.”
Laughing, she throws her head back and clips me on the chin with the hard part of her skull. Realizing what she’s done, she jerks forward. “Omigod, Charlie! Are you okay?”
I touch my lip and glimpse a splotch of red on my finger. “Twice in twelve hours. I’m starting to take it personally.”
“I forgot how close I am to you. I am so sorry,” she says with another snicker.
So am I, I want to tell her, but I love that laugh too much to diminish it.
Chapter Sixteen
I don’t walk the next day. I glide around the campsite on fumes of pure joy. Charlie returned to his own cabin when I left for sunrise yoga, but not before offering me a departing kiss that turned my organs to jelly.
At breakfast, Angela is the first to identify a change in my demeanor. “I see someone used the self-care package I gave her.”
“I most certainly did.” I leave out Charlie’s involvement. No need to sacrifice myself to the gossip goddess.
Gloria slides onto the bench beside me. “You’d better hide unless you want to crochet penises all day. Esther is wrangling anybody she can. Her deadline is looming and she’s still short a couple dozen dicks.”
“I mean, who isn’t?” Angela quips. “I don’t mind handling a few. It’ll be the most action I’ve gotten all week.”
I text Charlie a warning to avoid Esther and to let him know I’ll be spending the morning at the lake teaching Olivia how to kayak, not that I think he needs to know my every move, of course. It’s a small camp; he’ll figure it out.
Angela continues to scrutinize my face. “Something else is different about you today.”
My stomach churns. She can’t possibly tell I’ve had sex with Charlie by looking at me, can she? Then again, if anyone were to have Sex-Ray vision, my money is on Angela.
She snaps her fingers. “I know what it is.”
My mouth opens, ready to play defense.
“You’re not wearing your glasses,” Angela finishes.
“Oh, right. They’re fashion frames. I don’t actually need them to see.”
Unlike Charlie’s reaction to that little nugget, my friends remain unbothered.
“Such a pretty color,” Angela remarks. “A little smoky eyeliner would go a long way. We should experiment.”
“We should.” I down my cup of tea and extricate myself from the table. “I’ll see you ladies later. I’m going to change before I meet Olivia and Ben at the lake.”
“Don’t change that smile,” Angela says with a wink. “Your skin is glowing. That cucumber mask does wonders.”
I touch my heated cheek. “Sure does.”
There is a sway to my hips as I saunter to my cabin and swap my terrycloth shorts and T-shirt for a swimsuit. I slather on sunscreen, still grinning stupidly, which I only notice when I catch my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My hair is tousled, and my eyes are clear and bright. This is who Charlie sees when he looks at me. I wave to the woman in the mirror. To me. She looks happy.
I love that for her.
I hurry to the dock, where Olivia and Ben are waiting.
