FIFTEEN
Charlie was staring at Cora with such intensity that she worried she had something hanging out of her nose.
“Thank you. Seriously, this issucha huge help.”
Cora had agreed to hold the remainder of Charlie’s sessions at 7:00 p.m. because his work schedule no longer allowed for day classes, and her Saturdays were booked for weeks in advance. Having cut her teeth in the always-on-the-job world of tech, she knew the value of long hours, but she forced herself to never take clients after 3:00 p.m. As a business owner, she could afford herself the perk, and it took her a year to feel comfortable doing it. The 3:00 p.m. cutoff was ironclad for most people, but for Charlie...
“Pas de problème!” she said with a sweep of her hand.
“Madison told me that you speak a little French! I wish I’d kept up with a language. I can order a taco and a beer in Spanish, that’s about it.”
“I barely have the chance to speak anymore, so I’m getting rusty.”
“Well, you can speak French to me anytime. It’s such a sexy language.”
Red flags.That was flirty,Cora thought.Pretty sure that was flirty. And now I’m here with him at night, alone in his house. And he looks adorable.
Charlie had changed out of his work clothes into a snug black T-shirt with a drawing of a vintage toy robot on it and jeans. Cora had never seen him without a suit on, so she took the opportunity to study him while he interacted with Oliver. She noticed that the sleeves clung to his biceps. His forearms looked strong, with a few vine-like veins visible. His jeans fit well, and Cora wondered if Madison had helped him pick them. Guys never knew how to buy jeans that fit.
Oliver stood at Cora’s feet, looking up at her expectantly and waiting for the lesson to begin with a patience beyond his age.
“Hey, did you eat dinner?” Charlie asked. “I’m starving. I want sushi. You want sushi?”
Cora hated sushi.
“I haven’t eaten either. Why not?” She normally wouldn’t stay for a meal with a client, particularly alone with a male client who wanted to eat sushi, but she was hungry as well, and Charlie Gill was doing the asking. She changed a lot of her rules for Charlie.
He rifled through a drawer filled to the top with menus, which made it obvious that they ordered takeout frequently. Cora wondered if Madison ever actually cooked in their beautiful kitchen.
“Ah, there it is. Yojisan Sushi. I already know what I want, so why don’t you take a look?”
She gingerly took the menu from him and scanned it without a clue as to what any of it meant.
“It’s overwhelming, right? Can I order for you? We eat here all the time, and I know what’s good. Does that work?”
Cora nodded, grateful that she didn’t have to pretend to know what she was doing. She sat down next to Oliver and scratched his chest while Charlie placed the order, contemplating the difference between what was happening with Charlie versus what happened on a real date. Alone at night? Check. A meal on the way? Check. A frisson of sexual tension? Check.
Charlie hung up the phone. “Excellent! It’ll be here in about forty-five minutes. Oh crap—I didn’t even put it together that the lesson will be almost over by then. Is it okay for you to stay a little bit late? Do you have plans tonight?”
The only plan Cora had was another Bikram session that she was dreading.
“Nope, my calendar is clear, so if you don’t mind me cramping your style a bit longer than usual, I’ll stay.” Cora made a mental note to shoot Maggie a text bailing.
“Speaking of ‘stay,’ I’m having a hell of a time with it. I can barely get two steps away from Oliver, and then he jumps up and follows me. Can we work on that first?”
Cora walked him through the basics of the behavior again and demonstrated how to do it, while her stomach growled and her mind reeled about sitting down with Charlie to share a meal.
The doorbell interrupted them, and Oliver leaped up, barking like a trained guard dog.
“Can we get Oliver to do the stay now?” Charlie asked above the din.
“Eventually, yes, but we’re not even close to being able to use it in real-life scenarios yet. You answer the door, and I’ll do some work with him.”
Cora clipped the leash on Oliver before Charlie got to the door and stood a few feet away with the young boxer. Oliver swiveled his head back and forth while Charlie chatted genially with the delivery guy, as if trying to decode exactly what was happening with the stranger in the foyer. Cora saw the puppy’s mouth go into an O shape, so she tossed a treat for him to chase before he gave voice to the bark in the chamber. It was their first time attempting a real-life training scenario, and even though they were still in the beginning stages of training, Cora was impressed with the dog’s commitment to work in the face of such a tempting distraction.
“Soup’s on—let’s eat!” Charlie announced, holding a bulging bag of food in the air and placing his hand on the small of her back as he passed her. The intimacy of the move surprised Cora and sent a wave of heat to her face.
She followed him to the large round table in the kitchen. The lighting was dim and romantic, and the French doors were open to let in the cool spring air. She stole a glance at the framed photos on the mantel over the fireplace and saw a glamorous smiling Madison in every one of them. Cora felt like she was being watched, which would’ve been tolerable during the actual lesson. But now, officially postlesson, she felt guilty under Madison’s gaze.
