“No worries. A quick trip to the dry cleaner's and they'll be good as new.”
“Let me pay for it, then.” She reached for her purse on the front passenger seat. “How much do you think it will cost?”
Already opening her wallet, Charlie started to pull out its meager contents. She didn't have much, but surely cleaning one pair of pants wouldn't cost more than the two tens she had.
“Put that away,” he ordered.
“But—”
“I'm not taking your money...”
The way he let his voice trail, she knew he was expecting her to say her name.
“Charlie. Charlie Stone. Well, Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie.”
Sounding perplexed, he asked, “Why?”
“Why, what?”
“Why does everyone call you ‘Charlie'? Charlotte is a very pretty name. Formal. Feminine. It fits you very well.”
Blushing, Charlie bashfully tucked some hair behind her ear. “Um, I don't know.” She shrugged. “It's just what I've always been called.”
“Well,Charlotte,” he emphasized her full name. “I'm Caleb.” He held out a hand. “Caleb Porter.”
Charlie put her hand in his, surprised at how soft and gentle his strong grip felt.
“I don't want your money,” he said with a smile. “But there is one way you could repay me for my kind gesture.”
Panic began to set in.
Oh, crap.Was this guy about to ask for some sort of sexual favor? She'd seen shows like this on T.V., and they never ended well for the girl.
Swallowing hard, Charlie let go of his hand and took a step back. “W-what's that?” Her voice quivered.
Picking up on her sudden nervousness, Caleb smiled. “Don't worry. It's nothing like what you're probably thinking, I assure you.”
Charlie bit her bottom lip, not completely convinced he was telling the truth.
“I was going to say, if you wanted to do something to repay me, I'd love for you to have dinner with me. My treat.”
Wait. He was asking her out? That made no sense. “You...want to take me out? Like, on a date?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?” His eyes widened a little. “Oh, you have a boyfriend. I apologize. I never should've assumed a woman like you would be single.”
That damn blush was creeping back up her neck again. “No,” she shook her head. “I-I don't have a boyfriend.”
“Oh.” Caleb smiled, appearing to be genuinely relieved. “Then, why did you sound so surprised by my offer?”
Charlie scoffed. “Lots of reasons.”
“Such as?”
Best to be honest with the guy.“Well, for one, you don't know me. Two, I'm only eighteen, and three, from the looks of your clothes and your car, you're way out of my league.”
Most girls wouldn't have been so blunt, but that was Charlie. With the exception of her father—because he’d just belittle or yell at her—she had a tendency to say what was on her mind.
Caleb threw his head back and laughed. “I have to hand it to you, Charlotte. You are not like most women I meet.”
