minds, I’m sure that look would say, Move and I’ll kill you. Don’t test me, Charisma. So, like a good daughter, I stay put.
“There you are, Charlie.” This woman. She actually sounds as if she happened to stumble upon me. Maybe she really is in the agency.
“Yes, here I am. Just standing here hoping that my new best friend makes his rounds.”
“His?”
I lean in. “I like the waiter.”
“Anyway,” she decides not to play along. “I want you to meet someone.”
Oh, this can’t be good.
“Mr. Dixon, this is my daughter, Charlie Erickson.”
My mother steps to the side, and sure enough, Mark fucking Dixon is standing before me.
W hat the actual fuck?
How in the hell did he find me? This makes no sense. I haven’t talked to him in two weeks while I’ve been working on my own things. I didn’t tell him I’d be at my father’s gala. I didn’t tell anyone. This is completely unacceptable. Stalker much?
My entire body is tense as my mother beams at us both. She has no clue that we know each other. My blood is boiling. He shouldn’t be here. This is my family . He’s gone one-step too far, but at the same time a thrill rushes through me. No one has ever gone through the trouble of trying to find me. In the past, any man I dated brushed it off. There was no hunt, no excitement, just a nod and a kiss on the cheek. However, Mark’ll never know that I find this a little exhilarating—he’ll only see fire.
He steps forward with a grin. “Nice to see you, Charlie.” He extends his hand and waits for me to stop trying to kill him in my mind.
“Same to you, Mr. Dick—” I pause, “—son.” I tip my flute filled with my courage. “How absolutely lovely it is to see you.”
My mother’s eyes blaze. “Charlie!” She takes the glass from me. “How many of those have you had?” Her words come through gritted teeth.
Shit.
“Just one.” I try to grab it back, but she places it on the table.
“Well, Mr. Dixon has made a rather large donation to your father’s education fund. I know how much this charity means to you, as well,” she says with a pointed stare. In other words, You care more than you’ll ever admit or I’m cutting you out of the will and selling the shoes.
“Thank you so much for being such a thoughtful man,” I say, laced in a sugary sweet voice dripping in venom.
My mother turns her attention, and I use my finger and make the gesture of slicing my neck. Mark gives a loud laugh, drawing her back to us. “I’m glad it makes you happy,” he says.
“Do you two know each other?”
Oh, this might actually be good. Priscilla isn’t to be toyed with. She makes me look like a daydream. I stand there with a smile as she waits for Mark to answer.
“Charlie and I have a mutual friend. We’ve met before. I manage a security firm and our paths have crossed with work.”
Instead of becoming the slightest bit skeptical, she beams. It’s as if light glows from around her. “So, you work for the government?”
Mark chuckles. “No, ma’am. I’m a former SEAL who runs a private security firm. So I make a lot more money and get better toys.”
“He’s also a giant pain in the ass.”
“Charlie!” she reprimands. “I think he sounds like a wonderful man.”
“Well, Charlie brings out the best in me.” He grins as she falls under his charms. “I enjoy spending any time I can with your daughter.”
I can see the thoughts churning in her head: a man, wanting to talk to her daughter. “Oh, how perfect.” She turns to me. “Charlie, you can show Mr. Dixon around and escort him for the night since you didn’t bring a date.”
Zing number three.
“I’m sure Mark would much rather mingle.”
“Actually,” Mark chimes in, “I would love to spend the evening as your fill-in date.” He grins like the Cheshire cat.
“That won’t be—”
“A problem,” my mother finishes my sentence. She saunters off with a little more pep in her step, leaving me with
“There you are, Charlie.” This woman. She actually sounds as if she happened to stumble upon me. Maybe she really is in the agency.
“Yes, here I am. Just standing here hoping that my new best friend makes his rounds.”
“His?”
I lean in. “I like the waiter.”
“Anyway,” she decides not to play along. “I want you to meet someone.”
Oh, this can’t be good.
“Mr. Dixon, this is my daughter, Charlie Erickson.”
My mother steps to the side, and sure enough, Mark fucking Dixon is standing before me.
W hat the actual fuck?
How in the hell did he find me? This makes no sense. I haven’t talked to him in two weeks while I’ve been working on my own things. I didn’t tell him I’d be at my father’s gala. I didn’t tell anyone. This is completely unacceptable. Stalker much?
My entire body is tense as my mother beams at us both. She has no clue that we know each other. My blood is boiling. He shouldn’t be here. This is my family . He’s gone one-step too far, but at the same time a thrill rushes through me. No one has ever gone through the trouble of trying to find me. In the past, any man I dated brushed it off. There was no hunt, no excitement, just a nod and a kiss on the cheek. However, Mark’ll never know that I find this a little exhilarating—he’ll only see fire.
He steps forward with a grin. “Nice to see you, Charlie.” He extends his hand and waits for me to stop trying to kill him in my mind.
“Same to you, Mr. Dick—” I pause, “—son.” I tip my flute filled with my courage. “How absolutely lovely it is to see you.”
My mother’s eyes blaze. “Charlie!” She takes the glass from me. “How many of those have you had?” Her words come through gritted teeth.
Shit.
“Just one.” I try to grab it back, but she places it on the table.
“Well, Mr. Dixon has made a rather large donation to your father’s education fund. I know how much this charity means to you, as well,” she says with a pointed stare. In other words, You care more than you’ll ever admit or I’m cutting you out of the will and selling the shoes.
“Thank you so much for being such a thoughtful man,” I say, laced in a sugary sweet voice dripping in venom.
My mother turns her attention, and I use my finger and make the gesture of slicing my neck. Mark gives a loud laugh, drawing her back to us. “I’m glad it makes you happy,” he says.
“Do you two know each other?”
Oh, this might actually be good. Priscilla isn’t to be toyed with. She makes me look like a daydream. I stand there with a smile as she waits for Mark to answer.
“Charlie and I have a mutual friend. We’ve met before. I manage a security firm and our paths have crossed with work.”
Instead of becoming the slightest bit skeptical, she beams. It’s as if light glows from around her. “So, you work for the government?”
Mark chuckles. “No, ma’am. I’m a former SEAL who runs a private security firm. So I make a lot more money and get better toys.”
“He’s also a giant pain in the ass.”
“Charlie!” she reprimands. “I think he sounds like a wonderful man.”
“Well, Charlie brings out the best in me.” He grins as she falls under his charms. “I enjoy spending any time I can with your daughter.”
I can see the thoughts churning in her head: a man, wanting to talk to her daughter. “Oh, how perfect.” She turns to me. “Charlie, you can show Mr. Dixon around and escort him for the night since you didn’t bring a date.”
Zing number three.
“I’m sure Mark would much rather mingle.”
“Actually,” Mark chimes in, “I would love to spend the evening as your fill-in date.” He grins like the Cheshire cat.
“That won’t be—”
“A problem,” my mother finishes my sentence. She saunters off with a little more pep in her step, leaving me with
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