Loving David by Gina Hummer

want to read one!” David pouted, demand bubbling up in his voice.
    Charlotte resumed walking and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have any copies here. If you really want one…well, you can go back into town and get one!” she grinned and gave him a wink. “Although- I’d like to see you try, considering I have the car keys.”
    David nodded his head, impressed by this worthy competitor. “So it’s like that, eh? Alright then; go into town and get me one.”
    “Yeah, like I’m going to walk into the local bookstore, where everyone knows me by name and buy my own book. I don’t think so.”
    David let out a low whistle. “Well, I’m sure I could convince one of the ladies to give me a lift into town.” He snapped his fingers. “You know, come to think of it, I am running out of toothpaste.”
    Charlotte gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
    “ Hmm . Maybe not. But you know that as soon as I leave here; I’ll read them all,” he teased. David turned to look at Charlotte, those green eyes affixed to her mouth. Charlotte licked her lips, nervous. “Have you ever seen any of my movies?” he asked; his voice husky.
    Charlotte shoved her hands in her pockets, a chill slicing over her in spite of the sun’s warmth.
    “A few.” She looked down at her feet. “Only one that I liked, though.”
    “Oh, yeah? Which one?”
    Charlotte cocked her head to the side. “The one where you and the girl are stuck in a snow-storm and have to screw all night to stay warm.” She paused. “Personally, I thought it was Oscar-worthy,” Charlotte said, her face quivering with corked laughter.
    “Well, that does it then. I’m finding a way into town--- even if I have to hitchhike and getting a book.” David tapped Charlotte’s arm. “I’m sure you must have a chapter or two where your characters need to stay warm. ” David stopped. “Wait. That’s the only one you liked?”
    Charlotte laughed. He didn’t need to know that not only had she’d seen all of his movies---some twice--- but she also thought he was amazing in all of them. Now back in front of their cabin, Charlotte looked at her watch and saw that her first activity of the day was starting in ten minutes.
    Charlotte grabbed a book and a pad of paper out of her purse while David flopped on the couch. “Listen; I’ve got to head over to one of the other cabins for a few hours. You’re sure you can entertain yourself?”
    “I’ve actually got a script that William has been bugging me to read, so I’m going to do that, and no matter how brilliant it is I’m going to tell him it was dreadful.” David winked. “William’s a rather easy mark.”
    Charlotte rolled her eyes and opened the door. “Well… have fun with that.”
    #
    A famished and spent Charlotte made her way back to the cabin that afternoon. She’d just gotten out of the book club meeting, which was discussing Madame Bovary . The conversations had become rather rousing; while they could all agree she was amoral, the group couldn’t come to consensus on whether her foolish, fumbling husband, Charles had driven actions or if she would have wreaked the havoc she had, no matter whom she had married. All Charlotte wanted to do for the next few minutes was spend some quality time with a Twinkie.
    And David. David. She said his name softly and in spite of herself was thrilled at the thought of finding him waiting for her. Charlotte smoothed back her hair and took a few deep breaths before she opened the door.
    She found David in the chair across from the couch, laptop in hand, his feet propped up on the linen trunk that he had pulled over from underneath the window. He was in a trance, his lips moving in silence along with whatever he was reading on the screen. Charlotte closed the door, and David never even flinched. She jangled her keys a bit and made a show of setting her book and papers down on the coffee table. Still nothing. She stood for a moment, hands