Seasons of Sorrow by C. C. Wood Page A

and a man she didn’t know sitting on the couch in the living room. They were both so handsome it made her tummy flutter. That tummy flutter always got her in trouble because she never knew what to do or say and unerringly managed to choose the worst possible topic.
    Brandy turned from her seat on the coffee table. “Great! You’re ready. I’m starving.” She stood, all long legs and gorgeous curves.
    The guys stood with her, both looking at Charlotte, which made her even more uncomfortable.
    “Um, hi, Greg.” Charlotte bit her lip and gathered her courage. She looked at the man next to Greg and held out a hand. “I’m Charlotte. You must be Derek, it’s nice to meet you.” There, no awkward pause and she said exactly what she intended.
    Derek’s smile was charming and his grip firm and warm. “It’s great to meet you, Charlotte. I’ve heard a lot about you from Greg.”
    Charlotte’s eyes flitted over to Greg and she blushed slightly. She didn’t understand why he might talk about her. He was Brandy’s boyfriend, not hers, and he was beautiful, way out of her league, and not just because of his looks. Greg had confidence in spades, something she lacked completely.
    She realized Derek was still holding her hand. Hoping he wouldn’t get offended, she removed her hand as quickly as possible. He was almost as handsome as Greg, something that made her twitchy.
    Brandy stepped in. “Okay, boys. Where are we going for dinner? Us girls need to keep our strength up.”
    Greg started to speak but Derek interrupted. “How about Crown and Anchor?”
    Charlotte bit her lip and looked up at him. She smiled tentatively. “Okay.”
    She glanced at Brandy, who nodded her agreement. Greg did as well, though his jaw was strangely tight.
    They all piled into Greg’s car, Brandy and Greg in the front, Charlotte and Derek in the back, and were off. The pub was crowded when they arrived, full of other college students their age. Somehow Derek finagled them a table when they got inside. He seemed to know everyone.
    As Greg got the girls settled onto tall stools, Derek disappeared to get them all something to drink. He reappeared with a pitcher of beer and four glasses.
    “Um, I’m not twenty-one,” Charlotte piped up.
    Derek winked at her. “I won’t tell if you won’t.” He poured beer into a glass and handed it to her.
    Charlotte smiled at him. A real smile, not just the forced upturning of lips.
    He leaned in, a dimple popping out in his cheek as he grinned back. “You have a beautiful smile, Charlotte.”
    She blushed and looked down. “Thank you, Derek.” His proximity made her uncomfortable, even though she thought he was extremely attractive.
    As though he read her mind, Derek leaned back, giving her a little space. The rest of the evening, he did things like placing his arm along the back of her chair and touching her hand, but nothing that made her twitchy. In fact, she kind of enjoyed it. He also paid attention to what she said, listening to her and asking her questions to bring her out of her reserve.
    By the end of the night, she was laughing and drinking with Derek the way she typically did with Brandy during their weekly Girls’ Night In or Greg when he came over to watch a movie with them. The ride back to the apartment she shared with Brandy was filled with her giggles and Derek’s chuckles. She never noticed that Greg and her roommate were strangely quiet.
    After they arrived back at the apartment, Derek somehow manipulated the situation so that they were outside alone. Charlotte fidgeted, clasping her hands in front of her. She couldn’t meet Derek’s eyes. She felt so unsure. Her high school boyfriend had been her best friend in junior high. Their fumbling in his parent’s basement senior year might have relieved her of her virginity, but not her inability to relate to men.
    After being roommates with Brandy for three years, Charlotte was no longer as shy around women and able to speak clearly