Chapter 11
Chapter 11
At noon, Natalie whipped up some extra dishes for lunch. She planned to share the feast with Dora, and also return the axe she’d borrowed. After chowing down, she caught a quick power top. When she woke up in the evening, she realized she’d been sleeping a lot lately. Splashing some water on her face helped her snap back to alertness.
Before she knew it. Nicole, Austin’s wife breezed in with a small bucket in hand. “Nat, you’re home!” she sang out as she stepped through the door.
Natalie hurried to greet her. “Nicole, you made it! Come on in: have a seat.”
“Austin reeled in a bunch of wild fish today, and I thought you might like some, Nicole said, beaming as she showed off the bucket, swimming with seven or eight fish of all sizes.
“Really? You should save those for the little ones,” Natalie replied.
“We’ve got more than enough at home. Just grab a bucket, and I share the catch. If you can’t cook them all today, you’ll have fresh fish for tomorrow. Nicole insisted..
Thanks a million. Nicole ! Natalie found a bucket and handed it over.
“No worries at all! I’ll let you get back to your day. Nicole said, turning to leave.
For dinner, Natalie pan–fried two of the fish for a savory soup. The fresh, wild flavor was out of this world.
Later that night, as she lay in bed, the silence enveloped her. She found herself yearning for Shawn and wondered what he was up to. She wanted to know if he was handling work okay. She pulled out her phone to check for messages but found none. Screwing up her courage, she decided to text him.
Natalie [Hey, Shawn! How’s work going? Take care and don’t hit the bottle too hard.]
She typed out a few messages about village life, mentioning the fresh veggies her neighbor had dropped off and how she wanted to whip up something special for him when he got back. But after erasing and retyping a few times, she settled on a simple greet
Natalie stared at her phone for twenty minutes, no reply. Feeling a bit let down, she checked again before sleep, still no response from Shawn.
Turning onto her side, she placed a hand on her belly and whispered, “Baby, your dad’s super swamped and hasn’t seen mom’s message yet. When he gets back from his trip, we’ll tell him you’re coming. Cool?”
After talking to her bump for a bit, she started to feel drowsy and drifted off to dreamland early.
In Janisburg, in the Evercrest Group’s president’s office, Charles lounged in a massage chair, letting out a big sigh. “Ugh, all my bros are gone. Even Natalie’s back home. This sucks…
He sighed again, deep and dramatic. Just then, Shawn’s secretary, Lucy Young, walked in. Charles had been camping out in Shawn’s office for three days straight, showing up on time and staying late. He even had Lucy bring him lunch every day.
When Charles looked up and met Lucy’s gaze, he sighed once more, “Ugh…”
Lucy couldn’t help but smile at his dramatics. Among the execs, Charles was the most laid–back. He always joked around and
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I’ve be, making it easy to chat about life beyond work. She tilted her head and asked, “What’s up. Mr. Leblanc?
had a
least ten sighs this morning”
“I’m bored! All my bros are out, and Natalie’s not here. No one to hang witht
Recognizing it as one of Charles’s usual lamentations, Lucy suggested, “Why not hang with Ms. Guzman, or Ms. Chavez? They could keep you company.”
Sabrina Guzman. Shawn’s cousin, was a quirky college junior known for her frankness and helpful spirit.
Abby Chavez, Hayden’s sister, was an intern, working hard to launch her scriptwriting career.
“Ugh, I guess those two will have to do, Charles muttered, relucently getting up and grabbing his jacket.
Want to order lunch?” i
asked, not wanting him to leave on an empty stomach.
“Nah. I’ll just hit up Sabrina and Abby,” he replied, heading for the door. He whipped out his phone and made a group chat with the three of them. Determined to salvage his free afternoon Charles was ready to spark some fun with his pals.
Charles sent a message in their group chat: [@Sabrina @Abby, Sabrina, Abby, come out and play! I’m taking you for a blast tonight!]
Sabrina quickly texted back: [Charles, isn’t Shawn out of town?]
Charles: [Shawn’s on a trip, who knows when he’s back. Meet me at Aaron’s bar tonight. Let’s hook
Abby: [What about Natalie? Let’s bring her too.]
up
outside!]
[Natalie’s in her hometown, not in Janisburg.] Charles treated these girls like his little sisters, often taking them out when he had time.
[I’m still on campus. It’ll take me an hour to get to Aaron’s bar.] Sabrina had the afternoon free and planned to Netflix binge in her dorm, but Charles’s invite was too tempting,
[I’m swamped. I’m heading to a film set and won’t be there until after 7 PM.J Abby was an intern with a tough director, so she couldn’t just bail.
[Alright, I’ll take Sabrina out for lunch first, then we’ll head to the bar. Need a ride?] Charles thought about his empty stomach and figured he’d tackle that before making a move.
[No need, Charles. I’ll catch a cab when I’m done.] Abby liked to handle her own transportation since her schedule was up in the air.
Charles: Okay, Sabrina, I’ll swing by and get you from school]
They ended the chat, and Charles jumped in his sports car, speeding off to Sabrina’s college.
When he pulled up by Sabrina’s dorm, he leaned on his flashy ride and called her. His car not only turned heads but also drew a small crowd of gawkers.
As soon as Charles called to say he was downstairs, Sabrina nearly leaped out of her seat. She dashed to the window, knowing his flashy style would attract attention. “Charles, head to the school entrance. I’ll be right there!”
“Why? I’m already here! Just come down and we’ll jet; why overink it? Charles was clueless about the crowd his car was drawing
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“Charles, your flashy car parked under my dorm is a spectacle! I get in now, people will think I’m being pampered by some rich guy. I want to keep a low profile in college. Sabrina was fretting over the rumors that could fly if she was seen in
his car.
This is my most subtle car!” Charles joked, pretending to be oblivious.
Just move it closer to the entrance, please! I’ll be right down,” Sabrina insisted.
“Alright, I’ll wait for you at the gate,” he agreed, driving off a bit.
As he waited, he spotted Sabrina coming down, dressed down and looking around anxiously. “Is it really that big of a deal?” Charles raised an eyebrow.
“Better safe than sorry! Let’s hit the road, Charles, What’s the lunch spot?” Sabrina changed the topic.
“I’m taking you to a local secret! Fred and I checked it out last time, and it was finger–licking good. You gotta try it!” Charles said, revving up as he pulled away. When it came to food, Charles was the go–to guy. He always tracked down the best eats, bringing Sabrina and Abby along for the culinary adventure.
“You’re the best, Charles! Sabrina cheered, feeling the excitement build, though she held back from hugging him since he was driving. Whenever Charles vouched for a place, she knew it was bound to be awesome. Nothing topped savoring a great meal with Charles.
