Free FOUR PLAY by Myla Jackson Page A

Her chin jutted forward. "Which is more than I can say for you."
    "Point taken. Still, you're having doubts about him. I can tell it in your face."
    Charli touched her face. "That's lack of sleep. I am not having doubts. He's very good at providing the necessary entertainment to hold my interest," Charli defended. "The man knows me."
    "Does he know you've been hurt before and that you swore you'd never give away your heart to another man?"
    Her chest pinched. "No." Charli tucked her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "It never came up in a conversation."
    "Does he realize, a fact I've known for a long time..." With a narrowed gaze, Audrey planted both fists on her hips, "that you claim you don't want a relationship, but deep down, you really want the love of your life?"
    Why did Audrey have to bring all this up now? She didn't want to delve into past heartache, she wanted to live for the day. Charli clamped her hands over her ears. "All right already. You can stop now."
    Audrey pulled down Charli's hands and smiled sadly. "I was there when you fell to pieces."
    "And you were there to pick them up for me." Tears welled in Charli's eyes. "You've always had my back."
    "I would be no friend to you now, if I didn't play devil's advocate and point out what's all wrong with this situation."
    "I know." Charli struggled to resist the truth of her friend's words. "But isn't it enough that I'm happy?"
    "The question is...are you happy enough?"
    "Maybe this is as good as my love life gets." Charli stared down at her scuffed brown cowboy boots. "Maybe I wasn't meant to have a happily-ever-after and I should go for a little of that happy-for-now stuff."
    "Oh, honey." Audrey hugged Charli and then set her away. "I don't want to pop your bubble. I just don't want you to build a truck load of expectations only to have them dumped like so much garbage when your Original Sin stops coming around."
    Charli sniffed, brushing an errant tear from her cheek. She swallowed hard before speaking. "I'll be careful not to get too involved." She didn't admit it to Audrey, but Charli suspected it was already too late. "I have to go now. Connor is picking me up at my place in less than eight hours."
    "My point exactly." Audrey smiled. "Connor Mason is a man a girl can count on. You know his name and he's a real gentleman. The kind that picks up his date at her door, not expecting her to do all the work to get there."
    Charli swiped at another tear and shook her head. "Keep this up and I'll start calling you Mom." She reached out and squeezed Audrey's hand. "Thanks for being my friend. I'll be careful not to get hurt. I promise, you won't have to pick up the pieces this time."
    "Sweetie, I'm always there for you. It just hurts me to see you hurt."
    "I know." Charli smiled over the lump in her throat. "Wish me luck with Connor. If I find him nearly as interesting as Original Sin," she shrugged. "Who knows?"
    Audrey's eyes widened. "Remember you have to work with his sister Kendall."
    "You do take all the fun out of a date." Charli hiked her purse strap up on her shoulder. "I'm off to bed, then lunch with Connor. I'll see you at work tonight."
    "Remember, Connor is Kendall's brother and he's freshly back from the war in Afghanistan. Be gentle with the man."
    Charli muttered under her breath as she left Audrey's house and headed home for a quick shower and a few hours of sleep before her lunch date with Connor.
    # # #
    An incessant buzzing jerked Charli from a wonderful dream where she was Cinderella, being whisked away in a sleek black Corvette by Zorro, his blue eyes flashing, the black mask and cowboy hat hiding his identity.
    Charli reached out and smacked her alarm clock, but the ringing didn't stop. Another glance at the green digital letters made her sit up with a shriek.
    "Holy crap! Eleven forty-five?" She wrapped the sheet around her naked body and ran for the front door, flinging it open.
    Connor Mason stood there, his hand raised to knock, so