Free The Lovely Garden by Emma Mohr Page A

there were times when me and Clara swapped stories over lunch, but other than that, I kept to myself. Everyone did. We were just too busy to do anything else. And if Jerry caught us talking for too long, he would have an absolute fit over it. It was as if we weren’t allowed to try and enjoy our work without his permission.
    “Shall we get our meeting started?” Charles suggested. Jerry face was a mask of professional enthusiasm. He gestured toward his office and led Charles there. Before entering the room, Charles paused. “Did you want to wait out here, Rebecca?” That was kind of him. Taking her feelings of my boss into consideration.
    “Sure.” Rebecca tried hard to hide her relief, but she failed quite marvelously. “I’ll just hang out here with Amy.” Color me surprised. I had half-expected her to have a bunch of work to do. Maybe she did and just wanted to make me feel better.
    Charles nodded before disappearing into Jerry’s office. Jerry shut the door behind them, and the silence in the room was thick with questions. Questions that had better stay unasked, because there was no way in hell I was going to answer a damn one of them. I like these people, but fuck them. They had no right into my personal business, though it had literally walked through the door and announced itself.
    There was an empty, useless chair next to my desk that Rebecca parked herself in. “So,” she started, her blue eyes boring into mine, “you and Charles.”
    “Um, yes,” I replied, taking my seat. I was nervous. Aside from Billy and Jenny, this was the first person I had met attached to Charles. Totally expected since we just started to date, but my mind still ran through the what-ifs. What if she doesn’t like me? What if she is in love with Charles, though I already knew that was a no. What if she thinks I’m completely wrong for him and wants me to break-up with him? That last one sent a chill through my heart. I hardly knew the guy, but I wanted to stay with him.
    She stared at me, scrutinizing every inch of my face. Then, smiled. My entire body relaxed. She didn’t hate me after all. “I can tell you, he’s had worse dates. At least, you seem to have a solid head on your shoulders. Not many of the others could claim that. And you like him.”
    I wiggled my mouse around to wake up my computer. “How do you figure?” Not trying to challenge her, but I was curious on how my emotions were showing.
    A sideways look from her said I was being facetious. “It was all over your face when you met him. And the way you called out to him. Genuinely surprised and happy to see him.” She looked at me full in the face. “He likes you, too. Never saw him kiss a woman the way he did you.” My face was so hot I had to be scarlet. “Aw, you’re so cute. Blushing like a schoolgirl with a crush.”
    Goddamn this woman was going to make me pass out. That was, if you could pass out from blushing too hard.
    Rebecca’s face changed and her voice took an edge to it. “Since you do like him, I thought it fair that I should warn you. Ava, his sister, is psychotic. Just stay away from her if you can.”
    “Is that why Charles’ is afraid of her?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think them all the way through. But when she said that, all I could think about it how pale he had been when he had seen her in the garden.
    “So, you’ve met her?” Her tone was so neutral it made me shiver.
    “No. I just saw her from far away. Charles made me stay behind and met her.”
    She let out a breath that could only be described at relief. “Good. Just stay away from her if you can.”
    Before I could say or ask anything else, Charles came out of Jerry’s office with a red face and wild eyes. “Rebecca, we’re leaving.” Wide eyed, Rebecca stood and headed toward him. I just stared at him, afraid to even move, which I must have looked it since he seemed to deflate when his eyes fell on me. “Amy,” he started, voice