Free Charlie's Last Stand by Isabelle Flynn

CHAPTER ONE
     
     
    “No. No. No. Not today.” The flannel sheet flew up as she
kicked it off her legs. Charlie stumbled out of bed and shoved the hair out of
her face. The clock had to be wrong. She'd been up at two and then four to make
sure she didn't oversleep.
    This was going to be her day. HER DAY! Being late wasn't a
part of the plan. Her outfit was laid out, her makeup waiting on the bathroom
counter. She had agonized over the dress, the makeup for longer than a month,
willing the right moment to come up. The black dress, perfume, lipstick and
mascara were her battle gear for a winner-takes-all campaign to get Dr. Christopher
Ainsworth's attention.
    Chris was going to drool. Today, he would be taking notice
and by the end of tonight, she’d have a date. An actual date that involved more
than a quick bite to eat at the pizza place down the road from their office or
some stuffy charity event.
    Chris was the full package. Sweet and thoughtful, he'd been
there for her when she needed him the most. He was also hot. Fit and sexy, he
still somehow managed to keep his ego in check and stay oblivious to the
constant flirting and innuendos she'd witnessed through the years. Lately, it
had become harder to remember she had no claim to Chris. He was free to date
any one of the women attempting to seize his attention.
    She dropped her lucky llama pajamas on to the tile floor and
jumped into the shower before feeling the temperature. It was cold. Very, very
cold. Her brother and his family had used all of the hot water. A downside of
living in someone else's house. Huddled in the corner, she soaped up while
working up the nerve to rinse in the icy water. This was not the start to the
day she had planned out the night before.
    She finished in record time. The mirror was clear, one
benefit of taking the frigid shower. It only took a few minutes to smooth on moisturizer
and foundation. Slipping on her new black panties, she tried not to think about
how much she paid for the little scrap of lace. The outfit was a not-so-small
chunk out of her savings but what were a few more weeks at her brother’s when
she’d finally have Chris Ainsworth all to herself. It’d be worth it. She just
knew the dress, the makeup, the new attitude would get her exactly what she
wanted.
    And, if it didn't, she had her answer. It was time to move
on.
    She ran out of the bathroom to check the time. 8:30. A surge
of adrenaline had her speeding up. She was supposed to be at the office at
eight. Chris usually arrived in the next few minutes. What would he think when
he didn't see her car in the lot? When he had to use his own keys to unlock the
door? They began accepting patients at nine. Diane wouldn't be there until five
minutes before to boot up her computer and turn the phones on.
    She imagined Chris's response to the short black dress. She
never wore dresses or skirts or shorts to work. It was always business casual.
Pressed pants with perfectly practical and completely boring blouses. He had to
notice her today. The neckline of the dress scooped down, giving her new
sculpting bra a chance to showcase the cleavage she tended to hide. She slipped
on a cashmere black cardigan to keep her modesty while the office was open for
patients. She had planned on arriving on time, slipping her sweater off, and
waiting for the fifteen minutes of alone time they spent chatting each morning.
Maybe he would finally see her as more than just his best friend's sister and
the buttoned up woman who ran his office.
    She threw her leather satchel over her shoulder and took one
last look in the mirror before leaving her bedroom. She entered the kitchen to
grab a travel cup of coffee on her way out but her brother's appearance at the
breakfast table stopped her. He should have left fifteen minutes ago and Will
never deviated from his schedule.
    “You're late.”
    Leave it to her brother to point out the obvious. “I know.”
    “I was going to call you anyhow. Can you watch