She hated when he called her Mandy with that tone of voice. It made her teeth ache. She flipped her blond hair back and stretched out her long legs, her best assets. Both had reeled Greg in, she thought with a smile. She was also a damn good office manager. Altogether they’d resulted in a huge diamond on her finger.
“Charlie is my most creative designer,” Greg was saying.
Amanda rolled her eyes. It wasn’t like she hadn’t heard this before. “She’s a flake and you know it.”
“Can I assume you got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”
“You would know since it was your bed,” she said, lowering her voice as she felt her expression soften. She glanced at the ring he’d put on her finger recently. He’d told her that he’d been planning to wait until Christmas, but he’d disappointed her on her birthday in October when he’d given her a small box with silver earrings inside. Obviously, he’d known then that he’d better take the next step and soon or risk losing her. A few weeks ago, he’d popped the question and of course she’d said yes.
“Cut Charlie some slack,” he said now. “She’s just not a morning person. She’s an artist. Her creativity kicks in later in the day. I’m sure she—”
Just then the young woman in question arrived. Through the glass wall of his office, they watched Charlie burst through the outer office door in a flurry of flapping winter coat and scarf. She always swept in, often in a rush, always exuberant and usually running late. This morning appeared no different—except for the fact that she was later than normal.
As Charlie shrugged out of her coat and scarf, Amanda saw that she wore a bright-colored sweater that hit her small frame mid-thigh with dark leggings. Her long curly dark chestnut hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. A few errant locks had come loose and now framed her face, making her look much younger than her twenty-nine years.
Amanda didn’t have to look at Greg to know that he was smiling. Had either of them ever been that young, and so wonderfully naive and full of life? Charlie radiated an innocence and a kind of energy that she knew enchanted him. He’d told her that Charlie reminded him of summer days growing up.
This morning Charlie’s big brown eyes were wide and her complexion so pale that her freckles only looked more adorable. Amanda feared that the young woman brightened her fiancé’s days a little too much and that alone was troubling.
“She’s limping,” Greg said, frowning.
So she hadn’t been exaggerating about having an accident, Amanda thought as Charlie stopped in Greg’s office. There was a tear in the young woman’s leggings at one knee and the skin underneath was scraped. Nor was she her usual cheerful, apologetic self.
“Are you all right?” Greg asked, clearly genuinely concerned.
“I took a tumble, that’s all.” Charlie’s gaze breezed past him to Amanda and back. “I’m so sorry. My horoscope warned me not to leave the apartment. I guess I should have listened.”
Her horoscope? Amanda turned away so Charlie didn’t see her eye roll.
“I’m just glad you’re all right,” Greg said. “Do you need to see a doctor?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
Turning back, Amanda watched Charlie head for her cubicle, her limp more pronounced.
“I hope she’s all right,” Greg said.
“It’s just a skinned knee. I’m sure she’ll survive.” Amanda sighed. “It is always something with that woman.” She started toward the door. “You really need to get tougher with her.”
Greg said nothing. Then he asked, “Are we interviewing more candidates for office manager today? I’d really like someone to fill your position right after the first of the year.”
She’d been so excited when he’d told her that after they were married, he would invest in any enterprise she wanted. He didn’t think it would be a good idea for the two of them to be working together at his company once they tied the knot right after Christmas. She’d been so excited by the prospect of being able to start her own business that she hadn’t minded leaving his design company in the least.
Now though she wondered if he just wanted her out of this office so she couldn’t see what was going on with the staff.
CHARLIE TRIED TO concentrate on her work. She had to have at least six designs to show the client by the end of the week. While she already had more than that, she wasn’t happy with a few of them. She wanted them to be perfect.
But as hard as she tried to keep her mind on her designs, she kept thinking about what she’d seen. Or hadn’t seen. She knew she couldn’t have seen Lindy. Lindy had been dead for years. So why would she think she saw the woman standing across the street? Why now?
Her cell phone rang. Seeing it was her boyfriend, she quickly picked up. She did love the sound of the word boyfriend. “Hi,” she said.
“Hey.” Daniel’s voice made her smile. “I know you’re at work. Just had to call. I missed you last night.” They still had their own apartments. Often they slept over at one or the other. That was why Daniel kept pushing for them to move in together.
It would be cheaper, and they would see more of each other, he’d argued, but Charlie couldn’t help dragging her feet. She liked having her own place. If she was being honest, she also didn’t trust that this relationship would last. From life experience, she knew she couldn’t count on anything. She feared that living together would make the breakup worse. Not that she told Daniel this, but she did question after a couple of months where he thought this was going.
He was the one who’d brought up moving in after their first month of dating. “We’re happy now, that’s all that matters,