The Redemption (Charlotte Bloom Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

table. My bed was unmade. I silently vowed to tidy up before the next date—if there was a next date.
    “Sorry about the mess,” I apologized, before closing the door behind me.
    “Please. You should see my place,” he said casually, grinning from ear to ear. My heart melted a tiny bit as he smiled, and he placed a hand on my lower back as we climbed down the stairs of my apartment building. I tried not to fall on my face.
    “So, you’re an actor,” I stated, rather than asking.
    “Yep. And you’re working for Sam, right?”
    “Temporarily. I'm in PR, but it has been a bit of a struggle finding a good PR job that doesn’t feel like you’re selling your soul to the devil, you know?”
    “I get it. I just did a McDonald’s commercial with cartoon dancing chickens.”
    I stifled a laugh as we walked over to his small sports car.
    “I do hope to be able to see that commercial one day,” I said playfully.
    “Never.” He smiled ruefully and patted my thigh as we drove away.
    “So… we’re both in the divorce club, eh?” I didn’t know how to bring it up without asking outright.
    “Looks like it. Who would’ve thought?”
    “Not me. But it’s for the better. No hard feelings.”
    “Same. She just wasn’t the one.”
    “Yeah.”
    The one. It was such a weird concept to me, and yet it made perfect sense. For so many years, I thought Harry was the one. I’d invested myself in a future with Harry, and it had all gone to shit so quickly. For a second, I had thought Alec might’ve been the one, but how could he have been? How could it possibly have worked out? If Alec and I were meant to be together, he would be here, with me, or I would be there, with him; neither of which were going to happen any time soon.
    Charlie and I sat in silence for a while as he got onto the freeway and drove towards downtown. He was taking me to Bottega Louie, one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles. Their macarons were to die for, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go just for the dessert. He pushed a button and all of a sudden, Bing Crosby Christmas came on. I loved this album. I sat there silently swaying as Charlie looked over at me.
    “Amara said you were pretty, but—excuse my language—damn. You’re smoking hot.”
    I blushed and smiled back.
    “You’re not so bad yourself.”
    “That dress…” he sucked in some air quickly, and moved his eyes back to the road.
    “Thanks. It’s not too slutty, is it?” I was asking more as a friend. I wasn’t trying to be cute. But he wasn’t going the friend route.
    “I like slutty.”
    I stayed silent. Things had been going so well. I liked him. But then he had to go and say that. Also, it made me uncomfortable that he was scanning my body up and down as he drove. Get ahold of yourself, Charlie. Ugh.
    “So… how do you know Amara?” I had to change the subject somehow. His eyes were still wandering. I crossed my arms tightly against my body.
    “She didn’t tell you?”
    “No,” I lied. I knew they had met on set.
    “We met on set.”
    “Oh.”
    This date was turning into a disaster.
    Another couple of minutes passed silently before Charlie got off the freeway, exiting a little too fast for comfort. I gripped the seat as he turned sharply towards a parking structure across the street from the restaurant.
    “Sorry. I like to go fast… in all aspects of my life,” he grinned devilishly.
    Did Amara know what a tool Charlie was? She’d described him as nice. He was really nice… for the first ten minutes. Perhaps he was nervous. That would be an acceptable explanation. I just smiled and looked ahead, not making eye contact with Charlie, even though I could feel his eyes all over me. He parked quickly and I waited for a second to see if he would open my door. He didn’t.
    I slowly got out, adjusting my dress. I now regretted wearing such a tight dress. I could still feel Charlie’s eyes on me as we walked up the stairs to the street. If it had been