Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
He turned the strips while I finished getting the sausage going. The kitchen was small, the fit tight as we worked around each other, preparing eggs, potatoes, and the meats. When Charles put the biscuits in the oven, he put his hand on my biceps to squeeze around me. My skin heated beneath his touch.
When it was done and we’d set our plates on the table, Charles started working on opening all the blinds again. Shit, I should’ve done that when he got here. I should do it every day on my own, but I never did.
“I’m starving. This looks good,” he said when he joined me again. I watched him while he dug in and took a bite, mixing his eggs and potatoes. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, which…no fucking shit. Of course it did. Why was I even noticing that? “What?” Charles asked around a mouthful.
My gaze darted away. “Got food on your face,” I lied.
He wiped his lip. “Did I get it?”
“Yeah.” Got somethin’ that wasn’t there because I’m embarrassed I was starin’ at ya. My gaze found the flowers he’d bought me. It hadn’t been long, so they still looked bright and healthy.
“They bring a little summer inside,” he said, clearly noticing.
“They do. I like ’em. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.” Charles grinned. “How was work?”
“Work.” I shrugged, then dug into my food.
“Tell me what your days are like.”
“Why?” I asked, mouth full of food, which was probably gross.
Charles chuckled. “Because that’s what people do. They talk. They want to know what their friends do all day.”
I sighed, though I could see where he was coming from. I’d talked to Nadine like that when she was around. Had it been so long that I’d forgotten how to be someone’s friend? “I work mostly with metal fabrication equipment.” When he nodded like he wanted more, I told him about some of the machines I worked with and what a typical day was like. When I finished, I realized I’d talked the whole time I’d eaten and my plate was clean. That was…different for me, stringing together that many words and losing track of time. “What about you?”
“I shoveled shit.” He winked.
“No, I mean, lawyering.” Was that how you said it? I worried about not sounding as smart as he was.
“Depends on the case. Some days I was in court, some days I wasn’t. There’s a lot of research involved too.”
“Like other similar cases?”
“Yeah, exactly. That and more.”
“Is it hard sometimes?” I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair. “I mean, I know you gotta be real smart, so that’s not what I’m talkin’ about, but if you know they did it.” Charles flinched, making guilt sludge through my gut. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s fine and a good question. It’s complicated. The good thing is I get to choose the cases I take. If I don’t believe in someone, I don’t take them. Does that mean I’m always right? No. Does it mean I haven’t probably gotten guilty people free? No. I’m sure I have. That’s something I have to live with.”
“Do you like it?”
“I’m good at it.” He chuckled.
“That wasn’t the question.”
“Damn. You’re playing hardball today. I liked it more in the beginning than the end. I’m proud of my career. I’ve gotten innocent people their freedom. I’ve fought for people who were targeted by an unfair criminal-justice system. But it all wears on you after a while, and I’m done.”
“That’s why you’re here?”
“Yeah. And I’m lucky because I’ve made a good living for myself. I was able to quit my job with no real plan on what I want to do. But I’m also not the type who can just sit around doing nothing, hence why I’m going to drive you and Emerson crazy all summer.”
I laughed, thinking I should tell him he wasn’t driving me crazy, that I liked this, what we were doing, but those kinda things got trapped inside me. “Wanna play with me?” I asked instead, and Charles busted up into loud, playful laughter, making me worried I had something on my face now. I wiped at it, which just made him lose it even more. “What?”
“You can’t say stuff like that to me. My mind went straight into the gutter.”
Oh…oh. My pulse beat against my skin, face hot. “I didn’t… I wasn’t…” Charles let out another round of laughter, only it didn’t feel like he was doing it at me in a bad way. It was like earlier in the kitchen, and it made a lightness flutter in my gut. “Shut up. I’m just gonna keep tellin’ you that till you listen.”
“I’m sorry. My lips are zipped.” He pretended to lock them and throw away the key. I had to force myself not to smile.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s do it. I would love to play with you.”