Charlie's Web (A Romantic Comedy)

Chapter 4

At lunchtime that day Charlie could be found in Accessorize, searching for a sparkly ring that could pass as an engagement ring to the drunken, untrained eye.

"Are you okay there?" the smiley girl who always served Charlie (she spent a lot of time in there, magpie that she was) asked her. "Can I help you at all?"

Charlie shook her head automatically. "Oh no, thanks, I'm fine." The girl smiled and moved to walk away. "Actually, maybe you can," Charlie said impulsively. "If you were going to pretend to be wearing an engagement ring, what one of these would you choose?" She held out two rings with sparkly "jewels" afixed to them.

The girl's smile flickered ever so slightly. "Um - what?"

"Well, I kind of like this one, with the pink stone, personally," Charlie said, looking down at it contemplatively. "I've never really been one for diamonds, you see. So if I was actually engaged, I'd probably want a pink stone. Or maybe purple. But perhaps the one with the fake diamond looking thing looks more realistic?"

"You know these aren't actually engagement rings, right?" the girl asked. Her tone was still perfectly nice but she looked very very confused.

"Oh yeah, of course I know that." Charlie nodded vigorously. "Trust me, I wouldn't buy a real engagement ring from here. No offence" she hastened to add.

"None taken," the girl reassured her. "But can I ask why you want a fake engagement ring in the first place?"

No, Charlie thought to herself, suddenly realising that the girl thought she was insane, and the truth probably wouldn't help. "It's a . . . deterrent," she said, trying to look as normal as possible. "You know how sometimes when you're out, if you flash a ring at weirdos, they stay away from you?"

The girl laughed and held out her own be-ringed engagement finger. "I usually find the opposite happens." Of course you do, Charlie thought bitterly, her own bright smile slipping for a second. "I think you're probably best to go for the diamond one in that case. Yeah?"

'Sounds good to me."

Outwardly, Charlie smiled. Inwardly, despite knowing she was being completely unreasonable, she suddenly hated smiley Accessorize girl. This was what she was competing against after all.

Clutching her new fake engagement ring tightly, she headed back to the office. And, of course, the first person she saw when she arrived there was Mr Aaron "I Only Want What I Can't Have" Ward himself. Oh, and looky there, who was he chatting up but Belinda. Their newly engaged colleague. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she reluctantly approached them. 

Aaron immediately looked uncomfortable, which seemed to be his default expression around Charlie these days. "Alright?" he muttered, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"I am indeed," Charlie announced breezily. She turned to Belinda and looked pointedly at her ring finger. "Wow, Belinda, I honestly cannot believe how gorgeous that ring is," she added. "So when's the big day?"

"August." Belinda beamed proudly. "We're doing it as soon as possible."

"Oh that's lovely!" Charlie smiled, shooting a sidelong look at Aaron as she did so. He clearly wasn't sure what she was playing at. She hadn't been sure either, but suddenly inspiration struck. "You know, I was just in Accessorize and the girl behind the counter was engaged. She said the ring seems to attract men, rather than putting them off. Weird eh? Do you find men have been sniffing around you more?"

This may have came across as inappropriate from anyone else, but everyone knew Charlie was a law onto herself - one colleague had once called her the Queen of Verbal Vomit; and a more cutting co-worker had once told her "you really should start thinking before you open your mouth - and then just don't say anything" - so Belinda wasn't shocked at the question, she simply giggled, contemplating. "I've not really noticed," she said finally. "I'll have to keep a look out for that."