Charlie's Web (A Romantic Comedy)

Chapter 18

The following evening, Charlie was sitting in George Square, basking in the sunshine and hoping no one tried to share her bench with her. She was meeting Jake for a meal and a few drinks in an hour or so when he finished work, but in the meantime she was enjoying a can of Coke and a book. 

Charlie was a rom-com girl through and through. She loved a will-they-won't-they scenario, a healthy dose of sexual tension but, most importantly, a happy ever after. However, despite how entertaining her book was, she kept drifting away into her own head wondering if it was even possible that she could get her very own happy ever after. Right now, everything felt great but she just couldn't work out how she could get the ending she wanted. 

Actually, she thought wryly, she wasn't even sure what the ending was that she wanted.

She watched idly as a couple strolled by on the other side of the square, walking a small black Staffordshire terrier. The dog was adorable, snuffling away at anything it could aim itself towards. 

She couldn't help but smile as it barrelled its way determinedly towards a flower bed, while the beautiful dark haired girl holding its lead laughed as she tried to pull it back. 

Her partner took the lead from her, shaking his head as he laughed too, and that's when his face came into view and Charlie realised it was Aaron. And the perfect girl with him was the girl she'd seen him talking to outside the pub a few weeks ago. 

Oh.

Her heart sank even further when she realised he'd spotted her. He smiled and waved across the square and she fervently hoped that would be the end of it as she thought she might be on the verge of tears. But he said something to the girl and, to her horror, they started heading towards her.

The staffie was the first to reach her although everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. She couldn't believe she was about to meet Aaron's girlfriend; that she was going to have to try and act normal . . . She found that hard enough at the best of times; this scenario was destined to make her even worse.

The dog was now trying to jump onto Charlie's knee, touching her leg with a paw and looking at her imploringly with his big brown eyes. "Peter, get down," Aaron said sharply.

The name temporarily distracted her from her awkwardness. "Peter? He's called Peter?"

The girl smiled. "I think it's funny when pets have really human names, don't you? I've always done it. I had a cat called Alison when I was a kid, and a goldfish called Christopher." She started giggling. "Sorry, I crack myself up sometimes."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Charlie, this is Kayla," he said, pointing at the girl. "Kayla, Charlie. And this," pointing to the dog who was staring adoringly at Charlie and panting as she petted him, desperately using him as a distraction.  "Of course, is Peter."

"Lovely to meet you," Kayla grinned. "I can tell he's really keen on you."

Charlie thought Kayla meant Aaron for a minute and froze in shock but when Kayla added "He doesn't usually try to just jump into stranger's laps like that" she realised she was probably referring to Peter. 

"Ah, dogs tend to like me," she said lightly. "Think they can sense I'm a soft touch."

"I'm exactly the same," Kayla cried. "They absolutely know I'm going to give them every treat I can get a hold of if they just offer me a paw." Up close Aaron's girlfriend was as pretty as Charlie had thought: her dark brown hair thick and shiny like something out of a shampoo commercial; her brown eyes wideset and framed with perfect eyebrows; and a wide dimpled grin.  On top of this, she seemed to be in possession of a personality as lovely as her face. 

Charlie wanted to hate her but she couldn't bring herself to. If Kayla had any idea of Charlie's history with Aaron, she wasn't showing it; her gaze was curious but warm.

She couldn't help but shoot a quick glance at the man himself. To her surprise he was watching her, his handsome face impassive. She'd expected him to be slightly wary, worried that she might stick her foot in her mouth in typical Charlie-style. But he didn't seem bothered at all. 

"Peter definitely likes the ladies," he said mildly. It looked like he was trying to hide a smile.

"We were just heading over to the Merchant City to see if we can get an outside drink if you want to join us?" Kayla said, much to Charlie's surprise. She'd just met her twenty seconds ago and wanted her to muscle in on their date? No thanks, she didn't want to be a third wheel and have to watch the two of them together while her heart shattered into pieces.

"Thanks so much for the invite but I have . . . A date myself," she replied carefully. A slight frown pulled Kayla's exceptional eyebrows towards each other momentarily but then she just nodded.

"No worries, another time maybe!" She nodded at Aaron. "We'd better get going.  Was so nice to meet you!"

"See you in work tomorrow," Aaron said off-handedly, tugging at Peter who was reluctant to leave his new best friend, and turning away with a final casual wave.

Another time maybe? Charlie watched them leave, glad she had managed to stave off the tears… until now. A tear trickled down her cheek and she angrily swiped at it. Why was Kayla inviting her for drinks with them anyway? What kind of game were they both playing?

One thing was for sure though, she thought sadly as she put her book away. It looked like one of those possible endings she had secretly been hoping for would no longer be an option.

And that really bloody hurt, she realised.

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So that was that. 

Charlie was forced then to acknowledge that she had been really hoping that there was going to be a chance for her and Aaron, and that door had just been shut firmly in her face. And really, who could she blame but herself? If she'd just ended things with Dan sooner when she knew her feelings for Aaron were far stronger, then they could have been a couple months ago.  

Okay, and maybe it wouldn't have lasted, but at least she would have known for sure. Because she had felt back then that if they'd got together it could be the real deal. Yet she'd kept him hanging around like a spare part; how arrogant of her to assume he'd wait around for her . . . And might still be waiting around for her. It's not like she could blame him for moving on - it wasn't like she had given him any reason to believe she was still into him. Well, as far as she was aware anyway!

Let's face it, she thought ruefully - Kayla was more the type she would imagine him with, with her smooth hair and perfectly symmetrical face. Charlie struggled most days to get a comb through her tangled blonde waves and had spent many hours of her life staring despondently in the mirror convinced her features were "wonky". Despite years of reassurance from Thea that it wasn't her face that was wonky, it was her brain. (Cheers Thea!)

As the pair (and Peter) vanished around the corner she sighed in resignation. "You had your chance, you messed up, you need to get over it," she said out loud, startling an old man walking past with a zimmer frame. She barely noticed.

But Jake was still around. He was still an option. For now, anyway. 

She knew the charade couldn't go on much longer. As Thea had reminded her yesterday, time was running out. Things had to come to a head eventually. 

And, very soon, they would.