Drawn

Chili's

AUTHOR'S NOTE 7/10: added a few minor details. Nothing really worth re-reading for if you don't want to.

That evening, David found himself eagerly looking around the parking lot for a certain familiar face. Today had further solidified the fact that Charlotte intrigued him, and he had no problem admitting it to himself. He and the Halperts were making their way across the parking lot when she pulled in, and the group waved at her as she found a spot right next to their own car. It wasn't long afterwards that they saw Michael get out of his car on the other side of the lot.

Charlotte joined them and, without thought, found herself walking next to David. She was tugging on a dark green cardigan, but David caught a glimpse of her recent wound before she covered it up.

"How is it?" he asked in greeting and motioned with his chin at her arm.

"Sore," Charlotte grimaced. The bruise was nice and purple by now and took up most of the area surrounding her elbow. "It might make a nice galaxy tattoo, though," she smiled.

"You? With a tattoo?" Pam glanced over with a surprised look on her face.

"What? Am I not the type?"

"I don't know. Are you?" Pam challenged back.

Charlotte chuckled. "There might be one or two tiny ones hiding on me somewhere," she said with a sly grin.

Before he could stop it, an image of finding hidden tattoos raced across David's brain and he lightly cleared his throat in an effort to distract himself from any more inappropriate thoughts. Thankfully they were approaching the door, and Michael was standing there waiting for them.

"Hey! Now it's a party!" Michael said, throwing his arms wide.

"I hope you don't mind me inviting Jim and Pam," David said, almost apologetically.

"No! The more the merrier! Come on, I'm starved!" he said and led the way into his all-time favorite restaurant.

The hostess told them it would be a five minute wait for their table, and so the group stood off to the side in the small foyer. When another group began leaving the restaurant David reached out his hand and placed it on Charlotte's back to guide her out of the way. This time his hand ended up resting slightly lower than where it had been earlier that day in the elevator. He knew exactly what he was doing, and after a second he pulled away and simply stood next to her with his thumbs hooked into his front pockets

Charlotte's cheeks began to flush the moment he touched her, and she thought back to what Pam had suggested that afternoon. So in a bold attempt (at least, for her) to test the waters, she shuffled her feet as inconspicuously as possible until her arm brushed against his. They were already close enough that the shift shouldn't be noticeable to the other three.

David's breath hitched as soon as he felt her arm lightly press against his. It was a subtle act and as chaste as his own hand on her back. Even still, he suddenly felt like an inexperienced schoolboy interacting with his first crush. Because there was no doubt about it now, he definitely felt an attraction towards Charlotte. He couldn't be certain, but he was pretty sure she had intentionally shifted so that she could touch him. So, after a moment he cautiously leaned into her just enough to see if she would move away from him.