Charity Night (english)

18

After my family tried to free me from my mental hole with an evening on the couch, lots of sweets and terribly cheesy films like 'Notting Hill' and 'Love Actually', we are now sitting at the breakfast table. Over eggs and bacon, my sister at least partially manages to put a small smile on my face because she once again spills half the coffee over the table due to her scatterbrainedness.

After she has cleaned up the last bit of her mess, she claps her hands and tells me with a slight sing-song tone in her voice that it is time for us to finally devote ourselves to solving my problem.

My mother, who is just entering the door, sits down opposite us and looks just as euphoric as Sophie. But I'm still not entirely convinced whether I could do anything to get myself out of this messy situation. Zac made it very clear that it was either/or and I had to make a very clear decision. Besides, I don't even want to imagine how tense the situation would be in the office if I didn't decide or even against him.

Somehow my fear paralyzes me to be hurt again and then there is also the thought that we have done all these bad things at each other. How would we ever get over this?!

However, I should finally put my fears aside a little and try not to further jeopardize this connection that we have if I still see a chance that we can put all this behind us.

Sophie looks at me intently and I realize that she must have asked me a question. "What? I'm sorry, but I wasn't listening to you..." "Your thoughts are somewhere else?" My mom just interjects and there is regret and pity in her look.

"Have you already thought about what you want to say to him? Or at least a plan for how we can do it?" my sister repeats her question and her intense look leaves me no choice in answering her. "Well, first I should manage to get to see him. And then he has to still want to listen to me! Do you have any idea how I could do that? The office is definitely not the right place for that. "

"Couldn't you fake a business meeting or even a small business trip and since you're his assistant you could accompany him there. Then he can't avoid you and you would have the opportunity to see what it's like if you spend time together for several days at a time." comes out of my mother's mouth, but she still looks skeptical.

The idea is actually not that stupid and since I'm responsible for such planning anyway, I could even implement it completely inconspicuously... The only question is, what if he sends his brother along instead?! That would definitely be the worst thing that could happen to us, since he already freaked out when I told him that Lucas had asked me out. Even though I didn't think of it as a date at the time, it doesn't change the fact that Zac reacted so violently.

How can I ensure that Zac actually comes with me on the business trip and not Lucas?

"I have to clarify something quickly!" I explain to my mother and Sophie and grab my cell phone. I have to call Nadine and somehow let her in on my plan without giving too much away.

I quickly tap on her contact and she answers after the third dial tone. "Charlotte, is everything okay? You never call on a weekend unless there's a fire!" "Nadine, I'm really sorry that I'm bothering you, but I urgently need your help, but in return you have to give me your word that you won't tell a single word of what I'm about to tell you to anyone."

"That doesn't sound good at all! Is something wrong in the office?" she asks uncertainly. "No, no. This has nothing to do with work... At least not directly. Can you promise me that if I confess something to you right away, you won't tell anyone? I really need help urgently and I don't know what to do Who else could I turn to?" I say with a little more emphasis.

She hesitates a little, but then agrees to my request. "Okay, but I'm definitely not taking part in any illegal activities!"

I'll tell you everything from the beginning... The night at the gala, everything that has happened since then and end with what happened yesterday afternoon.

"Oh man, Charlotte... you've had a lot behind you. No wonder you've been so out of sorts in the last few weeks. I was surprised when you overslept for the first time. And on those days too "After that, when your mind was so often elsewhere... What can I say? You realize that Mr. Hyde bullied the whole company because you turned him down?" You can clearly hear the slight accusation.

Of course, I now realize that I didn't make it easy for the others to like our new boss, but I hadn't even thought about that at the time.

"So listen! I've been thinking about how I can be alone with him without him just running away. The only option would be a business trip. Just a short trip, but long enough for me to be there He has to be like that to support him and he has to be like that so that he can't send his brother along in his place. Do you think we can arrange something like that?" I ask her, becoming quieter at the end.

"Hmm... I could arrange a meeting with his father in New York. It wouldn't be worth flying there for just one night and Mr. Hyde Sr. had already suggested that you visit the New York branch anyway "As far as I know the old man, he'll have you flown in on a private jet and that would definitely give you enough time to talk and Prince Charming can't escape you so easily. Unless he prefers jumping out of a plane over the Atlantic to your conversation!" In the end she makes her plan a little ridiculous.

"It actually sounds like a really good idea! AND I could finally travel to New York... That's been a dream of mine for a long time..." I'm cheering a little inside and am all the more happy that Nadine is doing this of all things suggested. "And who knows... Maybe Zac can show me a little bit of his hometown if the plan works and I can talk to him on the plane."

"That sounds like the right attitude. I'll try to schedule the meeting for the end of next week, then maybe you can even spend a long weekend there."

Right now I would like to hug Nadine for her commitment and the good ideas she has.

"Thanks for your help!" I bring forth. Close to tears again, but this time it's more tears of relief.