With Closed Eyes, I See You (Sample)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Ping!

Ping!

Ping!

Charlie glanced down at her mobile and saw that she had a few new messages from Cleo. Cleo Robert—now Jameson—had been her best friend since high school. She'd say nursery, but they hadn't always loved each other as much as they did now. However, she was more annoying now that she had been in primary.

She opened up the texts and couldn't help but smile. Cleo sure knew how to respond to situations. Even as she read, more texts came in.

- What?

- You saw Benedict Williams?

- I'm sure that you mean in your dreams bcoz I mean hello! Who dsnt dream about the man?

- Wait. You're being serious!

- Omg omg omg omg omg omg!

- Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

- When? Where? How? No. This deserves a phone call!

Even as she read the last text, her phoned buzzed before belting out Happy by Pharrell Williams. What could she do? She loved Despicable Me 2.

"Yes?"

"Don't you dare yes me, you little minx. Details. Now!"

Charlie couldn't help but grin at the demanding tone in her friend's voice. Cleo was a force to be reckoned with and she loved her for it.

"Okay so here's what happened," she started. With them it had always been like this. No wasting time and dragging out stories. Time was of the essence and no one had the patience to wait for a good drama. "I was having my coffee, day-dreaming as usual—"

"What's new?"

Ignoring her comment, she carried on, "And the next thing, I see this child running across the road. Before I could give it a thought, I ran after him. God I was so scared that he would get hit!"

"Naturally. You know, your maternal instincts are so saturated into your bones, I'm shocked that some alpha male hasn't scooped you up to mate with him yet."

"That's disgusting, C. Why would I want to be 'mated' with? I'm not some lioness in heat."

"Au contra. You are so in heat, you had to have a cold shower this morning because of your dream about sexy Mr Williams."

She groaned. "I would hang up on you because your brain is so disturbed that it needs a cleansing but I've missed you so much that I will let you go for now."

"Aw babes, I love you too."

"Hey! No loving anyone but me," a deep voice interrupted, the man's chuckle giving away his amusement.

"Hey Ian. How are you?"

"Why if it isn't the lovely Charlie? I'm just brill. I wake up every morning to this beautiful woman over here," she heard a wet kiss, gross, "and I'm gonna be a dad soon. What more could I want? Ah yes, my love's best friend to find another half of her own! When are you going to bring home a lad for me to interrogate?"

Ian was Cleo's man, and what a man he was—they'd met when Cleo had been on one of her worst moods, stomping through the mall, scowl slapped across her face as she growled about the stupid saleswoman and her stupid not small enough, not long enough sizes and the stupid way that she had been criticizing her.

And that's when she had bumped straight into Ian's chest. How she hadn't seen him would forever remain a mystery. He had caught her, strong arms grabbing her shoulders and steadying her.