Being Alive [Charlie Barber]

Chapter 2: Trouble

As you rotated in front of your mirror, you couldn't help but think to yourself, 'which skirt would Mr.Barber like the best?'

Realizing the implications behind this thought, you paused in embarrassment, making shameful eye contact with your reflection. You shook your head, as if to shake those thoughts right out of it and attempted to correct yourself, 'which skirt would Charlie think is the most professional?'

You took a deep breath at that, steadying yourself so that you could get yourself together.

As attractive as your new boss was, you knew you couldn't let it get in the way of your first day of your internship or the rest of your internship, for that matter. When you formed a crush on someone, you really let it consume you and you weren't emotionally ready for that right now.

Not only was he your boss but you also reminded yourself of the wedding ring you saw on his finger yesterday at that cafe. He was married.

Charlie Barber was completely off limits.

Charlie told you to show up at the theater at nine in the morning. But after being almost an hour late the morning before, you were sitting on the ground outside of the entrance, a little before eight-thirty.

You knew you were too early but you didn't mind. You were sitting against the side of the locked building, sipping from the coffee in your hands and tapping your foot slightly to the music playing through your headphones.

Around ten minutes later, you jumped at the way that two large feet were now in your line of vision, right next to you. You yanked a headphone from your ear as you looked up to see Charlie staring down at you.

"I told you nine o'clock, right?" He asked, eyebrows raised. He'd been so tired and all over the place lately, he didn't really trust himself to give correct information. Did he already make a mistake before you even had the chance to start?

"Oh, yeah, you did." You said, taking the other headphone from your ear, flustered. "I just didn't want to be late like I was yesterday, that was a one time thing." You explained to him. You felt stupid sitting on the ground while he was staring down at you but didn't make any moves to stand.

Charlie couldn't help but let out a chuckle. It had been a long time since he had someone working for him like you, so eager. He liked it. "Well, I'm sorry you had to wait."

"Don't be sorry." You told him, gathering your belongings up together, scrambling.

Charlie's eyes stayed down on you as he dug through the pocket of his cardigan to locate the keys for the building. He frowned at where his thoughts were going... the way that he was taking in the peaks of your bare skin in between the material of your skirt and your tall socks and the way that if he really wanted to look, he would have the perfect angle to see down the front of your shirt.

You glanced up at him, feeling his gaze on you and your skin heated up at the way he was already looking at you.

He cleared his throat in surprise, locking eyes with you as he pulled the keys from his pocket, he had been so caught up in his own mind that he forgot that you were even really there, even though he had been thinking about you.

"Oh!" You said, remembering. You were oblivious to the way he was hungrily looking you over. "I brought you some coffee. I had time to get some for myself and I remembered how you said you forgot to drink it before work yesterday so I figured you might need it." You told him, reaching for the cup of black coffee, next to yours, and handing it up to him.