Stripped I & II

All she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep for days, weeks. She wanted to sleep long enough to erase the memories that continued to hammer at her. Life, however, had never been that accommodating
.
Charlie Maxwell had spent the day directing movers as to where to put boxes and furniture in her new home. Now she stood on her deck, overlooking the ocean, with a cold beer in her hand.

“Yeah, I need a beer. Not like I don’t have a million things to do before I go to bed.”

The soft breeze blew against her face, and convinced her to stay outside just a little bit longer. She watched the sun sink into the water before finally going back into the house. Faced with the chaos that moving brings, she just shook her head, and decided to go to bed early. The boxes weren’t going anywhere before tomorrow.

As Charlie made her way through the rooms, she turned off lights and made sure windows were locked. She finally reached her room, and immediately felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders. Anytime she had moved, the first thing that had to be done was her bed. As long as her bed was put together and made, everything else would be O.K. The bed looked so inviting, but Charlie made herself take a shower first. The sweat and grime flowed down the drain as she washed. The heat helped relax her even further, until Charlie though she would fall asleep standing up.

“That would be great. Fall asleep, crack my head, and either die of blood loss or drowning.”

She got out, dried off, and slipped on a tank top and sleeping pants. By this time, Charlie’s grey eyes were almost closed with fatigue. She pulled back the covers on her bed, crawled in and began finger-combing her long black hair, twisting it into a braid.

Her mind was on autopilot, and as soon as she tied her hair, her body just sort of folded into the bed, asleep before she could even finish pulling the covers up.


Charlotte, why don’t you come with me to see Andrew. He is bringing some of his business partners to diner. I am sure they would not mind if you were there.
No, Mother, I am not going to be set up on a date, I am not looking for a husband. We have discussed this too many times.
No one said anything about marriage, Charlotte. I just thought you would like to see your brother and be part of this family again.
Mother, just because I am not living in the same house does not mean I am not part of the family. I will be at the beach house next weekend to visit.
Charlotte, you are so stubborn....

Why can’t she just stay out of my life? Andrew is not helping, either... they both just need to get out of my life and stay out...

Charlie began to move in her sleep, short, jerky motions, twisting the covers tightly around her.

I’m sorry...an accident...both killed....drunk driver...no, he does not have a scratch...

Oh my god...

She’s all alone now...entire estate to my daughter, Charlotte Cooper Maxwell... the trial is next week... I wish I could die...I wish he would die...They found him this morning...suicide...

Oh my god!



Charlie woke from the dream as she always did- quickly, completely, and silently. Her eyes burned from tears that would not come, and her body had tensed into a fetal position. She uncurled herself and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, trying to clear her mind.

It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault, she told herself, over and over.

She calmed her thoughts and got out of bed. Experience during the past year had told her that she would get no more sleep tonight. She made her way through the dark house, praying she wouldn’t break any toes on stray boxes. Reaching the kitchen, Charlie found the light over the stove and turned it on, giving her enough light to remember that her coffee pot was still packed up, and she certainly had no coffee in her cabinets.

“Damn! Damndamndamn!”

With a sigh, Charlie grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, and went out to the deck. She had no idea what time it was, but she sincerely hoped she wouldn’t meet any of her new neighbors while she was in her pajamas.

Her mother was probably in heaven right now, cringing at the though of Charlie meeting anyone in a less than perfect setting, much less in clothing no one should see. Laughing softly, Charlie raised her water to they sky in a salute to her textbook perfect Southern mother.

“Here’s to you, Momma. The last of the Maxwell’s, out in public in her sleeping clothes. No one will see me, no one even knows who I am.”

She laughed again, a desperate laugh this time. The last traces of the dream were neatly forgotten, and the gentle sounds of the surf smoothed away any stray depressing thoughts.


He sloshed through the foamy sand, letting his mind wander. It was the deepest part of the night. He could walk outside and no one would come running after him, screaming his name, or one of the names of a character he played. Ethan Gray loved being an actor, but there were times he truly enjoyed his solitude. Having just wrapped up his latest movie, he was embracing this time off between jobs. Three movies in two years was tough, and extremely gratifying, but he was now, as his mother joked, unemployed, jobless. He smiled at the thought. Technically, he was not working, so he must be jobless.

The early summer wind ruffled his hair. He lifted his face into the air, letting it wash over his skin, cooling, refreshing. He continued walking, looking at th houses on this prime ocean front. He knew most of the families who lived in them, but often wondered about the older, empty house, just up ahead. It was set back further than it’s newer neighbors, and had more trees and foliage around it, although it had a pretty straight path from the beach to the deck. Ethan had been trying to find out if the house was up for sale. It was just the type of house he loved: older, quieter, with character.

As he neared the house, he noticed there was a light coming from within . He slowed his steps, and angled away from the water, drawing closer to the house. He could see inside part of the house. The moving boxes told him someone had finally moved in. Ethan sincerely hoped whomever the homeowner was they wouldn’t follow the trend and remodel it into a modern monstrosity. His barefooted steps stopped completely when he heard a faint laugh. Thankful for his dark clothes and the even darker night, he stared in the direction of the sound. A murmur of words, too low to be understood, carried to him on the wind, and again that laugh. It slid around him, through him. It was female, Ethan was certain. He glanced around at the house in front of him, trying to see who had made the sound. When he finally spotted a shape, sitting on the deck, he began to work his way back to the water. Someone was enjoying the quiet of the night, the same as him. Ethan would find out later about the new owners. His mind began to race with possibilities of who it could be. Old, young, black, white, family, single, he pictured everything, none of it satisfying his imagination.

“C’mon, man. Think of something else. It’s probably a trophy wife talking to her new boyfriend, “ Ethan grinned and cleared his head, as if to clear all his wild thoughts.

He had reached his home by now, entered and checked his phone for messages. He saw his friend Henry St. Simon had called. Either the man kept the same crazy hours that Ethan himself did, or Henry was up very early. Dialing his answering service, Ethan soon heard his best friends voice.

“Hey, Eth, where are you man? It’s like 3:30 in the morning there. I must be interrupting a disgusting orgy or something! You always were a lucky bastard. Just make sure you have some lush female flesh for me tonight, because I’ll be there! I’m flying out of here in thirty minutes, so you can’t tell me no. I’m coming for a vacation, or the dutiful family visit, or something like that. I know you’re not working, because your lovely mother told me. You, on the other hand, seem to have forgotten what a phone is. So it’s you, me, and a lot of lovely ladies tonight!”

Ethan hung up, laughing. Henry St. Simon had been his best friend since kindergarten, when Henry beat up the bully trying to steal Ethan’s favorite toy truck, or Ethan beat up the bully trying to steal Henry’s football; it all depended on who was telling the story. Henry now lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and was a very successful lawyer. If Henry was coming home for a family visit, it meant he would be here for awhile. Henry’s mother hated the fact that her son lived “across the world”, as she put it.

Stripping down to bare skin, Ethan crawled into bed and turned off the light by his bed. Damn, it would be good to see Henry again. As he drifted off, Ethan wondered where he was supposed to get “a lot of lovely ladies”, and a haunting laugh echoed in his brain.



Charlie stood at the counter, asking the clerk if the movie she had picked out was a good choice. The look he gave her made her laugh. He then suggested another movie, and led her to the shelf it was on. He promised her that she would enjoy his choice much better than the one she had picked. She laughed again, following him back to the checkout. She paid and left, not noticing a dark blonde head watching her movements.

“Eth, why are we looking for movies to watch, when we could be watching live women at a club or something?” whispered Henry.

He had envisioned this trip filled with gorgeous women, parties, and more gorgeous women. After all, his best friend was on the verge of being the biggest name in the movie business, shouldn’t Henry receive fringe benefits for being such a great friend?

“Do you know how boring those clubs can get? I really just want to chill tonight, and you can always go to your folks’ if you don’t want to watch movies tonight,” Ethan replied.

That’s when he heard it; softly, over the hum of voices, and the din from the in-store t.v.’s.

That laugh.

“What? What did I miss?” Henry saw the look on his friends face, and glanced around.

“Did you see who just laughed?”

“Ethan, there’s lots of people who are laughing in here. People do things like that in a video store,” Henry said, giving his friend a concerned look.

Ethan just looked around, trying to figure out who the sound belonged to. His dark brown eyes scanned the front of the store, where there were a few possibilities. He heard it again, felt it sweeping over him. It was the lady at the checkout, the one with long, black hair. He could tell she was tall, and had a nice figure, but that was all. Her back was to him as she got her movie and walked out. Henry, on the other side of Ethan, saw who his friend was staring at. Recognition registered on Henry’s handsome face at once.

“Well I’ll be damned! I know her!”

Ethan stared at his friend. “How do you know her?”

“Well, if it’s who I think it is, she’s from Charleston. Last name is Maxwell.”

Ethan began to walk out of the store, his eyes following the woman as she got into her vehicle and drove out of the parking lot.

“C’mon, St. Simon, we’re going back to my place.”

Henry just looked at his friend looking at the disappearing car, and shook his head.
Well, maybe one of us will get some action tonight, he thought glumly.

The woman named Maxwell turned into the driveway of the newly moved in house. Ethan drove on to his home, and then proceeded to grill his friend for any information Henry could tell him about the mystery woman.

“Well, if it is actually her, I think her name is Charlotte Maxwell. Her family is a big one back there. Something happened to her family though,” Henry dragged his memory for anything he could recall about the Maxwell’s.

“How old is she?” Ethan asked.

Henry shrugged. “Late twenties? I don’t know. What’s this all about?”

Ethan told his friend about the night before.

“So now we have nothing to watch, nothing to do, because you heard someone laugh last night? Ethan, you have truly lost your damn mind! Do you know for sure if Charlotte Maxwell is the person you heard?” Henry was totally mystified by his friends behavior. It wasn’t like Ethan to go weird over a female. Besides, this whole thing with the laugh almost sounded like a horror movie plot.
Suddenly, Henry remembered what he knew of the Maxwell family.

“Oh, man. I know why I knew her face. Charlotte’s mother and brother were killed by a drunk driver , maybe a year ago? And the driver committed suicide shortly after that. Big news down there, the Maxwell’s being such an old family and all.”

“Mother and brother? What about her father?” Ethan asked

“No clue, man. He was never mentioned.”
Ethan sat on his couch, looking out a window that faced towards Charlotte Maxwell’s home.
He wanted to find out as much as he could about her. He really didn’t even know what she looked like, yet she had swirled around his brain all day.



“Hello? Anybody home, Eth? Man, you are really freaking over this.”

“And I have no idea why. I know she has dark hair, and isn’t as big as a house. You can’t even tell me how old she is. But there was something about that laugh, I don’t know. I’m probably just really tired. I haven’t gotten much sleep in the past year or so,” Ethan grinned at his friend, lightening the mood. “I think there’s a Dodger’s game on now. Beer and pizza for tonight, and I promise we’ll do the club thing tomorrow night, ok?”

“Baseball, beer and pizza, just like the old times. Yeah, I guess that will be alright for tonight,” Henry said, an exaggerated sigh moving his entire body. His dramatic gesture was ruined when a pillow came flying at him, knocking him squarely in the side of the head.
It was good to have Henry home, Ethan thought.



Thirty minutes into the movie, Charlie was asleep, curled up on the couch. The DVD played on, then stopped,leaving a blue screen on the t.v.

Hours passed before Charlie started tossing and turning, in the handless grip of the nightmare, again waking in the middle of the night. She sat there for a moment, trying to calm her heart, and to figure out exactly where she was.

“What’s wrong with me? Why is the dream coming so often now?” she thought, pushing herself up and off the couch. The VCR told her that it was4:08a.m.
“I almost made it through the whole night.”

Through the french doors she could see the trees outside, softly lit from hidden outdoor lights, blowing gently. Charlie wanted that breeze to comfort her, to help sooth her soul. She walked outside and down to the sand. Letting the water lap at her toes, she faced the darkness where sea and sky met.

Momma, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just wanted to do this on my own.
A bitter laugh crawled form her mouth.
On my own, that’s what I am now.

She began walking down the beach, memories of her mother and brother flooding her. Her hair had come loose from its bun and danced around her, but she paid it no mind. Could guilt kill you? She didn’t think so, but then again, she didn’t always believe wishes came true.

So intent was Charlie on her self-reproach that she didn’t see the person standing in front of her until it was too late. Shocked out of her encapsulated world by two hands grabbing her arms, Charlie jerked her head up and shoved her hair out of her eyes.

“Hey, I’ve got you,” came a smooth masculine voice. Lights from the houses to her right lent a very faint light on to the beach She couldn’t really see the man’s face, but he was taller than her, and dressed in dark shorts and shirt, and had a ballcap on.
Steady on her feet now, Charlie stepped back, and the stranger let go of her arms.

“Sorry. I didn’t see you...dark...wind ...hair...” Charlie mumbled, wondering exactly who was on the beach with her at 4:30 in the morning.

“That’s ok. It’s pretty dark out here, with no moon tonight,” the man replied with a chuckle in his voice. “Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you when I grabbed you?”

“No, I’m fine,” Charlie was trying to gauge the distance to the nearest house, in case she needed to scream her neighbors awake. This might be a semi-private beach, but it was still dark, and Charlie was talking to a stranger.

“I’m Ethan. I live about two houses that way,” the man said, indicating behind him.

“Charlie. I’m ...oh, I don’t know, seven, eight, nine houses the other way. I wasn’t paying much attention”, Charlie could not believe she had just told a stranger where she lived, in a very vague sort of way.

“You must live in that old house. You just moved in, right?” asked Ethan.

“Yes. Ethan, it was nice to meet you, but I’ve got to be going. I apologize for running into you,” Charlie put on her best Southern high society voice and turned and began the walk back to her home. She got about five steps away before she turned around and saw Ethan’s retreating back. The night suddenly became too much for Charlie. If Ethan was a lunatic with a weapon at 4:30 in the morning, well, Charlie hoped he would kill her fast.

"Ethan?”
He turned and faced her, not speaking.

“I’m sorry for being so rude. It was ...a surprise to run into someone at this time of night. I was...thinking about other things and I truly didn’t think anyone else would be out here now.”

Ethan walked the few steps until he was next to her. “No problem, I think I freaked you out a little, practically running you over like that, and then asking where you lived, like a stalker or something.”

Charlie just shook her head and smiled. “Aren’t you sweet? I really am sorry for running into you. I promise to look where I’m going next time.”

“So you can see me before you plow into me?” Ethan teased, trying to get her to laugh.
It worked. That honey coated laugh that reached in and whipped his blood, the laugh he had only heard three times, came from the woman he now knew as Charlie.

“If I plow into you, I will try to give you enough warning so you can brace yourself,”she returned, that laugh still in her voice.

Keep talking, Gray. Maybe you’ll get to see what she looks like in the daylight, instead of the dark of night.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

“No, I’m from South Carolina.”

“So what brings you out here? Not trying to be stalker guy or anything, but didn’t you move into that house?” Ethan asked. The sky was beginning to lighten up, but it was still too dark to really make out her features. He could sense the change in Charlie rather than see them.
Her posture went a little straighter, and her arms now folded across her stomach in a protective manner. When she spoke, he could hear a hint of sadness.

“I just decided to move out here on a whim. The house has been in my family for awhile now. I thought it was a shame no one was living here, leaving it empty for so long. So here I am,”she tried to end her explanation on a lighter note, and smiled towards Ethan.

“Well, I hope you enjoy living here. It’s pretty peaceful. Unless you count those random running- in- tos that happen every so often in the middle of the night,” as he had hoped, Ethan’s words brought back a small laugh, and Charlie’s arms dropped from her middle.

“No one told me about those. I guess I’ll have to be extra careful when I walk form now on. Do you think they offer self-defense classes for that sort of thing?” Charlie asked, turning to head back to her house.

A few more minutes, man, then you’ll be able to see her, Ethan thought, almost desperately.

“No, these attacks are so random, they haven’t found anyone yet trained enough to teach defending yourself. Very scary.” He was walking with Charlie now, heading away from his house.

“Very scary, indeed. Although now that I’ve witnessed one of these attacks myself, I will know how to react to the next one, random as they are,” Charlie replied with mock severity.
Ethan turned towards her to say something witty, he was sure, but the sky had lightened enough that he could finally see Charlie, and words seemed to be unnecessary. She had long black hair, reaching the middle of her back. Her skin was very fair, and when she turned towards him to make another comment, Ethan could see Charlie’s eyes were grey.

“Well, I should probably be going. It was nice meeting you.”

“Uh, yeah, you too,” Ethan inwardly cringed over his reply. Very smooth, you jackass!

A strange look came over Charlie’s face, and she wondered if she had done something to offend Ethan. Well, it was probably better this way. She had broken all kinds of personal rules by talking to this stranger, and she was trying not to get too close to someone, anyone. More heartbreak was the only thing that seemed to come from that. She kept walking, leaving Ethan standing behind her.

What a strange night this has been, she thought. She glanced over her shoulder to see Ethan. He was still standing there, looking out to the sea. Maybe he is a crazy. Maybe I’ll talk to my neighbors and find out something about him, just in case we have another late night run in.But in the back of her mind, Charlie was hoping he wasn’t crazy, and maybe, just maybe, she could get to know him better, with no dire consequences. She smiled sadly and continued on to her home.



A week later Charlie discovered that Ethan was an actor. Well, she was in California, after all. She was bound to see somebody famous eventually. She just didn’t expect him to be a neighbor with a penchant for walking in the wee small hours of the morning. She didn’t know any of the movies Ethan had been in, as they had been action “guy movies”, and Charlie had always preferred the classics from the thirties and forties. Her brother Drew had always teased her about being born too late for her generation.

When the thought of her sibling crossed her mind, she quickly shoved it out. She’d had no dreams for a week now, and was trying to extend her grace. She kept busy exploring her new city, letting no thoughts of Charleston invade. She loved Charleston, she always would, but too many bad things had happened there. She was trying to make a new life out here, far away from everything she knew.What better place to start over than the town where make believe was a way of life? A place where what you saw was not necessarily what you got? Charlie thought she would fit right in.


“It’s unreal, Mom. Ethan has never been like this. This is freaky!”

“Well, Henry, I think it’s about time that Ethan found someone. He’s not getting any younger.” Katherine St. Simon sat at the kitchen table with her youngest son Henry, and gave him a very forlorn look.

“Lay off, Mom. It’s weird enough that Ethan is acting all spaz, I don’t need you to start in on me too,” Henry said with a laugh.

“Oh, all right,” came the reply on a drawn out sigh. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Henry told his mother what Ethan had told him, and ended with the night that Ethan met Charlie. “I think he’s really got it this time. He’s acting like he did in high school. It’s pathetic.”

"A little jealous there, my son?”

Henry had the grace to look slightly sheepish. “No, just freaked out. If anybody would have fallen this hard, I didn’t think it was going to be Eth. It’s just weird, that’s all.”

“Well, what do you know about her? Didn’t you say she was from Charleston?”

“Yeah, I looked into her, making sure she was ok-”

“Henry! Your father and I taught you better than to snoop!”

“What if she was a criminal or something? I’d want Ethan to do the same thing for me. Besides, I knew a little bit about her family. She’s from a very old family, but she recently lost her mother and brother in a car accident, and then the driver of the other car committed suicide shortly after that. I really think that she’s out here to regroup, or something like that.”

“Poor thing, to lose so much at once,” Katherine said. “You just make sure that Ethan doesn’t go in like one of his movies, guns blazing and all. If she’s out here for herself, he needs to tread carefully.”

It was Henry’s turn to sigh. “Yes, Mom. Do you think that Ethan will need someone to hold his hand crossing the street, too? I mean, he’s only 29. He might not look both ways first.”

Glaring at her son, Katherine smartly replied, “I know how old he is. And I know very well how both you and Ethan act around women. Too much testosterone sometimes.”

A look of angelic innocence came over Henry’s face, and he batted his eyes in his mothers direction. “Me? Too much testosterone? Never!”

A smack on the back of his hand gave him his answer, sending both Henry and his mother into a fit of laughter.



“So, you do walk around in the sunlight.”
The deep voice came from Charlie’s right as she walked on the beach. She turned to see Ethan walking towards her. With the sun starting to descend, his features were highlighted with an almost golden light.

Oh lord, he is a fine looking man, Charlie thought as butterflies took flight in her stomach. His dark blonde hair was slightly long, and windblown. The smile he had for her played on his full lips, and they parted to reveal a beautiful smile. But what got her was his eyes. Deep brown, she felt she could fall into them, and wrap the warmth she saw around her like a blanket. She knew this was dangerous ground for her to be on, but she couldn’t help it. She had thought of Ethan all week, despite her best efforts to remain neutral in her feelings. She was usually much better at cutting her emotions off, but those few minutes in the greying dawn last week had left an impression on her.

She smiled back at him. “Yes, I have been known to move while the sun was still up. And you? No dangerous running-in-to’s lately?”

Ethan laughed. “No, I’ve managed to avoid those. Although, the sun is setting, so you never know.”

“Then I suppose I should be getting back home. Wouldn’t want to set myself up for something like that,” Charlie replied with a mischievous grin.

“Let me walk you back home, you know, to keep a look out for you.” Ethan mentally groaned. This was bad. He sounded like something out of a B movie, or a bad romance novel, and he was worried it was going to get worse. While Ethan was cringing internally over his behavior, Charlie was warring with her own thoughts. What does it matter if he walks back down the beach with you? It’s not like he asked you to marry him. But what if this is the beginning of something that will ultimately be destroyed? Will he be one more person stripped from my life? Just down to the house, that’s all. No harm in that, right?

Charlie tilted her head in the direction of her house farther down the beach. “Sure. I think it’ll be safe enough.” They began walking, taking their time walking on the sun-warmed sand.

“So what do you think of California so far?” Ethan asked into the comfortable silence.

Charlie smiled at him, making his toes tingle. And all she did was smile at me!

“It’s been very nice so far. There’s so much to see, so many places to explore. I have a feeling that I’ll be like a tourist for a long time.”

“So you’re going to be a California girl from now on?” Ethan was absurdly pleased with that idea. A sadness crossed Charlie’s face so quickly that Ethan would have missed it if had hadn’t been looking.

“Yeah,” came the soft reply. “Yeah, I guess I’ll be a California girl now.”

“Well, being a native, I can tell you that it’s not such a bad thing,” Ethan tried to bring the smile back to Charlie’s face. “Maybe I could show you around some time. Help you feel more at home.” Oh, yeah. It was getting worse.
Charlie smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her beautiful grey eyes. “That would be great. But aren’t you pretty busy?”

“So you know who I am?” Ethan knew it was too much to ask that the woman beside him didn’t know who he was, other than just her neighbor.

Charlie gave him an embarrassed look. “I asked the neighbors about you, after the other night. They told me who you were.”

Ethan’s hopes fell, as Charlie admitted this. It seemed strange that he was so drawn to her after such a short time, and now he wondered if she was like the other females who just wanted their fifteen minutes if fame next to him.

Charlie continued, noticing that Ethan had gone strangely quiet. “I confess that I didn’t know who you were, or any movies that you had done. I...asked the neighbors to make sure you were...not some crazy walking down the beach at the crack of dawn.”

They had reached Charlie’s house by this time, and stood at the steps leading onto the deck.
Ethan, facing Charlie, searched her face. “You really didn’t know?” Charlie shook her head.
“And did our neighbors tell you I really was crazy?” That laughter came flowing out of her and coated Ethan’s soul like a balm.

“Now, Ethan, I’m the stranger in town. Secrets are not so easily given up to outsiders.”

“Well,” Ethan said with a grin, “as long as my secrets are safe. And my offer to show you around still stands. I’m in between projects right now, so I’m free most of the time.”

Charlie looked up into Ethan’s eyes, debating on her next step. She was so tired of being alone, of building a wall ever higher, ever thicker around her. Could she honestly chance this with a man she just met, but did strange things to her heart?

“I’d love that.” The blood pounded in Charlie’s head, making her doubt her decision. “Let me run in and get my number for you, and then you can call me when you’re free.” She turned and ran into the house, leaving Ethan to stand on the deck steps.

Lord above, what had she done? Calm down, Charlie. You’ll be fine this time, nothing will happen. It will be ok, it will be ok, it will be ok.

She found a piece of paper and a pen and scratched her number down quickly. She saw Ethan standing outside, waiting for her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she chastised herself. Don’t be so silly. He’s just offering to show you around town. But her heart refused to listen.
She walked back outside, a little uncertain now about giving him her number, but she plunged ahead anyway. “Despite what you say, I’m sure you are busy. You can call me when you’ve got time.” Now it was Charlie’s turn to mentally groan. Could she possibly sound anymore like a high school girl? This was not the sophisticated lady her mother had taught her to be!

Ethan took the piece of paper form her, their fingers grazing. The lightning Ethan felt when Charlie laughed was nothing compared to the feeling he got from touching her. He could tell that she felt it too, when her grey eyes jumped to his face.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Ethan asked, determined not to let Charlie go for very long.

“Nothing,” came the almost breathless reply. Charlie had indeed felt the charge when their fingers met, and her heart was almost out of control.

“I’ll come by tomorrow then, say, nine o’clock in the morning? We can have all day to explore,” Ethan offered.Trying to rein in her wild emotions, Charlie smiled at Ethan and said, “That sounds great.”

Walking backwards, Ethan returned the smile with one of his own. “Alright then, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Bye, Ethan,”

“Bye, Charlie”

Oh Lord, what have I done?, thought Charlie.
Oh Lord, thank you!, thought Ethan.













When the sun rose the next morning, Charlie was outside to greet it. She had actually slept through the night again, although she vaguely recalled having a dream with her mother and brother in it. The strange thing was that the dream left her with a warm feeling, not the cold dread the other dreams drowned her in. Could this possibly be a sign? Charlie refused to analyze the visions any more. She wanted to preserve the fragile memory of the previous night, protect it like spun glass. Taking a deep breath, Charlie cleared her mind and stretched like a cat. Her thoughts jumped to Ethan. Her mind and heart were battling each other for the control of her sanity. Her mind screamed at her to run from Ethan, as far away as she could, keeping him safe, as well as her. Her heart, on the other hand, was whispering like a warm summer wind. Take a chance, it called to her. A new life, a new beginning. She was so confused that she almost decided not to be home when Ethan came for her in a few hours, but self-preservation kicked in. She may be the last of the Maxwell’s, but damn if she wasn’t still a Maxwell. A Maxwell would at least give Ethan a reason for not going, not go hiding like a child. A picture of Charlie hiding herself under her bed while Ethan rang the doorbell made her chuckle. She would go with Ethan today, no excuses, no hiding, no sadness. She was tired of living on the fringes of her own life. Not for the first time she wished for things to be different, but she knew what wishing brought. She made her mind up to follow her heart on this. The thought of Ethan did things to her that made it worth the cold fear that taunted her. Besides, all he was doing was showing her around town, right?

When the doorbell rang, Charlie was ready to go. Pulling the door open, she gazed at Ethan, with his surfer boy good looks. Her earlier thoughts of hiding under the bed changed to hiding on top of the bed, under the covers, preferably with Ethan under them with her. A delicate pink stain appeared on her cheeks, and she sincerely hoped Ethan couldn’t tell from behind his sunglasses.

“Hi,” Ethan said with a smile.

“Hello,” Charlie returned, gaining control of her wild imagination.

“Ready to go?”
Charlie nodded as she stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind her.


Ethan spent the day introducing Charlie to her new city, showing her everything she wanted to see and more. Charlie felt more relaxed, more comfortable with herself than she had in a very long time. Ethan had done this for her, and she had only known him for two weeks. If nothing else, she was grateful to him for that. There were more to her feelings besides gratefulness, however. She couldn’t get the memory of the day before out of her head, when her fingers had touched Ethan’s, and her world had spun out of control. Had he felt it also? The look Ethan had given her told her he had. What would she do now?

Relax, that’s all. Just enjoy the day, and the company.


The thoughts running through Ethan’s head were quite similar. Charlie’s eyes, shocked, staring into his eyes yesterday. That memory would forever be in his mind. Only a slight touch from her and his blood had caught fire. He wanted to fan the flames, invite them to dance forever within him, as long as Charlie was beside him. He glanced over at the woman sitting next to him. She was beautiful with her dark hair and fair skin, but something else called to him, something he couldn’t describe. He had been lost since the night he heard her laugh.
The sky was beginning to darken when he pulled his car into her driveway, wondering what he could do to prolong his time with Charlie.

“Thank you, Ethan, for today. I really had a good time,” Charlie started.

Ethan smiled back at her. “I did too. It’s been too long since I’ve really paid attention to my own town. There’s still so much to see. Would you like to do this again?” O.K., not bad, don’t push her too much, but don’t give up without a fight, Ethan thought to himself.

Ethan didn’t have to push at all. Charlie smiled and replied, “I’d love to.”

Any uneasy thoughts that tried to make their presence known to Charlie were quickly slammed back. Not now, she growled to them.

“Would tomorrow be alright with you? Same time?” Ethan wondered if he sounded too eager, too desperate, but when Charlie immediately nodded her agreement, he didn’t care any more. They got out of the car and walked to Charlie’s door.

“Thank you again,” Charlie said almost shyly. She was amazed at herself. Yesterday she wondered if she even talk to him, and today she wanted to know how to keep him talking, just so she could be near him. What the hell was wrong with her?

Ethan looked down into Charlie’s face, wanting to do nothing more than cover her lips with his. Instead he smiled at her. “Thank you, Charlie. I’m glad you decided not to pay too much attention to our neighbors and let a crazy man show you the town.”

Charlie laughed. “Ethan, you are crazy, but I still had a wonderful time. I’ll see you tomorrow, nine o’clock?”


Ethan nodded as Charlie opened her front door. “Goodnight, Charlie.”

“Goodnight, Ethan.”

“Sweet dreams,” Ethan said softly, as he started back to his car.

Charlie shut the door, wondering if she would have sweet dreams indeed this night, or if her reprieve was over. Don’t think about it, don’t tempt fate by inviting it in.

The day played over and over in Charlie’s head as she got ready for bed. A soft smile stayed on her lips the entire time. Ethan Gray. Even his name brought a warmth to her belly. Walking through the house, turning off lights, Charlie ended up by the doors leading out to the deck. Slipping outside, Charlie walked to the edge and faced towards Ethan’s house.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to me, Ethan, but please don’t stop,” she whispered into the night.


The next two weeks were wonderful and scary for Charlie. The more time she spent with Ethan, the more she realized she was falling in love with him, and that terrified her more than anything. Everything she had loved in her life had a way of leaving her alone, one way or another. Despite her best attempts at trying to just be friendly with him, Charlie’s heart won the battle. Sometimes she wondered what the price for this love would be, if she could give the payment life would demand of her. At those times, she would graciously turn down Ethan’s invitation to go out, inwardly cringing that the disappointment she heard in his voice was her fault, but knowing that it was better in the long run . It was getting harder and harder to turn him down, however. Ethan was in her thoughts constantly, and she counted the hours until she saw him again. Every time they were out together, there were little touches here and there, seemingly accidental, like reaching for the same object at the same time, but the lightning between them flared every time, and Charlie had become addicted to that contact. She wanted more, but she needed to know exactly how Ethan felt. That was the biggest risk of then all. What if Ethan was just killing time between his projects, showing his new neighbor around town? But what about the electrifying tension that continually swirled around the both of them? Charlie didn’t think she had misunderstood the looks Ethan had been giving her, the looks that brought heat to her skin, whenever he thought she wasn’t looking. She wished she could spend more time with him, but she knew he would be starting another movie in a few weeks. Charlie wanted to know where this was going before that time, and she both dreaded and desperately longed for the answer. Gathering her courage, and pushing any doubts firmly into the back of her mind, Charlie had called Ethan and asked him over for dinner that night. He accepted eagerly, causing Charlie’s worry to abate somewhat. Glancing at the clock, Charlie saw she had a few hours to prepare, or to completely break down and cancel, which ever came first. A grin came over her face, and soon Charlie was engulfed in a fit of gut-busting laughter. I’ve totally lost my sanity, she thought as she made her way to the kitchen. Maybe this is a good thing. If Ethan is just being nice, I can always plead insanity. Another bubble of giggles tickled her mouth. At this rate, I’ll have to drive by McDonald’s for dinner! I’ll bet he’ll be impressed with that fine meal!


“You’re going to her house for dinner? Man, you move faster than I thought, Eth. What’s your secret?” Henry joked to his friend with a punch to Ethan’s shoulder.

“Remember she invited me, you bleeding idiot. She’s probably going to tell me to leave her alone, and she didn’t want to shoot me down in a public place,” Ethan replied glumly.

“What makes you think that? What have you done?” A suspicious look came over Henry’s face.

“I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. Maybe I’ve been too...pushy... about being with her? And I can’t really get her to talk about herself. She always manages to turn it around to me, or just changes the subject.”


“Didn’t you tell me that she doesn’t always go out when you call her?”

Ethan nodded and his friend continued, “ Maybe she has a life, Ethan. Maybe she had something else to do besides spend it with your wonderful self. Or maybe she’s playing hard-to-get. Maybe she doesn’t like you, or maybe she’s fallen madly in love with you. Have you made it clear how you feel?”

Ethan shrugged, amazed he was getting relationship advice form Henry St..Simon, of all people.

Henry continued, oblivious to the look on Ethan’s face. “Maybe you should tell her how you feel. Maybe you should make the first move. You’re so in love with her already, it’s like watching a Lifetime movie! Absolutely nauseating! Just do something tonight so you’ll quit freaking out on me.”

Ethan thought his mouth might be open, but he wasn’t sure. He was not sure if he had ever heard Henry talk like this: so serious about a relationship.

“Close your mouth, Gray. Your brains will start flowing out. Are you sure you want to go over to her house tonight? Because I think you’re going to need some serious prep time first.”

Henry rose from his seat and started walking to the kitchen. Ethan closed his mouth and was about to follow Henry when he could’ve sworn he heard Henry mutter, “And he called me the bleeding idiot!”