Time and Again

Almost Time

Chapter 8

Almost Time

Charlotte

After I picked up Will from daycare, I drove home to the sound of him chattering in the back seat about his day. The things that came out of his mouth always made me chuckle. “Mom, do you know what I want to do when I’m a grown up, but then I’ll quit it?” he asked.

“No, what’s that?” I responded.

“A McDonald’s person. Because I want to see how they make fries.” He told me in his six year old voice.

“So you just want to learn how to make fries, and then quit?” I said with a laugh.

“Yep.” He replied matter of factly. “They’re just so delicious, I need to know how to make them, and then I’ll just quit and be a police ocifer. “

“Officer. “ I corrected him. He rolled his eyes and then began playing on his tablet. When we got home, Will ran to the mail box to check the mail while I carried all of our things to the house. As I walked through the door I saw something on the porch that caught my eye but I kept going since my hands were full. I dropped everything on the kitchen table then went back out to the porch to see what it was. Sitting on the porch was a beautiful rocker with a bouquet of yellow roses and sunflowers mixed in with them. My favorite flowers. What on earth? I walked over to the rocker and ran my fingers over the perfect varnished cherry wood. It was so perfect, made for two. I picked up the flowers, making a mental note to sit in the rocker as soon as possible. I carried the flowers inside and set them on the table and moving everything else aside so they wouldn’t be knocked over. Pulling the card from the envelope, I smiled when I saw it was from Jessie.

Charlotte,

May all your house dreams come true. And may this one be blessed with many wonderful memories.

Yours, Jessie

I was stunned. I couldn’t believe he had given me such a wonderful gift. It was beyond perfect. A tear slipped out of my eye, and I wiped it away just as Will came running through the door. “Momma!! Did you know there’s a big giant chair on the porch? And how did flowers get in here? Are you doing magic again?” He asked with a serious expression.

“Yes. I carried them. And no.” I replied. He gave me a confused, look, then shrugged. Will came over to see the flowers and commented on how good they smelled. He ran back to his room yelling something about needing to get his Lego ninjas to get some bad guys. I shook my head and pulled out my phone texting Jessie right away, then headed into the kitchen to get dinner going. I decided on pork chops and broccoli, figuring I would take advantage of Wills new love of the vegetable. I quickly got everything cooking then washed some dishes left from the previous day. I swept the floors, and wiped the counters trying to clean my mess now so I wouldn’t have to later on.

After we ate dinner, Will took a bath and then we watched a little TV. With the show running in the background, I scrolled through my phone and played a few games until it was time for bed. After tucking Will in I went to my room to get myself ready. I wasn’t really tired yet, but thought if I laid there and read I might get sleepy. I picked up my phone when it dinged.

Jessie: I robbed a Cracker Barrel and a Flower shop.

Me: Funny guy. Seriously though. Thank you so much. I absolutely love it!

Jessie: Don’t thank me yet. That gift comes with a price.

Me: Oh really? And what will I be paying?

Jessie: A lot of sitting and swinging by my side. Possibly holding hands and talking like a couple of old people. Oh, and perhaps making out on the swing after dark.

Me: Makes sense. We are pretty old. And of course old people only make out after dark.

Jessie : Of course. Soooooo…… I’m excited to see you tomorrow. I promise not to take advantage of you on the first date.

Me: Hmmmmm… what if I want you to?

Jessie: Well, that could be arranged then. But, I have a feeling you will be so full, you would be in a food coma instead.

Me: Well, maybe on the second date then. We could plan less eating. ;)

Jessie: Deal. Salad only. No steak for you.

Me: Ummmm, I thought you wanted me to be in some kind of mood for you to take advantage of. Withholding steak is not the way to this girls heart.

Jessie: Noted, very small steaks then.

Me: Perfect… but not too small you know.

Jessie: So size does matter?

Me: Absolutely.

Jessie: Also noted.

Me: See you tomorrow sir. Advantage free.

Jessie: Sweet dreams beautiful.

I smiled, and knew they would be sweet indeed.

Jessie

I woke up late the next morning, and had to rush to get Selena ready for school. My mom was picking her up from school and keeping her overnight so I could go out with Charlotte. So I also needed to get her overnight bag ready. We quickly got everything ready and grabbed some breakfast from McDonald’s on the way to school. After dropping off Selena, I headed to the shop to meet with Ben. Luckily I arrived before him, and he didn’t realize I was late because he was late. I quickly met with Ben about the days schedule, and he asked me go and check out the next new job site, and make sure we didn’t need any street permits pulled for the dumpster and parking etcetera. On my way out I stopped and talked with Rita about the new crewman that was starting and which site he would be working at. Rita handed me a paper sack with delicious smell coming from it. “What’s this?” I asked her.

“Breakfast. “ she said simply.

“You’re the best Rita!” I exclaimed.

“I know.” She replied with an eye roll. I gave her a huge hug and left without another word. I could hear her giggling as I walked out. I headed to the first job site to check in on the progress. There were a few set backs, but nothing they couldn’t handle. The second job site was a different story, and was a complete disaster. Someone had broken in to the almost completed job and spray painted graffiti on multiple surfaces, as well as dumped concrete in all the toilets. We called the plumbers and painters back out, and I ordered new supplies with next day delivery. I was determined to get this straight as soon as possible so I could get to my date on time. Thank God Rita had gotten me some breakfast, there was no time for lunch today. Once I got everyone straightened back up, gave the foreman list of things that he needed to do, and called to get some extra guys for him as well, then I left for the last site I needed to visit praying it was in better shape.

I pulled up to the site and the foreman walked over to me with a sour expression. I mentally prepared myself for the worst. He put his hand out to shake it, then said “You’re not gonna believe this!”

“Oh boy, lay it on me. Might as well rip the Band-Aid off.” I replied grumpily.

“Everything is perfect!” He exclaimed and laughed. My jaw dropped. “Dude, you should see your face. Lighten up Jessie.” I let out a huge sigh, I didn’t even know I was holding in.

“Man, you’re so fired.” I chuckled. Apparently John had told him what happened at the other site, and how rattled I must have been which is really unlike me. So Greg decided to harass me. After we talked for a few minutes about the last few things needing to be done, he showed me around the site, and I pointed out a few things I thought needed to be changed, but nothing major. I was so happy to get out of there at a decent time. I managed to get to the office by 2 and get working on some paperwork. I now had to file an insurance claim and talk to the officer who took the report again. I didn’t get everything finished, but enough to leave the rest for tomorrow. Finally I headed home around four for a shower.

I checked my messages when I got home, there was one text.

Charlotte: Happy hump day handsome! I’m running a little behind, but I should be ready to go by five- thirty. Do you want to meet orrrr…..?

Me: No problem at all. I’ll come pick you up at five- forty five just to be safe. See you soon!

I set the phone down and stripped out of my sweaty clothes. I took a long hot shower, letting the water clear my head, as well as my body. When I got out, I decided to shave and trim my beard then choose a pair of New dark wash jeans and am aqua colored plaid button down short sleeve shirt and my dark brown cowboy boots. I also slipped on a dark brown belt with a medium sized gold buckle. I combed my hair back with a small amount of gel to keep it in place. I wasn’t much for jewelry, but I did wear my good watch. I finished up a little early, so I decided to leave and pick up some flowers on the way. I chose red roses this time, since it was for our date. Just a small bouquet, nothing too fancy. I then headed to Charlottes house. I suddenly got a case of nerves. It was odd since we had already made out, and I knew she liked me, but I hadn’t been on a real date in so long, and there was a lot riding on this relationship too. I worked for her father, we both have kids, things could get complicated really quick if one of us wasn’t careful. The last thing I wanted was to cause family drama with my employer or issues for her with her kids or visa versa. Though Selena seemed to be on board. But I had to see what would happen with her. She is too perfect to be true. Well, not literally, but perfect for me anyway. I pulled in to the driveway and parked the truck before making my way to the door. I knocked softly and she answered immediately as if she were standing on the other side waiting. When she opened the door, my breath hitched a little. She wore a pair of tight black jeans, some black strappy sandals, and an olive green off the shoulder top that showed off her collarbone and made me want to plant kisses all over it. Her hair was half up in a small bun, and the rest draped loosely down her back. Her earrings were dangling from her earlobes and she had a thin necklace around her perfect neck. Her make up was nicely applied, enhancing her features but not over done. She also had her nails manicured nice. I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful woman to go out with. I was nearly star struck. I must have been staring because she cleared her throat.

“Ahem. Be careful, you’ll let the flies in.” she teased. I gave a small chuckle.

“Sorry, you’re just so beautiful. I’m nearly speechless.” I told her. She blushed deeply and looked down at her feet.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “You look really nice too. “ I took her hand and bent to kiss the back of it. When I stood up, she beamed at me. A thousand watt smile. I repeated the kiss just to see that again.

“Are you all ready to go?” I asked.

“Yep, l am.” She pulled her sweater over her arm, and I took her hand and led her to the truck and opened the door for her. She hopped in easily, which impressed me some since my truck was lifted. Then we drove to the restaurant talking easily about our day, and she laughed when I told her what Greg did. I pulled in to the parking lot of my favorite Mexican Restaurant, then went around to open her door and help her out.

The hostess took us to a nice booth in the corner and we sat down across from each other. I was tempted to sit next to her, but thought it might be nice to be able to see her when we talked without cricking my neck. I ordered us some chips and queso as well as some guacamole to munch on and was delighted with how she dug right in, not even worried about what I might think.

“Hungry?” I asked with a smirk.

“Starved.” She replied with her mouth half full. Then her eyes widened I horror as she realized she was talking with her mouth full, and she threw her hand over her mouth. She finished chewing and apologized.

“Don’t even worry about it. Its cute.” I told her matter of factly.

“Oh really?” she laughed. “Just wait til, we’re 90 and I do that with dentures in my mouth. I bet it won’t be cute then.” She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side.

“So are you saying you’ll still be with me when we’re 90?” I asked with a grin.

“As long as you keep feeding me steak and Mexican food, I’ll stay til we are at least 100.” We both laughed at that. The waiter came the with our meal, and we got right to work on our food. We talked and laughed between bites, then I paid the check when we were finished. “Where to next sir?” she asked.

“Well I thought we could go for a short walk at the park of that’s okay with you?” I replied asking g her permission.

“Sounds perfect. “ she stated simply.

We arrived at the park quickly, and I helped Charlotte from the truck, this time pulling her close to me while my hands were on her waist. She wrapped her hands around the back of my neck and smiled up at me. I studied her face for a moment, noting how her green eyes sparkled and the way her lips parted in anticipation she licked her lips lightly and bit the corner of her bottom lip just before I gently pressed mine to hers. I kept my eyes open for a moment longer so I could see her reaction, and to my surprise, she stared back at me. I moved my mouth with hers softly, not wanting to be too greedy since we were sort of in public. She breathed in deeply and I pulled her a bit closer. She smelled like coconut and vanilla, and it was the best scent in the world at the moment. I pulled away slightly but kept my cheek against hers for a nice long hug. Then kissed her again, just a little longer this time. She surprised me by running her hands down my back, scratching her fingernails just slightly. I was getting really turned on and knew if I didn’t stop now, I’d be having to adjust my pants. I kissed her a bit longer before pulling away. “Shall we walk?” I asked her quietly.

Charlotte

My day started out pretty easy. I got Will off to daycare with little incident and made it to work ten minutes early. Since we had done some visits yesterday, today was about paperwork. Alicia had suggested I try not to put too many days in between visits and paperwork so that they would be fresh in my mind and I could document everything. I did make some notes after the visits, but they were just quick jots so I could remember the important parts. I started by scouring the file on Rosie, searching for any sign of a relative. I also put in a STAT records request for a copy of her birth certificate so I could find out who her father was. I was told it would be a little after lunch but that I would get it today. I did a name search on her mother Dala Cravey, and found some old addresses as well as a phone number. I wrote everything down in the file double checking go see if it was different than what we already had. I wasn’t going to contact her as the police were already looking for her, and I didn’t want her to know I was looking for the father.

Once I had done as much as I could without the birth certificate, I moved on to the other cases. I knew one case would be dismissed with little to no evidence after talking to the child. It sounded more like that one was just mad she lost her privileges for making poor choices. I would check back with them but, I didn’t feel like it would be anything I needed to pursue further. The other two cases needed more investigation. I would be interviewing the teachers and counselor, as well as the parents when I finished interviewing everyone else.

After lunch the birth certificate finally came in. I opened the envelope, and looked it over. My eyes stopped in the fathers name; Jessup Cravey. I wondered to myself…

Surely it’s not him. Maybe a relative. I think I need to run this by Alicia. I don’t even know if this is a good or bad thing. If it is him, I doubt he knew about it. Please let this be a coincidence.

I took the envelope to Alicia’s desk and handed it to her with a worried look on my face. Alicia looked at the paper and then at me.

“What`s up?”

“Ummmmmm….. I think…. This might be the guy I’m dating. Or at least a family member. I don’t know, he goes by Jessie. I didn’t think to ask if it was a nick name.” I said too fast.

“Whoa, slow down. This isn’t the end of the world. But let’s just proceed with caution. First do some research on this guy, and then maybe ask him if he knows someone with this name. This could be a good thing for Rosie.” She said calmly.

“You’re right, I just…. I really like him, and it puts me in an awkward place you know.”

“I get it. And if you need me to handle it, I definitely can. But let’s just see how things go play out. Sound good?” She asked.

“Yeah, thanks Alicia.” I let out a big sigh and went back to my office. I got right to work looking for any information on Jessup, and anything that might put the two together. On one hand I wanted this to happen so much for Rosie. On the other hand, I didn’t want to mess up this new relationship with Jessie. I pondered over how I might ask him about it, finally deciding to wait until the end of our date so we could both enjoy it. I worked until four-thirty and then headed home after a few quick texts to Jessie. He came at five-forty five sharp, with red roses, and looking absolutely delicious. His shirt brought out the color of his eyes, his beard was perfectly trimmed, and his jeans were just fitted enough to hug his tight ass. Oh, and he smelled like heaven.

Don’t drool Charlotte.

After a quick greeting, we hopped in his truck and headed out. Dinner was delicious, Mexican food was my favorite after steak, so I dug right in making Jessie laugh. After dinner he suggested a walk in the park, which started with some amazing kisses, leaving me a bit breathless. We walked slowly, holding hands and talking casually, and sometimes in a comfortable silence. There was a man playing the guitar close by, and Jessie swooped me up into his arms and began dancing slowly. The man smiled and kept playing for a while longer. Jessie gave the man a twenty and we kept walking until I grumbled about my feet hurting. Jessie refused to let me walk further and picked me up bridal style and carried me back to his truck. I couldn’t believe this guy, could he be any more perfect?

Jessie drove back to my to my house, and I invited him in. Will was staying the night with my dad and Sammie, so I didn’t need to worry about him. Sammie even offered to take him to day care in the morning. I invited Jessie to sit on the couch, and I got us some iced tea to drink.

“Do you need to rush home to get Selena or anything?” I asked.

“Nope. I’m all yours for as long as you want me.” He said with a wink and a suggestive tone.

“Well, I guess we’ll see won’t we.” I replied, with my own wink. “Is Jessie a nick name?” I asked trying to sound casual. He got a weird look and scrunched up his nose.

“Well, no. But I hate my name.” He laughed. I raised my eyebrows and waited for him to continue. He made another face and reluctantly said “Jessup. My name is Jessup Lee Cravey.” My heart skipped at least four beats.

“Well, I think it’s a great name. I think I’ll call you that from now on.” I teased.

“Only if you like being tickled.” He joked.

“Okay Jessup, I’ll keep that in mind.” I teased again.

“Oh, that’s it!” He yelled then tackled me on the couch and began his relentless assault on me. I was laughing and trying to tickle him back, but he was too strong. He finally pinned me down, my hands above my head, with him hovering over me his face inches from mine, and we were both breathless. After a moment I realized something hard was pressing against my thigh. I move my legs out from under him, and scooted down some so he was now pressing against my core. Jessie let out a small groan. I bit my lip slightly, and he kissed me hard. His tongue separated my lips and made its way into my mouth. He flicked it upwards tasting me gently at first, then with more vigor. He released my hands, and I quickly moved them down his back and pulled him as close me as I could get him. I bent my knees and unconsciously pushed my pelvis towards his. He let out another groan, and slipped his hand under the hem of my shirt.

His lips left mine, and he began kissing down my neck and shoulders. He pushed my shirt to the side of my shoulder so he could kiss there, small kisses, flicking his tongue along the way. With his other hand, his thumb rubbed my skin gently before he moved it up to cup my breast. He gave it a light squeeze then pushed up my bra to gain full access to it. My body erupted in tingles, and I arched my back slightly. I could feel the wetness pooling between my legs. I couldn’t stop my body from moving against his. He pulled my shirt all the way up and took my n****e into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the sensitive areola causing me to gasp and shudder slightly. He toyed with it a minute more before reaching around to unclasp my bra completely, then in one smooth motion he pulled my shirt and bra off completely. He looked down at me, bare chested. “So beautiful.” He whispered, then went to work on my other breast, while keeping the first in his other hand and gently rubbing it with his thumb. The pressure was building in my abdomen, he made me feel so amazing. I reached up to undo the buttons on his shirt, pushing it aside so I could get my hands on his pecks. I ran my fingers through his chest hair, it was soft over his heard muscles. I moved my hands up to his shoulders to push his shirt the rest of the way off, while he continued working his mouth over my body. When he began his decent to my jeans I shivered and let out a small gasp.