Chapter 21 – Unwanted Date

Eric and Timo arrived at the restaurant before Charlotte and Dean.

"Do you really think they won't notice us?" Eric asked.

Timo pulled out a wig and glasses, adjusting them perfectly. "The sunglasses definitely stood out too much."

"Do I get more of a disguise?"

"I'm not supposed to be near Dean, remember, so I actually need this."

"Oh, right."

"But I also don't think it's a good idea to let you be in the restaurant alone."

He's probably right; I'm still achy from training. "He still might recognize me; we met already."

"I'm hoping he won't, or we can at least have your back to him."

"What about Char? She'll definitely notice me."

"That's a good thing, though. She'll feel safer with you here. I can only imagine how scared she is right now. Despite how strong she usually is, the trauma from Dean is still there. I wish I could help her get past it, but even seeing how she dealt with him earlier, she's improved quite a bit."

"Just thinking about it makes me want to wring his neck."

"Well, try not to do that, but I honestly may not bother to stop you if you tried to," Timo snickered as he imagined it. "Let's go in before they get here."

Timo gave a name to the front attendant, and they were seated in the restaurant.

"How expensive is a place if there aren't prices listed on the menu?" Eric asked, his hands shaking.

"Have you forgotten who your girl is? Don't worry about that."

Not sure if I'll ever get used to that. Even takeout pizza seems expensive to me.

"They're here," Timo whispered, quickly glancing at the entrance.

Eric saw Charlotte and his body tensed. He wished he could run to her right then and there.

The attendant seated them at a window.

"I don't think we can hear them from this far away," Eric complained, staring at Charlotte's strained smile.

"We don't need to listen in; we just need to make sure he doesn't try anything funny. Watch all their body language."

"But who knows what he'll say to try to coerce her into doing what he wants?" Dean still wants her for himself, and everything that comes with her. I can't let that happen.

"If it was anyone else she was out with, I'd say she's fine, but it being Dean... I don't know what will happen. Like how some people turn into kids when dealing with their parents no matter their age. Charlotte reverts when it comes to him. She tries not to since she's come a long way from the when they were together, but..."

"It's hard."

"Yes."

Eric stared at Charlotte's rigid posture. "I've never seen her that nervous."

"Can you blame her?"

"No... I blame him for making her this way," Eric gritted his teeth.

The waiter took their order and Eric never looked away from her for more than a moment.

"Maybe I should've gotten us a different seat. You feel too far away," Dean trailed his foot up her leg under the table.

"Stop it, Dean. This is a business meeting, not a date," Charlotte tried to move away from his foot, but he didn't relent.

"Are you sure about that? Feels like a date to me, and I promise by the end of today, you'll see it as a date, too."

"I already told you, Dean; I'm taken." Charlotte crossed her arms.

Dean laughed. "Well, I don't see a wedding ring on that finger yet, so you're not taken in my books. Heck, I wonder if he could even afford a ring. He doesn't seem to be cut from our cloth, if you get what I mean."

"This is all coming from the man who got jealous and made sure everyone knew we were together if a man so much as talked to me."

Dean leaned in closer, a dark glint in his eyes. "That's different. You're mine, Char, whether you know it or not. And you always will be mine. I'll deal with any man who attempts to take you away from me, swiftly and without remorse."

"Deal with? What... what are you planning on doing to Eric?"

Dean smiled. "As long as you comply, then nothing."

The food arrived and Charlotte stared at her plate of food, a lump in her throat and stomach doing flips.

"What are you waiting for? Eat up," Dean smirked.

"I'm not all that hungry..."

"Char, eat the meal I'm buying for you," Dean said with a low growl.

She sighed and took a tiny bite of a carrot.

"Good, now make sure you eat it all up."

"She doesn't look too good. He must've said something to upset her," Eric said, itching to rush in and interrupt her date with Dean.

"But we can't do anything yet," Timo tipped his head down while keeping his eyes on them.

"Look, though," Eric gripped the napkin on the table. "He's touching her under the table."

"Playing footsie isn't enough either."

"You call that footsie? Isn't it more? And aren't you forgetting she's taken?"

"Yes, even though she's taken," Timo sighed. He hated waiting as much as Eric did, maybe even more so. Timo looked at Eric, whose eyes didn't stray from Charlotte. "I guess you're more than just grateful to her. You truly care about her, don't you?"

"Of course; did you really think otherwise?"

"As I said, I know you're grateful, but I can't help but worry you're only here still because of money. There are too many gold diggers out there. You can never be too careful."

"What is she doing now? He should stay on the other side," Eric said, watching Dean move his chair to be beside Charlotte.

"Makes it harder to touch someone if they're too far away..."

"Can we go in yet?"

"Dean, what are you doing?" Charlotte leaned away from him as he rested his arm on the back of her chair.

"You know exactly what I'm doing, Char," Dean trailed a finger down her arm. "You know what I want, too."

"Actually, I don't. This is supposed to be a business date, and nothing more."

"You knew from the get go that this wasn't just about business. Although, I can see our relationship as being part business too, seeing as it would combine two super families."

"This is only business, Dean, so let's talk about that," she cringed under his touch.

"Fine, be mine, and the business deal is done. Our companies will be bound together."

"I know you have a say, but for now, it's still your father's company, and I don't think he'd like your behaviour right now."

"Are you kidding? He wants us to be together; a dream come true for him. It'll also be what puts him at ease when leaving the company to me."

"I'm a means to an end?" She always knew that's all she really was to him, but it still stung to hear.

"Don't get me wrong, Char; I'm totally into you without him pushing it, anyway. You're hot, sassy, and fun to train."

Charlotte shuddered and clenched her fists. "Train? What am I? A dog?"

"Of course not, but you have a few things to learn about the world..." he leaned in close. "And in bed."

"I need to use the bathroom," Charlotte stood abruptly. Dean reached out to stop her, but she bolted away and went straight into the bathroom. Charlotte sat on the closed toilet seat, taking deep breaths. It didn't seem to help, though. Her stomach was in her throat and she wanted to hurl. "Why is this happening again?"