Chapter 1: Soon To Be Wife

Today was the start of the promising future Charlotte had worked so hard to attain. It was way too early to be in the office, but she had gotten up at 6 am and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. 

Now she stood by the glass window on the 33rd floor of her office building and looked down at the parking lot with a warm cup of tea in her hand. Coffee wasn’t her thing.

Her car was far out towards the street, but after today, she’d be able to park right next to the door with all the other partners at the law firm, under the shade of the sycamore trees. Her promotion was to be announced. 

Too many good things were happening at once.

About a month ago, Edward had called to tell her he was applying for a job at the firm. The dormant love she had always felt for her childhood friend lit back up like a wildfire.

He could have worked at any of the best law firms in South Carolina, but he had decided to join her in Atlanta. That was the only logical explanation as to why he was coming back here.

Two weeks ago, he called to tell her he had gotten the job and that he had a surprise for her. He was coming in straight from the airport and would be joining the firm immediately, and it coincided that there was a general staff meeting where her promotion to partner would be announced.

The cherry on top would be if he proposed to her right then and there, but perhaps he would wait and ask her to go out for dinner first.

A little voice in the back of her head told her that maybe, just maybe, she had jumped to conclusions and that a marriage proposal was just wishful thinking. After all, they hadn’t verbally declared their love for each other yet.

But she knew. She had always known.

The two of them were just too busy with college and law school -him with fraternity stuff and sports and her with working three jobs. However, the bits and pieces of phrases they’d said to each other throughout the years reassured her.

“Imagine what a kid that comes out of us would be like?” Edward had said on one of the rare days they’d been able to meet up for ice cream. They had been watching a kid throw a tantrum because a pigeon almost stole his chocolate cone.

“He’d either be too smart or too pretty,” Charlotte had said, and they’d both laughed.

She was pretty and intelligent, as her father had constantly reminded her when he was alive, but she tried not to show the brainy side of her too much outside of work. Men found it intimidating, and she felt women outright disliked her when she came off as a smartass.

The last time Charlotte had seen Edward was during Christmas two years ago when they had jokingly kissed under the mistletoe.

“When we’re old, we’ll remember all these silly things and think back on how these were the best years of our lives,” he’d said. “And our grandkids will hate us for always talking about the past.”

Our grandkids. The ones they’d have together. He was always the person who took a step back and observed things from a distant perspective, and she loved that about him. While she plunged forward and had a hard time thinking before she spoke, he was the epitome of patience and slow, careful grace.

No one could really blame her for thinking that her story with Edward was just one of bad timing and that he was back in Atlanta to correct that for good. She preemptively forgave him for taking his time.

All good things were worth waiting for, right?

The noisy fax machine in the corner of her office brought her back to the present. The files on the Sterling case should be arriving today, and she was eager to dig into them. 

Someone opened the door without knocking, and Charlotte turned around.

“Your friend is already here,” Janet said. “In the conference room. It’s starting early.”

Janet, the receptionist, and HR person was the only other woman Charlotte liked in the firm. No, like was too strong of a word. They tolerated each other based on the mutual understanding that a nuclear missile war would pale in comparison to the fallout they’d leave behind if they ever got under each other’s nerves.

Janet knew about Edward only because she had pried it from Charlotte after she had inquired about the new hire a dozen times since he had called to tell her he applied.

And now the merry day was here.

Charlotte took one last look at herself in the mirror by the door before exiting her office and heading to the conference room. Edward was already there chatting up with the guys from the accounting department.

He looked on top of his game with a dark blue tailored suit and a red tie. His wavy hair was combed back, making him look like one of those gallant actors from the sixties.

When he saw her walk down the hallway, he lifted his hand as if to quiet the men around him. Charlotte would never tire of the stupefied look he got on his face every time they saw each other after a while.

She knew it would happen again, so she had purposely taken her time to walk down the hallway across the door, taking slow, careful steps as if she wasn’t in a hurry to get anywhere.

The men around Edward all looked towards the hallway, first in confusion and then with understanding. The door was open, so she could hear them all the way across the glass.

“Oh. That’s Charlotte Astor,” the bald guy from accounting said.

“Yeah, everyone gets that look when they first see her. Careful, you’ll get a fly in your mouth,” said the other, chuckling.

“I know who she is,” Edward said, his eyes still following Charlotte as she circled the glass walls of the conference room.

Edward then rushed out to grab her into a hug and twirl her around, almost making a secretary who was walking by drop a stack of papers.

“Well, if it isn’t the most beautiful girl in the county!” he said with a faux Southern accent. 

“Well, if it isn’t Edward Manche, the rascal who stole this poor country girl’s heart,” she cried out in response. 

“You’re certainly a sight for sore eyes, as usual,” he said, grabbing her shoulder.

“You’re not looking too bad yourself.” Charlotte walked around him as if inspecting him. “All limbs are still in the right place.”

“Is that the best you can say of me, Charlotte Astor?” He squeezed one of her dimples and then placed a hand on her back, ushering her towards the entrance to the conference room. “I’ll tell you about my surprise once the meeting is over,” he whispered into her ear.

The warmth of his breath and his body so close to her back sent an electrifying shiver down Charlotte’s spine. Now, if the day ended with more whispers like those, it would definitely be the best day of her life.

The conference room began to fill up, and then they closed the door when Floyd, the boss, finally entered. Everyone fell silent as he smiled and pulled Edward towards him. Charlotte stayed close, knowing that she’d be the next one to go up towards the front of the room.

“Good morning, everyone. I hope your weekend has gone well. John, I saw you drinking last night at the club!” he said jokingly, pointing at one of the men sitting at a chair and barely holding up his head. “It’s a busy week, so let’s get to it. I want all of you to welcome Edward Manche. His family and mine go back generations, so we’re delighted to have him. He had his time down at Morrison in South Carolina, but our golden boy is back home.”

Everyone began to clap and cheer.

“He was originally joining as a junior, but we’re giving him a spot as partner! See, now everyone is glad they clapped!” Floyd said, laughing and pointing.

Partner? Charlotte lost the smile on her face. That surely didn’t mean… There was only one more partner spot.

Floyd continued to talk about deadlines and important cases, but Charlotte wasn’t listening. She was still processing what had just happened. She had been passed over… by Edward. He couldn’t have known that she was up for a promotion, could he?

It took all of her self-control to keep smiling and not burst out of there crying. What she really wanted to do was punch Floyd in his stupid face. He had all but told her he’d announce her new position today, and now he was giving it to someone else.

“Thank you, everyone, for such a warm welcome. I’m looking forward to working with you. I think this is a good time as any to tell you some great news!” Edward said, and then he looked at Charlotte.

A genuine smile formed on her face. Would this be it?

“Oh, and speaking of the devil!” Edward continued, looking behind Charlotte. “Or angel, in this case.”

She turned to see her cousin Mary walking down the hallway.

Mary Clemont?

What on earth was Mary doing here? She lived in South Carolina with her aunt.

She looked exactly like the last time Charlotte saw her: plain, dainty and cheerful. Well, saying she was plain was a bit unfair. But there was nothing that stood out in her. Charlotte guessed that her charm was her sweetness because she was thin as a board and so tiny, that she could be confused for a teenage boy if observed from afar.

“This is Mary, my soon-to-be wife,” Edward said, as Mary walked up to him and handed him a brown paper bag.

Everyone began to cheer again.

Soon to be what?!