Chapter 7 No.7

My alarm went off, waking me up from a deep sleep. Last night when I got home, I couldn't believe I found myself doing it again! What am I turning into, some kind of freak? This is weird, and I got to stop! I sat up frustrated in every way, especially emotionally and sexually. This is insane! I have 21 days left before heading home, and I still need to move. Working alongside one of the most beautiful women in the world has me skeptical that she would be the one.

Not that she's not attracted to me, and God knows she super tempts and tantalizes me. There's just one thing standing in my way: Her lifestyle. Erin is a city girl through and through, not to mention her prestigious career at headquarters. And lately, I've heard rumors that she is already taken or spoken for. But I haven't seen it or have any indication that it's true. Not the way she's been coming on to me at work this last month, especially when we are alone in the breakroom.

Last week things got intimate between her and me. I couldn't believe she took the risk and lifted my sweater and brushed her hands against my torso. Whispering in my ear saying. "Your abs are rock-solid." Then, just when I was about to kiss her senseless, the doorknob turned, and we separated in the nick of time. Right before, one of the coworkers walked in and almost caught us having a steamy moment. But I'm tired of playing games, and besides, I don't have time for this cat-and-mouse chase. I need to make my move because one touch and she's putty in my hands. She's the one.

After nearly two months and a half of working with Erin and going out to dinner, flirting, touching, and sending all the signals, it was time to ask her out and tell her exactly what I'm looking for in a woman.

~~~~~

One evening Chandler was coming into the building heading to his office. On his way to the elevator, he sees Nate. Chandler has wanted to run into him. He last saw Nate the first day Nate picked him up at the airport. Nate had just exited the elevator as he was about to leave the building. Chandler was coming into the building and heading to the elevator. He sees this young lady leaving the building with Nate.

Chandler couldn't see her face from the angle and distance he was at, but she looked beautiful. Nate and the young lady were talking and laughing. They didn't see Chandler. All Chandler was able to see was their side profile. But as he got closer, he recognized for sure it was Nate.

Chandler smiles as Nate holds the young lady's hand, "that must be his girlfriend." Chandler thought.

Chandler walks up behind the two to say hello to Nate. When they both turned around, Chandler was surprised, saying. "Erin?!"

Erin looked at him, then looked away. "You two met already?" Nate asked Chandler.

"Uhm...yes, Ken assigned Erin to train me for a few weeks."

Erin slipped her hand out of Nate's hand, conveniently using it to tuck her hair behind her ear, saying. "Yes, he's the new guy Mr. Ken asked me to train in the tech department."

"Hi Chandler, is everything been going okay?" She said very casually.

Chandler was a little stunned by what he was seeing. He said, "Hi Erin, maybe one or two things are not going as expected. But I catch on pretty quick." Chandler gave her a disappointed eye. He then shifted his focus to Nate. "Look, I don't want to hold you guys up. I just wanted to say hello, Nate."

"Well, it was good seeing you again, Chandler," Nate turns, smiling at Erin. "Babe, are you ready to go?" She nodded her head yes, giving Nate a small smile back.

"You two have a great evening," Chandler said, smiling at the two of them. Even though the girl crushed him, he thought Nate had good taste in women like himself.

"Thanks. Maybe we could get together for lunch sometimes," Nate said.

"Yeah, sure, I'll like that," Chandler said, forcing a smile to stay on his face.

Erin could barely look at him knowing how she flirted with Chandler when she was already Nate's lady. Chandler could see she was caught like a deer in headlights. Thinking to himself as he walked to the elevators. "I should have exposed her! She's a total two-timer and should be completely embarrassed! She's no lady!"

Even though Chandler was disappointed, he was learning his first lesson about dealing with women. They'll flirt with you, the same way men flirt and make catcalls at women even though they are spoken for and have a significant other.

Chandler mumbled in a quiet tone as he walked along. "She's a flower full of thorns, and I don't want that kind of flower in my bed." He said, shaking his head.

What will he do now that Chandler's original plan to marry Erin has failed? His dream had become a reality. He had wasted almost two months flirting, spending late nights at work having dinner in his office, and make-out sessions several times that practically culminated into something more. She let Chandler think he was the only one for her too. He didn't feel he was in love with her but surely liked her. He needed to get married, and she would have been a lovely girl to take home. He wanted her, and he figured she wanted him. Chandler just knew the sex between them would have been extraordinary.

He said, "I can't believe she was a two-timer. Playing Nate and me, and he doesn't even know it. It's her loss. She didn't even allow me to show her what I had to offer. Like in that awful dream about Erin, he didn't know what to do. She was his Plan A, B, and C. With only two weeks left, I knew if I called and tried to reason with my grandfather. Surely I could hear his words that echoed so loudly in my dream.

"Son, you have failed. Strap up your boots, return home, and face your fate."

I couldn't believe my grandfather was telling me to come back, that my time was up, and that I'd lost. He knows I've never failed at anything in my life! I just needed a little more time, and he was too cold-hearted to give it to me! I had 72 hours left, even though it was not enough! But I'm not a quitter! I'll keep trying until the last hour, no matter how ridiculous it might seem, but I can't lose to him, and I can't lose Whispering Creek!

Sad, hurt, and now desperate, my brain had become a train wreck for real. All I could think about was what can I do next. I had all the same thoughts I had in that dream. I thought of going to a nightclub and picking up a girl, but I didn't have time to waste. And that would be very risky! To find a good girl in a nightclub is like looking for a needle in a haystack! Fat chance that would turn out positive! I need a girl who is hard-working, intelligent, and ready to marry! If she had these qualities, I would quickly pay her a million dollars to stay married to me for at least a year! I thought about running an ad in the local business newspaper, Bride Wanted. But there needed to be more time. I had wasted time banking on Erin Whitmore, and now my back is against the wall.

I'm walking to my office. "Hey, Chandler, let's have a beer tonight, buddy. You look like you can use one, especially tonight." Ken says.

"I bet I do, Ken. You are the only person I've told why I'm here working a headquarters."

"Yes, you need to repurchase your home from your grandfather. Wow! That's some hard stuff, and he's so good to us around here."

"That's not even half of it, Ken."

"Really? There's more! What else can he strip you of to make you bend to his will? Rich people are so fascinating."

"Yes. Who are you telling? I'm living it. You will not believe the rest, but let's go have that beer after work, and I will tell you from the beginning to end what I'm dealing with and how I plan to beat him at his own game."