Kendra_Aura

"HELLO, lady." The man behind the wheel greeted her as he wound down the window. 

"Hop in." 

Without hesitation, she opened the door of the passenger's seat and got in.

Inside his car was warm. The seats were leather and quite comfortable. She didn't think Maguire's nephew could own such a car. Then, she glanced at the man.

He was dressed formally in a gray suit and honestly, he didn't look like the nephew figure.

But what did she know? Mr Maguire could have a nephew who was even as old as him.

This man was also quite handsome. Didn't look like Mr Maguire one bit.

"Did Mr Maguire send you?" She asked and he rested his hands on the wheel. 

"Pretty, is that the secret code you girls use these days?" The charming man asked with a smirk. "I almost thought I wouldn't find you or anyone in this weather but I guess it's just my luck."

He eyed Charlotte with an interest as he adjusted his necktie. The lady asking if he was some unknown man's cousin as a secret code sounded ridiculous but he wasn't going to be picky.

He searched the area and ended up here. This was the only girl he found on the streets so he would make do with this.

"Well, if you've been searching for me then I can assume you're indeed his cousin." Charlotte replied. "I can't think of another reason why a sane man would come out on such a stormy and late night." 

Then, she got a whiff of alcohol coming from him.

"Wait, did you drink? Is this safe?"She asked but sighed and shook her head. "You know what, never mind. As long as I get home, I won't complain. The worst that could happen is you spinning off the road and leading us both to our deaths, and lucky for you, I'm not afraid of dying in a stranger'ss car, so shall we?"

This man stared at Charlotte with an amused grin and said,

"You've got one glib tongue. I like it." He said and she gave out a fake laugh.

"Haha, that's nice." Her laugh fell and she looked at him seriously. "Please, drive."

"Alright, you're the boss." He turned on the engine. "I'm Wesley, by the way. What's yours? If you tell me, I could give you a tip."

"Good sense of humor, haha! It's funny." Charlotte said, but she wasn't laughing. She crossed her arms over her breasts, feeling uncomfortable.

She entered the rain just to get in his car and so her body was a little wet. Her white shirt had practically become a see-through attire, and her bra was on display. 

"You have one appealing look, Miss. Are you sure you're not going to tell me your name? I'm in a good mood so I'll definitely give you a huge tip."

Charlotte closed her eyes. Was he such a joker? Did he want her to play along by all means? 

Well, she'd just say anything just to get him to shut up. 

"You can't afford it." She said. 

"Oh yeah? That's such a brave thing to say to someone driving such a car. Is your name more expensive than this?"

'What does this have to do with his car? I just want him to keep quiet already.' Charlotte thought, feeling irritated. "I don't want to waste my breath calling the amount cause you won't be able to pay for it."

"My oh my, if your name is so expensive, I wonder how much your service costs. It must be quite a lot, seeing you were the only one standing under the rain, patiently waiting."

'What is he saying now? It's like some old pickup line you'd see in a magazine. Is he really trying to hit on me?'

She stared at him. He looked like a casanova, grinning to himself as he drove through the dark. Fine. She would just call an amount she was sure he would never release and then he would shut up. 

"You wanna know so badly? Fine. It's ten thousand. Now, stop asking." 

As soon as she said that, the car came to a sudden halt which startled her. 

"What? Are you crazy?" She asked. "Was it too much of a shock that you had to stop the car?" 

"I can't exactly write while driving, can I?" He said and picked out what looked like a checkbook from inside his coat pocket. 

He took a pen as well and filled it. 

"What are you doing?" 

Away From My Mr Wrong: Finding Love in Unexpected Ways

THE SUN had long since dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the ocean. Charlotte, Wesley, and Nellie sat on the porch, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore creating a soothing melody. But despite the peaceful atmosphere, Charlotte couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

Nellie seemed distant, her eyes scanning the horizon as if searching for something. Wesley's eyes kept drifting towards Charlotte, his expression intense. It was as if he was trying to convey a message, but Charlotte couldn't quite decipher it.

As they sat there, the silence between them grew thicker, like a fog that refused to lift. Charlotte tried to break the tension, asking Nellie about her day, but her friend's responses were monosyllabic, lacking the usual warmth and enthusiasm.

Secrets in the Shadow