Special - Ch 3
I approached the address listed on Charlotte’s application and slowed. The non-descript brick apartment building was at the back of a cul-de-sac in the midst of several others just like it. I parked out front and climbed out of the car.
I swept my gaze across the landscape, noticing the light cover overhead was broken and a tangle of overgrown bushes grew beside the entrance.
Her apartment was number four, which meant it was upstairs. I glanced upwards, but the curtains were tightly shut on both of the wide upstairs windows at the corners of the building. The center of the building was all glass, giving clear view of the stairs and low wall that marked the upper landing.
I pulled open the building door and climbed the carpeted stairs, rounding the corner onto second floor where heavy rock music poured through the partially open door of number three.
As I raised my hand to knock on Charlotte’s, the cracked door behind me swung the rest of the way open.
“Is that your fancy car?” a gruff male voice asked.
I turned and did a double take. The man was tall and slim, dressed much like me, in dress pants, a neatly pressed blue oxford shirt and polished dress shoes. But a snow-white beard and hair long enough to be in a ponytail made him appear older than I suspected he truly was. He leaned an elbow against the half wall at the top of the stairs, looking out the huge window at the front of the building.
“Yeah. It’s mine,” I said.
“Nice wheels.” He turned a pair of unusually luminous blue eyes toward me. “Audi R8, right?”
“2014, yes.” Unnerved, but unwilling to show it, I smiled and held out my hand. “Andy Matthews. Nice to meet you. Are you a car man?”
He shook my hand but didn’t smile. “Buck Arctos. Not into cars. I just like to know who my neighbors are associating with.”
I didn’t like his tone and backed up a step. “Keeping an eye on the place is probably appreciated.”
Buck seemed pleased by my retreat and nodded toward Charlotte’s door. “She’s a special one.”
“She is.” Uncomfortable with his scrutiny, I turned away and raised my hand to knock. “You have a good evening, Mr. Arctos.”
The guy was in front of me before I could react, and he caught my hand before it met the wood of her door. “I said she’s special.”
Though Penny had said the same thing and even Charlotte called herself that, I really didn’t this guy’s tone when he did.
I jerked my hand free, put the other against his chest, and gave a bit of a push to get him out of my personal space. “What are you trying to say, sir?”
“You’ll find out.” He grunted and stepped back, his eyes fading to a more normal blue.
He’s crazy.
I stood my ground, fists clenched until he vanished back into his apartment and pushed the door closed.
“Weirdo.” Shaking my head, I knocked on Charlotte’s door and shook out my hands.
Buck’s eyes stuck in my mind. There was something about the vibrancy of their color that seemed odd. Contacts maybe?
I heard Charlotte unlatch the locks and was grateful to know she kept her door secure with someone so strange across the hall from her.
If they were contacts, why did they…
All thoughts of Buck flew from my mind when she opened the door.
Soft layers of rich brown fabric crisscrossed her shoulders and waist, leaving a deep v at her neck. Her hair fell halfway over one shoulder, and a long chain around her neck drew my eyes downward to the round glass pendant that hung just above her slim waist. Fabric swirled around her thighs as she pushed the door wider and stepped to the side. I couldn’t stop my gaze from smoothing down her trim legs to where they ended in a pair of gold high-heeled sandals.
“Come on in.” I dragged my gaze back to her face and tried to remember how to breathe. Her eyes shown a soft brown and she was inserting an earring into her left ear. “I was on the phone with mom, so I’m a few minutes late.” She turned away and the dress floated with her like water. “I’m always late,” she mumbled, and I drew a lungful the soft smell of hers. The apartment was thick with it, as if powder had been infused into the air.
“Don’t rush,” I said. “I think I’m a few minutes early.”
She waved a hand. “Have a seat. I need to switch purses, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Charlotte rounded a corner, and I looked around the apartment. In front of me was a rich brown sofa with gold pillows. I lowered myself to sit. The coffee table was glass with a gold toned bowl filled with twisted balls of brown and green dusted with gold. On the walls were intricate paintings of butterflies and moths in various tones of brown and gold.
Sensing a theme, I noted every piece of decor, with the exception of some green leaves here and there, was brown and gold. It gave the place a warm earthy feel that instantly relaxed me. The longer I sat, the more it felt like being in a very old forest, completely surrounded by nature.
“Ready?” Charlotte’s voice startled me, and I turned to see her standing beside me holding a slim gold clutch purse.
Pushing up from the couch I nodded. “If you are.” I opened the door and waited on the landing while she locked up. “So, brown and gold are a thing for you?”
“It reminds me of home.” Her smile was dazzling as if she was excited I noticed.
Tucking her hand into my elbow, I led the way down the steps and out to my car. “Where is home? I’ve never thought to ask.”
“Not too far.” Her expression wavered then brightened again. “Near Oxford, but my parents have a house in the woods that feels miles from everything.”
I settled her in the passenger seat and rounded the car. When I opened the door, the heavy leather smell was completely overridden by her soft powder scent. I shut the door behind me and started the car.
“What’s that perfume you wear?”
She wrinkled her nose and turned toward me as I pulled away from the curb. “Is it too strong?”
“Not at all.” I shrugged. “I like it.”
“It’s a personal mix. I make it myself.” She suddenly seemed unsure. “Sometimes I put off too much.”
“You mean put on too much?” I corrected automatically.
Her hands flexed and she bit her lip the way she did when she made a mistake. “Yeah. That’s what I meant.”
I laughed. “Well, it smells wonderful.” She relaxed and I glanced sideways. “I think I noticed that you’re a vegetarian?”
“Vegan, actually.” She rested a hand on the seat and seemed sad. “I try to avoid animal products of any kind.”
“Ah.” Why did I suddenly feel guilty for the leather seats? “What made you decide that?”
She looked at me, and I felt her gaze through to my bones. “Because all life is precious.” As a chill ran up my spine I almost missed her whisper. “Even humans.”
“What?” Startled, I glanced over and watched her do that flinch again. “Did you say even humans?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?” I flipped on my turn signal and looked at her, waiting for traffic to clear.
Charlotte covered her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing. Can we talk about something else?”
“Don’t do that.” I reached for her hand and gently pulled it away, holding it until she looked at me. “Never apologize for saying what’s on your mind, okay?”
The brown in her eyes thickened. Literally thickened as I stared. This time the shiver that raced through me wasn’t unpleasant.
Her voice was soft. “Thank you, Andy. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
I swallowed hard as a horn honked behind us. Snapping my eyes back to the road, I swung the car into the restaurant parking lot and found a spot.
Shutting off the engine, I rested my wrist on the wheel and shifted toward her. “I want to be upfront with you before this evening goes any further.” Charlotte folded her hands in her lap and ducked her head. “I like you. You’re beautiful and funny, and I think you should know I haven’t dated anyone for a long time.”
She looked at my through her lashes. “Why me?”
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and thought about my answer. “Because you are just you. You don’t try to impress me or say what you think I want to hear.” My fingertips trailed across her cheek, and she blushed. I smiled. “Being this good looking and rich makes it hard to find a woman who will just be herself around me.”
She giggled and leaned away. “You think you’re good looking?”
I dropped my hand and pulled the key from the ignition. “Gorgeous, actually, but I didn’t want to sound vain.” I pushed my door open. “Stay put.” Stepping out, I came around and opened her door, offering my hand to help her out.
“You’re not vain.” Her hand closed tightly over mine.
Her powdery smell washed over my skin, and I was overcome with the need to pull her against me and kiss her. As though reading my thoughts, she took a step back and let her thick black hair fall over her face.
“You are gorgeous. And rich or not, I’m glad you asked me out.” Her cheeks were flushed brilliant pink, and she shyly turned partly away.
Grinning like a fool, I pushed the car door shut and offered her my arm. As she slipped her hand into my elbow I leaned close.
“Technically, you asked me out. I know you dropped those oranges on purpose.”
She giggled again and squeezed my bicep. “I dropped three of them. Cost me four dollars!”
I held open the restaurant door and gestured for her to enter. “Well, tonight will cost me more than that I think.”
Charlotte ordered a vegan Mexican lasagna that looked and smelled amazing. Out of respect for her, I ordered a vegetable pot pie that was delicious.
We chatted easily about her love for nature and the outdoors. She was well spoken and as the evening progressed, all her earlier awkwardness disappeared.
By the end of the night, I was even more thoroughly enchanted by her.
Already planning our next date, I drove us back to her apartment and walked her to the door. I waited while she unlatched the deadbolt.
“Thank you for a wonderful dinner.” She leaned back against the wall and watched as I stepped closer. Her chest hitched at the same time mine did. “I — I’ll have to remember that restaurant. My parents would love it.”
“You’re welcome. I had a great time.” Her eyes were almost black in the dim lighting of the hallway, and I reached for her hand. “I’d like to do it again, if you’re still willing.”
She nodded and moved away from the wall. There was less than a foot between us, and my eyes dropped to her lips. She parted them to draw a breath and my stomach clenched. Tightening her grip on my hand she cleared her throat.
“There’s something I should tell you.” Her nose scrunched and she tilted her head. “I probably should have told you before.”
“What’s that?” I straightened, and with my free hand swiped the hair off her shoulder, letting it rest where her neck met her shoulder. She trembled, and a fierce protectiveness swelled inside me making me shift back slightly.
“I’ve never kissed anyone before.” I stared as her cheeks flamed, and her chin fell. “Honestly, tonight was my first date.”
The blood drained from my face and my fingers loosened. Instantly she grimaced and turned away, but I caught her arm.
“I find that hard to believe, but I’m honored.”
The lights of a car swung across us, and in the shadow we cast on the wall, I swore I saw the clear outline of gauzy wings rising from her back. Startled, I looked down at her, but she didn’t seem to notice my shock.
“I didn’t tell you that so you would feel sorry for me.” She tried to pull away, but I hung on and gently turned her back to me.
“I don’t feel sorry for you.” She wouldn’t look at me, and I lifted her chin. Shades of anger tinged the corners of her eyes. “I feel sorry for all the guys who never asked. I’m sorry I backed away. I just wasn’t expecting you to say that.” Still wary, she relaxed. “It changes things a little.”
“Changes what?” Defiance leapt into her eyes. “Now that you know I have no experience you changed your mind about going out with me?”
I shook my head, wondering where this side of her had been hiding. “Quite the opposite. It means I probably have some pretty high expectations to live up to, and I’m going to have to make sure I meet them. I do want to see you again.” I cupped her cheek, “And, I think, I want very much to be your first kiss.”
Her whole body quivered, and once again I thought I caught a glimpse of delicate wings in her shadow. I was close enough to see there was nothing there and involuntarily glanced toward the window to see if something was casting the odd shadow. There was nothing, and her voice drew my focus back to her face.
“I think I want that too.”
Dismissing what I’d seen as a trick of the dim lighting, I smiled faintly. “Then we’re on the same page.” I released her and stepped back. Disappointment crinkled at the corner of her mouth, and I shook my head. “Your first kiss is not going to be in an apartment hallway. Not if I’m the one giving it.”
Her eyes did that thickening thing again, and there was a definite flutter in her shadow. This time, it came with a glimpse of something shimmery over her shoulder and my eyes narrowed. “What was that?”
“What?” She glanced over her shoulder and froze for a split second before slowly turning back to face me. “This hallway has some strange shadows.”
Her eyes landed on something behind me, and I looked back to see Buck leaning in his doorway watching us.
“Hi, Buck,” she said with a sigh. “Have you met Andy?”
Keeping myself between the two of them, I turned partway toward the man. I ticked my chin at him as Charlotte ran a hand down my arm.
“We met earlier.” Buck said. His strange eyes pierced mine.
“Well, I have to work in the morning.” Her tone was nonchalant. “I should get some sleep. Thank you again for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I nodded, meeting her eyes. They were guarded but not frightened. “I will. We’ll make arrangements for Saturday. I have some place I’d like to take you. I think you’ll love it.”
She yawned, even though seconds ago she hadn’t been tired at all. “Sounds good. Good night, Andy.” She flicked her eyes back to Buck who hadn’t moved. “Good night, Buck.”
The other man grunted, and I waited until Charlotte was safely locked inside her apartment before turning to meet his eyes.
An even brighter blue tonight, they looked like they were glowing. But that was impossible.
“Told you she was special.” Buck pushed off the frame and kicked his door shut.
“Weirdo.” I mumbled.
'Special' is unpublished and unedited. Short stories may or may not be complete and may end on a cliffhanger. All works are the sole property of Michelle Bolanger and published through Risen Fiction. Copyright 2025 Michelle Bolanger. All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be copied or reproduced without written consent from the author.