She agreed with him, nestling in closer to him, hiding her smile even as the ferris wheel began moving again.

  Eli

  Back to work.

  Back to invoices and schedules and looking at the money.

  Back to making plans for ministry, for the other students they'd be tutoring this summer at the church, for all the work they had ahead of them.

  "Algebra," he grimaced, stretching his arms over his head for a long moment as he yawned. "How long has it been since you've done algebra, Lottie, apart from our work at the church?"

  She didn't even look up from the stack of papers she was working through. "I actually did some last year with a group from South Side High School. Freshmen and sophomores."

  "Why did you do that?" he asked. "And how do I not remember that?"

  Apart from the free tutoring, the two of them didn't do much of their own ground work. They had employees for that, students who were still at the university and were benefitting from the pay.

  "I filled in for Elizabeth," she said, giving him the name of one of the tutors. "She had the flu. And you don't remember it because that was formal rush. Which shouldn't have been any business of yours or Alicia's either one, since she had already graduated --"

  "But she dragged me back to campus almost every night," he concluded, remembering the sorority events. Alumni, she'd explained to him when he'd asked why in the world they were there, wondering at why she'd brought him as he'd done his best to make small talk with the other bored boyfriends, fiancés, and husbands who'd been dragged along as well.

  Alicia had gone on with her friends, as though he wasn't even there.

  Charlotte wasn't like that. Because he was her friend, first and foremost, and if she'd (heaven forbid) ever dragged him to an event like that, she would have spent the evening next to him, heralding the truly lame parts of it all with him.

  She was like that. Like him.

  They were good together.

  He'd been thinking about this more and more lately...

  "I think I've figured it out, Lottie," he said.

  "Hmm?" she asked, her attention still on the books in front of her.

  "Charlotte," he said. "Look at me, at least."

  "I don't have time to look at you," she said. "I've got thirty minutes before this day is done, and then, I've got to get going."

  "What?" he asked, assuming that they'd spend tonight like every night. Dinner together. Hanging out at his place. Being them.

  "I told Hope I'd have dinner with her," she said. "She's talked me into leading a ladies' Bible study over the summer, at the same time you're going to be helping Craig on that lawn maintenance team."

  He visibly shuddered at this. "Never should have agreed to that."

  "It's good that we're getting more involved," she said, smiling at him, then looking right back at her books. "But I have no time for your foolishness. Not today, so --"

  "But, Lottie," he whined, knowing how she loved that.

  "Ugh, stop the whining," she answered.

  "Not until you look at me and let me tell you what I've finally figured out."

  "Eli, I don't have time! I can't do any of it this weekend because I have that big banquet for my grandparents' retirement --"

  "Lottie, come on, come on, come on --"

  "Fine," she exhaled loudly, standing from her desk dramatically, a stack of papers in hand, walking over to his side of the office. She slammed them down with gusto on the table already holding all the paperwork for all the accounts they were streamlining, then leaned against the wall across from him, her fingers pointing at her eyes, then at him.

  "It's all you, buddy," she said. "Total attention, right here. Because who cares that my grandparents are coming back from Egypt, and I've got to be dazzling and amazing for the mission board royalty, right? You get all my attention because you're a whiny baby."

  "Ouch," he said, grinning, thinking that she wouldn't have to work hard to dazzle anyone. She was so great already. "But I'll take it because you're finally paying attention to me."

  "What is it that you've finally figured out?" she asked. "And make it quick because I might still be able to salvage what's left of this work day."

  "I finally figured out why Alicia was with me for so long," he said.

  She rolled her eyes. "Alicia psychology, when I've got real work to do --"

  "Eli psychology," he corrected. "Because it's more about me than her."

  "Even better," Charlotte muttered.

  "You see," he continued on, ignoring this, "it was about the money and the prestige for me. Not that she was paying me, but being with her seemed to up my value."

  "No, it didn't," Charlotte said. "You were just as worthless with her as you were without her."

  She grinned a little at this.

  He loved that look on her face.

  "True," he said, "but I sure thought it did. And what did I do for her? I was that plus one she needed. Because she was just as shallow as me, needing someone to follow her around to validate her in the eyes of her friends. That was me. And I sincerely hope that her study partner is more than that to her. That she's figured out her value is in more than who can validate her, you know?"

  "Study partner," she said. "Think she's still with him?"

  "Don't really care," he said, honestly meaning it. "Everything with her was a part of some other plan I thought I had to have in place. But God's changed all those plans. And He's going to put me on His plan. Is already doing that, I hope."

  "And have you figured out that you don't need someone else to up your value?"

  "I do need someone else," he said. "I need Jesus."

  He was learning it more and more every day. So was she. They were learning it together, through their ministry, through what they were learning, through what they were experiencing...

  "How about you?" he asked. "What have you figured out?"

  "Herbert, I've always had it all figured out," she sighed. "But I like your answers."

  He thought about her crying outside his place, over Tyler, over her plans gone all wrong...

  He could see her thinking about it, too.

  "Maybe I've figured out the same things, though," she said. "And if you're intent on being all philosophical on me when I really need to get some last minute work done --"

  "Forget the work," he said. "It can wait."

  She smiled. "Okay, then. I think Tyler was more about stability, about having a family, about having it all taken care of and sealed up. About having someone who could be home to me, you know?"

  He did. He could imagine, given the way she'd grown up, the challenges that had come from never having a home.

  Eli. You're home, Eli.

  Wait. She'd said that. She'd said it a long time ago, and...

  Surely not.

  "It was just so wonderful," she murmured, thinking back to Tyler and that part of her life, likely, no idea what Eli was realizing, even as she was leaning back against the wall, taking a breath. "Thinking that I was going to have it all figured out. The plans and the future God had worked out for me."

  Did she know what she looked like, standing there like that? Did she know what she was doing, saying these things?

  Eli was sure she didn't because he knew her. This wasn't an act. This was honesty. Charlotte, being just about as transparent as she'd ever been in front of him, as much as she was in front of everyone.

  "Maybe you still will," he said softly, thinking about how the answer had always been there.

  It was her. Always her.

  "Maybe." She smiled softly.

  Maybe nothing. "Maybe God's plan is just unfolding a little differently than you thought it would," he managed.

  "Unlikely," she continued, a little laugh escaping her mouth. A genuine laugh, because she found the situation genuinely funny, in an ironic sort of way. "Because it's all this time later, Eli, after all that I was supposed to realize and change, and I'm stuck at work. Which is better than being jobless, I guess."

  "And you're with me," he said.

  She took that as a joke, too. "Yeah, and you're better than Tyler because at least you appreciate me for something. My fine math skills and all, but still."

  "I do appreciate you," he said.

  "Because you want me to do your accounting," she said softly, shaking her head. "Which I should probably get back to."

  He'd never be able to explain it to himself logically afterwards, what he did next. Because it didn't make sense then. She'd said nothing to encourage him, only given him quips and the same shortness she always did.

  But still, he'd done it.

  He didn't want her to do his taxes. Well, actually, he did want her to do his taxes because she was the best. But knowing that she reduced herself to the stupid forms all over the place made him want to throw them to the floor.

  So, he did. He stood up and tipped over the table, barely glancing back at the mess he'd made, walking over to her, putting his hands to the wall, and kissing her before she had the chance to even say a word.

  Charlotte

  Eli was kissing her.

  Wait. Wait a good, long minute.

  He was... kissing her?

  She spent about two seconds wondering at that... then went with it. Because wow.

  It wasn't impulsive. Well, it was. At first. His hands on the wall, his mouth on hers, and his kiss insistent, strong, and all him, the him he let the world see.

  But then, he pulled away fractionally and looked at her, really looked at her, and put his hands to her face.

  Gentleness, tenderness, heartfelt affection as he saw her and kissed her again.

  Nothing impulsive in that kiss. Just Eli. Just the sweet, kind person that he let her see, that he tried his best to never let anyone see.

  Dumb. This was so dumb, loving someone like him, because he had been so full of himself, had been motivated by all the wrong things, and wasn't anything like the man she'd envisioned for herself.

  But she loved him already. Had for a long time, as friends and business partners, now more, so much more...

  As he continued to kiss her, she went with it. Her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to him, relishing the small groan he gave as he deepened his kiss, thrilled in her heart that this was him... was her... was them.

  Them. So different than what they'd been, but Charlotte could find no wrong in it just as long as he kept his lips on hers, his hands on her face.

  Her feelings didn't falter, even as he slowed down, even as he gave her a concluding, smaller kiss, even as he backed away, still close, though.

  So, so close.

  "Hey," he whispered, watching her with wonder.

  And what in the world was there to say to that? I'm in love with you, Eli. This is a dumb idea. I want to kiss you every day for the rest of my life. How dare you kiss me when I'm your employee!

  All possibilities. Charlotte prepared herself to say them all, then managed simply this...

  "Hey."

  Brilliant.

  Had his kiss rendered her stupid? Likely so. Because she looked at his lips even as the word left hers, thinking about how she wanted to lean in, taste him again --

  "Charlotte," he said softly. Charlotte. Not Lottie. Oh, the way that made her heart race. Her name had never ever sounded like that, and in her mind, she could already imagine all the different ways Eli Lucas could say it to her, all the passion and --

  "Hey."

  Really, Lottie? Pull it together a little, why don't you!

  "I shouldn't have done that," he said.

  Oh, and her heart broke just a little at the words. Of course he'd regret it. She would, too, likely, as soon as she could start thinking again.

  But still, those words... she wasn't part of his plan, obviously. Shouldn't have done that.

  Before she could pretend that it was all no big deal, that she wasn't hurt, and that it was something she would laugh about later like oh, you know, that crazy time that you kissed me, Herbert, and my mind jumped to having your babies and all --

  Well, he spoke again.

  "I should do this right. I'm going to do this right."

  What in the world could he mean?

  "What?" she asked, disgusted to hear her shaky voice and that it could offer something even less profound than its earlier hey.

  "Shouldn't have kissed you like that," he said. "Just come over and taken what I wanted... but I really want you, Charlotte. And after that kiss... I want you even more."

  Oh. Well, this wasn't helping her to think any clearer.

  "Hmm," she managed.

  Brilliant. Again.

  "But I'm going to be better than that," he said. "Do this right." He took a deep breath. "Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night, Charlotte?"

  He wanted to take her on a date? She thought about all the nights they'd spent at Lloyd's Tacos and wondered at how different this would be.

  "Umm... okay," she said softly.

  And with the power of speech (ridiculously lame speech, unfortunately) returned to her, she took note of her hands, still on Eli's lower back, holding him as though it was perfectly natural and right to do so.

  It felt right.

  But if that wasn't the worst argument ever for doing something that even just ten minutes ago would have made no sense at all...

  But it wasn't like that.

  There had been something there. She'd been denying it, knowing the worst of him along with the best, not trusting that she could really see him any differently on the very odd and impossible chance that he would feel something for her.

  He was attractive. She'd always thought so. He was fun to be around. He'd always been that way. Lately, he'd even been godly, redeemed, more like Christ than she'd ever imagined he could be, and that certainly made him far more interesting and appealing than he'd ever been before.

  And then, the kiss.

  The kiss.

  This was different. Different than anything she'd ever felt for anyone else. He'd been different when he was just a friend, just a colleague, just the person who knew her best of anyone in the world. He was already different. But the kiss...

  No one had ever made her feel that way. There had been attraction for Tyler, expressed through chaste kisses and short embraces. In her mind, that's what it was supposed to be anyway, censored and contained. Eli and Alicia had been their own strange version of that, too.

  But this. This.

  There was nothing censored and contained about kissing Eli Lucas. How had Alicia managed to regard him coolly, to be so distracted by everyone and everything but him? Charlotte feared that the antithesis would be her future, a future spent staring at him, inching herself closer to his lips, wanting nothing more than to be held by him, and --

  A future. One kiss, and you're already planning a future, Charlotte.

  "What are you thinking about?" he whispered, concern in his eyes.

  About being in love with you. About growing old with you. About spending the rest of my life with you.

  "Your high school girlfriend was wrong," she said instead. "That was... nice."

  An understatement, obviously.

  But Eli got her meaning anyway.

  "High compliment, Lottie," he murmured. "Right back at you."

  And he lowered his lips to hers again.

  Eli

  The kiss.

  Wow.

  Just like that, everything changed.

  He knew how he felt about Charlotte, of course, but he’d not been able to predict how right it would feel to kiss her, to make his intentions known, and to be more to her.

  Charlotte was right. Everything about her was right. For the rest of his life, most definitely.

  The kiss had sealed the deal for him, but Charlotte…

  … well, she looked just a little freaked out.

  He wondered for just a moment if he’d gone too far, watching how she stared at him, stunned by what he’d done. But the longer he stood close to her, the more he thought about a future with her in it as more than his friend, he told himself it didn’t matter if it had been too far.