Page 81 of Check You Out

Charlotte must see the expression on my face, because she nudges my knee and flashes a grin.

Things have been wonderful with Charlotte and me. We’ve been inseparable since last Friday, after that night. Summer vacation is in full swing, and I am free from the burdens of teaching, at least until August. My days have been spent in the bookstore or running errands for her, while my nights have been spent having passionate sex with Charlotte. Despite not sleeping in my own bed, I’ve had the best sleep of my life. It’s been incredible.

“It’s important for the kiddos to see adults using curse words properly,” Georgie huffs, crossing his legs and scowling. “We don’t want them to say motherfucker every other word like Ozzie Osborne.” He crosses his chest. “May he rest in peace.”

The mayor smirks. She turns her attention to Johnny. “Mr. Riccini, I want you to know that your feelings are valid here.”

He grins. “Why, thank you. But I am nervous. Yes, we had great protest and got a lot of traction, but is it enough?”

Charlotte presses her lips together. “You know, I’ve been asking myself that.”

Something like courage in my chest expands and words come out of my mouth before the anxiety gets a chance to settle in. “We’ve done a lot in the last month.” I swallow as all eyes are on me. But it doesn’t feel as awkward as it used to be. I don’t see judgement in their eyes anymore. I only see respect.

“Aidan’s right,” Charlotte says in the empty space. “We’ve done a lot. Thank you for reminding us.”

I settle into this comfortable space that used to feel uncomfortable. “We really have. We’ve organized this committee from the ground up and mobilized this entire grassroots movement. We got the word out to our fellow citizens and rallied more support.”

Karen nods. “Damn right we’ve done a shit-ton.” She winces and rests a hand on the shoulder of the Scout sitting next to her. “Sorry, kiddos. But it’s true. We’ve done a lot.”

The committee hums with a chorus of, “we have” and “that’s right” in response.

Nicole grins. “We lead a pretty good protest.”

“Even if I didn’t have my Jane Fonda moment,” Karen says as she crosses her arms and sulks.

“I think that’s a good thing that no one had a Jane Fonda moment,” Charlotte says with a close-lipped smile. “We led a very successful protest, focused on the issues, and now we’re on the verge of sealing the deal at the Open Comment meeting.” She turns to me with the corners of her mouth upturned in a half-smile. “Thank you, Aidan, for reminding us with how far we’ve come.” She addresses the rest of the committee, “But we’ve still got more to do, so let’s get to—”

She’s interrupted by the door of the meeting room slamming open. We turn to find Bridgett Hartlett standing there, her face contorted into a twist of rage. My heart pounds in my chest.

What is she doing here?

Mayor Harrington rises to her feet. “Welcome to the Save The Library Committee,” she says in a bright and warm voice. “We’ve already started, but you’re welcome to join us. We’re just discussing our speeches for the Open—”

“I’m not here to join your stupid little committee,” Bridgett snaps and crosses her arms. She taps her foot against the Lisa Frank cat-barf carpet.

“Why the hell are you here?” Johnny asks, leaning back in his chair to get a good look at her.

Bridgett studies us with a scowl. Her lower lip juts out and quivers as she pouts. “I just wanted to see what you were doing,” she finally says after a long and heavy moment. Her gaze travels from person to person.

“We’re just talking about our speeches for the Open Comment meeting,” Mayor Harrington answers in a diplomatic tone. “Would you like to sit in? Or is there something else we can help you with?”

I look to Charlotte. She meets my gaze and raises an eyebrow. She glances over at Nicole on the other side of the table, who nods and rises from her seat, holding up a plate of pastries that she brought to the meeting.

“We have cinnamon walnut bear claws. Want one?” she offers with a grin.

“They’re really good,” Lisa G. adds.

Bridgett’s upper lip curls. She turns on her heel and leaves the room without another word. We watch in silence until the door slams behind her. The thud reverberates throughout the room.

“What the hell was that about?” Johnny asks, which launches the rest of the committee into lively conversations about the events that just occurred.

Charlotte blinks and tilts her head to the side, watching the door with her lips parted slightly. Her nostrils flare and her eyebrows knit.

“Are you ok?” I whisper in her ear.

She shivers slightly and takes a little sharp intake of breath. After a heartbeat, she turns to me. “I’m ok. We’ll talk later.” She rests her hand on my arm. She inhales and exhales once before plastering a smile on her face and reconvenes the meeting.

I’m distracted watching her as the meeting continues. I’ve studied Charlotte enough now to know her moods and when she’s hiding something. Right now, she’s masking her anxiety over the encounter with Bridgett. Her eyes keep on drifting to the door, like she’s expecting Bridgett to come crashing back in. I somehow get through the meeting without embarrassing myself or volunteering for something unpleasant. It helps that people expect me to be the quiet one.