A/N: One of my closest friends and her husband have been together for 30 years and have 3 children. When they first met, she was about to marry someone else and he had a gf. They got together and broke up over 4 times before getting married. They are inseparable but it was a long road at times. In my head a reconciliation between C & L is totally plausible. Sometimes sane people do some crazy unexplainable things but love can conquer all… I wanted Charles to be a gentleman this chapter and oc7ober felt like life was too short for there not to be smut, so I guess we both win this chapter ;)
'Cause it ain't nothin' a little bit of love won't fix
It ain't nothin' but a scratch, a little bit of love can stitch
It ain't nothin' a little bit of love can't heal
Your love makes me feel
No matter what hand life deals
It ain't nothin'
Charles finished the last of the edits Liza had given him to work on before getting ready to leave for therapy. Today was their first session together as a couple and his nerves were starting to kick in. He had been doing most of his work from home only heading into the office a few times since returning. Liza had done an excellent job running things in his absence, and he actually wanted to talk to her about making that a permanent arrangement.
He had never wanted to be publisher, he just never saw himself having any other choice. He would like to stay on as an editor and continue writing, a newly rekindled passion. He knew that running a publishing company was no small feat and while he appreciated what she had done for him he didn't know if that's something she wanted to continue doing long term. He of course would not be leaving her high and dry. He would always be there to assist her, especially with the financial side of things which he knew could be daunting. He wasn't sure when he'd talk to her about this but he hoped the right time would present itself soon.
xxx
Liza was finishing her final email of the day before she packed up and left. Tonight was her and Charles' first therapy session as a couple and despite her nerves she was excited. She remembered when she'd found out David had cheated. At first she had suggested therapy but he had scoffed at the idea. He felt that wasn't necessary, she should just accept his apology and take him back. There were however too many issues present for Liza to ignore, especially if her husband wasn't willing to address them. She was happy when Charles had suggested therapy. She knew this was the only way they were going to be able to try and work everything out. Their issues were too deep to ignore. They'd ignored them before with disastrous results.
She grabbed her purse as she turned off the lights in her office. Charles had been spending most of his time working from home while he finished editing his novel. She knew that her time as publisher was probably coming to an end but she was ok with that. While she had enjoyed the challenge she was surprised at how difficult some parts of the job actually were. There were times when she'd thought Charles had made unpopular decisions out of spite but she soon realized sometimes these decisions had to be made to benefit the company's bottom line long term, even if in the short term it upset some people. More than once she had to turn down a project knowing that the money would be better spent if it was held for a bigger upcoming project. This left her with a new appreciation for the work that he'd done and some of the decisions he'd made that she hadn't agreed with.
She hit the button for the elevator as she looked down at her phone. Her Uber would be here in 4 minutes. As she entered the car, she steeled herself for what was to come. She knew that every session couldn't be all roses, but hoped that their date afterward would ease any tension and help them reconnect and grow closer.
xxx
Charles got off the elevator at Dr. Smithson's floor and hit the buzzer for her office before entering her waiting room. His heart skipped a beat and he was momentarily frozen as he saw Liza sitting waiting. She didn't notice his entrance at first, and he took a moment to admire her breathtaking beauty. She was wearing the same suit she wore that day she stormed into his office after the Hampton's. He remembered it like it was yesterday. The way her presence commanded the room. The way she told him she didn't run away. He'd been such a coward back then. Well he wasn't going to run now, he'd promised her that and he meant it. He took her outfit choice as a sign to mean the same from her. He gently cleared his throat and she looked up at him, a huge smile gracing her face.
"Hi," he said softly, suddenly nervous. He didn't know why he was nervous but she could have that effect on him.
She stood up crossing the small gap between them giving him a soft kiss.
How had he almost let this woman go for good he wondered to himself. Almost as if she read his mind she took his hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze.
Then the door to the waiting area opened and Dr. Smithson walked out greeting Charles and Liza.
"Liza, Charles, how lovely to see you both right this way."
They went into her office taking seats on the couch.
Sensing their nerves Dr. Smithson got the session started.
"Well I want to start off by saying that both of you are here out of a genuine mutual love and respect for one another. You both want to see this relationship succeed and realize this is the vehicle to achieving that. I can tell you that in my experience that is half the battle. Having couples start off on the same page is a great place to start," she said smiling.
Charles and Liza visibly relaxed before Dr. Smithson spoke again.
"Last time each of you were here I asked you to make a list of 5 reasons why you loved each other. Were you able to do that?"
They both nodded yes as they pulled out their lists.
"Liza, why don't you go first and share one reason from your list."
Liza took a moment to look at her list before sharing.
"I love you because no one has ever made the type of sacrifices you have (personally and professionally) to be with me," Liza paused, not sure if she was supposed to elaborate or if it was going to be Charles' turn. This was new for her so she was waiting for direction from Dr. Smithson. When Dr. Smithson gave her a nod she continued.
"When we first got together you had to face the wrath of Pauline and because of me you had to give up the option to her sequel. It killed me to hear people talking about how the boss was such a cliché sleeping with his young assistant. Then you even gave up your position as publisher to stay with me and to allow me to stay at Empirical… why would you do all that for me?" Liza had tears in her eyes as she said the last part. She had always been moved by what he'd given up for her but saying it out loud made her even more emotional. David had always made her feel like she wasn't worthy of anything special. When he'd cheated, his attitude had been so cavalier as if she should have seen it coming.
Charles grabbed her hand giving it a loving squeeze as Liza took a tissue from the box on the table in front of them. He looked at Dr. Smithson, letting her know that he wanted to answer Liza's question. She nodded, giving him the go ahead.
"Why did I do all those things? Liza, you really have no idea how incredible you are. For the first time in my life someone finally loved and accepted me for me. And not just anyone. The most intelligent and beautiful woman in the world. My whole life I was expected to be Charles Brooks the Princeton grad, Charles Brooks the book publisher, Charles Brooks the New York Socialite and so on. I never wanted to be any one of those things. The only person I've ever wanted to be is the person I am when I'm with you. There's no pretense. You don't care about my money or my title. You love me despite my major flaws. Despite my massive failures you never stopped loving me."
Now it was Charles' turn to get teary eyed. Liza couldn't understand why he thought he was a failure but felt like now wasn't the right time to ask, she'd wait. She squeezed his hand as he had hers and they both smiled. It was Charles' turn to share from his list.
"When Pauline left our whole world fell apart. I dealt with her rejection the best I could, but the girls, it broke my heart to see them like that. I tried dating but none of the women I met or who were introduced to me connected with the girls. None of them understood that my girls came first. They had too. I was all they had. I remember the first time you babysat for them. That was the night I started falling in love with you. You didn't just come into my life, you came into theirs too. I can never express all the gratitude I have for the love you've shown my girls. You were there when they needed someone the most. You love Nicole and Bianca as if they were your own daughters but not because you feel you have to, but because you want to and every time I see you with them it melts my heart."
It was true that Liza loved those girls as if they were her own. Charles had mentioned he felt like he hadn't really been a father much before Pauline left but she'd told him that was nonsense. Those girls embodied all of his best qualities. They were two of the kindest, most honest and generous kids she knew.
"Charles, your girls embody all your best qualities. They're so kind and generous just like you. When I babysat for them the first time they spent the first half hour telling me all about how awesome you were. It was so sweet. As someone who's done everything and anything to provide for their child it was extremely endearing to see you do the same. I don't know many men that would've stepped up the way you did."
It was nice to hear Liza say he was a good father. So many times over the past couple of years he questioned where or not he was doing a good job. Could he really fill the huge hole that was left by Pauline's absence? He thought about his own father. His father's work was his first love. His family was always second to that. In a way Pauline's leaving had been a blessing in disguise for Charles because it was a wakeup call of sorts. He didn't want to be like his father. His girls had to come first.
Liza read her next reason from the list.
"In addition to sacrificing so much for me, you've always treated me as your intellectual equal. Maybe that sounds stupid but for me that's a big deal. David would always look for ways to try and dumb down what I said and did, afraid I made him look inferior. Josh was nice but we never connected on an intellectual level. With you it's so different. Even before you knew my real age and just thought I was a millennial assistant in your company you still treated me like an equal. I love how we can go toe to toe when having a discussion about one book or another or really anything for that matter. Your intelligence is one of the sexiest things about you."
Charles blushed at Liza's admission.
"Liza, I love you because you are the most optimistic and generous person I know. Your optimism is infectious. I can't tell you how many times I've been down about a situation and then you swoop in with a reassuring pep talk. Your unwavering faith that everything will be alright is a rock for me. Liza you are by far the most generous person I have ever met. You are constantly giving and sacrificing so others can have what they want or need and you never expect anything in return. You are truly an inspiration. I hope to one day become half as amazing of a person you are."
Now it was Liza's turn to blush. Ever since she was a kid she knew she was different. She gave and helped others regardless of how they treated her. Unfortunately that meant that many tried to take advantage of her generosity. David being one of them. Charles was the first man who truly appreciated this quality and who never sought to take advantage of her.
Their session continued at a nice pace. It felt good to hear all the reasons why they loved one another and more than a few were a surprise. For Charles he was learning new insight into Liza's past marriage and how David's treatment of her may have contributed to her rejection of his proposal. He still wanted to know for certain why she said no but felt he'd get the opportunity in an upcoming session.
They both walked out therapy with a renewed sense of hope. This had been good for them. They were learning so much about each other and seeing and considering perspectives they hadn't before.
As they waited for the elevator Charles took Liza's hand and she smiled. Tonight had gone better than she'd expected. When they exited the building it was now time for their date. Liza had been looking forward to this all day. There was a small artisan ice cream shop, UES, that they'd taken the girls to a few times. She'd recently learned that the place wasn't all it seemed and she was excited to surprise Charles with what she'd found out.
They walked hand in hand to the ice cream shop which was only a few blocks from Dr. Smithson's office. Charles was looking forward to their low key fun date. He'd been to this shop before with Liza and girls and the ice cream was phenomenal.
They went inside and were looking at the flavors available when they were approached by a young woman who asked if they were ready to order.
"Actually," Liza said. "I was wondering if we could see the store room."
Charles was confused by Liza's request. Why would she want to see the store room?
The woman behind the counter smiled before replying.
"Yes of course. Right this way," she said before opening a door to the right of the ice cream counter. To Charles' surprise, the small shop was a front for a large speakeasy. You could only access it by using the secret phrase of asking to see the store room.
"Well this is quite a nice surprise," Charles said as they sat at a table.
"I read about how this place was a secret speakeasy. Can't believe we've taken the girls here half a dozen times and we never knew."
They looked over the menu which was full of ice cream sundae themed cocktails. Charles ordered a chocolate caramel butterscotch sundae and Liza ordered a brownie a la rum sundae. They talked about their upcoming weekend plans as they waited for their 'drinks.'
"So one of Nicole's friends recently went to the Color Factory and Nicole has been begging me to go so I thought we could take them Saturday afternoon."
"That sounds like a great idea. I hear that place is a lot of fun. Plus if the weather doesn't hold out Saturday which unfortunately it might not, at least it's indoors."
They continued to talk, an easy flow to their conversation, before their drinks arrived a few minutes later.
Drinks was an understatement Liza thought as she stared down at the massive alcohol infused sundae in front of her.
"Um, I don't think there's any way I'm going to be able to finish this. It's massive," Liza said as she reached for her spoon.
"Is Liza Miller not up to the challenge?" Charles asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"Oh you didn't just go there. Ok challenge accepted. May the most voracious dessert eater win." Liza said laughing as they clinked spoons.
The sundaes were delicious but loaded with alcohol. Liza was only a third of the way through hers when she started to feel a little tipsy. Her sundae had been topped with a mountain of whip cream and some of it had inadvertently made its way to the side of her cheek.
Charles leaned over and kissed the whip cream off her face and Liza felt the temperature in the room skyrocket.
"You just had some whip cream there. You know a real friend would never let you stay like that."
"Oh a real friend huh?" she said with a smile.
"Well then I guess I better thank you for looking out for me," she said, giving him a taste of her sundae. When he was finished she reached out and placed a sensual kiss on his lips.
"You know, just a little whip cream. Couldn't leave you like that," she said with a wink as Charles laughed.
The rest of their time was filled with lots of laughter as they both spent some much needed time relaxing. When they left, they were both more than a little tipsy. They'd had the best time. They hadn't been this carefree in a very long time. They both stumbled a little as they made their way down the block arm in arm. Charles tripped over a non-existent crack in the sidewalk which brought a fit of giggles from Liza.
"I do believe I may have drank too much," he said, straightening himself.
Liza continued to giggle as she too stumbled. She felt like a teenager who'd just left her first underage high school party. She didn't even know where they were walking to but she didn't care. She hadn't felt this free in forever. Dr. Smithson was right. Having a date after therapy was a great way to build happy memories. When they talked before he left for Yaddo, they had both agreed that they were indeed a couple but wanted to finish therapy before discussing next steps such as living together. She definitely saw this as a possibility as long as they worked through the issue of her not wanting to get married.
They kept walking aimlessly for another 20 minutes before they both felt the first drops of rain. Charles took out his phone and ordered them an Uber while they huddled together under his jacket, waiting.
When the Uber arrived they climbed in and snuggled up together in the back seat. Liza missed this. She missed how good it felt to be in his arms. She missed other things as well but she was hopeful he did too and she'd be able to rectify that situation shortly. Liza was so content snuggled up next to Charles that she didn't pay attention to where they were going. When their Uber stopped she was surprised to see they were in front of the loft. They got out and Charles walked her to the door. She got out her key and opened the door but saw that Charles didn't make a move to follow her inside. She turned around and noticed the shy look on his face.
"Aren't you coming up?" she asked, reaching for his hand.
She noticed his face was a little red and he was looking down at his feet before he answered.
"There's nothing I would love more, but well we both drank a lot and we're a little drunk. I want you to know that I am taking this reconciliation therapy thing seriously. I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of you," he said sheepishly.
If it was possible, Liza fell in love with him even more. No man had ever tried to be a gentleman with her. While she felt it was unnecessary she could see this was important to him. Earlier in the week he'd spoken about how significant this reconciliation was to him and he wanted her to know how serious he was taking this.
Liza smiled as she gave him a gentle kiss.
"Well then I guess I will see you tomorrow," she said, giving him a final kiss goodbye. Charles was coming into the office so they could discuss the final edits he'd made to his book.
Liza got ready for bed and decided she would read a few more chapters of the book she'd been trying to finish before going to sleep. She was too wired for sleep. She was also horney as hell. She appreciated Charles' gesture but it left her in an awfully frustrated state. She hoped her book would provide enough of a distraction. After 20 minutes she put her book down. It wasn't helping. She stood up. She knew of only one thing that would help.
Charles got home and headed straight for his study, grabbing a drink. While he knew he made the right decision in not staying at Liza's place that didn't mean his body was happy about it. The truth is he and Liza never had issues in the bedroom. Their issues always arose outside of it. He wanted her to know that he was committed to fixing those issues. He was looking at building forever with her and he didn't really know how to properly communicate that to her. He thought this would show her and he hoped it did but it also left him feeling frustrated and lonely. He was halfway through his second glass of scotch when he heard the doorbell ring. He looked at his watch and wondered who it could be at this hour.
He opened the door, and was pleasantly surprised to see Liza standing there. He smiled and ushered her inside.
Liza stood facing him wrapping her arms around his neck before she spoke.
"I appreciate how serious you are taking this reconciliation and I want you to know it meant a lot to me that you were such a gentleman, no one has ever been that chivalrous before. Also, I want you to know that I would never think you'd intentionally try and take advantage of me... well not unless I asked you to."
Charles had a slightly puzzled look on his face as he absorbed her last statement.
Liza stepped back before speaking again.
"What I mean to say is I want you to, no I need you to take advantage of me." She opened her coat, letting it fall to the floor as she revealed she was wearing nothing but some very sexy black lace lingerie.
Charles stood there speechless at the sight before him. All previous ideas of being a gentleman now out the window. Liza stepped forward running her hands under his sweater, breaking Charles out of his trance. He pulled her close and kissed her hungrily as his hands possessively roamed her body. Liza pulled his sweater off over his head and moved on to his belt, snaking her hands inside his pants. Charles moaned, his eyes closed as he relished in the feel of her hands on his body. He removed Liza's hands as he picked her up, carrying her upstairs to the bedroom.
He placed her down gently in the middle of the bed before removing the rest of his clothing. When he rejoined her, he took a moment to let his eyes rake over her body, taking in her breathtaking beauty. He hovered over her as he proceeded to kiss his way down her body in an achingly slow fashion. Liza was rapidly losing control and knew she was getting close. He always had this effect on her. Just the way he looked at her was her undoing.
When he reached the apex of her thighs he grabbed the lace with his teeth as he pulled them slowly down her thighs.
At this point it was all Liza could do to stop herself from coming undone completely. When he went down on her she could no longer contain the moan that escaped her lips and came within minutes. Charles kissed his way back up her body, a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
He kissed her tenderly and whispered he loved her before entering her long slow. He continued this slow pace as he kissed the side of her neck. Liza could feel her second orgasm building and it wasn't long before his pace quickened and they were climaxing together.
They lay snuggled up together drifting off into a peaceful sleep as Charles whispered in her ear, "We're going to make it," before pulling her closer and closing his eyes. They both smiled, joining each other in their dreams.
There are times when life can seem like a terrible ending to a great movie. As if everything and everyone are acting out of character. But sometimes, if you watch long enough there's a bonus scene, a twist to the ending you didn't see coming. One that fills you with so much hope, and you just know, with time, everything will be ok.