Chapter 14

Charlotte's POV

I turned to the man, I turned around, ready to apologise profusely, but instead, my breath caught in my throat. The man I've bumped into is, without a doubt, the most handsome man I've ever seen. His eyes are a deep blue, his hair a perfect mess, and his jawline sharp and defined.

But his expression is one of annoyance, his lips pressed into a frown, and I can't help but feel guilty for ruining his day. I try to think of something to say, but my tongue feels heavy in my mouth, and I froze.

He clears his throat.

“Could you watch where you're going, I finally found my voice.

"I'm so sorry," I say, my words tumbling out in a rush.

"I wasn't paying attention and I'm just so sorry for spilling your coffee and making a mess of your shirt. Can I do anything to make it up to you?" He looks at me for a moment, his eyes softening just slightly. "Well," he says, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“There's nothing you can do.” He hissed as he took out his phone, calling someone, I was embarrassed,

“I am so sorry,” I said but he instead walked away, without saying anything. I frowned as I watched as he walked away, anger bubbling up inside me.

I can't believe that I had the bad luck to bump into the most handsome man I've ever seen, and he had to be a jerk about it. I fume, muttering to myself as I stomp towards my seat. As I sit stewing in my annoyance, I hear the ding of the elevator and look up, I couldn't help but wonder if there might have been something more to him than I thought.

Just then, Anita arrived, I looked at her, she looked a mess, looking like she'd just been through a war zone. Her hair looked dishevelled, her shirt wrinkled, and her face was pale.

"What happened?" I ask, concerned about flooding through me. She takes a deep breath, and I know whatever she is about to say is going to be bad. "We've got a problem," she says, with a serious voice.

"The presentation for the board of directors is gone," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Gone?" I repeat, not quite believing what I'm hearing.

"All of it?" She nodded, looking like she was about to be sick. I feel a sinking feeling in my stomach, my mind racing with all the implications of this. The board meeting is tomorrow, and without the presentation, we're going to be in serious trouble. I try to think of a solution, but my mind is drawing a blank.

"What are we going to do?" I ask, panic rising in my chest. For some reason, the feeling in my gut kept telling me someone had messed up with the presentation. I knew what to do since I had practised it but I needed the slideshow too.

We haven't even gotten to Istanbul and this is happening already.

The intercom in the airport announced our flight. I signalled Anita, and we headed straight to boarding Business class. As soon as I walked into the plane, I saw a familiar face, it was the guy at the coffee shop, sitting in the seat next to mine, his eyes fixed on me.

I try to act nonchalant, but my heart is racing in my chest. I take my seat, avoiding his gaze as I settle in. But then, I felt a nudge on my arm. I turn and see him smiling at me.

“Sorry, I wasn't in a good mood." He says, his friendly tone. I was taken aback, but I managed to give him a small smile in return.

"Of course, it's fine," I say, relieved to have broken the ice.

“I'm Arthur by the way.” taking out his hand to me for a handshake, I stared at his hand, then took it after many battles with my subconscious,

“Charlotte ,” I said simply,

”Beautiful name”. He says flashing a smile, I must confess, I find myself drawn to his features, the curve of his jaw, the angle of his cheekbones, the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles.

I felt a flutter of something unfamiliar, something that I can't quite name. I push the thought away, telling myself that it's just the adrenaline of the flight, the unfamiliarity of the situation.

“Thank you.” I finally said, the intercom announced our take off, and he focused on whatever he was doing which I guessed to be work.

Throughout the flight, we talked seldom, Anita sat behind me, and I was sure she must be wondering when I had met this person but I avoided her inquisitive eyes begging for answers.

……

We finally got to Istanbul, my ride was ready, and I turned to him.

“Mr. Arthur?” I called, he raised his gaze at me,

“I'll see you around,” I said, taking his hand.

“I do hope so. This is a large city.” He teased, and then his assistant came in shortly as they boarded their ride then then drove off.

I turned to see Anita staring at me,

“What's that? I don't appreciate you staring at me like that.” I said to her,

“You always seem to amaze me Ma'am.” she breathed out, as our car came, entering the car as we were driven to the hotel.

….

The hotel was a gleaming tower of glass and steel, rising high above the city. I step into the lobby, my eyes wide as I take in the grandeur of the space. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, sparkling like jewels. Marble floors gleam, reflecting the light from the chandeliers. I feel out of place, my clothes suddenly seeming too plain, too ordinary. I approach the front desk, feeling a nervous flutter in my stomach.

"Hello, welcome to the Grand Hotel," the clerk says, her voice smooth and polished.

"How may I help you?"

“Charlotte 2pm, two rooms”, and she smiles, her expression friendly.

"Your room is ready, and I've taken the liberty of upgrading you to one of our suites," she says.

"I hope you enjoy your stay with us." I'm stunned by her generosity, my mouth opening and closing in surprise.

"That's...that's very kind of you," I manage to stammer.

I took the key card from the clerk handing it to Anita, my mind still reeling from the unexpected upgrade.

We board the elevator and head up to my suite. As the doors open, we step out into a room that's bigger than my apartment. A king-sized bed, a sitting area, a kitchenette, and a view of the city that takes my breath away.

“Ma'am Amelia went out of her way,” Anita says with a small smile.

“She did this?”

“She was worried you'd get old feet.” She says, as she carefully drops my handbag. Our bags came in shortly, I handed the man a tip, and seeing his warm smile warmed up my heart.

Then turned to Anita, "Be here early tomorrow so we could fix the presentation problem, okay?”

“Sure, Ma'am.” She nods, “If you need me I'll be in the next room.” She says, taking her box in her, as she walks out of the room closing it behind her, silence again everywhere.

“Great.” I collapsed on the bed, I was exhausted and aching all over. Dragging myself out of the bed, I dragged my feet to the bathroom, I let the hot water cascade over my skin.

I close my eyes, savoring the sensation of the water against my tired muscles. I wash away the dirt and grime of the day, feeling my body relax as the stress of travel melts away. I lather up my hair, letting the shampoo's fragrance fill my senses. I'm struck by the luxury of it all, the feeling of being completely taken care of. It's a feeling I'm not used to, but one that I'm beginning to enjoy.

As I step out of the shower, I wrap myself in a plush towel, drying off my damp skin. I walk over to the full-length mirror, still a bit in awe of my surroundings. I run a brush through my hair, letting it dry in its natural waves.

I dress in a simple, comfortable outfit, feeling relaxed and at ease. I feel my body sink into the softness of the sheets as I climb into bed, feeling completely at home in this place that's so far from my everyday life. My stomach groaned in hunger, it's been over 30 minutes since I ordered lunch.

“So great for the first service,” I said to myself, just then there was a knock on the door, and my eyes quickly popped up in excitement as I rushed to go get my food, but in opening the door I found myself face-to-face with a sight I never expected to see.

There, on the other side of the threshold, stood my ex-husband, a tray of food in his hands.

“ Auden??”.