Forbidden Love 💙

Chapter 17

A few weeks later Charlotte stood in Lisa's kitchen with her and Chris, dropping off some stuff for Thanksgiving.

"Any plans for Thanksgiving Charlotte?"

She smiled at Lisa, "no. I'll just spend the day alone like I always do. Chinese food and movies. Kind of a tradition."

"Have dinner here with my family Charlie." Chris was trying to keep his distance, to not make it obvious to his mom.

She could see he was pouting, "I can't Chris. You know I can't. I have to go." She smiled at Lisa and heard Chris follow her outside. She groaned as she turned around, "Chris. Don't do this to me. You know I can't come tomorrow. How would that look?"

Chris crossed his arms, looking down at her, "I know! But my family won't say anything. No one has to know."

"I'll see you on Friday Chris. We only have to make it a bit longer." She stepped closer to him as he brought his hands to her arms, "I love you. Enjoy the holiday with your family. Now kiss me and walk away."

Chris laughed, "I thought I was the boss."

"Now we both know that isn't true. I just let you think you're the boss." She grinned as she placed a hand at the nape of his neck, kissing him softly on the lips before walking away.

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Charlotte woke up up to a knock on her door on the morning of Thanksgiving. She opened the door to see Lisa in her doorway, "Lisa? Is everything okay? Chris okay?" She moved out of the way for Lisa to enter.

"Everything is fine. Well, mostly." Lisa watched her for a minute, "what's going on with you and Chris?"

Charlotte didn't look her in the eyes as she started to make coffee, "I don't know what you mean. I work for him."

She heard Lisa laugh behind her, "please. Don't lie to me. I know my son well enough by now to know when he's in love."

Charlotte groaned as she turned around to face her, "what do you mean?"

Lisa tucked a piece of hair gently behind Charlotte's ear, "my son is moping around my house because you can't come today. How long have you been in love with him?"

Charlotte let out a long sigh, sitting on her counter, "honestly? The first time I heard him laugh. But we aren't, we haven't." She shook her head, "we aren't together, we can't be."

"Well, come to Thanksgiving. I'm inviting you, not him. You can't say no to me, can you?"

Charlotte laughed, "I'd like to. I really would. But I can't. We've already been reprimanded once for blurring the lines between employer and employee at his party."

"No one is going to know. Just come. We eat at 2. I hope to see you there. I have a feeling you're going to be around for a while, might as well start now."

Charlotte hopped off the counter, hugging Lisa, "thank you. I'll think about it."

Lisa turned to her from the door, "don't bother knocking, just let yourself in. It gets kind of loud once the kids start running around."

Charlotte just laughed as she watched Chris' mom leave her apartment. She sighed loudly, pacing alone in her apartment as she tried to make a decision. They still had almost 6 more weeks left until their year was up. She knew no one would know if she spent the holidays with his family, they respect his privacy. But it would also be a declaration of them obviously being together.

Charlotte stopped at the store on her way to Lisa's house to grab a pie before arriving at her house just before two. She walked into the house to hear Chris, "who's this seat for?"
Before she could answer, Charlotte entered the dining room as Lisa smiled, "for her." Everyone turned to look at Charlotte, a big smile spreading across Chris' face as Lisa continued, "she doesn't have any family, or anywhere else to go, so I invited her to have dinner with us."