Read Online Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie - Free Book Online Page B

stomachs. She closed her eyes completely and I follow her silent instruction. I took a deep breath through my nose, letting the buzz swirl through my head.
    “Callum!” I heard, breaking our perfect, flawless moment.
Our eyes shot open, regret can be read all over her face and I know mine screams one word, ‘ why ?’
    “Callum!” We heard again, louder. I tore myself from her, studying the direction I heard the voice coming from. “Callum! Over here!” I look to my left and recognize Cherry.
    “ Cherry ? What are you doing here?”
    “Oh, just bustin’ my hump trying to find you. Charlie insisted I give you this,” she said, handing me a key to his flat.
    “I think I love you, Cherry,” I said, lifting her six foot frame up and twirling her around.
    She gave me a goofy face and peeled herself from my hold. “Okay, sweets. I did my part. I got work to do. Tell Charlie he owes me for leaving the Hamptons early for you.” She winked.
    “I’ll tell him. Thank you so much for this,” I said.
    “No problem, honey. Anything for you.” She pinched my cheek and winked one more time. “Who’s this, baby?” She asked, gesturing toward Harper.
    “Cherry, this is Harper. Harper, Cherry.”
    Harper holds her hand out. “Nice to meet you, Cherry.”
    “Oh, baby, one thing you gotta’ learn about me is I don’t shake hands.” Harper pulled back, offended. “I hug,” she finally offered, pulling Harper in fast. “And any friend of Callum’s, here,” she said, eyeing me dubiously over Harper’s shoulder, “ is a friend of mine, baby. Anything you need, you let me know, ‘kay?”
    “Thank you,” Harper said.
    “Alright, got places to be, people to see. I’ll see you ‘round, C.” She smiled then leaned in and whisper teased, “Who is this girl who’s stolen my Callum Tate?” She pulled back and waved at Harper. “Take it easy, Harper. Nice to meet you, honey,” she said, heading toward the busy cross street, already signaling for a taxi. “By the way,” she yelled, I’ll put yours and Harper’s name on the list at The Bowery. We go on at eleven.”  We watched her get in the cab and it sped off.
    “Let’s go,” I said to Harper.
    “To Charlie’s, I assume?”
    “Of course. We’ve got ourselves a bath tub and a washer and dryer, again. We hit the jackpot, baby,” I said, borrowing a word from Cherry’s vernacular.
     
    Charlie’s flat is in the Village, which is unfortunate that we hadn’t stuck around Martin’s restaurant as it would have spared us the subway fare to The Hope House but then again, I would have missed the kissing dance outside its exterior and I would have paid a million fares to experience that again. It’s an amazing flat but up seven flights and no elevator. By the time we reached the top,  we were both slightly winded.
    “ I don’t know how he does this every day,” I admitted, resting on the wall outside the top of the stairs.
    “ No kidding. Good gracious, at least he gets his cardio in.”
    I opened his door and welcomed Harper in. She stepped through into his cozy loft and glanced around.
    “It’s small and he pays a fortune for it but just look at it.”
    Inside the five hundred square foot apartment is a small living and kitchen area, a bathroom complete with tub and a platform library loft that houses the bedroom. The entire thing, save for the bathroom, is open with fifteen foot high ceilings and dark stained shelves as far as the eye can see, accept the kitchen wall, even the stairs leading to the library loft have built in shelves. And they’re all full of books. Charlie was the most prolific reader I’d ever met in my life.
    “This is amazing,” Jules said.
    “Truly,” I said. We both looked in awe upon our cozy surroundings. “So,” I continued, clapping my hands together, “shall we?”