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noted.
    Isaac shrugged. “She’d been a part of our family for a long time. She’s been a very good friend to both of us.”
    “Friends? Maybe friends with a few fringe benefits?” Jessica asked boldly. Jessica laughed and took his arm leading him closer to the water.
    Isaac threw his head back and laughed. “Wow!” He rubbed his jaw and smiled.“You ask a lot of questions for someone I met less than 5 minutes ago.” Isaac told her. He didn’t know this woman. Clearly, she worked for the company, but she didn’t really seem like Angela’s type of friend. Angela was a t-shirt and jeans type of girl. This woman, with her manicured nails and perfectly drawn on eyebrows, looked as though she was too high maintenance to ever be caught breaking a sweat.
    She laughed and twirled one of the blond ringlets framing her face between her fingers. “Yeah, I know. It's a bad habit of mine. Opening my mouth before I actually think about what’s coming out. But I’m right, aren’t I? You’re into her.”
    Isaac raised a brown but didn’t answer.
    Jessica’s eyes shadowed for a moment before the brilliant smile was firmly back into place. “You don’t have to answer. I think most of the guys at work are half in love with her. Luckily for you, she doesn’t ever seem to date anyone from work or else you’d have a problem.”
     
    ***
     
    When Marcella rushed off to greet her brother Angela started to follow her over but Charles grasped her hand in his, threading his fingers with hers, before pulling her off into another direction. Angela glanced back at Isaac before she stopped resisting and followed Charles direction until they stopped near the water’s edge.
    “Where are you taking me? I’m not swimming,” she warned him quickly. She had straightened her hair only two days ago, and she really did not want to have to repeat the tedious process again if her hair was to get wet.
    Charles turned to face her. “No swimming? How can you be at the beach and not want to swim? I was looking forward to seeing you get wet in that swimsuit.”
    Angela laughed, “I just came for the free food. Your dad told me there would be steak but I have yet to see more than burgers and brats!”
    “I could take you out for steak.” He offered.
    His offered surprised Angela. She wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. Charles was always joking and flirting but for once, he actually appeared to be serious despite his spontaneous offer. “Now there’s an offer you don’t want to be making. I’d order the steak and the lobster and the shrimp.” she gently untwined their fingers and pretended she needed her hair in a ponytail and began to raking the dark strands up from her neck. “You’d be horrified. And I’d ask for a to-go tray and shove it into a massively, large purse.” she laughed lightly and she was relieved when he laughed as well.
    Charles was a nice guy, charming and charismatic. He was sweet, very attractive and easy to talk to. However, she didn’t want him to think it would be a good idea to pursue her. She’d started working for the Whitman family earlier in the year when Jonathon Whitman, Marcella’s father, needed a temporary secretary. His surly temper sent many of the temporary workers running and his secretary of 10 years moved to Florida to be near her new grandchildren. Over the past year, she’d grown to love her job and the job had gradually become a permanent one.
    She didn’t want to date anyone she worked with and certainly not a member of the Whitman family. It felt too weird considering how many years she’d had a crush on Isaac. While she was firmly ending the chapter on that crush and putting it behind her, it was too weird to consider dating someone so close to Isaac.
    “I doubt that,” Charles replied sincerely. “Every guy in the building would be insanely jealous because the sexiest woman alive would be on my arm.”
    Angela laughed aloud and put her hand on her hip and struck a pose.