Page 26 of Brazen
He took the brush when I was done. “I don’t know what I’d be without Maman, so I get it. They’ll be wondering where we are. Are you ready to continue being my fiancée?”
“Let’s do it.” I straightened. I was here temporarily, and I needed keep my desire for Charlie from interfering with our plan.
Chapter Twelve
Hope
* * *
Charlie made me laugh. I was on the stairs, almost in tears, over his stupid joke about a movie we’d both seen as kids. I wiped my eyes, and his family waved for us to join them on the patio.
I gazed at the buffet of food and walked next to him. His story about skiing past a pack of bears sent goosebumps down my spine, but I doubted Charlie ever knew fear at all, since he’d never had worries of any kind. I sighed, but then my phone played a twenty-year-old pop song that served as the ringtone for my squad. I stopped and checked. “Avril’s calling. I’ll join you in a minute.”
He kissed my cheek. We were public, and his family clearly saw us together. I sighed, imagining a real kiss again. He let me go. “I’ll make you a plate.”
“Thanks.” I smiled brightly then found a small library and headed to the seat near the window. “Hey, I’ll be back tomorrow. What’s going on?”
“Fuck, I forgot you were out of town,” Avril said, her tone on edge.
My hairs stood up. “It’s okay. What’s so urgent?”
“They didn’t give me the promotion.” Tears followed.
I sucked in my breath. “Oh no. Why?”
“Because I’ve been seen too many times at cocktail hour.”
I tensed. We all went together most nights, and so did half of Manhattan. I hugged my waist, wondering if more companies had that policy. “By who?”
“Jeffrey Lauglin, which is ridiculous because he’s the one at all the bars, drinking way more than I ever do. But since I’m in the stupid blogs as your friend, it shows I’m not management material.”
“That’s stupid.” I slumped into the chair near me and let my shoulders hit the back. I remembered him approaching our table a few months back. “Did he sabotage you because Kelly wouldn’t go out with him?”
“I don’t know, and I’m not putting that on her.”
“Good.” I sat up as I heard the Norouzi family outside, laughing. My job was to be there right now, and Avril was brilliant. I would keep an eye out for a job listing that matched her skills, but I said, “I’m short on time, since I’m a guest here, but when I get back, we’ll talk about it, okay?”
“Not all of us are so lucky that we just get engaged to a trillionaire and stop caring about money.”
My skin prickled. I hadn’t won the lottery, but I didn’t have Avril’s pressure to pay for her sister’s hospital bills either. “Ouch.”
“I’m sorry. I’m having a shitty day. Look, have fun and talk to you soon.”
I tucked my phone into my small pocketbook. I wished I could help my friends, but I was a mess too. As I stepped on the balcony, though, it was like I saw glowing people who clearly had life figured out. My heart skipped a beat. I could pretend for a little while that I belonged among them. Charlie waved for me and had a seat in the middle of his family.
“What’s going on with Avril?” he asked.
His brothers were talking around us. I placed my napkin on my lap. “She didn’t get the promotion.”
Charlie tilted his head. “What does she do?”
I picked up my silverware. “She’s an analyst. She wanted to be the senior financial analyst.”
Next to me, a taller, younger version of his father said, “Have her send me her resume.”
Charlie raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, Kir?”
Last night had been a blur of meeting his family. I gazed at the man who was the reason I was sitting here.
