Page 15 of One More Chance
“I know. But you haven’t heard the worst part.”
“There’s more?” Lauren leaned forward; her eyes wide. “This makes my day seem like a walk in the park.”
“You just wait. I took Tabitha for hot chocolate at Sugar Peaks Café and met up with Megan. You know that big news she had for me?”
“Yeah, were you right? Is she engaged?”
“Yep.” Charlotte reclined back into the overstuffed chair and rested her sock feet on the edge of the coffee table. “And I’m her maid of honor.”
“That’s cool,” Lauren replied. “And what you expected, isn’t it?”
“It is. And I’m really happy for her. She’s my best friend, so I couldn’t really say no.”
“Why would you say no?”
“Guess who is in Josh’s wedding party?”
“No,” Lauren gasped again. “There’s no way. I didn’t even know that they were friends.”
Charlotte finished off her glass of wine and held it up, “I didn’t either. Another?”
“I think I need it,” Lauren replied. “You pour the wine; I’ll throw another log on the fire.”
Once they were settled back into their seats, Charlotte filled Lauren in on all the details. How Freddie and Logan Brush had become close with Josh after his girlfriend died, and that they had been the ones who got him through the tragedy.
“I mean, I see how you have to be in Megan’s wedding, but does she know what happened with you and Logan?”
“She knows that I hate him, which is why she wanted me up here, to break the news to me face to face but I haven’t told her all of the details.”
“I think that you should.”
“And then what? Put her in the awkward position of telling her fiancé that she doesn’t want his friend in the wedding party?”
“I guess that would make things a little awkward, but Megan’s your best friend. She should know.”
Charlotte sighed. “I guess I’ll have to tell her. Lauren, am I being childish? I mean, it was over fifteen years ago, and we were basically kids.”
“I saw you fall apart after Logan Brush. Mom and I were so worried about you. But maybe people change?”
“Is that a question?”
“I don’t know, Charlotte. I don’t think people change. If Logan was a shitty human being in 2004, chances are he still is. And now that he has money, well, from what I’ve seen, it only amplifies bad human traits.”
Charlotte tilted her head. “Like with me?”
“No, not like you. You were generous and kind even when you didn’t have money. In your case, money has amplified your good traits.”
Charlotte smiled. Lauren always had an interesting way of looking at things.
“Although, I think that it turned you into a workaholic.”
“I took today off!” Charlotte replied.
“You were sending emails and making calls when I walked in the door, I hardly call that ‘taking the day off’.”
“You don’t understand, it’s hard to turn it off. And you should talk, you left in the dark this morning and are just rolling in now, at 9:30.”
“So, maybe both of us throw ourselves into our work to avoid real life.”
