“So, then the guy said, ‘So we’re set on the four point six carat diamond and the platinum setting’?” I recounted my afternoon’s shopping trip to Emily. “And then Max was like, ‘Well, that’s the one my fiancée likes?’” I giggled as I held my hand up for her to admire. “And, well, that’s basically the whole story. What do you think?”
“Whoa. Could that diamond be any bigger?” She grinned at me. “Are you trying to blind me?”
“Ha ha, can you believe it?” I sipped from my iced mocha and then looked at my phone screen. “Ugh, I only have thirty minutes left before Max and the limo come back to pick me up.”
“I just can’t keep up with you.” Emily shook her head. “I have no idea how this happened. I thought he was going to take you straight to the police station.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. “So why did you encourage me to go with him, then?”
“Well, I mean it was either the police station or his bedroom for some bow chicka bow wow,” she said with a laugh. “It was worth the risk. He’s hot, and you need to get laid.”
“Emily!” I rolled my eyes at her. “This is a business agreement. There is not going to be any sex.”
“Pull the other one, Charlotte. Maybe Anabel will believe that shit, but you want him badly.” She leaned back in her seat. “And if for some reason you don’t want him, I’ll have him. Shit, I haven’t had a date in over a year. I’d be happy to bang one out with him.”
“Emily, you’re worse than a guy, you know that right?”
“Not possible.” She shook her head. “So do I get a shot with him or . . . ?”
“I’m not even answering that question. Don’t you think I’m already in enough trouble?”
“Yeah, but that’s you, not me.”
“Ha ha.”
“You know I’m just joking. So he’s coming to pick you up and then you’re going to go back to your place?”
“To pack because then we’re catching a plane and going overseas.” I couldn’t hold in my excitement. “He has a private jet, but we’re flying commercial because he’s trying to watch his carbon footprint.”
“As he should.”
“But we’re flying first class!”
“To Japan?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I think he said we’re going to Australia.”
“Australia?”
“Yeah. I can’t remember why, though.”
“I thought the deal he was trying to close was in Japan though?”
“It is.”
“So why Australia?”
“Girl, who knows and who cares?”
“True, so have you signed the contract yet?”
“No, he’s getting it written up now.” I licked my lips nervously. “I kinda have my own requirements I want to add, but I’m not sure if I should bring them up to him.”
“Oh?” Emily looked surprised. “What are your requirements?”
“I don’t want him to think I’ll be at his beck and call every minute of the day.” I took a deep breath. “And I just want him to respect me.”
“Oh, that’s nothing.” Emily smiled at me. “You’re doing him a favor. Of course, he’ll respect you.”
“I don’t know. I think he thinks this is all fun and games for me. And I mean, why wouldn’t it be, right? For most women, it would be the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“But you're not most women.”
“He doesn’t know that.” I exhaled and then put my face in my hands and tried to suppress all the nervous thoughts that were threatening to take control of my body. I hadn’t felt this level of anxiety in years. Was I making a mistake?
“Do you think I’m a bad person?” I said, all of a sudden serious. “I’m selling my soul, in a way.”
“You’re not a bad person, Char.” Emily leaned forward and squeezed my hand. “You know that, right? You’re not the one who made this plan. It was Max.”
“But I’m doing it for money.” I pursed my lips. “Maybe I should just go home. My parents miss me.” I knew they would be delighted to see me. It had been years since I’d been home. I FaceTimed them every week, but that wasn’t the same.
“You can’t move back home.” Emily shook her head. “I won’t let you. I’d miss you too much.”
“But this doesn’t feel like a good idea anymore.” I stared at the ring on my hand. “This is fake. It means nothing. I don’t want to be this person, driven by money. I should go home, but I can’t. The memories . . .” My voice trailed off. “It still hurts, Em. It still hurts.” I could feel tears welling in my eyes and I took a deep breath.
“I know.” She nodded and this time she squeezed my hand a little tighter. “He was your everything.”
“When we were young, I talked so much about getting engaged. About wearing a ring on this finger. I showed him so many rings that he most probably never wanted to see another engagement ring in his life.” I half cried, half laughed. “And now here I am with a ring and it’s gorgeous, and it means nothing. I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“You can’t live in the past, Charlotte.” Emily took a deep breath. “Brandon wouldn’t . . .” She paused as she realized the effect her saying his name had on me. “I’m sorry. I know that this isn’t how you planned your engagement to go.”
“I guess it’s what I deserve.” I tried to smile. “It’s funny how life goes, eh? You try and keep a big smile on your face. You try and stay positive, but it still shits on you when you’re not paying attention.”
“If you don’t want to do this, then you don’t have to,” Emily said. “I have some money I can lend you.”
“You what? But you’re as broke as me.”
“I have a rainy day fund,” she explained. “After growing up the way I did.” She had a faraway look on her face. “It’s important to me to have a backup fund, just in case.”
“I never knew.”
“It’s literally for emergencies and emergencies only. I have about ten grand.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.” I was so impressed by my friend and disgusted with myself for having nothing. “You can’t lend that to me, Emily. That’s your emergency fund.”
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to do something you don’t want to do for money. Friends don’t let that happen. Family doesn’t let that happen,” she said seriously. “It’s yours if you want it.”
“No, I’ll be fine. The past is the past.” I finished the last of my iced mocha and clenched my fists. “I just need to be more responsible. Like you.”
“Don’t get carried away, now,” she said with a small laugh. “So, do you think you’ll have to make out with Max or anything?”
“I don’t know.” I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as I thought about getting down and dirty with Max. “We shall see.”
“It’s okay to have fun, you know,” Emily said softly. “It’s okay to enjoy being with someone else.”
“I just never thought I’d be here, in a position like this.” I let out a deep sigh. “He was my Brandon.”
“Things should have been different, Char.” She nodded. “But he made the choice. You have to remember that. He made the choice. Not you.”
“I know.” I let out a bitter laugh. “A part of me wishes I’d begged him not to go.”
“I know.” She sighed as well. “But we both know that wouldn’t have stopped him.”
“It would be all about sex with Max.” I could feel myself going red. “I’m definitely attracted to him. I can’t lie, but is it bad that all I want him for is sex? I mean, not that I want him for sex, but I have to admit it has crossed my mind.”
“Girl, men have used women for centuries to get what they want. Don’t think too much about it.” Her voice was no-nonsense now. “You get yours.”
“Yeah, true.” I laughed and then I heard my phone beeping. “That’s weird. I thought I put my ringer on silent.” I pulled the phone out of my handbag. “It’s Max. He texted me.”
“Ooh, what did he say?”
I pressed open on the text and read aloud. “Check your email.” I rolled my eyes. “He’s such a bossyboots. I can’t stand it.”
“What does his email say?” Emily looked intrigued.
“Let me see.” I clicked on my inbox icon. There were three missed emails from Max.
I opened the first one curious as to what he was sending me.
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
I hope you are enjoying coffee with your friend. I’m having your contract drawn up as we speak and was wondering what size bra you wore?
Max
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
I don’t want to take liberties, but if I had to guess I’d say you were a 36C? More than a bite, but slightly less than a handful.
Max
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
Do you prefer thongs or bikini briefs?
Max
I stared at the emails in shock, not knowing if he was joking around or what? Surely, he didn’t expect me to answer that question? I passed my phone over to Emily who started laughing as soon as she read them.
“Well, I guess we know that he’s not interested in just a platonic relationship.”
“He’s crazy.” I shook my head. “I’m not responding to these emails.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.” I glared at my phone screen. “I asked him in the limo if he was expecting to have sex, and he made it seem as if that was the furthest thing from his mind.”
“And you believed him?”
“Well, I mean . . .” I just grinned at her. “Really, who could resist me?”
“Respond to him! Go on!”
“What should I say?”
“He thinks you’re a prude and that he’s shocking you,” Emily said. “Girl, he thinks he’s got you all hot and bothered. Spin it around on him.”
“How?”
“Go even further.” She grinned. “He won’t know what the hell to do with himself.”
“You’re right.” I sat up straight and laughed. “I might as well have some fun with it, right?”
“Right. We’re twenty-five. If ever there was a time for us to just let loose and have some fun, then this is it.”
“True, true. Okay, I’m going to email back.”
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Max,
I rarely wear panties. So I don’t prefer thongs or bikini briefs. Sometimes I do wear boyfriend shorts, but usually that’s after a night of passionate lovemaking. As to my bra size, good guess, but not quite. I guess you’re not as familiar with ladies’ breasts as you thought. I wear a 36D bra. May I ask you why you want to know?
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
Are you wearing no panties right now?
Max
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Max,
How can I be wearing no panties?
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
I’m picking you up at the coffee shop in five minutes. I can check for myself.
Max
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Max,
You wish.
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
You have no idea what I’m wishing.
Max
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Max,
I think I do.
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
I have the contract ready, but there are some amendments I’d like to make. If you’re up for it.
Hard Max
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Mad Max,
I’m always up for it. I just don’t know if I’m up for you.
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Charlotte,
I’m up for you, so that’s all the matters.
Up and Ready
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
Dear Stone,
You’d be lucky. I’ve got a vibrator that can do the job better than any man.
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
Sit on my face and see if my tongue isn’t better than your vibrator.
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
No comment.
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Re: Unmentionables
I’m outside. Bring your friend. We can drop her off at home.
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Re: Unmentionables
I’ll be right there.