A gentleman and group of British ladies dressed in nineteenth-century corsets and bonnets kept Charlotte company.
Too bad they were actors on TV in Jane Eyre.
She squirted spray cheese into her mouth and then tossed in a cracker. Putting cheese on a cracker was too much work. “He’s a big fat liar, Jane. They all lie.”
She angled the can again for another dose of cheesy goodness. A knock on the front door diverted her aim from her mouth to her cheek. Picking up the remote, she quickly muted the film, hoping the unexpected company would leave. Hopefully they hadn’t heard the movie.
“I know you’re in there because you just turned off your television!” The endearing yet unwelcome female voice yelling from the other side of the door confirmed her fears.
Melanie.
“C’mon!” She knocked again. “I know you’re in there.”
Charlotte dashed to the kitchen to grab a napkin. She wiped her cheek, then tugged an oversized shirt over her leggings.
“Who is it?” Charlotte teased.
“Your two favorite people in the whole wide world,” Melanie’s overly chirpy voice replied.
And she brought her enforcer, Tiana. Charlotte sighed. Damien had noticed she wasn’t her usual self and told his wife. Great.
“I wasn’t expecting company.”
“We don’t care!” Tiana responded in the same sing-songy voice. “Now open up.”
“Fine.” She unhooked the chain and twisted the lock open.
Stepping back, she let her uninvited guests into her apartment. Tiana and Melanie rushed past her, each with a grocery bag in hand, and went straight to the kitchen.
“Make yourself at home.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t become you,” Melanie said, sliding the bag onto the counter.
Charlotte massaged her forehead. “Sorry I’m such a grump. I guess Damien told you I wasn’t in the best mood.”
“Yeah, he figured it was something between you and Jake. So, he harassed Jake, and I’m here to harass you. BTW, we saw some of that coverage between Jake and that model.”
Rushing into the kitchen, Charlotte slammed her palms on the high-top counter. “He what?”
“Correction,” Melanie said, smiling. “We harassed Jake. And now, imagine our surprise when we found out that our sweet little friend was the one to break it off.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so sorry I didn’t believe he wasn’t secretly hooking up with a freaking supermodel.”
Tiana shook her head. “No, she’s a regular model. Nothing super about her. And anyway, we aren’t here to choose sides, right, Mel?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She grumbled as she pulled out bottles. “Tonight, we are in woman solidarity. Tiana is going to whip up her world-famous nachos. You can do a salad version since you’re all healthy now.”
“I can eat the nacho version.” Charlotte glanced at the nearly empty cheese can on the living room table. I’ve been eating everything that wasn’t nailed down anyway. Prediabetes be damned. Can they see the four-point-five pounds I’ve gained?
“Good!” Melanie clapped her hands together. “And, of course, we have booze! Lots and lots of booze. Your fave . . . margaritas.” She waved at the sweet-and-sour mix, orange juice, and tequila. “We also have wine and ginny Ts.”
“Ginny who?” Charlotte asked.
Tiana rolled her eyes and opened up the ground turkey packet. “Gin and tonic.”
“Now you get to choose the theme for tonight. Either Men Suck, RomCom, or straight-up romance, action, or a scary movie.”
Flopping onto the recliner, Charlotte crossed her ankles. “No drama?”
“Nah,” Mel replied, grabbing a few cocktail glasses from the cabinet. “We didn’t want to send you over the edge. So, what will it be?”
“I was watching Jane Eyre until you two barged your way in.”
Melanie nodded and said, “I could so do Jane Eyre.” Tiana, at the same time, shuddered and said, “Hell, no.”
Melanie rolled her eyes at Tiana. “I bet if Jane were dressed like a freaking elf you’d like it. Weirdo.”
Her Lord of the Rings obsessed friend shrugged. “Elves are awesome and magical. What’s not to love?”
While her friends argued over movie preferences, Charlotte mentally reviewed her choices. Oddly enough, action movies reminded her of Jake, and she wasn’t in the mood for men bashing. She still wasn’t sure Jake had fake cheated on her yet. She wouldn’t mind a straight-up romance.
“What kind of romance movies do you have?” she cut into their argument.
“How about Love Jones?” Tiana suggested.
“Hell yes!” Charlotte scooted up from her slouch position.
“I was hoping you would say that,” Tiana yelled from the kitchen. “I am so ready for some brother to the night,” she said, referencing the movie’s main character.
“And right now I am the blues in your left thigh,” Melanie quoted as she walked over to give Charlotte her margarita.
Charlotte took the drink and saluted Melanie. “Trying to become the funk in your right.”
“Is that all right?” they finished in unison.
Charlotte laughed, finally embracing the impromptu girls’ night. She took a deep gulp. Whew! Melanie did not play with the tequila. Even the OJ and the sweet-and-sour mix didn’t mask it. Fine by me.
“Go ahead and start the movie, Charlotte.” Tiana pointed to the DVD.
Charlotte picked up the movie from the counter, put it in the player, and pressed play. Soon after, Tiana finished the nachos and cheese dip and joined them.
Between the drinks, quality friend time, and lusting after Larenz Tate—who had nothing on Jacob Ross—Charlotte was feeling better.
After the movie ended, the women gabbed about their men. Well, rather, Tiana and Melanie did. Despite her sore feelings, Charlotte enjoyed the behind-the-scenes scoops on how her friends had fallen in love.
“So let me get this right,” Charlotte pointed a chip at Tiana, “you’re on a sex strike until Nathan agrees to go to New Zealand for your honeymoon?”
“Yes.” Tiana nodded. “I want to do a set tour for Lord of the Rings.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “Girl, you know you aren’t gonna last more than seventy-two hours, tops. And let’s be real, you’re just trying to punish him for being a diva about the wedding.”
Sipping a Cosmo, Tiana shrugged. “Maybe I am. I cannot wait to get married. The man is impossible. I kid you not . . . he wants freaking doves released when I walk down the aisle.”
“He isn’t serious.” Charlotte laughed and then stopped when she read her friend’s serious expression.
“Oh, and he wants trumpets for when he and his dad, his best man, walk down the aisle. Freaking trumpets! Who does that?”
“Apparently Nathan,” Melanie answered. “Thank goodness D didn’t need all that stuff.”
“That’s because I graciously planned your wedding. You’re welcome by the way.”
“Gracias,” Melanie replied without missing a beat.
Tiana chuckled. “Not to mention Damien was so happy that he supposedly won you over from your fake relationship with Jake that he hustled your ass down the aisle.”
“True that.” Melanie sipped without a care in the world.
Curiosity pricked at Charlotte. She’d always wanted to know the full story behind the fake relationship.
“What was that all about? How did you get Jake to agree?”
“It was his idea. He saw how hung up—”
“Obsessed,” Tiana interrupted.
“Whatever. Anyway, like I was saying, Jake, being the wonderful friend that he was, suggested we make D jealous.”
Fake relationships. He’s good at those. Charlotte fidgeted. “When you guys were together, how did he . . . I mean . . . did he treat you like a real girlfriend?”
Mel shook her head. “No. We barely spoke. We just did the charity gig, and that was it. He was attentive but not like he is with you. Charlotte . . . ” She leaned in closer. “He likes you. A lot. He always has.”
“Has he?” Charlotte asked. I don’t believe that. Her thoughts must’ve been written on her face because her friend nodded her head.
“Yes, he has. Before you two hooked up, he always came in earlier than his volunteer time to stare at you during your dance classes.”
“How do you know? You aren’t there half the time.”
“But your boss is. As a matter of fact, Damien was going to speak to Jake about staring at your ass. His words, not mine.” She leaned back into her chair. “Said something about setting a bad example with the young men. Although they were looking at you well before Jake Ross.”
Her heart trilled. Jake looked at me? No, he stared at me. Suppressing a smile, she shook her head before it floated right back to the clouds again. “Be still my beating heart.” Her voice reeked sarcasm, although she was secretly pleased.
“I know we aren’t supposed to talk about Jake.” Melanie watched as Tiana made a cutting signal at her throat. “But I have to say . . . he is a good man. If he said he wasn’t with the model, then he wasn’t. As a member of the media, some of us aren’t as thorough with fact-checking. And if you look at that picture of them together—”
“Enough, Mel.” Tiana gripped her glass. “We agreed. No Jake talk.”
“No, you told me not to say anything,” she snapped back. “And I didn’t agree. Now let me finish because this is important. In the picture, Jake had a full beard, and this was supposedly last week. Did he grow out his beard?”
Charlotte’s heart thudded in her chest. Shoot. She couldn’t remember. She’d avoided him the week after their trip to Alabama. Jake is right. I am a coward. She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I didn’t see him that week. I was, umm, busy.”
Melanie’s face fell. “Oh, well. I thought we could close the case tonight. I was so sure you would know.” Wow! She looks like someone told her Santa doesn’t exist.
Placing her glass on a coaster, Tiana sighed. “Actually . . . I saw him that week. It was a week before your charity gig, right?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, well, as you know, he works with Nathan for the Fiete sports car campaign. We filmed another concept that week, and he was definitely scruff-free. Saw him most of the week, actually.”
“Oh, thank God!” Melanie hopped from her seat. “You see, Charlotte. He’s innocent. Stupid celebrity stalkers and stupid she wishes she were super, but a basic-ass model.”
Charlotte was elated. He was telling the truth. He really, really was.
“Shoot. Now I have to figure out how to apologize. I didn’t outright accuse Jake, but I made it seem like I didn’t believe him.”
“Because you didn’t.” Melanie wagged her finger.
“I don’t blame her,” Tiana argued. “He doesn’t have the best reputation, and they’ve only been dating for what? A month.” She shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll understand.”
Yeah. You weren’t there to see the disappointment, hurt, and anger in his eyes. How he managed to convey all those feelings in his striking eyes she’d never know, but it slammed deep in her stomach.
“I don’t know, guys. He was pretty upset.”
Melanie tapped a finger over her lips, and Tiana grabbed her throat and hummed.
“Is sex on the table?” Melanie asked, her voice drop-dead serious.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Sex is not on the table,” she lied. It was definitely on the table. She just wasn’t sure Jake would be open to seduction after she all but accused him of being a liar.
“All right, don’t get your panties in a twist. And don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” Melanie mumbled the last part.
“Just tell the truth and apologize. If he likes you enough, he’ll forgive you. I suspect he will.” That was Tiana, always the straightforward type.
Sex or tell the truth. As much as Charlotte loved her friends, they were so unhelpful.