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“Charlotte,” he said with a wide smile, a tumbler of whiskey or bourbon in his hand. “I would have hoped that if you were cheating on me, you’d have the decency to tell me.”
Charlotte just gave him a look, gladly accepting a glass of champagne from a waiter passing by. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw you arrive with Lara Soler. Don’t make the same mistake Ada did. She doesn’t have the experience, and one day, very soon, Ada’s going to find out why she should have picked me.”
Charlotte pursed her lips, her fingers tapping against the glass flute. “Lara is a perfectly capable agent, but I’m not switching.”
“So, you just brought her tonight to antagonize me?”
“Everything isn’t about you, Jerry,” she said with a smirk as she tilted her head back and took a drink. “But I’m honestly not even thinking about switching agents, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Then why did you bring her?” Jerry asked, but the light bulb went off a second later, his eyebrows arching very high. “Oh…” He tilted his head. “Really? Charlotte Dixon,” he said with a shake of his head. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“What’s that exactly?”
“Dating someone half your age. I highly recommend it by the way. I just never saw you doing it.”
“She’s not half my age. Just so you know. But yeah, it’s new. And it’s going really well.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Happy clients make my life so much easier.”
“Again, not all about you,” Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. “I’m going to take her to my cabin in Idyllwild.”
“Oh wow. Not many people get there. You’re letting her into your home away from home, tucked into the woods and far away from all this madness?”
“Yes.” Charlotte took the two and a half hour drive out there as often as her schedule would allow it. As much as she loved the beach and being near the ocean, there was nothing like spending a few days surrounded by nature, her winding and very private driveway leading up to cabin, the rustic exterior almost blending into the landscape.
“That’ll certainly tell you how happy you two really are. Spending a few days isolated like that. It won’t be the same as sneaking around L.A. dodging the paparazzi, getting a few hours alone before one of you has to be somewhere else.” Jerry clinked his tumbler against Charlotte’s champagne flute. “I hope it goes well.”
They took a drink, and Charlotte thought Jerry was in strange humor tonight, even for him. She wasn’t going to dwell on it though, and as she looked past Jerry, her eyes landed on Lara, her hair swept up, revealing her toned arms and shoulders, that red dress fitting her perfectly.
Charlotte wasn’t sure whose house they would end up at tonight, but as soon as they got back, she’d ask Lara if there was any way she could get away for the weekend.
21
Lara closed the passenger door of Charlotte’s Mercedes, slightly taken aback by the cabin they’d pulled up to. Lara had never been out to Idyllwild and the San Jacinto Mountains, but this was nothing like she’d expected. The house was secluded, the woods providing them privacy as they carried their weekend bags up the winding stairs that led to the front porch.
“Charlotte, this is some getaway,” Lara said, standing behind her as she unlocked the door, revealing a rustic interior with pine walls and stone features throughout the kitchen and living area, the stone fireplace taking up most of the living room wall to her left. “Wow.”
“Not what you were expecting?”
“I don’t even know what I was expecting, but no.”
“Extravagance probably?” Charlotte said as she tossed her keys into the stone bowl on the kitchen counter. “Which this is definitely not.”
“I mean, it’s no shack.”
Charlotte chuckled. “No, it’s still got charm and that country feel, along with four bedrooms, but it’s far from the mansion with a three car garage that you might have been imagining. Sometimes, it pays to be lowkey,” Charlotte said with a knowing smile. “Pro tip.”
Lara left her bag on one of the cream suede couches and wrapped her arms around Charlotte. “Thanks for that tip, and thank you for inviting me up here. I’m getting the impression that not many people have seen this place.”
“Ada and Sydney. That’s about it.” Charlotte tilted her head as she leaned in to kiss her, and Lara parted her lips, the feeling of Charlotte’s lips brushing softly over hers still making her entire body hum. “Will I give you a tour?” Charlotte asked as she pulled away.
“Please.”
* * *
Lara stood out on what had to be the biggest deck she’d ever been on, breathing in the fresh scent of pine needles. Charlotte had showed her around the house, moving down the hall where the guest bedrooms were and up to the loft to the master bedroom, the white sheets and plump pillows inviting.
