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“He’s on the way,” Charlotte said coming back towards Lara. “He’ll be here in less than five minutes.”
“Thank you.” Lara stood in the foyer, her arms folded across her chest. It didn’t come across as defensive, so she must be cold?
“Here,” Charlotte said, shrugging out of her blazer. “Put this on. Jessica’s got the AC on full blast.” She held out her blazer, and Lara took a second to turn her back towards her and slide her arms into the sleeves.
“Thank you.” Lara moved to face her, and for a second, Charlotte wondered if her initial gut feeling about Lara was right, because there was something in her gaze now that suggested attraction rather than admiration. It was the way her eyes had darkened, the way they’d flickered down to Charlotte’s lips for the briefest moment before she turned and slid her arms into the sleeves of the blazer.
Charlotte’s phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking the moment, and Lara took a step back, moving towards the door when Charlotte confirmed that her driver was outside. She’d text Jessica once she was in the car to let her know that she had to go, because she had a feeling Jessica was still telling stories inside, and that if Charlotte went back into the living room, she wouldn’t be able to get away without saying goodnight to every single person.
So, she followed Lara down the five steps that led up to Jessica’s front door and thanked her driver who was holding the door open for the two of them.
Charlotte slid into the backseat after Lara, giving her driver Kerri’s address before she got comfortable, and he pulled off, only the hum of the engine filling the dark space as they drove along the coast.
“I’m sorry about before,” Lara said after a moment. “About using the past tense. I really didn’t mean anything by it.”
Charlotte nodded. “I wasn’t offended, but it is telling. You’re an agent after all. You know exactly what it’s like for a woman my age to try and get meaningful roles. And you were right about one thing. That I didn’t have to wonder what I might have achieved. I suppose I’m still trying to wrestle with the idea that either way there would have been doubt.” She turned to look at Lara, the streetlights illuminating her face as they slowed to a stop. “If I did come out years ago, I’d be wondering what my career might have been like if I didn’t. And now, I have the professional accomplishments, but I’m still dwelling on what might have been, if I’ve missed the right woman. If she’s out there and married to someone else.”
Lara held her gaze in the dimly lit back seat as the car pulled off again. “Do you think there’s one right person for everyone?”
Charlotte arched an eyebrow, the direction of their conversation momentarily throwing her. “Yeah. I mean, the sensible part of me thinks that’s bullshit,” she said with a smile, “But the part of me that likes to dream? It’s nice to think that there’s somebody out there who is that perfect match, who I have that indescribable connection with.” She shook her head as she turned to watch the buildings go by. “I don’t know what I think, really. This is all so new to me. Dating. Putting myself out there.”
“Hayden commented on that. When you arrived,” Lara said. “That you were like a new person.”
Charlotte smiled to herself. “Yeah. It certainly feels like it,” she said as the car pulled up to a high set of closed gates, and Lara fumbled in her bag for her keys, pressing the button to open them. “Well, have fun on Sunday.”
“Sunday?”
Charlotte stared at her as the doors opened. “The awards ceremony. Ada’s up for best actress.”
“Oh, I’m not going. I’ll be watching from the comfort of my couch,” Lara said, flashing her a warm smile. “You’re going?”
“No. I plan on doing the same thing.” Charlotte opened her mouth without knowing what she wanted to say but recovered quickly. “Do you want to come over that night?”
Lara’s eyes widened. “Really?” She didn’t sound like an excited fan. She sounded like she was sure she’d misheard Charlotte.
“Yeah. Of course. Why watch it alone when we could be cheering Ada on together?”
“Uh, yeah. That’d be great. Um…” She reached for her bag and took out her phone, holding it out for Charlotte to take. “Why don’t you give me your number and we can figure out the time and you can text me your address.”
“Sure.” Charlotte took the phone and entered her name and number. “Night, Lara. It was really nice to meet you.”
Lara’s lips slid into a smile. “You too. Goodnight. And thanks for the ride. Oh,” she said with a shake of her head. “Your blazer.” She shrugged out of it and handed it to Charlotte. “Thank you. See you Sunday.”
Charlotte watched Lara unlock the front door, and on the drive home, she had a feeling that by Monday morning she’d have a really good idea if Lara was actually struggling like Kerri thought she was.
5
Lara’s week flew by. She’d spent more time than she would have liked interviewing potential personal assistants. Ada had been the one to point it out to her when Lara had dropped by her home the night after Jessica’s party.
Ada wasn’t sure how Lara had gone this long without one, that Kerri had given Lara so much responsibility when she was Kerri’s PA, and that Ada could always see the difference it made in terms of Kerri getting down to the important work and not getting lost in the minutia.
So, now, after interviewing six people, Lara was pretty sure that Nina was the right fit for her. She’d just graduated from college, and she was ambitious and confident without being cocky. They’d agreed on a trial week that would be paid, and as Lara joined the line at her favorite coffee place, she hadn’t realized how much she needed this.
The whir of coffee beans in the grinder mixed with the noise of the conversations going on around her as she inhaled the rich scent of pastries and coffee.
Nina had sold herself, going through a long list of ways that she could make her life easier, and Lara knew. She’d been Kerri’s PA for three years. She’d done everything from taking meeting notes to picking up dry cleaning. Not that Kerri had been in any way demanding or difficult. She’d always treated Lara with respect, but she’d done all kinds of odd jobs for Kerri, and she honestly couldn’t wait to have that kind of help in her own life right now.
She’d been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that the line wasn’t moving. Three people were ahead of her: a woman with two young children, a businessman in a suit who was on the phone while he waited, and a woman at the front of the line who seemed to be having some kind of argument with the barista.
