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“You’re looking at me oddly,” he claims, grabbing another pastry. “If you’re going to argue the beard, I’ll have you know it’s a lady
magnet.”
“A lady magnet?” I purse my lips to hold back my smile. “Because you need more ladies in your life?”
“Hmm… you have a strong point.”
“You’re still as dashing as ever, Noah Mason,” I tell him with a twinkle in my eye while reacting to his sardonic grin. “And arrogant, painful… the list can go on.”
“It’s okay. I think you’ve made yourself perfectly clear. You think I’m an arrogantly handsome man who you want to have sex with, right?”
I throw a piece of pastry at him. “You’re impossibly annoying.”
“Listen here.” Charlie breaks us up, wiping her mouth with the fancy napkin. “Before the two of you consummate on this table, can we talk about the rest of today? Kate and I are shopping in Paris this afternoon. What are your plans, Noah?”
“He’s busy with me,” Lex interjects, his expression blank and unreadable. “We have something we need to look at.”
“Chatte Française…” Charlie mumbles beneath her breath.
Lex presses his lips together and puts down his coffee to turn to Charlie. “No, it’s not French pussy. There are a few people I’d like Noah to meet as well. A potential opportunity for us back in the States.”
I bow my head to hold back my comments. Lex sure has the patience for Charlie, though I wouldn’t put it past them to stumble into a Parisian strip joint, especially since Noah is now single.
On our ride back to Paris, we talk about business, the beautiful scenery, to Eric’s nagging messages about all the gossip from the ball. Charlie briefly mentions seeing Dominic, and Eric proceeds to complain and call him a moron for not attending his parents’ anniversary dinner. Translated, Eric is jealous that he didn’t think to try to get out of it and complains it was a bunch of his parents’ old friends.
As the city’s familiar sights come to full view, Charlie talks about shopping again as Lex rolls his eyes in boredom. He casually mentions that work may take a bit longer than expected. Surprisingly, Charlie negotiates her shopping time in line with his work time, then a late stroll around Paris, followed by dinner. I was torn somewhere in the middle, wanting to join Lex in the office and spend time with Charlie. Until Noah brought up spending the night together which I agreed to since it’s his last night in town.
I decide to head into the office with Lex for two hours before joining Charlie for a late lunch and shopping, then dinner with Noah. That way, everyone will be happy.
The two hours fly by quickly, and as usual, the staff panics in Lex’s presence. I have no idea why, he’s much nicer to people than BC—Before Charlie.
With that behind me, I race to meet Charlie at the Boulevard Haussmann and the Grands Boulevards, known for housing old Parisian department stores and selling top designer collections for men and women, gourmet food shopping, home design, jewelry, and so many other things.
Charlie is in heaven, dragging me to each store and boutique, where she enjoys browsing and picking up a few pieces. When we enter La Perla, I’m no stranger to the sexy lingerie on display, having purchased a few items from here.
“Would you look at this?” Charlie picks up a strappy piece of string supposed to be a one piece of some sort. “You could really floss your bits with a piece like this.”
We both laugh in unison. I pick up a bustier, admiring the intricate lace and beading.
“So, we didn’t get a chance to discuss Dominic and his wife.” Charlie watches me with curiosity.
I purposely distract myself by sorting through the rack, looking for my size. “What’s there to discuss? I was just as surprised to see him there as you were.”
“You’re telling me you still don’t talk to him?” Her tone is unforgiving, and her perfectly straight posture standing beside me is supposed to intimidate me. I know her tactics well. “You know, you’re a terrible liar.”
“Charlie,” I say, willing to come up with a lie, but the guilt begins to wreck me. “It’s not what you think.”
Charlie’s eyes widen with concern. “Not what I think? I think the two of you have something on the side. I think Dominic seeing you with Noah sparked some jealousy in him. I also think… sorry, I also know, Noah can’t stand the guy.”
How on earth does she come up with all that? Remember, she’s a lawyer and excellent at reading people. There’s a psychology to being so intuitive and making a career from it.
“I don’t want to discuss this.”
“Of course, you don’t. Dominic is probably in panic mode, trying to get you to continue being his mistress. And you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared, okay?” I sputter in defense. “We agreed to one simple rule, and he wants to break it. Charlie, I’m not like you. I don’t want the whole family and babies. I’m happy with my life the way it is. Yes, I enjoy sex with no attachments, and sure, it would be nice to have a companion. But I’m not interested in complicated relationships. If a man wants to be with me, and I want to be with him without all the drama, then great.”
“It’s not always that easy.” Charlie disagrees while shaking her head. “Sometimes, with love, you’ve got to go through the heartbreak to have your happily ever after.”
