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“That’s bullshit.”
“Is what it is. He pressured Charlee into breaking up with me. Which she did.”
Gian looked up at me. “You’re bitter about that?”
“Yeah. At least I was.”
“Was?”
“I’m trying to let go of it. But it’s not as simple as that. Her father is the most controlling man on the face of the earth. And Charlee works for him, despite the fact that she wanted nothing to do with the hospitality industry. Says a lot, I think. And I have no desire to step back into those shark-infested waters.”
“Her father being the shark?”
“Exactly.”
Gian was quiet for a second. “She was young when you left. Maybe give her a chance. From what I heard, Charlee’s had a thing for you for a long time.”
My hand almost stilled, but it couldn’t. Steady. . .
“Where did you hear that?”
“Mmm, can’t reveal my sources.”
I laughed. “I guess it doesn’t matter in this town. There are a limited number of possibilities.”
“The fact is, you don’t need rumors to confirm it.”
“No,” I admitted. “I don’t.” And then, a confession. “Charlee insisted she didn’t care what her father thought of us. I may have called her bluff.”
“Oh no.” Gian didn’t flinch as I began to shade. “What did you do?”
I had closer friends than Gian, including Nate, who I could text anytime. But I wasn’t accustomed to talking to my friends about women beyond the usual banter about strippers or one-night stands. Charlee was a whole new level, and I found Gian easy to talk to.
“I suggested we pretend to date. Push her father’s buttons. Test the waters, so to speak.”
“Hold up.”
I pulled the tattoo machine back.
“You’re fucking with me, right? Because no woman in her right mind would agree to that, least of all Charlee Donovan. From what I know of her, she’s a pit bull. Like her father.”
By all accounts, she was. Just not with me. “She agreed,” I said, not mentioning the asinine “no sex” part of my plan.
“Oh wow. Well, there you go. Pretty much a no-brainer then.”
“A no-brainer? You mean, how she feels about me?”
“Let me just say this. I was as dumb as a bag of rocks after Mazzie and I were together. After a few dates, we exchanged numbers. But it took me a hot second to realize I never should have let her go back to Arizona. Thankfully, by the time I figured out how I felt, it wasn’t too late.”
“Hmmm.” I thought about that. “Too late” with Charlee would mean her finding someone who didn’t demand she “pretend” to date and effectively play fast and loose with her family members.
I needed to talk to her.
“Thanks,” I said to Gian for sharing. “Looking good. Do you need anything?”
“I’m all set.”
The rest of the time, as we talked, my mind kept wandering back to Charlee. To Gian saying she’d liked me this entire time. Her asking my dad about me. Dad saying she loved me. Since I’d come back, Charlee had been nothing but open and honest, and in response, I pushed her away and acted like as much of a dickhead as I accused her father of being.
