He hated that anyone—especially a parent—had made her question her feelings. “How did it end?”
She gave him a wry smile. “Believe it or not, I broke things off because of the Duchess. He started telling me how happy he’d be once we were married, and I could quit my job. Like my parents, he thought my role at the hotel was beneath me. That’s when I told him I couldn’t marry someone who didn’t support my career.”
“You left him?” He could only imagine how hard that would have been—to go against her folks, to leave a secure future, to speak up for herself.
“Bravest thing I ever did.” She turned to face him, her eyes damp with tears. “The fallout was rough. My mom nagged me about it for months.”
“I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, a prick like that doesn’t deserve you.” He was tempted to tell her about his own broken engagement, but he stopped himself.
It’s not about you, dumb-ass.No matter what shit he’d dealt with in his life, he shouldn’t be piling it on Charlie. Instead, he needed to support her.
“Thanks. It was hard at first, but I don’t regret leaving him.” She stood and walked toward the water’s edge. Picking up a pebble, she sent it skimming across the ocean. It skipped three times before falling into the water with a splash.
He joined her, tossing his own pebble, then grinning when it skipped four times. “Beat that.”
“Getting a little competitive, are we? It’s on.” She bent down and scooped up a few more stones. “I was just getting warmed up.”
Under the faint glow of moonlight, they continued tossing stones into the water. Charlie’s mood turned from sorrowful to exuberant as she went on to beat him nine times out of ten.
Standing beside her, the longing swelled up inside of him, making himwantsomething he hadn’t dreamed of in years. Ever since he’d left Vancouver, he hadn’t pursued a serious relationship with anyone. He’d had a few one-night stands, but he’d never let them develop into anything meaningful. After everything he’d been through with Lila, he hadn’t wanted to risk losing his heart again.
But now? Being with Charlie made him wonder if some things were worth the risk.
Five
When Charlie arrivedat work on Monday, she was seriously dragging. After Knox had dropped her off at her apartment, she’d had a hard time falling asleep. How could she, when her mind kept replaying their entire evening? Though nothing romantic had happened on the beach, she truly believed they were becoming friends. Not just work buddies, but actualfriends.
Before heading into the hotel, she dashed over to Alma’s Beanery—the coffeehouse closest to the Duchess—and grabbed a mocha for herself and a caramel latte for Rosie. She loved downtown Victoria at this early hour, before the tourists were out in full force. Across from the hotel, the city’s popular Inner Harbour—a waterfront area filled with sailboats, small cruise ships, seaplanes, and water taxis—was quiet, no sign of the artists or street musicians who usually lined the causeway. Only the raucous cries of the seagulls overhead broke the stillness.
When she got to Rosie’s office, she peeked her head in the doorway. To her surprise, Selena occupied the rolling chair across from Rosie’s desk. Usually Selena spent the first few hours of the day in her tiny office near the hotel’s kitchen. This way, she could be on hand if any crises occurred while her staff were prepping and serving the Duchess’ lavish breakfast buffet. Given that the buffet was one of the hotel’s best-reviewed amenities, Selena insisted on maintaining tight quality control.
Upon spotting Charlie, Rosie gestured for her to join them. “Come on in.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to interrupt.”
“You can stay,” Selena said. “This issue actually concerns you, so it’s better if I get it off my chest while you’re here.” She seemed more agitated than usual, a few dark strands of hair falling from her tight bun.
Charlie came in and set Rosie’s coffee on her desk. “I got you a caramel latte from Alma’s to help you survive Monday. Selena, I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.”
“I’m good,” Selena said. “I already had three cups of dark roast this morning. Any more caffeine and I’d shoot off into space.”
Rosie took a sip of her latte and gave a sigh of satisfaction. “Thanks. This is just what I needed. The first Monday after a vacation is always rough.”
Charlie grabbed the extra chair in the corner and pulled it up beside Selena’s. “What’s going on?”
“I’m so pissed right now.” Selena blew out an angry breath. “I fucked up on Saturday.”
“You? No way.” Charlie had always envied Selena’s assertiveness. She’d been at the Duchess for longer than any of them and commanded a fierce loyalty from her staff. But it was more than that. Around the opposite sex, she possessed a confidence Charlie sorely lacked. Selena wasn’t the type to spend a year pining for someone. If she wanted a guy, she went for it.
“I blame the tequila.” Selena scrubbed her hands over her face. “I was at Pepe’s Cantina, waiting on Martin—the guy I’ve been seeing—but he didn’t show. No text, no call, nothing. Two drinks later, I checked his feed, and what did I see but him getting cozy with some ‘girl’ who looks barely old enough to drink. First of all, if he was going to bail, he should have had the balls to tell me. And second, how dare he trade me in for a younger model?”
“Sorry. That sucks,” Rosie said. “How’d you screw up? Did you drunk dial him?”
“I wish. I just ordered a third drink and sat there like a loser. And then—to make my night a complete shit show—guess who walks over to my table?”
“One of your exes?” Charlie asked.
“Nope. Our good buddy, Alejandro Rivera, the assistant manager of the Grand Duke.”
