“As you pointed out, my meetings will most likely last all day. I won’t have time to help. We both know how well it turns out when you try to do it all yourself.”
Are you fucking kidding me?Derek couldn’t believe the way the sonofabitch was treating her. For Charlie’s sake only, he bypassed punching the guy in the nutsack and continued trying to make this work.
“What hotel are you stayin’ at?” he asked the assmunch. “I could swing by and help Charlie pack. We could have lunch after.”
Derek knew his continued use of her nickname was pissing the guy off. Which, of course, was why he kept doing it.Deal with it, dipshit.
Caleb hid his scowl with everything but the center of his eyes. “It’s kind of you to offer, but that won’t be necessary. As long as there are no distractions, Charlotte will make sure everything gets taken care of as it should be. Right, dear?”
A shadow fell over Charlie’s face. With a slight tremor in her voice, she answered with, “Of course.”
“Good. Now, tell your friend goodbye, and let’s go before the driver expects a bigger tip than my usual.”
Without another word, Charlie and her jackass husband turned and walked out of the restaurant. Derek was still trying to figure out what the hell just happened when he made his way back to the party.
Jake and Olivia were in their seats, talking and laughing with Lexi and Trevor. Mac and Coop were bickering back and forth about who the fuck knows what, and Grant, as usual, was sitting quietly, taking it all in.
“You good?” Hill asked as Derek sat back down.
“Yeah.”
The guy gave him a look that said he wasn’t buying it.
“Okay, no.” He picked up the bottle of beer that had been served while he’d been gone. “I’m not good.”
Hill waited a few beats before asking, “Want to talk about it?”
Derek nearly spat out the sip he’d just taken. “With you?”
“Know what? Never mind.” He picked up his drink with a muttered, “Asshole.”
“Sorry.” Derek patted his teammate’s large shoulder. “Appreciate the offer. Just took me by surprise, that’s all.”
The other man’s blue-grey eyes rolled. “Whatever. You going to tell me what’s wrong, or am I supposed to guess?”
Sighing, Derek shook his head. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Beginning’s usually a good place.”
Derek snorted. “The beginning. Right.” He took a deep breath and started to share his concerns. “I just ran into a girl I grew up with. Haven’t seen her in years.”
“What’s the problem?”
“She’s changedsomuch. I almost didn’t recognize her. Everything about her is different.”
“You said it’s been years, right?”
“Yeah. Eleven, to be exact.”
Grant shrugged it off. “A lot can happen in eleven years.”
He doesn’t get it.“I know. It’s just...” he sighed loudly. “She’s not anywhere close to the girl she used to be. Her hair was brown, now it’s blonde. She was always a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal. The outfit she had on tonight probably cost more than we make in a month. And that’s without the damn heels she was wearin’.”
“That’s what has you so upset? Her change in style?” Grant raised a brow.
“It wasn’t just that. The Charlie I knew was so easy to talk to, and this Charlie”—Derek shook his head—“correction,Charlotte...was the exact opposite.”
“People change, D. Especially after that many years.”
