They gave twin sighs of relief when the door closed and it was the two of them once more.
“Do I get to hear about your date?” Gianna asked.
“Someday.”
She laughed. “Yeah, that’s what I figured.”
***
Thankfully, Jane and Lydia were still at dinner when Elsie got back to the hotel. Jane texted to say they were on their way to a poetry slam with Mary. Elsie sent her condolences and used the time to shower and try to relax, alone with her thoughts.
She already missed Will. She felt like she’d only scratched the surface of who he was, and the deeper she saw, the more she realized how much she was still missing. Sadly, she’d probably never get to see it all. How could a long distance relationship work if Jane and Charlie couldn’t figure it out? Will would never be happy in Meryton, and moving to L.A.? That wasn’t about to happen. She had to think about something else. Work would do.
She wrapped a towel around her wet hair and sat on one of the beds in her pajamas, checking to see how far behind they were getting on T-shirt orders. December was usually their biggest month and things would only get crazier the closer they got to Christmas.
Her phone rang, and she was surprised to see Charlotte’s name pop up. Elsie felt a twinge of guilt. Here she was in L.A. and she hadn’t even thought of stopping in to see Charlotte.
“Hi, Char. How are you?”
“I’m great. Sorry it’s been so long since we talked. How is Lydia? I heard about the … um … incident.”
“You did? How?”
“Your mom called Collin, hysterical. She said she was worried about all of you. She wanted him to check on things and help. He promised he’d look into it, but he was worried about his reputation. He’s always worried about his reputation. So, he delegated it to me, which I’m pretty sure you would prefer. Do you need money?”
His reputation. Jerk. If Elsie was in a dark pit and Collin was holding a flashlight at the top, she’d still tell him to go away. “We’re fine. It’s all settled, and we’re leaving in the morning.”
“Would you have time to come over for breakfast? I’d love the company.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Jane and I need to get back and catch up on T-shirt orders.”
“Please, Elsie.” For the first time in the conversation, Charlotte didn’t sound self-assured and business-like. “I won’t keep you long. I just need to talk to someone who’s not sending me off on errands.”
“So, you’re working for Collin? I thought he got you a job at a salon?”
“I do both. The salon is very competitive. The more experienced stylists get to choose their clients and hours. I work around them.”
“Ah, that makes sense. Dare I ask how things are going with you and Collin?”
Charlotte gave a sad little laugh. “Eh, I’m more of a personal assistant now. Girlfriend is more of an honorary title to keep the gold diggers away. I’m not sure Collin is capable of loving anyone as much as he loves himself. But he treats me well and Catherine De Bourgh is very pleased with me. I’ve freed up a lot of her time. It’s a lot cheaper for her to pay me to do what she charges Collin to think she’s doing.”
“Is he getting ripped off?”
“Oh, no. Catherine still gives him financial guidance. She just doesn’t micromanage him the way she did in the beginning. Now she micromanages me. Don’t be surprised if she barges in on our breakfast tomorrow. Please come. I’ll text you the address.”
Chapter 24 ♥Personal Space
Charlotte’s apartment building was in Beverly Hills, with a gorgeous trio of water fountains flowing in front and a kind doorman in uniform waiting to assist Elsie inside.
They’d agreed on six-thirty, and Charlotte had everything set out and ready when Elsie came inside. Two glasses of orange juice, a stack of pancakes in the middle of the table, and fluffy scrambled eggs already on each plate. Charlotte had always been a good cook. Even when she was younger, Charlotte was the one who did most of the cooking for her family.
Charlotte grabbed Elsie’s hands. “I’m so happy you’re here. You have to catch me up on all the Meryton gossip.”
Meryton gossip? That had always been Charlotte’s forte. Elsie didn’t pay attention to much outside her own family, and Charlotte already knew about Lydia. Will’s face popped into her consciousness, and she pushed him aside. She didn’t need an I-told-you-so from Charlotte about him.
Charlotte sat down and served herself a pancake. “Come on, Elsie. Dig deep. Have you seen my mother at the library?”
“Of course. She misses you. Oh, and she said your little sister got a job at Dairy Queen.”
