“Um, what’s going on?”
“Secret desk cubby holes,” Jonas tells Lottie like it should be obvious to everyone.
“You’re kidding, those desks are real and not just in movies, are we looking for a treasure map too?”
“OK, Jo, you pull that bit on my three count,” I tell him, “One, two, three,” and as if by magic an ornate panel at the very bottom of the desk pops open with a click.
“Holy shit,” shouts an amazed Lottie, reaching for the contents. Those contents appear to be photos of Carter, some of Sophie and them together as a family at one of my parent’s holiday properties, but more importantly though, there is a single key.
“Bingo!” Lottie shouts with glee and heads over to the wall safe. She opens it slowly as if she’s going to uncover the fucking crown jewels and then is presented with a single brown envelope.
“Lottie, do you want us to leave you whilst you do this?” I offer.
“No, it doesn’t look big enough to be disastrous,” she rips it open and Dolly, Jonas and I are all on pins for the great reveal. It looks like more photos and she gasps when she sees the first one, then whispers, “Motherfucker,” under her breath. Lottie begins to flip through them at speed, her face taking on an ugly glare to it. In a flash she chucks them on the desk.
Fucking hell.
Motherfucker indeed, pictures of Lottie’s mom in some dubious positions with Jose the gardener, more pictures of her with Mika the pool boy and then an uncomfortable selection of pictures containing the three of them.
Shit, they’re professional pictures and not great to look at. One thing is clear, she’s not acting under any duress and is loving every fucking minute of her desperate housewives experience. My attention moves to the date, “Hey, look at the date.”
“Yep. Twelve months before Carter was born,” Jonas confirms.
“All this time my life has been a sham for them, when they were nothing but a shitting sham themselves. How fucking dare she make me feel guilty for wanting to live my own life, my way,” Lottie is building up to a full meltdown.
“Hey, come on, calm down there is no point getting angry when the people that you need to take your shit out on, aren’t here. This isn’t going to help you in the long run.”
“Fuck the long run,” she shouts grabbing her purse and retrieving her phone. “Davis, that money, those letters that I asked you to arrange… cancel the ones for Jose and Mika… Yes I’m fucking sure. In fact I’m so sure, that if you give them a fucking dime of my money, I’ll move all my business from your office and make it my life’s mission to destroy what other business you do have.”
Yep, meltdown in full swing. I grab the phone off her and try to placate my Uncle Davis by telling him I’ll bring him up to speed on developments when I’m next at the office. Snapping it shut, I hand it to back to her, “Calm down OK. I know this is a shock, but we’ll deal with it OK?”
“We won’t deal with anything,” she sneers and storms out.
Shit. When will she catch a break? Fuck that, when will I catch a break? Once again I’m screwed if I try and be there for her and I’m royally fucked if I don’t. “Seriously, how you and Chris put up with this drama shit is beyond me.” I yell in frustration, only to be greeted with a huge grin and bellowing laughter from one of my best pals.
Chapter Sixteen
I drove Dolly over to Mudjoes, her silence in the car was welcome because I needed to vent and let off some steam. “My fucking parents. What a joke. Perfect family for a perfect princess. My mom fucks the hired help and gets caught, by my dad, a ridiculous cliché. My dad knocks up some spa worker and gives me a brother I knew nothing about. The fucking Walton’s we are not!”
Dolly lets me ramble and I’m still seething when I sit down in front of Flo and Neely. They’re not stupid, they know something has gone down, “Hey chickie pie, what’s happened?” asks Flo.
“More family nonsense, basically my mom was a whore,” I hiss back and Neely has to double catch her empty cup in shock at my words. I can see Dolly getting ready to explain on my behalf, but no way is she having that joy. “I was clearing out my father’s study, I found a letter and we’ll come back to that. Then I found a safe I couldn’t get into, so I called Dolly for reinforcements and she brings Jonas and Oli. Anyway, when we get into it I find an envelope full of snaps.” I take a breath, “Snaps of my mom blowing the pool boy, bending over for the fucking gardener and having a spit roast of the kind that most porn stars would be jealous. Really shitty images that are burned into my eyes and I’m sure no amount of bleach would remove them.”
“Oh my God,” whispers Flo.
“No fucking way,” says Neely in disbelief.
“I mean seriously, what is wrong with me?”
The answer from the question comes from an unexpected and unwelcome person passing the table, Claire Michaels. “Oh dear is the little princess just finding out that mommy likes to take it up the ass?”
My body goes rigid and I swear I’ve never been this close to snapping in two.
“Walk on slut,” Neely advises, whilst Dolly positions her chair closer to my escape route or attack route, clearly she’s still unsure which way this is going to go.
“No, it’s about time she knew about Laura Groves and her country club activities. I told Oli a while ago that if you knew what she was like, we could burst your mom’s perfect life bubble and get together a lot fucking sooner.”
“What?” I ask her on a controlled intake of breath. I look up at her and her appearance isn’t its usual tarty bucket of tits and teeth. She’s been trying to cover up bruises on her jaw with makeup and has got some old yellowing bruise marks around her throat, the lipstick she’s wearing is doing a poor job of hiding what was a split lip.
“Like I said, it was common knowledge that your momma liked to get wild after her vodka breakfast and throw her keys in a bowl in the staff room, she used to pout because the house staff weren’t keeping her… entertained.”
“You need to stop talking about my family and fuck off.”
“One time offer Claire, leave, before I help you,” warns Dolly.
“It was disgusting to see her throwing her saggy chest and over used cunt at Oli’s dad. Fucking nasty.”
She cannot be referring to… Christ, she went after Oli’s dad, “Well I suppose it takes one whore to know another,” I finally snap back, letting my inner bitch come out to play.
“I may not be a princess like you, but at least I don’t have to beg for a fuck,” she sneers. The other customers are slowly leaving the immediate area and a member of Jo’s barista team is hastily dialing the phone next to the cash register.
“Beg, get real Claire, I didn’t have to beg him to fuck me last night,” I laugh in her face as Dolly, Flo and Neely stand up and take my back, my sisters are moving in to flank my moves.
Claire’s rage starts to build, she always knew Oli and I weren’t the real deal and because of that, she walked around with a smug look on her face. Her only advantage over me was that she was getting what the so-called princess had always wanted and now I’ve had it too.
“What’s the matter Claire, don’t like being on the flip side for once?”
“He was with me last night,” she challenges back which causes Neely to laugh and taunt her further, her attempt to take back control of this argument is futile.
“Oh really, I guess I was imagining it when he drove me home and then fucked me senseless on the back seat of his Escalade. My mistake,” I finish smugly, jutting out a hip and crossing my arms across my chest.
“Oh yeah,” intervenes Dolly, “that reminds me, I found some of these beads from your choker in the back of his car.” Dolly upturns her purse and dumps them all over the floor, they begin to bounce around the coffee shop floor in front of Claire’s feet.
“Thanks sister,” I’m trying to remain calm and not give Claire an inch to wriggle in this show down, but panic is starting to nudge at my senses. I’ve
just told the entire coffee shop that I let Oli have sex with me in the back of his truck.
Shit, I really am a different Lottie.
I can sense the finale coming, she’s either going to attack me with words or physically launch herself at me, this should be good.
“He may have had you in his truck, but you sent him straight to me sweet heart. I made sure he got what you couldn’t give him… all night long.” Now it’s her turn to look smug like a Cheshire cat.
“I doubt that Claire, but you can keep dreaming,” Neely tells her.
“No dreaming required, I’ve got used to filling in the gaps he can’t get from other women.”
“That is nothing to be proud of. You’ve had your say and interrupted our coffee, run along now Claire,” Flo asks politely.
“I’d like to say see you around but I don’t really want to,” she sneers at me, “although, fuck my guy again and you’ll be seeing me sooner than you think and it won’t end this politely.” On that final note she sweeps out of the door and the whole place feels like it’s breathing a sigh of relief. Apparently, a disaster avoided.
“Lottie, why didn’t you give it her back?” Flo asks me softly.
“What argue with her about something that could well be true?”
“You’re fucking kidding me,” I hear, this time from a voice at the side of the counter, Oli’s voice.
Where was he throughout all of this?
Oli leans in low and his face takes a dark look, “You think I’d do that? Fuck you and then go for more with her?”
Marvelous, another fucking argument in public. New Lottie is certainly attracting her fair share of drama today. “What are you doing here?” I ask, noticing my sisters are standing silently beside me.
“Betty called Jo, Jo couldn’t get here to referee your bitch fight. So it was either me or the sheriff. Now answer my fucking question, you think I’d do that?”
“Why not? You’ve been doing it for years! Pretending with me and then running off to be with her.”
“Jesus Christ Charlotte!” he explodes.
“Look, it is what it is. I know the rules and where I fit in, where I’ve always fit in.”
He’s shaking his head in dismay, “You have got to be fucking shitting me.”
We both then realize that this is still being played out with a public audience. I may not give a shit about my family name anymore, any sway that had, is decreasing daily, but I know his is important to him. Time for a stage exit. “It would seem I’ve caused enough drama to keep the town gossips and haters occupied for a while, so if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere else I need to be. Girls, I’ll call you.” Thankfully they sense my need to escape and crawl under a rock somewhere.
I know I’m being stalked and I can feel his presence behind me as I make my way to the parking lot. “We’re not done,” he says from behind me.
“Really, I think we are. I’m not what you want.”
“You have no pissing idea what I want Lottie.”
“Well, we’ve both sampled the goods and closed that chapter. Let’s just walk away and be friends, like you always wanted. You can carry on with your life and have what you want and I’ll go out and find what I want.”
Oli rushes towards me and barricades me in, pushing me up against my car and just to make sure I’m going nowhere, he places his arms on the body work at either side of me. “Don’t tell me what I want. You have no idea what I really want. I absolutely did not fuck Claire after I had you last night. Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t need to. I was very fucking satisfied.”
My eyes go wide in shock and he continues, “I see you understand. I am not going to push this, your life is fucked up enough already and I won’t be the one to make it worse, but when I think you’re ready, you and I are going to explore whatever the fuck this is between us. The tension is killing me.”
I’m struggling to swallow and I can’t take my eyes off his mouth. I know I’m looking at his lips because they are beautiful, but I also need to make sure the words I’m hearing are actually leaving his body. “I’m not what you want,” I whisper.
“You’ll see,” he whispers back and leans in to kiss the corner of my mouth. He then pushes away and stalks back in the direction of Mudjoes. Taking the keys out of my purse, I stumble into my car and start the engine. My brain won’t stop spinning the words over and over, what the fuck just happened? I need thinking time, no scrap that, I don’t want to think about this at all. I need another focus.
Carter.
Locating the letterhead that Annie gave me, I notice that my fingers are shaking and fumbling over the numbers on my phone’s keypad as I attempt to dial. “Hello Annie, its Charlotte Groves. I’m thinking of coming to Thornton Grove for a few days, could you recommend a place to stay, close by. If it’s OK with you I’d like to spend some time with my brother and get to know you both.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Come on in my dear, it’s lovely to see you. Carter is so excited.”
“Thanks Annie, I hope that my short notice wasn’t inconvenient.”
“Nonsense, chaos rules here. You don’t need a personal invitation, you’re family.” I drop my bag to the floor and put an arm out to the wall to steady myself. “My goodness child, what’s going on? Come on, when was the last time you ate?”
“Um…,” shit, I don’t remember when something that would qualify as a meal actually passed my lips. Alcohol yes, biscuits, cheese Doritos and candy, yes, but a real meal, no.
“OK, Carter is still at Kindergarten, let’s get some food inside you and catch up.” The kitchen looks less like a professional restaurant than last time I was here, sitting at the table it feels more homely. I begin to berate myself for nearly collapsing on her door, she still doesn’t know me and I’m in effect, a stranger. Annie’s got enough going on without me adding to her list of woes, but before I know it, a steaming plate of left over pot roast with vegetables and a glass of milk is placed before me.
Realizing I’m hungry, I tuck in with enthusiasm, “It’s delicious, thank you.”
“I always said if there is one thing in this life I can give these young kids, its home comforts. Everyone has the right to grow up with a full belly, with love and support and in a safe and thriving environment. I call it my fun charter.”
“That’s really beautiful. You open your life to these strangers and offer them everything, yet expect nothing in return.”
“It’s not hard to do, I’m a sucker for a lost cause,” she tells me smiling.
I look down at my plate in embarrassment, at times like these I hate my wealth and upbringing because it’s shameful. This sort of human nature isn’t instinctive of the people I’ve respected and considered role models throughout my life.
“I know that look, it’s the look of someone who’s lost and scrabbling around to find their place in the world.”
“No, I…” I don’t know how to do this, it’s not in my nature to share and let my guard down.
Annie leans over and takes my free hand, “Charlotte dear, that look on your face turns up on my doorstep every few days and it’s nothing to be afraid of. Whether it’s on a two year old or a thirty two year old, they all want the same thing. They want to love and be loved, belong to a family and have one of their own. Just because you’re a grown woman of wealthy means doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to want the same things.” I look up at her and my chin starts to wobble and my vision is blurring with tears. “Let it out girl, you’re safe here, get it all out so you have space in your heart and mind to focus on the new chapter life has forced you to deal with.”
“How can you be this strong? You’ve just lost your daughter.”
“I cry tears for my girl all the time, but then I tell myself I’m blessed because I got to be in her life and love her, watch her bring my grandson into the world and grow into a fine young woman.”
“I don’t understand how you can feel like this, how you can even look
at me without hating me or my dad…”
“Your dad loved my girl, she had a sparkle that was magnetic. It didn’t come as a shock to learn that she couldn’t go on alone, she was built to love with her whole heart and nothing less. The loss of your dad was just too much for her, I could see she was terrified of facing the rest of her life without him. Some days I understand why she did what she did, others, when I look at Carter, I feel overwhelmingly sad. They may have met when your father was going through a rough patch, but it didn’t take long for him to see the goodness and beauty she possessed. He needed that in his life, he needed her to make him whole again. Carter or no Carter, they would have been together, eventually.”
This woman is a saint. She is who I want to be.
I’d give away all my money to feel the compassion that courses through her veins. “You’re a remarkable woman Annie, when I grow up I want to be like you,” I say smiling, “thank you for being the perfect stranger that came into my life to make all of this bearable.”
“My dear, we are family and God willing, we’ll be in each other lives for a long while to come. You’re welcome to anything I have to offer, including, my home, my shoulder to cry on and my annoying old person wise ass advice any time.”
“Thanks,” I’m genuinely touched by her words. If her daughter was anything like her, it’s not hard to see why my dad, hell anyone, wouldn’t fall in love with her. I completely understand why Rick didn’t want to talk about her, having any conversation about her relationship with my dad wouldn’t have done her and what she really felt for him justice. I would have only seen bitterness and hurt that Sophie coming into his life represented to me as an individual.
“Granny granny, granny, is she here? I made her a present,” I hear being shouted down the hallway to the kitchen. In an instant Carter comes bursting through the kitchen door and I have just enough time to wipe my nose and face with a tissue before he appears in front of me. The cute little boy looks up at me with familiar eyes, that draw me like a moth to a flame and says, “Hi Charlotte, Joe and I have been busy, look I did you this drawing.” Carter produces a painting that I think should be a child’s play park, the sun is shining in the sky and a boy is standing at the side waving.
Fated Love (The Soul Sisters Series Book 3) Page 13