had put his foot down and told his father “no more.”
Of course, he had offered to be there, but only if his husband could attend, and Charlotte’s father had thrown a fit. What surprised Charlotte was that Brad’s father had told David Markham to stuff it, that if his son and his son’s partner weren’t welcome, then he was taking that as meaning that he wasn’t welcome either. Boy, she wished that she was a fly on the wall for that conversation.
She half listened to the man prattle on, while trying to decide if she should risk sneaking into the bar and doing some shots. She had just decided that she could make it through the afternoon without any liquid courage when she felt a hand on her rump.
Charlotte snapped her head around and ground out, “Excuse me? You do not touch me, especially on the ass.”
Walters scoffed. “Now, honey, don’t get all bent out of shape. I was just being friendly.”
“No, you weren’t. You were being a letch because you think you can get away with it.”
“David said your attitude had been a bit . . . challenging . . . since you’d taken that start-up job. I guess he wasn’t exaggerating.”
“My attitude is absolutely fine, Mr. Walters. Tell Judy hello for me,” she said sweetly, and she spun on her heel and went in search for a Bloody Mary, hold the tomato juice.
She had just downed a double shot of house vodka when she heard her father call her name. She turned around, not bothering to school her expression into something that her father would find more palatable.
“Now what? Oh. Hello.”
Her father stood across from her, his mouth puckered with displeasure, with a handsome man beside him. She could see her father inhale, trying to maintain his composure, and she smiled blandly, knowing she was being a passive-aggressive brat, but really not caring.
“Charlotte, I’d like to introduce you to Brian Weathers. Brian went to UGA, too.”
“Oh, what year did you graduate?” she asked, not very interested.
“Undergrad 1997, law school 2001.” Brian Weathers smiled a toothy smile at her, and she had to stop herself from visibly recoiling. Ugh. Talk about predatory. Instead she merely nodded and continued to smile blandly at him.
Her father excused himself, leaving Charlotte and Brian looking at each other. Charlotte started counting, and she got twenty-five Mississippis before he began regaling her with tales of his travels. She briefly paid attention when he started talking about horses, but she realized he wasn’t a serious rider, just another overgrown frat boy who enjoyed a day at the track.
His derisive scoff got her attention. “Excuse me, Brian? I missed that.”
“I heard you were a stuck-up little twitch, but I didn’t imagine that you would be so blatant about it.”
“Okay, Brian, let me ask you something. What did he promise you? An internship? Maybe even a job? What?”
“Who’s ‘he’? Your father?” Charlotte nodded. “He didn’t promise me anything. . . .”
Charlotte laughed. “God, you’re not really even a very good liar. Well, whatever he promised you, it’s not going to happen. I don’t need a pity relationship because I’ve had plenty of those. And honestly, it wouldn’t be worth it on either of our parts, so why don’t we just say that there was no spark and leave it be. If you really want to work for my father, I’ll put in a good word for you, but honestly, I wouldn’t go near his business with a ten-foot pole. Not on your life.”
Brian blinked at her and then grinned. “Oh, thank God. My dad’s the one pushing this, and I have no desire to work for your dad. I’ve already take a position in Dallas, but my father is convinced that they’re not going to pay me enough.”
Charlotte laughed, and the two of them spent the rest of the brunch chatting, with Brian even showing her photos of his girlfriend, the reason he was wanting to return to Texas. At the end of the day, Brian shook Charlotte’s hand, and
Of course, he had offered to be there, but only if his husband could attend, and Charlotte’s father had thrown a fit. What surprised Charlotte was that Brad’s father had told David Markham to stuff it, that if his son and his son’s partner weren’t welcome, then he was taking that as meaning that he wasn’t welcome either. Boy, she wished that she was a fly on the wall for that conversation.
She half listened to the man prattle on, while trying to decide if she should risk sneaking into the bar and doing some shots. She had just decided that she could make it through the afternoon without any liquid courage when she felt a hand on her rump.
Charlotte snapped her head around and ground out, “Excuse me? You do not touch me, especially on the ass.”
Walters scoffed. “Now, honey, don’t get all bent out of shape. I was just being friendly.”
“No, you weren’t. You were being a letch because you think you can get away with it.”
“David said your attitude had been a bit . . . challenging . . . since you’d taken that start-up job. I guess he wasn’t exaggerating.”
“My attitude is absolutely fine, Mr. Walters. Tell Judy hello for me,” she said sweetly, and she spun on her heel and went in search for a Bloody Mary, hold the tomato juice.
She had just downed a double shot of house vodka when she heard her father call her name. She turned around, not bothering to school her expression into something that her father would find more palatable.
“Now what? Oh. Hello.”
Her father stood across from her, his mouth puckered with displeasure, with a handsome man beside him. She could see her father inhale, trying to maintain his composure, and she smiled blandly, knowing she was being a passive-aggressive brat, but really not caring.
“Charlotte, I’d like to introduce you to Brian Weathers. Brian went to UGA, too.”
“Oh, what year did you graduate?” she asked, not very interested.
“Undergrad 1997, law school 2001.” Brian Weathers smiled a toothy smile at her, and she had to stop herself from visibly recoiling. Ugh. Talk about predatory. Instead she merely nodded and continued to smile blandly at him.
Her father excused himself, leaving Charlotte and Brian looking at each other. Charlotte started counting, and she got twenty-five Mississippis before he began regaling her with tales of his travels. She briefly paid attention when he started talking about horses, but she realized he wasn’t a serious rider, just another overgrown frat boy who enjoyed a day at the track.
His derisive scoff got her attention. “Excuse me, Brian? I missed that.”
“I heard you were a stuck-up little twitch, but I didn’t imagine that you would be so blatant about it.”
“Okay, Brian, let me ask you something. What did he promise you? An internship? Maybe even a job? What?”
“Who’s ‘he’? Your father?” Charlotte nodded. “He didn’t promise me anything. . . .”
Charlotte laughed. “God, you’re not really even a very good liar. Well, whatever he promised you, it’s not going to happen. I don’t need a pity relationship because I’ve had plenty of those. And honestly, it wouldn’t be worth it on either of our parts, so why don’t we just say that there was no spark and leave it be. If you really want to work for my father, I’ll put in a good word for you, but honestly, I wouldn’t go near his business with a ten-foot pole. Not on your life.”
Brian blinked at her and then grinned. “Oh, thank God. My dad’s the one pushing this, and I have no desire to work for your dad. I’ve already take a position in Dallas, but my father is convinced that they’re not going to pay me enough.”
Charlotte laughed, and the two of them spent the rest of the brunch chatting, with Brian even showing her photos of his girlfriend, the reason he was wanting to return to Texas. At the end of the day, Brian shook Charlotte’s hand, and
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