grateful
sigh after he’d drained half its contents. “Thanks.”
Taking
the seat next to him, Charisse felt awkward, she wasn’t used to entertaining
men – period. Oh she had plenty of male visitors, but none who expected a
conversation from her. Usually there were just lots of flowery
compliments, tearful declarations of love and a lot of marriage proposals
whilst she worked hard to fend off their advances and get them off Bettina as
swiftly as possible, before the she-bitch could over eat and develop
indigestion.
“So
how did you come to be C.Hariss, the crotchety old reclusive seadog painter?”
“By
complete accident of course.” She popped the top of her own can and took
a small sip. “I’d been painting for a while, to please myself mostly and
just pass the time. One day I had several of my cousins over to my place
for drinks; they saw some of my work and dared me to show it to a
gallery. Next thing you know my work is selling and the whole C.Hariss
persona is born thanks to an accidental smear of paint and the fact that I like
my privacy. Rumours began circulating and before I knew it, I was an
ex-fisherman in his retirement years who liked to paint.”
“You
wear your years well.” Nate commented raising his can in a toast.
“Thanks.”
Charisse laughed. “So what are you doing up at Great-Great-Uncle
Maurice’s place?”
“Renovating
it.”
“Yes
I can see that, but why?”
“Because
it’s crumbling down around my ears for a start and I really needed a project
and a distraction. Though I hadn’t quite realised what a fixer upper’s
dream it was when I bought it.”
“Wait…
you bought Kaleidoscope Folly? The Council knows right?”
“Of
course. I went before them in an emergency session last Saturday; ten
minutes later I was a home owner.”
“That
seems kind of fast.”
“Let’s
just say I needed a threshold to call my own rather urgently. I’m hoping
my petition to have your cousin issued with a restraining order is put into
effect just as speedily, they’ve promised it will be served by midnight
tonight, if it doesn’t, well then I’m not sure how much work I’ll be getting
done if I have to keep diving off cliffs.”
“Are
you insane? Tell me you didn’t request a restraining order against
Darcy?”
“What
else can I do? She’s proving to be annoyingly tenacious.”
“Goddess,
I don’t know whether to be in awe of you or scared for you.”
“Definitely
be in awe of me, Cyd.” Nate quirked up an eyebrow casting a sexy come
hither smile her way for all of two point five seconds before he seemed to
recall who he was talking to. The smile disappearing in a flash,
the twinkle in his whiskey eyes likewise was history.
Was
it the damn muumuu and rat’s nest hair or was it just her, this so called
serial flirt, wouldn’t lower himself to waste his energy on? “A Council
restraining order, that’s kind of huge and extremely binding. Darcy won’t be able to get within a mile of
you without your permission or else there will be exceedingly painful
repercussions for her. Why don’t you just talk to her? Tell her
what she wants to know and she’ll leave you alone.”
“Problem
is, I don’t know anything more than what I’ve already shared with
Hadleigh. Do you think Darcy will believe that?”
“Maybe
after she tortures you for a solid straight week… or two, she might.”
“Exactly
and quite frankly, I like all my most important bits non-singed and non-fried…
I’m kind of particular like that.”
“You’ve
heard of Darcy’s reputation?”
“I
wasn’t aware of the lengths and breadths she was prepared to go to until she
began targeting me. She’s left some breathtakingly inventive threats on
my voicemail. Don’t tell her, but I’m writing them all down and intending
to use them against my fellow warriors sometime in the near future.” Nate
finished his drink and looked around.
sigh after he’d drained half its contents. “Thanks.”
Taking
the seat next to him, Charisse felt awkward, she wasn’t used to entertaining
men – period. Oh she had plenty of male visitors, but none who expected a
conversation from her. Usually there were just lots of flowery
compliments, tearful declarations of love and a lot of marriage proposals
whilst she worked hard to fend off their advances and get them off Bettina as
swiftly as possible, before the she-bitch could over eat and develop
indigestion.
“So
how did you come to be C.Hariss, the crotchety old reclusive seadog painter?”
“By
complete accident of course.” She popped the top of her own can and took
a small sip. “I’d been painting for a while, to please myself mostly and
just pass the time. One day I had several of my cousins over to my place
for drinks; they saw some of my work and dared me to show it to a
gallery. Next thing you know my work is selling and the whole C.Hariss
persona is born thanks to an accidental smear of paint and the fact that I like
my privacy. Rumours began circulating and before I knew it, I was an
ex-fisherman in his retirement years who liked to paint.”
“You
wear your years well.” Nate commented raising his can in a toast.
“Thanks.”
Charisse laughed. “So what are you doing up at Great-Great-Uncle
Maurice’s place?”
“Renovating
it.”
“Yes
I can see that, but why?”
“Because
it’s crumbling down around my ears for a start and I really needed a project
and a distraction. Though I hadn’t quite realised what a fixer upper’s
dream it was when I bought it.”
“Wait…
you bought Kaleidoscope Folly? The Council knows right?”
“Of
course. I went before them in an emergency session last Saturday; ten
minutes later I was a home owner.”
“That
seems kind of fast.”
“Let’s
just say I needed a threshold to call my own rather urgently. I’m hoping
my petition to have your cousin issued with a restraining order is put into
effect just as speedily, they’ve promised it will be served by midnight
tonight, if it doesn’t, well then I’m not sure how much work I’ll be getting
done if I have to keep diving off cliffs.”
“Are
you insane? Tell me you didn’t request a restraining order against
Darcy?”
“What
else can I do? She’s proving to be annoyingly tenacious.”
“Goddess,
I don’t know whether to be in awe of you or scared for you.”
“Definitely
be in awe of me, Cyd.” Nate quirked up an eyebrow casting a sexy come
hither smile her way for all of two point five seconds before he seemed to
recall who he was talking to. The smile disappearing in a flash,
the twinkle in his whiskey eyes likewise was history.
Was
it the damn muumuu and rat’s nest hair or was it just her, this so called
serial flirt, wouldn’t lower himself to waste his energy on? “A Council
restraining order, that’s kind of huge and extremely binding. Darcy won’t be able to get within a mile of
you without your permission or else there will be exceedingly painful
repercussions for her. Why don’t you just talk to her? Tell her
what she wants to know and she’ll leave you alone.”
“Problem
is, I don’t know anything more than what I’ve already shared with
Hadleigh. Do you think Darcy will believe that?”
“Maybe
after she tortures you for a solid straight week… or two, she might.”
“Exactly
and quite frankly, I like all my most important bits non-singed and non-fried…
I’m kind of particular like that.”
“You’ve
heard of Darcy’s reputation?”
“I
wasn’t aware of the lengths and breadths she was prepared to go to until she
began targeting me. She’s left some breathtakingly inventive threats on
my voicemail. Don’t tell her, but I’m writing them all down and intending
to use them against my fellow warriors sometime in the near future.” Nate
finished his drink and looked around.
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