Chapter 27
C harlotte lay on her side, arm draped over Gregory’s chest—Gregory’s rather chiseled chest, it turned out. She’d made note of the muscles on his biceps before, but it didn’t occur to her that whatever he did to build those muscles would apply to other parts of his body. She rubbed her hand over his pecs and stomach, marveling at the dips and lines, mentally cataloging every hair.
Gregory twitched and said warmly, “That tickles.”
She rolled back so she could look up at him and his lips stretched into a lazy smile. His hair was brushed loosely to the side but it was clearly tangled and he had the look of a boneless being.
“I thought you were sleeping,” she said.
“How could I sleep when you’re naked and this close?”
He had a point. Relaxed as she might be, every nerve ending on her body was on full alert, ready for a sign that he was up for another round. She couldn’t not be aware of the many places their skin touched right now and had touched in the past, however long it had been since they’d left the breakfast and their coffees to go cold.
She stretched her head over Gregory’s torso to look at the clock. It was past eleven, so they’d been in bed for a few hours.
Wait, it was past eleven. She’d never slept in that late at Dreamland, or any other DreamUs theme park, and she could get used it.
Charlotte rolled away from Gregory and onto her back. He sighed and turned to curl in next to her. She kissed his forehead. “We’re meeting Melanie for lunch at one thirty,” she whispered into his hair.
“So we should start thinking about getting out of bed, then? Nope, not a fan,” Gregory said. “But I have been looking forward to meeting Melanie.”
“She feels the same.”
Gregory propped his head on his arm, showing off the tattoo of stippled mountains and trees wrapping around his bicep, honoring his grandfather and the San Gabriel Mountains they adored so much. Charlotte pressed her teeth into her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure if it was the tattoo itself—she’d never been so mesmerized by a tattoo before—but she’d never imagined that the rigid and structured Gregory would be a tattoo guy. And it wasn’t his only one.
A delicately shaded devil’s-claw bloom adorned his shoulder blade, its leaves falling gracefully over his shoulder toward his collarbone. One time, Gregory explained as Charlotte had traced the art with her fingernail, his grandfather had taken him to the Mojave Desert to see a wildflower superbloom after a rainy winter. He’d walked a young Gregory along the edges of superbloom, showing him every different wildflower, all of them exploding with color. Gregory said he knew a tattoo couldn’t capture the vibrancy of the wildflowers that day, so he had the tattoo artist do the art in shades of black and gray. That way he could imagine the color instead. The story had made Charlotte hold him close and cover the tattoo in kisses.
Kisses she was thinking about now. She cleared her throat. They had to get out of bed and get moving, and that meant she had to stop.
Gregory was looking at her like he was waiting for an answer.
“Sorry, could you repeat that?” Charlotte said.
“Someone’s a little distracted, huh? I can relate.” He looked Charlotte’s mostly sheet-covered form up and down. “But I was saying, I was surprised Melanie wanted to meet me. I know I haven’t been the easiest person to work with these last few months.”
Charlotte focused on a spot on the ceiling. “You’ve had your moments. I have too, to be fair. But even when you’ve been stubborn, you’ve generally had a reason and you’ve been open to me sharing data to change your mind. I think Melanie respects that. Plus she always loves inviting people to restaurants in the park, especially people who might not think theme park food is anything more than hamburgers and fries—I know you don’t think that anymore.”
When she glanced back over at Gregory, he looked thoughtful. “How should we handle this with Melanie?”
“Handle what?” Charlotte asked.
Gregory moved in and brushed his lips against her bruised ones. “This,” he whispered.
“Oh! This! Right!” Charlotte exclaimed. “Well, Melanie’s been saying I should bone you almost since we met.”
Charlotte had not meant to say that much aloud.
Gregory raised both eyebrows. “Oh, she has, has she?”
She may as well own up. “I may have mentioned the color of your eyes once or twice. And your jawline. Also your biceps.”
He looked smug. “So I wasn’t alone in my attraction?”
“Tell me more,” Charlotte said.
“When you wear your blue-light glasses in the office and push them up your nose, I have to step out of the room. The way your flip your hair to the side makes the air smell like your rosemary-and-lavender shampoo and I always try to take the deepest breath possible. And when you wear skirts your legs, even your ankles, are indecent. Those are very uncomfortable days for me—uh, in a good way.”
“Gregory,” she said. “One, that is very sweet. I was not aware you noticed me in that way. Two, we are naked in bed. Why are you blushing?”
“I don’t know. I guess I never thought I’d be able to tell you any of those things. I thought you disliked me. A lot.”
She picked up his hand and kissed the back of it. “It’s a good thing we cleared that up, then, isn’t it?”
He exhaled sharply. “Yes. Very good thing.”
Need and want pooled in Charlotte’s belly again but she pushed them away. She said, “It’s time for us to get ready. I’ll shower first.”
“And I’ll get us more coffee.”
If Gregory kept doing things like that, she might just fall in love with him. The L-word had popped into her thoughts, uninvited and unwelcome. She shook it out of her head. She should make sure he even wanted to date first before she let her mind wander in that direction.
* * *
The scent of pizza and wood-fired dough drifted outside the restaurant’s entrance and Charlotte thought it might lift her onto her toes, like in a cartoon. They were a little early, so she led Gregory to stand under the restaurant’s awning and pulled out her phone.
Charlotte: We’re here. Under the awning.
Charlotte: Can’t wait to see you. 3
Melanie: SAME! Just walked through the gates and will be there soon!!!
“Melanie will be here in a few,” she told Gregory. They’d held hands all through the park on their walk here and Charlotte couldn’t believe how right and easy it had felt. Chad had never been much for public displays of affection, no matter how mild, and never anywhere near DreamUs or its parks, so it made the simple pleasure of feeling Gregory solid at her side all the more novel and wonderful. She leaned into him under the awning.
Charlotte saw platinum hair with strands of purple and green weaving through the light crowds and grinned as Melanie approached. She dropped Gregory’s hand and stepped out from under the awning to crash into Melanie’s open arms.
“I am so happy to see you!” Charlotte squealed.
“I know, so am I! We have to do better about visiting each other more often!” Melanie replied.
“Agreed. Glad we’re hanging tomorrow, though.”
“Me too.” Melanie popped her head to the side to look at Gregory. She lowered her voice. “Pictures didn’t do him justice. And yes, I saw you two holding hands. I will need all the details. You look really happy and kinda glowy. And you haven’t mentioned work yet.”
“We’ve been talking for less than a minute!” Charlotte protested.
Melanie smiled innocently. “I stand by what I said.”
Her best friend stepped out of their embrace and over to Gregory. Melanie thrust out a hand. “Gregory. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
He shook her hand. “Likewise. Also thank you for the snack recs last night. That peanut butter cookie pie was one of the best desserts I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
Melanie preened. “It’s true. I am excellent at what I do. Speaking of, I’ll check in for our table. Get ready for amazing pizza.”
“You know, I like how much we eat pizza together,” Gregory said.
“Hard same,” Charlotte answered.
The host, who Melanie seemed to know, led them through the sunlit space and into a small alcove with a stucco finish on the walls. The restaurant’s whole vibe was Italian villa in the summer with faux finishes and plants everywhere.
“You scored one of the best tables in the place,” Charlotte said as they sat down and scooted in.
Melanie shrugged. “It’s what I do. Let’s look over the menu and then I want to hear what you’ve thought of Dreamland so far, Gregory.”
“Only if you tell me what’s best to order here,” he teased. Granted, they’d only sat down two minutes ago, but she already felt good about her best friend and her whatever-Gregory-was were getting along. She nudged her leg against his under the table, feeling him press back.
Melanie asked Gregory a few questions about his preferences and gave a short list of picks. Charlotte thought it was one of the many elements that helped Melanie rise above other food writers: she didn’t give blanket recommendations. When she had the chance for a conversation, she tailored her choices toward the person’s likes and dislikes. If someone hated beets, as Charlotte did, it didn’t matter how much Melanie gushed about the beet ice cream from the fuchsia stand around the corner from the restaurant.
Orders placed, Melanie looked at Gregory and then Charlotte. Her mischievous smile said Charlotte would get an earful later, but Melanie was too kind to ask questions about their relationship over lunch. “So, tell me about your impressions of the parks, Gregory. Have you gathered a lot of research for Lands?” Melanie said, giving Charlotte a pointed look when she said the word “research.”
Gregory took a swig of his prosecco, and Charlotte realized she was admiring his throat. It was like the morning’s events had unlocked every bit of attraction to Gregory she’d felt from the day they met and now she had no reason to suppress them. She uncrossed and recrossed her legs and put her chin in her hand, waiting for his answer.
“It’s been a lot to take in, but I don’t mean that in a bad way or anything,” he said. Charlotte could tell he’d flipped into über-analytical mode. “I’m impressed with the attention to detail, especially when it comes to accommodating all the crowds. The layout effectively funnels the crowds, even when people move in the same direction en masse. Leaving after the fireworks last night did get a tiny bit claustrophobic, but everyone was at least moving. It’s clear a lot of thought was put into absorbing bodies and then dispersing them so no one feels crushed,” Gregory observed. “Even when it came to ordering food, whether through the mobile app or waiting in line, it all moved quickly. I think there are definitely some points we can take back to Lands.”
“You should see those lines when there’s a new souvenir popcorn bucket. They’ve yet to perfect that process,” Melanie smoothly commented. “I know I’m the one who asked about research, but what I really want to know is what you thought of the rides, the theme park of it all.”
“Ah.” Gregory smiled. “I’ve been known to get too hung up on the details.” Charlotte nodded emphatically.
“I had way more fun than I thought I would,” he continued. “My feet may never be the same, but it was worth it. The attention to detail I like so much in operations applies to all the rides, even the queues. With Charlotte’s help I saw how the stories and themes connected.”
Gregory stopped to grin at Charlotte and she thought she was going to dissolve into goo, and none of the workers deserved to clean goo off the floor. She caressed Gregory’s arm. “Hey, give yourself a little credit,” she said. “You asked questions you wouldn’t have even thought of a couple of months ago.”
“I did notice more of the fun parts, I guess, than I would have before.” He turned his attention back to Melanie. “But mostly, I feel like I finally ‘get’ it.”
“Get what?” Melanie asked.
“The magic of theme parks,” Gregory answered. “I’ve seen it at Lands, but we’ve been so focused on the budget and Under the Waves and all the business of running it that I haven’t appreciated it properly. Not since Charlotte showed me the ropes, really. But here, I don’t have to worry about any of those parts and I can take in how much people are enjoying themselves and escaping. Even from only a day in the parks, I can see why working for DreamUs and being a part of giving this much joy to so many people is appealing.”
Gregory put his hand on Charlotte’s knee under the table as he said the part about DreamUs. He hadn’t shared any of that with Charlotte yet and she found it moving and sweet. She’d have to make sure to show him how much she appreciated it later.
They continued discussing the highlights of Gregory and Charlotte’s trip and before long, their food arrived and they swapped slices of pizza and divided salads and pasta in order to try more things. Melanie had trained Charlotte in the art of maximizing ordering.
“We’ve been talking a lot,” Gregory said as they dug in. “Melanie, Charlotte tells me you used to be a pastry chef in Europe.”
Charlotte focused on the slice of prosciutto-and-basil pizza in front of her to hide her wince. Gregory had dived right in with the most sensitive possible subject, though he had no way of knowing that. She looked up and mouthed a “Sorry” at Melanie.
Melanie shook her head almost imperceptibly, letting Charlotte know it was okay. “I was,” she said, putting down her fork. “It feels like another life. I went to culinary school right after high school and trained under some talented chefs—talented chefs with giant egos. I moved around restaurants and got stuck in this cycle of competition for no good reason and eventually the stress got to me. It got to the point where I didn’t like anything about baking anymore. Once upon a time, coming up with new desserts and perfecting recipes was my refuge.
“I was excellent at my job,” she continued, “but it wasn’t worth my mental health, which started to affect my physical health, too. Truly there are not enough kind or chill people in fine dining kitchens. So I came back home to Orlando—my mom was not and is still not thrilled with that choice—and cheered myself up with coming to Dreamland and the other parks. Once I realized how amazing the food is, I started my own site focused on reviews and recommendations.”
“She’s not selling herself well,” Charlotte said. “Melanie’s crushing it. She has her site, an incredible social media presence, and theme parks around the world reaching out to hire her as a consultant.”
“Like Lands,” Gregory said. “I’m surprised Charlotte hasn’t tried to wrangle you to come work for Lands full-time.”
“Oh, she has.” Melanie grinned. “She got Emily ready to offer me a job and everything. But I wasn’t ready, am not ready, to run a kitchen again. I did recommend Holly, however.”
“You did,” Charlotte confirmed, “and she’s been terrific. But I’ll just say, the door is always open. You have so much to offer Lands and there’s always a place for you.”
Charlotte meant those words; Melanie would bring a whole new energy to the park staff. Besides, Uncle Frank adored Mel and they’d bonded when she consulted for the park. Charlotte also thought how nice it would be to know Mel was there overseeing things after Under the Waves opened and after Charlotte was gone.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Melanie said. “Oh my gosh, kind of related, Charlotte, I have to tell you about who’s back in town.”
Charlotte leaned in. “Who? Tell me!”
“Riley,” Melanie said.
“Like, Riley Riley?”
“Do we know another Riley?”
Charlotte couldn’t believe Melanie’s ex and onetime professional rival was back. It had sounded like he was entrenched in his life in Italy.
“I can’t believe you didn’t text me!” Charlotte scolded.
“I only found out a couple of days ago because I read about him opening a new restaurant nearby in the paper.”
This was not good. “Okay, Mel, we have to discuss this in depth tomorrow.”
Gregory was leaving a day ahead of Charlotte so she could have some one-on-one time with her best friend.
“Yes, please,” Melanie said. “But now let’s talk about dessert. We can share a couple things.”
Gregory looked at Charlotte. “We’re not going on any motion-intensive rides today, are we?”
“We don’t have to,” she replied.
“Then I’m in for dessert,” Gregory said.
The rest of the meal passed in easy conversation, Gregory and Melanie getting along wonderfully. Charlotte hadn’t known that was important to her until she experienced a sense of relief. Lord knew she’d sent Melanie no shortage of texts complaining about Gregory, but Melanie saw through it all along.
They lingered outside the restaurant after they’d paid and Melanie told Gregory about some treats from the caramel-focused store down the path that would travel well. Then she turned to Charlotte.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about,” Melanie said and then hugged Charlotte tightly. Melanie dropped her voice and said, “You look maybe more relaxed than I’ve ever seen you and I need details.”
“Deal,” Charlotte whispered back.
Melanie waggled her eyebrows at Charlotte. She leaned over to shake Gregory’s hand. “I’m glad I finally got to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he said.
Then Melanie pulled Gregory in for a hug, clearly surprising him. She must have whispered something to him because Gregory’s face went serious, and he nodded.
They waved goodbye and Charlotte led Gregory toward a chill boat ride. “What was that about?” she asked, cocking her head toward Melanie’s departing form.
“Hmm?” Gregory blinked a couple of times. “Oh, that. She said she was happy for us and that I’d better treat you in a manner you deserve and that if I don’t, she’ll destroy all my spreadsheets.”
Charlotte guffawed. “If anyone could figure out a way to do that, it would be Melanie. Just so you know.”
Gregory reached for her hand and tugged Charlotte toward an alcove off the path. He faced her, hands on her arms and smiled. “I have no intention of losing my spreadsheets, Charlotte. I want to give this, us, a chance and see what happens.”
Charlotte’s mind spun thinking of all the ways it could go wrong between them and possibly affect Lands of Legend’s continuing existence. She couldn’t put her family’s business on the line. Besides, she’d had firsthand experience mixing business and pleasure and it hadn’t gone well. But if she left for Paris, they wouldn’t be colleagues anymore. She looked down, very interested in the scuffed toes of her theme park– tested sneakers, figuring out how to say what she wanted to say.
“I really like you, Gregory. It turns out I have for a while, but I’ve been trying to ignore those feelings.”
“Me too, I think. I didn’t want to—”
“No, let me finish. You know about what happened at DreamUs. With Chad. I am not saying I think you’re like him. I trust you,” Charlotte said, finding the last words to be truer than she’d believed. “But there’s a lot at stake for my family with Lands and I can’t put all of them at risk. Though I am planning to leave after Under the Waves.”
Gregory let his arms drop. “I see. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. I mean, yes, you should have. Just come here, would you?” Charlotte grabbed him around the waist and hugged tight. She could feel his muscles tense.
“If you would have let me finish,” she said, lightly poking his side, “I was going to say I also want to give us a chance. But I want to set some boundaries, I guess, about the park and make sure our work there will be okay, whatever’s going on with us.”
Gregory relaxed. “Note to self: Let Charlotte finish talking before jumping to conclusions.”
“Mmm-hmm, good idea.”
“That sounds reasonable to me. There’s a lot riding on Lands for your family and mine. We can’t let this fully distract us.”
“I think some distraction is good,” Charlotte countered. “Probably healthy. We both work too much, you know?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed his lips with hers, intending it to be a sweet and gentle kiss. But the sensation spurred a reaction in both of them and while Charlotte let herself get carried away during the fireworks last night, she didn’t want to do the same in the bright afternoon with many people passing by.
Gregory broke the kiss first anyway. “Distractions. Yes, some are good. Like now—maybe we can find some distractions back at the hotel instead of doing more rides today?”
Charlotte put her hand to her chest. “Gregory. Are you saying we should skip research and ‘work’ and go to our room? Because I agree.”
His lips spread wide, his lone crooked tooth the first to appear in his smile. “Who are we, even?”
“I don’t know,” Charlotte said, “but I’m a fan.”