Chapter Fifteen
Pacific Pines had more security than the White House during an election year.
Charlie had already driven through two gates—one ornamental, one that definitely looked electrified—given identification to three separate men in dark green security jackets, had his photo taken along with Juliette in the passenger seat, and been asked to provide proof that a current member invited them to the event.
She could only assume the next stop was a swab test for blood type and DNA to make sure she had acceptable genetics.
“Nothing screams ‘You’re not welcome here’ like rich people’s security systems,” Juliette muttered as they left the fourth security station and followed the pristinely paved drive as it lazily wrapped around the side of the club.
The greens glistened like freshly carved emeralds, the sand dunes white against the dark rise of Douglas firs ringing the course.
The clubhouse itself seemed to be at least half a mile away, if not farther, majestically spread along the shores of Elliott Bay with the Olympic-length pool and tennis courts on full display.
Charlie’s gaze wandered over the scenery out the front window. They inched forward a few more cars, bringing them closer to the clubhouse. “I really shouldn’t have come. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I don’t know what you were thinking either, with that jacket,” Juliette said, nodding to the oversize brown sport coat he wore with a white polo and khaki slacks.
“Are we extras on the set of Miami Vice? Did you borrow that from your dad’s closet in the eighties on your way to prom? Are you Tom Hanks before he got big?”
Charlie pressed his lips together to suppress a smile. “It’s a sport coat. We’re going to a sports club. What was I supposed to wear?”
“That’s a very literal wardrobe interpretation,” Juliette said, relieved that he wasn’t talking about leaving anymore. She just needed him to hold it together until they got through the club doors; then he could slink off into whatever hidey-hole he wanted. She worked better alone anyway.
By the time the valet took their car and someone in a white uniform offered them champagne as they entered the club, he looked perfectly resigned to her plan.
There were definitely far more people at the event than Juliette had expected, nearly two hundred by the looks of it, and many of them wearing name tags that indicated they were visitors and not members. “What kind of event is this?”
Charlie shrugged. “I don’t know, some kind of community thing? I tend to delete those emails without reading them. I didn’t even know about it until Rajiv commented on it yesterday. Dr. Campbell is a member here, maybe it’s a surgeons’ luncheon?”
Juliette shook her head as she watched a young man hand out brochures. “It looks more like a membership drive. Warren never would have approved this. He took pride in the fact that they rejected more memberships than they granted. The Piedmonts didn’t waste any time, did they?”
“Can I have your name, please?” asked a perky young woman in tennis whites holding an iPad. “This is an invite-only event for the Surgical Society of Washington State.”
“Katarina,” Charlie said, the color draining from his features.
“Charlie?” the girl said, blinking in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“I … I didn’t realize you’d be here,” he said, his voice going faint.
“You didn’t realize I’d be here, where I work?” she challenged.
He gave an airless laugh. “Right, no, you work here. Of course. I knew that. I just didn’t realize I’d be seeing you so … We haven’t seen each other since…”
“Since you finally returned my rice cooker,” said the woman.
Ah, so this was Sporty Ex from the photograph.
Juliette only had a brief glance of her in the picture before, but now she took a moment to see what kind of woman Charlie Hawkins dated.
She was certainly cute, with her hair pulled into a tight ponytail, graceful waves floating behind her like a horse’s tail.
Her makeup was delicate, naturally enhancing her pouty lips and dark brows.
She wasn’t as tall as Juliette, of course—women rarely were—but she carried herself with the energy of a true athlete, spine straight, chest open, legs braced slightly apart.
Juliette recognized that confidence from her years of running track, and something about the woman triggered an old instinct in her.
She suddenly felt the wild urge to challenge her to a two-hundred-meter dash, just like she used to run against Juniper.
But this woman wasn’t Juniper, Juliette reminded herself severely.
And she wasn’t sixteen anymore, playing into patriarchal expectations of female rivalry.
She was grown now and didn’t need to compete with this woman. Certainly not for Charlie’s attention.
“Hi, Juliette Win—” she started, a hand out, but the woman kept talking like she wasn’t there.
“Rajiv said you weren’t coming,” she said to Charlie, almost like an accusation.
“I changed my plans,” Charlie said, sounding like he was sucking air through a coffee straw. “I should have let you know, in case…”
“We can’t avoid each other forever,” Katarina said. Her gaze flickered over his sport coat, her lips pursing into an appealing pout. “I thought we donated that jacket. We agreed it made your shoulders look lumpy and uneven.”
Juliette had just told him the same thing, but she didn’t like the dominant and possessive tone Katarina was using.
She didn’t believe in the idea of exes remaining friends, and judging by the greenish tone Charlie’s face had taken on, she didn’t think his feelings toward Katarina were just friendly, either.
And despite her resolve only moments ago to not let herself get sucked into another Juniper situation, she couldn’t let Charlie stand there looking like a fish out of water for this woman’s sake.
“I told him to keep it, actually,” Juliette said, looping her arm through his and tugging him toward her. She tossed her hair over one shoulder, tilting her chin and giving Charlie a dazzling smile. “I think it makes his shoulders look great.”
Charlie looked at her in confusion. “Really? In the car you said—”
“The exact same thing!” Juliette said, batting at his chest playfully. Huh, it was a lot more solid than she would have expected, given the shapeless polos he insisted on wearing. “Remember? I said what a striking figure you made, babe.”
“Babe?” Katarina said, blinking in shock. “Charlie, you’re dating again? So soon?”
This from the woman who immediately started dating his surgical rival, Juliette thought uncharitably. Seriously, she was trying her best to be a progressive feminist here, but this woman was not making it easy. Especially when Charlie looked ready to pass out from the guilt.
“I, uh…” He looked to her helplessly, clearly not wanting to outright lie but not wanting to embarrass her, either. Poor, honorable idiot. Luckily, Juliette had no similar moral compunctions.
“You know Charlie, so shy about new love,” Juliette said, rolling her eyes and giving him a softly chiding smile. “The invitation should be under Charlie’s name, plus one. Juliette Winters. That’s me. So great to meet you, Kat.”
“Charlie, we should talk,” Katarina said. “Dinner tonight, Marco’s.”
“Oooh, sorry, we’ve got plans tonight,” Juliette said, before Charlie could choke his way into agreeing. Seriously, what hold did this girl have over him? “And a club to tour. We don’t want to keep you away from checking people in.”
Katarina set her hands on her hips. “I’m the ladies’ tennis pro here. Do you play?”
“Oh sure,” Juliette said with a dismissive wave. “Who doesn’t?”
“Good, because I’m hosting a demo at five o’clock, a friendly little doubles tournament. Rajiv has been practicing to be my partner. The men’s tennis pro had to call out sick and we’ve been looking for a replacement duo. We’d love for you and Charlie to play.”
“Of course we’ll play, we’d love to,” Juliette said, matching her aggressively friendly tone. “Wouldn’t we, babe?”
“Would we?” Charlie said faintly.
“Great, then it’s settled,” Juliette said. “We’ll see you and Rajiv on the tennis courts at five o’clock.”
“Perfect,” Katarina said, her smile vicious as she flounced away.
“She’s a real piece of work, isn’t she?” Juliette said as the girl disappeared. “I see why she was attracted to Rajiv.”
“Do you know what you’ve done?” Charlie asked, his voice still thin. “Katarina was the number one female on the circuit by the time she was sixteen. The only reason Warren was even able to entice her here as the tennis pro is because she’s recovering from a knee injury. Do you play tennis?”
“Never tried,” Juliette said. “But I’m sure I can master it by five. It’s a racket and a ball, how hard can it be?”
“Oh god,” Charlie groaned, sinking his face into his hands. “We’re doomed.”
“We’re fine,” Juliette said with a dismissive wave. “We’ll eviscerate them both. There’s your revenge. Embarrass her at her own game, literally. Now it’s time to hold up your end of the bargain and help me catch a murderer.”