Chapter Four
Several Weeks Later
The shop was undergoing repairs that Charlotte heard the club was paying for. She didn’t know the ins and outs of the agreement, but it meant she didn’t have a place to work. However, Maeve being the makeup artist she was, didn’t stop just because a salon was currently undergoing repairs.
There was no rest for beauty, so she got a crash course in what it meant to be a makeup artist in the flesh.
She joined Maeve as she journeyed around town.
Everyone who had an appointment, Maeve kept.
Not only did she do makeup, she also helped with hair.
Kristin was doing the same, and had her own assistant.
She followed Maeve around and watched how the master worked. It was amazing, and she gave her plenty of space, watching how she set up, learning everything, and Maeve was so incredibly patient.
After one busy morning, they made a stop at a local café and enjoyed a large mug of coffee, with a cinnamon bun. They were Charlotte’s favorites.
“So, do you think being a makeup artist is something you would like to do?” Maeve asked.
“Yeah, I think it is.”
“But?” Maeve asked, with a raised brow. “Don’t give me that look. I can see a ‘but’ in there somewhere. Tell me.”
“But I don’t see myself getting on a plane and flying all over the world. I think there would be a lot of work for me around here.”
“It is a great base, and when the salon opens up again, customers will come.” Maeve nodded her head. “All women deserve to feel beautiful. Makeup helps with that. It enhances their natural beauty, and of course can cover up as well.”
Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh as she recalled the nightmare smokey eye she had done on herself. “You’re right.”
“So, tell me, Charlotte. You’re young. Nearly nineteen. Is there a special guy in your life? A special girl?” Maeve asked.
She groaned. “We don’t have to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Where you play the role of stepparent. I don’t know what my dad has told you to ask—”
“Nothing,” Maeve said. “He hasn’t asked me to ask you anything. I was just curious about Savage. Doc said he was already on the scene before him. I also heard through the channels that he was the one to alert Sheriff Hayes.”
“It was good of him to respond,” Charlotte said.
“How did he find out?” Maeve asked. “I know I didn’t get to alert him. I don’t think anyone did.”
“Fine, fine, fine. I was able to text him and send him the alert to what happened. That is all.”
“So, are you and Savage a thing?” Maeve asked.
She looked toward her friend, and it didn’t feel right to lie to her. “No, we’re not a thing. I guess you can say we’re friends.”
“Friends?”
Charlotte nodded.
“Just friends?”
“I know it’s crazy, but yes, we’re just friends.”
“And do you want to tell me how that happened?” Maeve asked.
“Are you, like, wearing a wire? Has my dad put you up to this?”
“I care about you, Charlotte, and Savage is a little older than you.”
“My dad is older than you,” Charlotte pointed out. There was a bigger difference between her dad and Maeve, than there was between her and Savage.
He had let it slip that he was thirty years old, and that wasn’t old.
Charlotte didn’t even think her father was that old.
It was why it didn’t gross her out, hearing he was now in a committed relationship with Maeve.
She hoped one day her mother might find what she was looking for, but she had a feeling that was not going to happen anytime soon.
“Okay, fine. Fine. I can’t argue with that one. Your dad is older than me. But do you want to know the difference?” Maeve asked.
“What?”
“I had a life before I knew your father. I was in relationships. Admittedly, not very good ones, and not ones I would recommend.”
Charlotte frowned. “Are you trying to encourage me to find someone else?”
“I’m encouraging you to live. If Savage is who you want, then go for it, but also understand that your dad is going to be pissed. I don’t know enough about club life, but I do know enough about life, to know that any relationship with you is going to come with bad consequences for Savage.”
She knew the consequences. “There is nothing going on between Savage and I. Honestly, we’re just friends.” Even though there have been a few times she had looked at his lips and thought about kissing him. Only, she didn’t cross that boundary. She was her father’s daughter. She was off limits.
That boundary shouldn’t be crossed, and she knew Savage and her father were really good friends. She was never going to be selfish enough to jeopardize that. It wasn’t who she was.
She took a long sip of her coffee.
“Right, we’re heading out to Mrs. Bernadette,” Maeve said, finishing the last of her coffee.
Charlotte got to her feet, shoving the last of the cinnamon roll into her mouth, as she followed behind Maeve.
She joined her in the car, sliding into the passenger seat. “I can’t believe you agreed to work on Mrs. Bernadette. She’s not a nice older lady.”
Maeve laughed. “Then you are in for a treat. You see, me and Mrs. Bernadette have an understanding.”
“An understanding?”
“Yeah, she doesn’t fuck with me, and I don’t fuck with her.” Maeve looked toward her and winked.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Nope,” Maeve said.
“How?” Charlotte knew most of the town of Rivermont Ridge absolutely hated Mrs. Bernadette.
The kids that lived close by hated her, because she had paid a guard with a couple of dogs, and instructed him that any ball that landed on her property was to be seized and destroyed in front of the kids’ eyes.
No parent would dare go up against her, because she was so wealthy.
That wealth, apparently, came from a lot of unscrupulous sources.
She didn’t even know what was right. Either way, it didn’t matter.
What did matter was the fact she was going with Maeve, and she was going to get the chance to see her in action.
Mrs. Bernadette lived in the richest of neighborhoods within Rivermont Ridge. There was a time when kids, even rich ones, would play out in the street; however, there were no signs of kids. Just a few twitching curtains, and it was kind of scary to Charlotte.
Maeve did not seem fazed at all. She got to the gate and alerted whoever was on the other end that they were there for Mrs. Bernadette’s three o’clock appointment. Her heart raced, and it didn’t seem to want to let up.
“Don’t panic. She can smell fear,” Maeve said, pulling the car into the large driveway and turning off the ignition.
“I don’t know how you do it.”
Maeve shrugged. “You learn to talk to women, and once you realize all people are the same, no one will bother you.”
Charlotte went with Maeve to the trunk and reached in to grab one of the cases.
The door opened, and a man with a quick smile and slicked-back hair, answered.
“Maeve, it is so good of you to come.”
“Where is she, Andy?” Maeve said.
She noticed how cold she was to the man, and Charlotte didn’t say a word. Just watched and waited. Andy looked a little perplexed, but a smile easily replaced that, and they stepped inside the house.
****
Savage hadn’t stayed at the clubhouse in a long time, and as he sat at one of the many tables, sipping a beer, he couldn’t get his mind off Charlotte. She hadn’t entered the apartment.
He saw Nancy was at the bar drinking. If Charlotte wasn’t at the apartment and Nancy was here, it meant she was at home.
The last few weeks since the Hilary incident, Charlotte had spent less and less time at the apartment. He knew she loved her mother, but their relationship was not the best.
“Hey, handsome.”
A hand ran down his chest, and he grabbed it, holding it away from his body.
He saw it was Kitty. She’d been part of the club for a few years now.
The brothers liked her because she didn’t make waves.
All she wanted was a place in the club and the hope of attempting to trap one of the guys with a kid. He had seen it play out before.
Kitty had never appealed to him, although she kept trying.
There was one night he had refused her, and he walked into a room to find her naked.
She even had a dildo shoved up her ass, and when she pulled it out, moaned for him to put his cock right there.
That might get some men’s blood pumping.
He’d turned around and left. Kitty was never alone.
Even after that, less than five minutes later, he heard one of the guys had taken his place and gladly gave her the anal fuck she clearly wanted.
“Don’t,” Savage said.
He was growing more intolerant of the women that seemed to think it was okay to cross that line and touch him. It was starting to piss him off. He made sure she was away from him, then let her go as he turned on his heel and left the club.
Deep down, he knew he should be happy that Charlotte was able to relax at home, but he actually fucking missed her. Even on the days they sat in each other’s company, putting on makeup and just doing their regular shit. He loved sharing pizza with her and watching her laugh and smile.
Savage stopped outside the door of the clubhouse. The temptation to go back inside, shove Kitty over his shoulder, and finally fuck her to rid himself of this interest of Charlotte, was fucking strong. It would be easy to do, and he would forget all about Charlotte. She was Doc’s daughter.
He was never disloyal. This was not the kind of man he fucking was. It pissed him off.
Running a hand down his face, he didn’t go back inside and instead kept moving until he got to his bike. He straddled his machine, revved the engine, and before he could stop himself, he was heading toward Charlotte’s home.
There were moments he yelled inside his own head to fucking run. But he didn’t take them. Not a damn second. He just kept driving, getting closer and closer to her home, until he finally parked on the main drive.
Turning off his ignition, he climbed off, and just as he got to the door, it opened and Charlotte was there. This time, in tiny kittens, and it wasn’t lost on him. He didn’t consider it a sign that he needed to get back to the clubhouse and fuck Kitty.
“Savage, what are you doing here?” Charlotte asked.
“I came to see you.”
“Oh, is that because of what you heard?”
This made him freeze. “Heard?”
Charlotte winced. “I didn’t know if my dad had sent you, or ... I don’t know.” She let out a light laugh, but it sounded like it was verging on hysterics.
“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
She blew out a breath, and then stepped away from the door. “You might as well come in. I mean, you’re going to find out eventually.” Again, she let out a breath and shrugged. “Fine, fine, Friday night, I am going on a date.”
“A date?” he asked.
“Yes, my very first official date, and Mom is excited about it. Me, I’m terrified.”
“A date?” he asked again, and at the same time, he felt like someone had punched him right in the gut.
“Yeah, a date.”
“Who is the lucky guy?” Savage asked. So, I can go hurt him for even looking at you.
“It’s Andy Bernadette. Mrs. Bernadette’s grandson or son, I wasn’t quite sure which it was.”
“Isn’t he old?” Savage asked.
“He’s twenty-five years old,” she said. “So, no, not old.” She pressed her lips together.
“I don’t even know how this all came about.
I was with Maeve, and we were working on Bernadette, and she was showing me how best to work with mature skin, and then Andy comes in, bringing drinks, and before I know what is happening, he’s asking me out on a date.
To dinner, Friday. I have never been on a date.
” She laughed. “I haven’t had a boyfriend, or made out, or done any of those things I’m supposed to have done.
What I’ve done is run.” She rubbed at her temple. “Sorry.”
“There’s no reason to be sorry. It’s a big deal.”
“Mom and Maeve had already told me how I’m going to dress, and I’m a little overwhelmed. I don’t know what to do,” Charlotte said.
Savage knew he should walk away, wish her a good time, and just let it be. It was good that she was going on a date. It got him off the hook. Charlotte wasn’t interested in a guy like him. He didn’t have to break his moral code to Doc. This was all good.
At least, that was what he kept trying to convince himself, but as he looked at Charlotte, she seemed terrified.
“Do you want me to follow you? Come to the restaurant, that kind of thing?” he asked. “Keep an eye on you? Perhaps give you a few pointers?”
“Would you?” Charlotte asked. “I know this is a lot to ask, but I don’t know what I’m doing, and you know me better than anyone.”
“Why don’t you show me what they have picked out for you. I know your mom, I’m sure she already has everything ready and prepared.”
Charlotte nodded, and within minutes, Savage hated himself, because he was in her bedroom.
It wasn’t girly. There were no pink frills or anything that gave way to a young girl living here.
She had cream walls, brown furniture, and there were a few splashes of pink, but nothing that would make him believe there was a child here.
She didn’t even have a single picture in the bedroom.
No family photos. Her space looked kind of blank.
More like she was a visitor in her bedroom.
“You don’t have any photographs,” he said.
“Yeah, uh, after Jake, Mom stopped taking them, and it’s hard to look at the ones of us when we were younger. I don’t like them.”
There was a lot of pain, and Savage had a feeling she hadn’t truly dealt with the death of losing her brother, even though it was so long ago. Doc and Nancy were a lot to handle. They were good parents—better than most—but it seemed they didn’t see their daughter’s screams for help.
She opened her wardrobe, and there was a red dress, that he imagined was figure-hugging.
“This is what Mom picked out. She said it is about making a statement and when you go on a date, you make a statement.” She nibbled her lip. “What do you think?”
“Show me what else you’ve got.”
Her smile was right there, and she rummaged through her wardrobe and pulled out a couple of black dresses.
“No to the black,” he said.
“Come on, black is a good color on me.”
“It might be a good color, but you’re going on a date, not to a funeral.”
Charlotte laughed, and he had to wonder if she even considered this a date, or in fact a funeral.
“What happens on dates?” she asked. “Are there things that are expected of you? Maybe I should just cancel. That would be the easiest, right? I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t even know this guy, and I am about to go on a date with him. It is insane.” She giggled.
“Anything can happen on a date. You just have to roll with it.”
“Roll with it?” she asked.
“Yeah, that is pretty much it.”
She blew out a breath. “I’m scared.”
“You don’t have to be. I’ll be there.”
“Have you ever been on a date?” she asked.
“No, not one.”