I looked at her. “Jared?”
“My grandnephew from London—my sister’s grandson. He’s only visited the States a couple of times, so I’m going to actually be relying on you quite a bit during his stay, Charlotte, to make sure he’s well cared for.”
Reed didn’t seem to like that idea. He grumbled, “Why does Jared need a babysitter?”
“He doesn’t. I just thought he and Charlotte would get along well. She could show him around the city, take him to the hip places—you know, wherever young people go these days.”
“I’ll be happy to show Jared all of my favorite haunts.”
“Thank you, dear. I’m certain Jared will love that. Don’t you think, Reed?”
I kept waiting for a response from him, but Reed offered nothing but a death stare aimed at Iris.CHAPTER 13
REED
My grandmother was really pushing it.
Jared Johansen was one of London’s most notorious bachelors; Iris knew that when she decided to pawn him off on Blondie. This was entirely about getting me worked up and had nothing to do with his suitability for Charlotte.
Jared was a commodities broker by day and a playboy by night. With a penchant for fast cars and even faster women, there was no way he was going to let an opportunity to sack a beauty like Charlotte pass. One look at her striking, curious eyes and killer body, and he’d quickly see her as the perfect summer catch. My only hope was that she could see through his façade.
It had been a few years since he’d last visited the United States, but Jared was more than capable of finding his way around New York City. Iris was playing games, trying to once again light a fire under my ass when it came to Charlotte. But I refused to play along.
During the afternoon that Jared arrived, I kept a low profile the entire time he and Charlotte were gallivanting around. And by low profile, I mean following Charlotte’s social media for a virtual map of their whereabouts, which included stops at the Museum of Modern Art’s Pottery Exhibit and Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes.
I hated that I cared, that I was attracted to her. I hated that she made me feel more alive than I had in a long time. But most of all, I hated the fact that Charlotte was probably still better off with that philandering cousin of mine than she would be with me. That hurt to admit. But it was the truth. He’d be able to give her towheaded little children and the life she deserved someday.
As much as I wished I could skip the party, the Eastwood/Locklear summer event wasn’t something I could just blow off. Believe me, I searched for a way out of it, but bailing was kind of hard when you owned the company. I was not only expected to be there and smiling but also to give a speech and pass out employee appreciation awards later in the evening. My grandmother had delegated the latter task to me a few years ago because, in her words, I was the best speaker in the family. It was the one night of the year that I schmoozed with my employees, and that made for one mentally exhausting evening. Add Charlotte and Jared to the mix, and I was definitely eager for the night to be over before it even started.I lingered in the upstairs master bedroom of my family’s estate for as long as possible, looking down on the festivities. Five gigantic tents were spread about the massive front lawn while a jazz band played live music. Guests mingled at sunset while waiters passed out hors d’oeuvres. Fiddling with my watch, I gave myself a mental kick in the ass and ventured downstairs to face the music.
Charlotte and Jared were at the bar. She was playing with the thin red straw in her cosmo. Jared was using the loud music as an excuse to lean in to her ear while talking. I knew that trick. It was just an excuse to get close to her. He was practically sucking her ear off with every word.
Turning a blind eye, I walked past them and over to a group of employees to make small talk.
After finishing my obligatory speech, I kept moving around the lawn, making the rounds so that I could get to that point where I could just drink without having to worry about talking to anyone else. Every time my eyes would wander over to Charlotte, I’d notice that she was looking right at me. In fact, she didn’t seem very into whatever Jared was saying at all.
Max interrupted my thoughts when he snuck up behind me. “Goldilocks looks bored as fuck.” He handed me a vodka on the rocks.
“Well, she’s not exactly eating up the bullshit porridge Jared is trying to feed her, thankfully.”