Chapter Six
Charlotte
Since Charlotte couldn’t predict all the questions that would be asked during her interview, she decided to spend several hours each day researching Emery Black. From the articles she read online, she learned he had attended Northeastern University on a full lacrosse scholarship, graduating with a degree in architectural studies. He had been offered a job while he was still in school and within a few years he was their lead designer. Ten years ago he had gone off on his own and really began to make a name for himself in the New England area. Now, he had buildings all over Boston, Portland, Manchester, and Cape Cod. He even had a few in Manhattan and LA. Emery’s designs weren’t just in high demand, they were award winning.
In one of the interviews, Emery had discussed his personal life, telling the reporter he had met Jesse his freshman year of college. They had lived in the same dorm, two floors apart, and started dating their sophomore year. They were married by the time they were twenty-five and Jesse had opened Cinched a few years prior. In a different interview, this one focused on Jesse, she was asked what had prompted the business. Her reply was that she was trying on wedding gowns and couldn’t find any undergarments that had the level of support she was looking for. The company was now estimated to be worth a quarter of a billion dollars.
Charlotte thought it would be difficult to find another husband and wife who were as determined, successful and talented as the Black’s.
Or as gorgeous.
Emery and Jesse had matching dark hair and blue eyes with sharp features that made their faces stand out. They looked perfect together.
Wondering how far their home was from hers, she typed their address into her phone and watched the line form between her dot and theirs. It was four miles away, approximately sixteen minutes. Her last job was less than a mile and in the summer she used to bike to work. She wouldn’t be able to do that with the Black’s and she would be tripling her commute.
It would be worth it.
She got up from her desk and went over to the closet. The clothes she had ordered had been delivered yesterday and she had washed and ironed them this morning. Now, they hung in front of her.
She grabbed a pair of dark grey pants from the rack and held them in the air. They were skinny jean style that would pair well with knee-high boots. She then took a black sweater off the shelf and held it over the pants. She would wear her hair down with no scarf. She didn’t want the static. And she wouldn’t wear too much makeup, just some mascara, a little blush, and a red lipstick—the most important detail of the entire ensemble.
It was a plan.
But just as she was about to turn around and head for her kitchen, Charlotte remembered a photo she had seen on one of the Black’s social media accounts. It was a picture of Emery, Jesse, their two kids, and the dog and they were all wearing white. Even the dog had a white bandana wrapped around its neck.
Grey and black was too drab. Charlotte needed color.
So, she glanced inside her closet again and grabbed a pair of tomato red jeans and a white top and hung those on the door, adding the knee-high boots underneath to take in the whole outfit. There was certainly nothing subtle about it. She would stand out the second Emery opened the door.
And that was exactly what she wanted.