Welcome back! Thanks for all the likes on Friday’s post! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy this scene as much. If you’re joining the story for the first time, please go to the first post!
Charisse caught her breath. He wore a black suit perfectly tailored to the smooth lines of his body. A cobalt tie matched his eyes that shone even in the subtle lighting of the apartment. His hair appeared untouched, just like it had been when he left Ma Charisse. Her eyes paused when she saw him carrying a single white rose.
“Good evening,” he said to Marie.
“Uh, hi. I didn’t expect you to come up.”
He held out the rose. “I wanted to deliver this personally. I’m sorry for being rude to you when we met.”
Wow. It was probably the most elegant apology Charisse had ever seen.
Marie stood up straighter, and Charisse saw her game face slip on. “Why thank you. Won’t you come in while I put it in a vase? I’m sure you remember Charisse,” she said, walking away.
Conor’s eyebrows shot up when he saw her. Warmth spread throughout Charisse’s body from her very core.
Conor said, “I didn’t realize you’d be here. I would’ve brought one for you too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you the way I did.”
Charisse stepped forward, her heart sofetening towards him with each passing second. The living room was small but just recently refurnished with Restoration Hardware thanks to Marie’s trustfund. Beiges and reds made up the color scheme to make the room warm and inviting.
“It’s okay,” said Charisse as heat crept into her face. “I said a couple of things to you that were uncalled for.”
“I think you said everything exactly right.”
His gaze pierced into her, and she wished she was going to the cocktail party instead of her sister. She couldn’t think of any response and wished Marie would call out something from the kitchen to break the intensity of the moment.
Conor said, “I grow the roses at my Hamptons house. I’ll be sure to send you a dozen tomorrow.”
Charisse’s toes curled in her gold-colored sandals. He grew roses? Well, probably a gardener did, but still, it was unexpected.
She clenched her jaw before her emotions ran away. She didn’t want anything to do with Conor. He was here for Marie. “Don’t worry about it,” she murmured. She forced her gaze to the floor just as Marie came back into the room.
“That was so sweet of you,” said Marie. She approached Conor and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Charisse still watched the floor. She didn’t want to see what a great couple they made.
“Don’t hold dinner for me,” said Marie. “These things can run late.”
“Sure,” said Charisse.
“Do you two live together?” asked Conor.
Charisse glanced up at his question, but Marie was the one to answer. “Yes, but I’m the worst roommate ever. Ready?”
Conor stared at Charisse a second more before he offered his arm to Marie. They looked freaking great together.
When the door shut behind them, Charisse lay down on the sofa and swung her legs over the arm, sinking into the cushions. White roses at his Hamptons mansion. She’d like to see that—but she didn’t want it to be at his wedding to Marie.
She squirmed at the passion that rolled through her for him. She’d just washed his hair and cut it. That was it. And that was all that would ever happen between them.
She sat up to fix dinner just as her phone rang. She grabbed it out of her pocket. Daddy. Maybe she’d be able to figure out why the heck Marie was so mad at him.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hey, what happened at the salon today? Did Conor Grishin show up?”
Charisse lay back down on the couch. “Yeah, what was that all about?”
“We were just talking, and I mentioned you cut hair. I guess he’s looking for a new stylist. Did Marie get over there in time to meet him?”
“Yeah, they’re going to a cocktail party together.”
“Oh, thank God.”
The relief in his voice was palpable, making Charisse even more curious. “Why didn’t you tell us he was the one who bought you out? Marie was really upset when she found out.”
Silence answered her. At last he said, “That’s why. I know how protective you girls are of me. I’m glad it all worked out. Good night.”
He hung up, leaving Charisse more in the dark than ever.
Please come back tomorrow for more! Tell your friends!
Evelyn Aster 