“Just three. Nancy is the small model, and I’m borrowing a Cocker Spaniel and a Lab from Noah,” she explained. “That way, we have a small, medium and large.”
I no longer gave a hoot about the doggie headcount. I had no clue who Noah was, and I wanted to know more.
Unfortunately, the explanation she gave wasn’t that interesting. Noah Holt was the new vet in town, and because Nancy was a million years old and in poor health, Lily dealt with him often.
“He’s really good with animals,” she said.
I couldn’t help laughing. “That’s a good quality in a vet, I guess.”
It was a pointless but funny conversation that was cut short when the front door opened. Neither of us batted an eye when Jasmine traipsed in with Nancy in tow, but when we saw who was with her, the whole game changed.
I hadn’t seen Lisa Reynolds since high school, but there was no mistaking it was her. From what I could see, she hadn’t changed much. She was tall, lean and probably still mean.
“Look who I found,” crowed Jasmine, pointing at Lisa as if we needed a hint.
Refusing to react, Lily and I stood side-by-side, watching as they slowly sauntered towards us. My whole high school career played out in my head in the time it took them to cross the gallery floor, and most of it was ugly.
Obviously Lily was on the same track. “This is very bad, Charli,” she whispered from the corner of her mouth.
The threat of a Beautifuls reunion was of no concern to me, but she was right to be worried. I’d left that brand of terror behind a long time ago, but Lily was a different story. She was as vulnerable now as she’d always been, and there was nothing I could do to save her.
Probably disappointed by the cool reception, Jasmine tried harder. “It’s been eight years,” she hissed. “Show a bit of love.”
Lisa let out a condescending cackle. “It’s fine,” she said. “They’re probably just shocked to see me.”
“Not shocked,” Lily clarified. “Confused, maybe.” She roughly snatched Nancy’s lead from her sister’s grasp. “I was under the impression that Jasmine was happy when you left town. She said she hated you.”
Jasmine gasped. “I never said that!”
I would've bet money that she did, and Lisa didn't look too shocked by the claim either. “Who cares?” Her shoulders lifted. “We were kids. A lot has changed since then.”
And in true Lisa style, she felt compelled to spend the next few minutes telling us all about it. “I’ve been working in Sydney. I’m an engineer, you know.” Perhaps mindful that Jasmine was the only one who seemed interested, she focused on her. “A very high powered job – plenty of responsibility, great money.”
“What are you doing back here then?” Lily snapped.
I dropped my head, directing my inappropriate giggle at the floor. I had no idea where Lily’s sudden rush of douche-like behaviour had come from, but I wanted to pat her on the back and congratulate her for it.
“The Cove is my home,” said Lisa, glowering at her. “I belong here as much as you do.”
“Of course you do.” Jasmine hooked her arm though hers. “And we’re thrilled to have to you back, right Lily?”
“If you say so.”
Thanks to Lily’s refusal to back down, Jasmine’s efforts when it came to reuniting her bitchy crew were failing, but Lisa wasn't the least bit daunted by the hostility. Instead, she moved on to me. “And what about you, Charli?” she asked, looking me up and down. “What have you been up to?”
Jasmine would've brought her up to speed long before that moment so answering her in any detail would’ve been a waste of breath. “Not much,” I replied. “A bit of this, a bit of that.”
“Still taking photos, I see.” She wandered over to my tripod, prowling around it like a lion before turning her attention to Gabrielle’s arty backdrop. “This is cute.”
“What’s it supposed to be?” asked Jasmine. “A modelling shoot?”
When Jasmine turned to her sister and slowly looked her up and down, Lily’s resolve began to slip before my very eyes. That’s when my mouth got the better of me.
“It is, actually,” I embellished. “A fashion buyer from New York is extremely interested in Lily’s pet designs. They’ve asked for some professional shots.”
Lisa’s kohl rimmed eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Really?” she drawled.
Lily’s ensuing cough sounded a lot like terror, but I held firm. “Yes,” I replied. “Fashion week is coming up soon.”
September was eight months away, but it was my lie and I was running with it. “Lily’s designs may well be gracing the catwalk this year.”
Jasmine’s eyes looked close to bugging out of her head, but Lisa barely reacted. “We should leave you alone to get on with it then.” Her smile was tight. “Making Lily and a bunch of dogs look worthy of fashion week will probably take time.”
“Yeah,” agreed Jasmine, pulling a face. “Your makeup is terrible, Lil.”
A good friend of Lily's would've bitten back with a snarky comeback while pushing them both out the door, but I had no skill when it came to being a good friend.
I was a good liar, though.
“They're not interested in the models,” I said. “It's her designs that are worth the big bucks.”
Jasmine’s eyes drifted to the mobile clothes rack that was overflowing with doggie clothes. “How big?”
Mercifully, I didn't have to answer. The front door swung open again, and everyone turned to see why.
“Noah,” breathed Lily, handing me Nancy's lead. Clearly no longer concerned about the hem of her dress dragging on the floor, she hurriedly rushed to greet him.
Her enthusiasm was understandable. Noah the vet was not the dorky Doctor Dolittle I was expecting, and I wasn’t the only one who took a second glance.
Lisa leaned over and whispered to Jasmine, “who is that? He's cute.”
He was not cute. A man who can make the combination of Blundstone boots and a neat dress shirt look good is never merely cute. Noah Holt was handsome and debonair – and a million miles out of the Beautifuls’ league.
“Come,” hissed Jasmine, grabbing Lisa's sleeve. “I'll introduce you to him.”
I had zero interest in watching the try-hards make their play, but it was impossible not to listen.
“Noah, this is Lisa,” pitched Jasmine. “She's my oldest and dearest friend.”
It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. Being besties with Jasmine was hardly a coup, and in my opinion, Lisa was no prize either.
“Nice to meet you,” he politely replied.
Noah didn’t seem remotely interested in anything Jasmine had to say. He was more focused on the two dogs roughhousing at his feet. Lily stepped forward and took control of the smaller dog, and the smile he gave as he handed her the leash was warmer than anything he’d shown her bolshie sister.
Still, Jasmine pressed on. “She just arrived back in the Cove after a long stint on the mainland,” she explained.
“I’m an engineer,” interjected Lisa, sounding too stupid for words.
“Right,” said Noah. “Welcome home then, I guess.”
“It’s good to be here.” Lisa flicked her blonde hair off her shoulder. “I'm single and ready to mingle.”
I heard someone groan, and after studying their faces, I decided it must've been Lily. She looked mortified.
Putting an end to the nonsense wasn’t going to be easy, but I tried. “Can we hurry this along, please?” I called.
“Yes, please,” replied Noah, sounding far too grateful. “I've got to get back to work.” He handed the other leash to Lily. “Just call me when you’re finished and I’ll pick them up,” he offered.
Lily grabbed his arm. “Before you go, come and meet Charli.” She motioned toward me with a stiff nod. “She’d love to say hi.”
“Enough introductions, Lil,” Jasmine chided. “He doesn’t need to meet the whole town.”
Knocking Lily down with
child-like rebukes was something Jasmine did often. It was designed to make her feel stupid, but this time it fell short.
“One more introduction can’t hurt,” said Noah. “I’ve almost forgotten the first one.”
Lisa Reynolds must’ve had a cast iron soul. His cutting comment bounced right off her. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, granting him a sordid smile. “I’m sure there will be plenty of time to get to know each other.”
“Another day,” said Jasmine, pulling her trampy mate toward the door.
I didn’t watch them leave, but I knew they had. The sound of the front door slamming echoed through the entire building.
We were finally free to get on with our day, but Lily needed a minute to gather herself. Without saying a word, she handed the leashes back to Noah and took off to the makeshift dressing area in the back room.
Probably having no clue what else to do, Noah slowly walked his dogs over to me. “I’m guessing you’re Charli?”
His rigid expression made me smile. “Relax, Noah,” I urged. “I'm not single, and I'm not going to force you to mingle.”
He huffed out a sharp laugh. “Thank God for that.”
My eyes drifted down to the dogs. “So, do these blokes have names?”
“The little one is Honey, and her fat friend’s name is Hank,” he replied.
“Well, Hank,” the chunky old Lab’s ears went back as I said his name, “I'm not sure how you're going to handle today. Didn't anyone ever tell you that the camera adds ten pounds?”
“Go easy on him,” teased Noah. “He has confidence issues.”
He wasn’t the only one. Lily rushed back into the room waving a small toiletry bag at me. “We need to redo my makeup,” she said in a trembly voice. “Jasmine was right. I look like rubbish.”
“No one looks like rubbish when they’re wearing a Valentino gown,” I retorted. “Suck it up. You look fine.”
“More than fine,” corrected Noah. “I think you look beautiful, Lil.”
I wasn’t sure what was driving her at that point, but it wasn’t common sense. If she’d been thinking straight at all, she would’ve cottoned on that the handsome vet was flirting with her – which is far more progress than her ex-teammates had made.
When she thrust the makeup bag at me, I stumbled back, almost stepping on Nancy in the process. “Just try and fix it up,” she urged. “Please, Charli.”
“I’m not qualified to use eyeliner, Lil,” I protested. “Even on myself.”
Noah let out a dark chuckle. “I think I’ll leave you ladies to it.” He handed control of Hank and Honey to Lily. “Call me when you’re done, okay?”
“I will,” she promised. “And thanks for letting me borrow the dogs.”
“Any time,” he replied already walking away.
9. All BARK AND NO BITE
Lily
Those who need to feel superior are usually prepared to pull out all stops to make sure it happens. I didn't know if Lisa's return to town was tactical or coincidental, but it reinforced Jasmine’s superiority complex no end.
Her half-arsed attempts at winning me back were over. As long as she had her long lost number-two back by her side, she had no use for me, but that didn’t mean I’d be left in peace. I’d spent years playing the role of chew toy, and from what I could tell, nothing had changed.
It didn't take a genius to work out that life was going to get infinitely trickier. Spending a few years on the mainland hadn't changed Lisa Reynolds one bit. She was still bitchy, spiteful and mean – and no matter how hard I tried not to be, I was still scared of her.
I wasn't the only one who'd reverted to the mindset of a vulnerable fifteen-year-old girl. Whether she'd cop to it or not, they'd gotten the better of Charli too, and her stupid fashion week lie proved it.
“Why would you say that?” I spat the frantic question at her. “You know they're not just going to forget about it.”
Charli continued fussing with her camera, probably in a bid to avoid eye contact. “I'm sorry,” she muttered contritely. “It just came out of nowhere.”
It was an easy answer, but not the truth. She'd felt as intimated as I had, and had said something dumb because of it.
“You've just made the situation worse,” I growled.
“There is no situation,” she replied. “They're not focused on tormenting us. Lisa has her eye on Noah. He'll be the one fending off the sparkly blows from now on.”
It was an appalling prospect, but I didn’t fess up and tell her why. It was a betrayal that didn't sit well with me. Charli had gone up and above for me lately – for no other reason than friendship – and I wasn't giving her much in return.
“Let's just get this done,” I muttered, smoothing down the front of my dress. “We'll deal with the rest later.”
***
Whoever coined the phrase that one should never work with children or animals was speaking the absolute truth.
Nancy was far too old and too set in her ways to deal with the spritely combination of Honey and Hank. After just a few snaps of the camera, she leapt off my lap and hid behind the canvas backdrop.
Honey was well behaved, but Hank was slow and dopey. Every time he wagged his tail, he knocked something over. Charli had to make a grab for the tripod more than once, and it wasn’t long before she called it quits.
“We were idiots to think we could do this by ourselves,” she said, reaching for her phone. “We need help.”
“Who are you calling?” I asked, grabbing Hank’s collar as he passed.
“Adam,” she replied. “He’s a New Yorker. That automatically qualifies him to deal with stroppy fashion models.”
From what I could tell, there wasn’t much that Adam wouldn’t do for Charli. He arrived within the hour, rolled up his sleeves and tried his hand at playing costume manager for the afternoon.
I’m sure he didn’t enjoy it, and none of the dogs made it easy for him, but he didn’t complain. The Hero of the Day title was his, but when it was all over, he went the extra mile and helped us tidy up.
While Charli was occupied packing away her camera equipment, I stole a quick moment to thank him.
“No problem,” he replied flashing me a dimpled smile. “It was almost fun.”
“Hopefully we got some good shots.” I looked at the half dismantled set. “Everyone has gone to so much trouble.”
It was a notion that almost bothered me. I’d been shown more grace and goodwill in the past few weeks than ever before, and I was grateful, but there was a cynical part of my soul that kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“That’s what friends do, Lily,” he replied.
Adam Décarie wasn’t remotely close to being a friend of mine. He was ten times more intimidating than Lisa could ever hope to be, but not because he was evil.
By all accounts, he was kind, generous and sweet. But Adam also had an air of elitism that made him hard to talk to, and impossible to relate to.
Pushing awkwardness aside, I tried to keep the conversation alive. “Adam, can I ask you something?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
“You speak French, right?”
The dumb question made him laugh. “A little.”
When the floor failed to open up and swallow me, I cleared my throat and pressed on. “I was hoping you could translate something for me.”
I didn’t want to explain the ins and outs of my visit to Edna’s, so I got straight down to business and hit him with the two words that had been playing on my mind all week. My pronunciation sucked, but he got the gist.
“Brutum fulmen,” he corrected with a smile. “And it’s not French, it’s Latin.”
“You speak Latin too?” I asked incredulously.
He pinched his thumb and forefinger together. “A little.”
His sheepish expression led me to think he was seriously downplaying his skills, but I let it go. “What does it mean?”
“Well, it quite literally means a harmless
thunderbolt.”
I frowned, none the wiser. “Okay,” I replied, dejected. “Thanks.”
Adam folded his arms and leaned in closer. “Do you want the deeper meaning, Lil?”
“Yes, please,” I mumbled, nodding my head. “I think it might be important.”
He straightened up, smiling brightly. “A harmless bolt of thunder is useless – loud enough to scare you, but powerless to hurt you,” he explained. “All bark and no bite.”
Confusion suddenly gave way to wonderment. Edna’s scary ramble had been about Jasmine – Lisa too if her witchy powers extended that far.
“Does it make sense?” he asked.
In a move that neither of us would ever have predicted, I lurched forward and hugged him tightly. “More than you’ll ever know,” I replied.
10. SUSHI LEVEL BEAUTIFUL
Charli
When I was a conniving teenager, telling lies to get myself out of tight spots was commonplace. It rarely worked, which probably explains why I gave it up. It was a trait that I was glad to be rid of, but the events of that day proved that I was only ever one wicked deed away from being the ratbag girl I used to be.
Making up stories about bogus fashion buyers had set Lily up for certain failure. The Beautifuls were never going to let it go and were likely to mock her until the end of time because of it. The stress of that realisation had nearly caused Lily to melt down, and I was entirely responsible.
It was still playing on my mind hours after I arrived home, and confessing my sins to Adam didn’t make me feel any less wretched. “It was a stupid, thoughtless thing to do,” I told him. “Lily won’t handle the fallout.”
“Charlotte, they’re grown women,” he reminded me. “There shouldn’t be any fallout.”
Adam didn't recognise the problem at hand because he'd never understood the complicated hierarchy to begin with. I wasn't interested in explaining it to him. I was too busy trying to figure out a solution. “I'm going to upload the pictures to the website,” I mumbled. “Lily's waiting on them.”
When I picked up my laptop bag, he took it from me. “I'm glad that you're friends with her, Charli.” He didn’t sound the least bit believable. “But I don't want you to take Lily’s drama on board.”