Plus One. How to Catch a Cloud - v
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
The evening was spent around the hillside where a grand hotel was set up with a posh looking lounge. The low tables were circled with sofas instead of chairs and the crowd wasn't bad at all. Charlie thought as he ogled a couple of ladies huddled in the corner at their own table.
Meanwhile, Georgia and Phoenix had taken off to dance to a slow song while Ara sat there nursing her piña-colada. Her head was still throbbing a bit, thanks to the wine she downed too quickly during lunch. Cheek in her hand and her elbow on the table, she looked to see what Charlie was up to.
"Of course," she muttered aloud, when she found him at that table of ample bodied women. They were dressed in dresses that would cost her three months salary. My, he had taste in women, she just wondered if the women had taste in men.
She knew that he was known for being a ladies' man, and player.
Georgia had revealed this one of the first times he was spoken of when they hadn't met yet. Her frown deepened and she looked away.
Her phone juggled and tweeted a couple of times, enough to grab her attention.
INCOMING MESSAGE:
Hey.. cheer up! Why are you frowning?
Huh? She looked over to catch Charlie putting his phone away to lead one of the ladies to the dance floor.
Whatever, she thought. He could go hook up with whoever, he's a big boy.
Her ears adjusted just in time to hear her brother and his fiancée bickering - nothing out of the ordinary. They'd kiss and make up, no doubt.
"I refuse to wear pink on our wedding day!"
"Oh come on, Nix! You'll look great in it!"
"No way!"
Georgia hung onto his arm, trying to coax a yes from him, but he wouldn't give in. She winked at Ara, hinting that it was just a ploy. "Come on... Ara, wouldn't he look great in pink?!"
Phoenix gave his sister a stern look.
But she innocently agreed and added, "you'd look great in any color, Nix. But I'm sure you'd look fantassssstic in pink! Especially hot pink!" She winked at Georgia.
They were laughing by the time Charlie came back to their table with one of the five women from that corner table. Ara refused to look him in the eye, she couldn't. She knew he was half drunk and wouldn't be coming home tonight. Instead she focused on the red head on his arm.
"Hey guys, this is Miranda."
"Hi," they replied.
"We're about ready to go now, Chuck. You staying?"
"Yeah, I guess I will, if it's ok with you guys?"
"No problem. Take it easy. You know my address anyway, right?"
"I'll be fine."
"Ok."
The three got up to leave, but Ara excused herself before they reached the exit to go to the ladies' room. Her heart, she found, was throbbing just as fast as her head was when she bumped into a familiar chest.
"That's the second time today, baby girl," he smiled into her face.
"Bye, Charlie."
"Oh no, you don't," he exclaimed. "Not without a kiss goodbye."
He leaned forward with every intent to kiss her but she was yanked away before he could connect.
Startled, Charlie looked over to see Phoenix leading Ara away. If he wasn't mistaken she looked quite as annoyed as he felt.
"What were you doing?!" Phoenix demanded as he dragged his little sister from the lounge.
"Nothing," she exclaimed as she tried to free herself from his grasp.
"You don't know what you're dealing with, Ara. Try to stay away from Chuck as much as possible."
"But you guys want us to work together."
They were in the car now and Georgia sighed, "We had no choice, unfortunately. But just try to stay clear of him when he's had something to drink. Sometimes he gets out of hand."
"I haven't forgotten that night I had to pry him off you, Ara. As much as he is one of my friends, I don't want to see you getting hurt by him."
"I know," she conceded.
"I don't think he's good enough for you," Phoenix explained.
"I know," she replied.
"There's someone-"
"I know!" She exclaimed. "Stop already. I'm tired can we just go home and stop analyzing what's good and bad for my non-existent love life?!"
Without another word they drove off.
Charlie didn't come home that night. She waited for the sound of the door throughout the night, but nothing. He probably had that red head wrapped in his arms, someone experienced at things like that.
She drifted off to sleep after planning out her solitary commute back home.
Meanwhile, Georgia and Phoenix had taken off to dance to a slow song while Ara sat there nursing her piña-colada. Her head was still throbbing a bit, thanks to the wine she downed too quickly during lunch. Cheek in her hand and her elbow on the table, she looked to see what Charlie was up to.
"Of course," she muttered aloud, when she found him at that table of ample bodied women. They were dressed in dresses that would cost her three months salary. My, he had taste in women, she just wondered if the women had taste in men.
She knew that he was known for being a ladies' man, and player.
Georgia had revealed this one of the first times he was spoken of when they hadn't met yet. Her frown deepened and she looked away.
Her phone juggled and tweeted a couple of times, enough to grab her attention.
INCOMING MESSAGE:
Hey.. cheer up! Why are you frowning?
Huh? She looked over to catch Charlie putting his phone away to lead one of the ladies to the dance floor.
Whatever, she thought. He could go hook up with whoever, he's a big boy.
Her ears adjusted just in time to hear her brother and his fiancée bickering - nothing out of the ordinary. They'd kiss and make up, no doubt.
"I refuse to wear pink on our wedding day!"
"Oh come on, Nix! You'll look great in it!"
"No way!"
Georgia hung onto his arm, trying to coax a yes from him, but he wouldn't give in. She winked at Ara, hinting that it was just a ploy. "Come on... Ara, wouldn't he look great in pink?!"
Phoenix gave his sister a stern look.
But she innocently agreed and added, "you'd look great in any color, Nix. But I'm sure you'd look fantassssstic in pink! Especially hot pink!" She winked at Georgia.
They were laughing by the time Charlie came back to their table with one of the five women from that corner table. Ara refused to look him in the eye, she couldn't. She knew he was half drunk and wouldn't be coming home tonight. Instead she focused on the red head on his arm.
"Hey guys, this is Miranda."
"Hi," they replied.
"We're about ready to go now, Chuck. You staying?"
"Yeah, I guess I will, if it's ok with you guys?"
"No problem. Take it easy. You know my address anyway, right?"
"I'll be fine."
"Ok."
The three got up to leave, but Ara excused herself before they reached the exit to go to the ladies' room. Her heart, she found, was throbbing just as fast as her head was when she bumped into a familiar chest.
"That's the second time today, baby girl," he smiled into her face.
"Bye, Charlie."
"Oh no, you don't," he exclaimed. "Not without a kiss goodbye."
He leaned forward with every intent to kiss her but she was yanked away before he could connect.
Startled, Charlie looked over to see Phoenix leading Ara away. If he wasn't mistaken she looked quite as annoyed as he felt.
"What were you doing?!" Phoenix demanded as he dragged his little sister from the lounge.
"Nothing," she exclaimed as she tried to free herself from his grasp.
"You don't know what you're dealing with, Ara. Try to stay away from Chuck as much as possible."
"But you guys want us to work together."
They were in the car now and Georgia sighed, "We had no choice, unfortunately. But just try to stay clear of him when he's had something to drink. Sometimes he gets out of hand."
"I haven't forgotten that night I had to pry him off you, Ara. As much as he is one of my friends, I don't want to see you getting hurt by him."
"I know," she conceded.
"I don't think he's good enough for you," Phoenix explained.
"I know," she replied.
"There's someone-"
"I know!" She exclaimed. "Stop already. I'm tired can we just go home and stop analyzing what's good and bad for my non-existent love life?!"
Without another word they drove off.
Charlie didn't come home that night. She waited for the sound of the door throughout the night, but nothing. He probably had that red head wrapped in his arms, someone experienced at things like that.
She drifted off to sleep after planning out her solitary commute back home.
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