Page 70 of Happily Never After

Claire took a deep breath. “I’m sorry you had to do all that. I completely understand why you’re furious at Jack, and I respect your decision not to have a relationship with him. But that doesn’t mean you can take all that out on Brianna.”

Charlie exhaled, and her shoulders dropped a millimeter. She uncrossed her arms and picked up her menu. “I suppose you’re right. If the situations were reversed, I would be mad at me for being an asshole. But this doesnot”—she dropped the menu to point at Claire—“mean that I will be okay with any more sneak attacks like Thanksgiving. And today.”

Charlie had spent all of Thanksgiving hiding in Luke’s basement with Roy, Ryan, and a big glass of wine.

“Never again.” Claire crossed her heart. “So I have some drama.” Perhaps some gossip would take the wind out of Charlie’s sails.

Bri’s eyes widened. “Go on.”

“I found out yesterday that Luke proposed to someone before he met me.”

Charlie choked on her whiskey sour. “Hewhat? Mr. Anti-Romance?”

Claire dove into the Olivia saga until their food arrived.

“Wow,” Charlie said as she speared a bit of salmon on her fork, clearly more relaxed than she had been ten minutes prior.

“No wonder he thinks proposals are stupid,” Charlie and Brianna said at the same time.

Claire smiled and took a bite of her twenty dollar arugula and endive salad. It tasted like someone had pulled unwashed produce directly from a field and drizzled the world’s tiniest hint of olive oil over it. But she would eat grass clippings from a lawn mower bag if it meant Charlie and Bri actually made some progress.

Her heart grew in her chest. They started as strangers, and now they were three sisters, semi-reluctantly bonding over gossip. They weren’t best friends yet, but things were moving in the right direction. Her dream of having an intact, bicoastal family could still become a reality.

“Charlie, there was something else I wanted to ask you.”

Charlie harrumphed. “What, does Jack need a kidney now? Because he can go fuck himself.”

“No,” Claire said quickly. She lowered her voice. “It’s about ESA.”

“Ugh.” Charlie tossed back what remained of her drink. Brianna leaned in.

“Things are ramping up. You know Mom was almost attacked yesterday. I’m very nervous for both of you. Especially you, Bri. You don’t have a husband and a nephew who has spent most of his life playing first-person shooter games at home to watch over you.”

“We’ll be fine.” Charlie waved one hand. “I get like thirty death threats a year in my line of work. Bri probably gets even more.”

“Bri’s already being targeted by ESA,” Claire hissed back. “She’s already had a note and the flowers. These assholes are serious, and they’re dangerous. You know what they tried to do to me twice already. You need to be careful. I’m serious. Don’t go anywhere alone, especially after dark. I emailed you both some safety tips I got from Sawyer.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” Charlie said. “So they sent some flowers and they know where I live. Who cares? Anyone with a computer can figure out where I live.”

“We’re Jack’s children. These people have a score to settle with us. This is serious, Charlie. Promise me you’ll start being more careful.” They didn’t seem to be grasping the magnitude of the problem.

“Relax, Claire. I’ll read your safety tips.”

Bri reached across the table and squeezed Claire’s hand. “Dad’s been on me anyway about hiring security. I have some interviews lined up. A body double from that huge guy onAmerica’s Next Top Backup Dancerapplied.”

Claire breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god. Please find someone as soon as humanly possible, or I’m going to make you move in with me. Do not test me.”

“So you said you wanted to ask me something?” Charlie interrupted. “You said you had a question and then you just lectured us for ten minutes.”

Claire slapped herself on the forehead. “Right, sorry. I got caught up. Charlie, is there anyone you can think of in Hollywood who might be in ESA? A known misogynist with outdated views on women in the workforce?”

Charlie snorted so loudly that a couple at a nearby table looked over. “If you want a list of all the misogynists in Hollywood, we’ll be here for a decade at least.”

“No one?” Claire pressed.

Charlie shook her head. “No one specific. I’ll do some digging in my old files though. Ask around. See what I can come up with.”

“Thank you,” Claire said, leaning back in her chair. Her sad, expensive salad was gone and she was still hungry. “Last night, someone posted a sighting of Professor Taylor on Mindy’s murder blog. He’s here, in LA. Jack says the FBI is working on tracking him down, but with all the red tape they have to cut through I’m worried that something catastrophic will happen long before they find him.”

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