Page 90 of The Charm Offensive
“Oh, baby, that’s okay. I know. I know.” She gives his leg a pat, tries to tap out the pattern on his knee without knowing it. “I was always just along for the ride, and I have no regrets. I got to travel to some amazing places with some amazing ladies. Besides, everyone knows the female friendships are the only relationships on this show that actually last.”
The bathroom door opens, and Dev slides his skinny frame through the crack. As soon as Angie sees him, she backs away so Dev can take her spot at Charlie’s feet. “Hey, how’s it going?” Dev immediately starts tapping Morse code onto Charlie’s leg in the correct pattern. “Ryan beat up some aunties, so the place is mostly cleared out at this point.”
Charlie puts his hand over Dev’s. “Thank you.”
Dev holds his gaze a little longer than he should in front of Angie. “Of course.”
As Dev helps Charlie up off the toilet seat, he looks up and sees Angie watching them. She smiles softly. “I know,” she says again. And Charlie understands now.She knows.She’s maybe known the whole time.
Angie doesn’t break character for the rest of the night, andwhen dinner’s over, she walks him out to the black Suburban waiting to whisk him back to his hotel. She kisses him deeply, says she can’t wait to see him in Macon at the end of the week for the Crowning Ceremony. But right before he gets in the car, she pulls him in close and whispers too quietly for the mics to hear, “It’s not too late to stop playing by their rules.”
Dev
The next morning, Charlie vomits twice, and his hands are shaking so badly, he asks Dev to knot his tie.
“Why are you wearing a tie to brunch?”
“I… I want Josh to remember I can be… professional.”
Dev bites his tongue to refrain from saying anything about where Josh Han can shove his professionalism. Charlie’s sweating too profusely for humor. “You’re coming with me, right? I… I can’t do this alone.”
“I said I would come,” Dev calmly reassures him.
Charlie nods frantically. “I need you there, to coach me. To stop me from saying the wrong thing.”
Dev pulls Charlie in close by the knot on his tie. “You never say the wrong thing, love.”
Of course, Josh Han is dressed like every Silicon Valley tech bro Dev has ever met when they get to the restaurant twenty minutes later. He’s wearing hiking sandals and a Patagonia vest over his moisture-wicking shirt. Josh probably spent a lot of money to look like he doesn’t give a shit, and Le Délicieux is definitely not in Dev’s dining budget. It’s hard to remember that this is Charlie’s normal life—ties with Windsor knots and business brunches atoverpriced restaurants in downtown San Francisco. They’ve only ever known each other within the incubator ofEver After, but Josh Han and the waitstaff at Le Délicieux—who all seem to take issue with Dev’s choice in cargo shorts, based on their stares—are good reminders Dev wouldn’t belong in Charlie’s real life, no matter what Dev tries to imagine otherwise.
“Chaz!” Josh shouts when he sees Charlie. “Bro, it’s been too long!”
Josh hugs Charlie. Charlie tenses.
“Still weird about touching, huh?” Josh chuckles and gives Charlie’s arm the most patronizing pat. “That’s my Chaz.”
There is no version of Charlie Winshaw that would willingly consent to a nickname likeChaz, and Dev is pissed about this whole thing before he even sits down.
“And who’s this?”
Charlie turns awkwardly to Dev, his brow a jumbled mess of anxiety. “This is my… producer. Dev.”
My producer.
Josh looks momentarily confused as to why Charlie brought his producer to a business meeting, but he eventually shrugs, as if to sayonly Charlie.They sit down, and Josh has already ordered a round of Bloody Marys to get them started. Dev ignores his.
Josh begins talking about second-quarter earnings and Nasdaq and some summit in Tokyo while Charlie nervously sweats all over his linen napkin. Dev studies the man who humiliated his boyfriend and iced him out of an entire industry.
Sorry.His talent.
Josh Han is as handsome in person as he always is in product launch videos. His thick dark hair is perfectly styled, and he has a gorgeous jaw Dev would like to stroke before he punches it.
Except Dev can’t punch Josh Han, because this is Charlie’s chance to get everything he wants.
“Honestly, I couldn’t believe it when I heard you agreed to do that show,” Josh is saying, stirring his celery around his empty glass. “But the hype for the season isinsane. It’s all anyone is talking about.”
“Oh, well, I… um…” It’s like someone flipped a switch to turn him back into that version of Charlie who fell out of the town car on night one.
Under the table, Dev puts a hand on Charlie’s knee to calm him. “We are so lucky to have Charlie as our star. He’s honestly been one of the best princes we’ve ever had. I think the season will be fantastic.”
