Page 88 of Runaway Pride

Her mother met John Lau at an art gallery, where they fought over a piece of art and ended up having dinner. He was the heir of a medium-sized import-export business based in Hong Kong. Charlie thought it was a great meet cute, but no one could tell by the way they acted around each other.

“Charlotte, how is your business doing?” John asked, lightly chewing on a piece of butter chicken.

His gray hair shined in the dimly lit space. Unlike Charlie’s father, John had a receding hairline but with a voluminous, shiny mop. He’d once asked for Charlie’s opinion on hair products.Compared to her father, John was shorter, more mild-mannered, and easier to talk to. He cared little for dramatics and was smart enough to disappear when things got out of hand. There was plenty of that while living with Grace, but John had more patience than most.

Her mother sat next to her husband, hair in a rigid updo. The rose-shaped brooch on her jacket stood out, gleaming like a boast.

“It’s good,” Charlie answered. “We’re getting five percent more new customers every few weeks.”

While John looked mildly impressed, Grace only rolled her eyes.

“It’s not productive to waste so much time on a hobby,” she said.

“It’s not a hobby. And I don’t think I’m wasting my time at all,” Charlie said, biting into a garlic naan. “At this rate, I think we might start making a profit sooner than forecasted.”

“Fantastic,” John remarked. “Cheers to a successful business.”

“Speaking of successful businesses, have you heard of Rising Apes?” Grace asked, clearly waiting for this moment. She had barely touched her plate.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Well, they’re a trending brand for modern sunglasses design. They’ve been getting a lot of attention in Japan, Korea, and Singapore,” her mother explained. “Now they’re making their way to the states.”

Charlie stayed mute, waiting for the eventual pitch.

“I met the founder of the company the other day at a fundraiser, and I was so surprised by how young he is!” Grace marveled. “Only three years older than you, Charlotte.”

Ugh, of course, that’s where she was going. Charlie stopped eating and set her fork down.

“His name is Charles Whee. Isn’t thatcute?” Grace gushed. “Charlotte and Charles?” She looked at John, who only gave her a tired smile in return. “He’s very intelligent, Charlotte, and, whilenot exactly a looker, he’s obviously a very savvy businessman. He’s received millions in venture capital. We had coffee, and I discovered he is unattached! Too busy for relationships, he said, but not opposed to…”

It was amazing how her mother could collect these eligible,successfulbachelors like a kid in a candy store. With Grace’s skills, she could very well start her own dating company. Charlie didn’t agree to the dinner without knowing her mother would throw in a matchmaking spiel, so she was prepared.

With Rick’s answer stamped in her mind, she had enough courage to bring her love life to the table. It was only a matter of time, and now that she was wholeheartedly sure of her feelings for Rick, she was going to fight for him.

“Now, I think I can get a good time for you two to meet. He said he’s open for the time being, and we have to hurry?—”

“Rather than meet with a complete stranger who I am certain I will have no chemistry with, how about you meet with the man I amactually in love with?” Charlie interrupted, which halted all movements within the booth. John also stopped chewing, the two sitting across from her staring in shock.

“Charlotte, you’re dating someone?” John asked.

No surprise that Grace hadn’t told her husband about Rick.

“Yes, John. For quite some time already,” she answered. “And it’s going very well. He’s very special to me and I would very much like for you all to meet him.”

Grace lowered her lashes, her expression devoid of interest. She had chosen to ignore the time Charlie blurted out her feelings for Rick, but now it was serious. Charlie needed to make it clear with everyone. She loved Rick, and that was that.

“Has your father met him?” Grace asked.

“Not yet.” Though Charlie could predict how that would go. Like with all the men in her life, Joseph Ha would never be anything other than indifferent, so Charlie might as well get the worst out of the way. “I wanted you tomeet him first.”

When Grace didn’t respond, Charlie felt her stomach drop. She knew her mother didn’t approve, but she was still going to try. Maybe if Grace saw how wonderful Rick was, she’d come around.

“Let’s compromise,” her mother said. “I’ll meet with this gentleman of yoursifyou agree to give Charles a chance.”

“What?” Charlie bellowed. “Howis that a compromise? Rick isn’t a plaything you pass around. He’s myboyfriend. How could I agree to give another man a chance? Please be reasonable, mother.”

“Grace, Charlotte seems to really like this boy,” John coaxed. “You should give him a chance.”

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