The petting zoo was small, and there wasn’t much room for growth, literally for the business but also for her as head of marketing. It would always involve things like new items for the concession stand and event planning around the holidays, and made-up reasons to do special activities to bring business in. It wasn’t world-changing work, but it had definitely given her a taste for what it was like to be completely in charge of a creative vision.
That was what she wanted ultimately. A job where she could grow a company beyond its core business and make an impact on the community as well as the world at large. Of course, changing the world could take many forms, but she was comfortable with the idea that she could grow a company to the point of being socially influential or at least have enough assets and resources to assist with charities and nonprofit work.
And she’d only been here five days. If she could grow Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild while she was here, it would look good on her resume for her next step. The experience would also stay with her, and she would continue to look for positions where she could be influential not only to the company’s bottom line but to their overall vision.
“Thank you, Ellie,” she finally said. “I wish I could have done more.”
Ellie shook her head. “Not only did you alert the authorities and give this guy an important warning, but you also showed the woman that someone had her back. Sometimes that’s the most valuable thing of all.”
Charlie nodded. It would’ve been nice for someone to have had her back when she was being fired. But now, looking around this room, she realized she had a whole troop of people who would take her side and back her up.
Ellie slapped the stack of bills against her other open palm and got to her feet. “I definitely won this money,” she said. “I was the closest, for sure.”
Leo laughed. “I’m not sure why any of us doubted that for a second.”
Ellie patted his cheek as she passed him. “You’re a wise one, my love.”
It only took a few minutes for everyone to settle back into their usual routine. People started laughing, talking, and eating again.
Charlie was happy that everyone’s attention had shifted off of her. Maybe now she and Griffin could talk more privately.
That was a sure sign she liked the guy more than usual. She never shied away from the spotlight.
But as she turned to face him more fully, she found him getting to his feet.
“You’re leaving?”
“I have some early patients tomorrow. My assistant apparently sent out letters from Brownie the dog telling his ‘friends’ that they should come to see me at the clinic.”
She grinned in spite of the fact that he was leaving. “That was actually your marketing manager that said that, and yes, I got Brownie’s owner’s permission to use his name.”
Griffin didn’t smile but again, like so many times before, she had the impression of him smiling.
“And I rest my case,” Griffin said, pulling his wallet out and tossing money onto the bar to cover his food tab.
Charlie was certain that Ellie never made him pay and that he insisted on doing it anyway. She suspected that her grandmother found ways of sneaking the money back into his possession. Or, at the very least, she made donations in his name to various groups. She refused to take money from family and friends, and after living in Autre and working with her family for this long, Griffin would absolutely be considered both.
“Your case?”
“You’re not capable of behaving, and this group is a bad influence.”
Yeah, he was right.
She frowned. Was he bothered by the fact that she’d keyed Alan’s car now that he’d heard the story? Or was he bothered by the way she’d confronted Alan in the elevator?
If he was bothered by either of those things, he could fuck off. She wasn’t sorry about any of it. And she would much rather be surrounded by people like Ellie and the rest of her family who were supportive of her actions than worry about the uptight, too serious, overprotective veterinarian.
And it was completely stupid that she wished his protective tendencies would maybe extend to her.
But as much as he’d seemed to like her curves the one night he’d let her close, she clearly didn’t have the right kind of tail to get his lasting affection.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Charlie,” Griffin said, tucking his wallet back in his pocket.
She stubbornly ignored how much she liked watching the way his t-shirt pulled tight across his chest with the motion. “You sure will.” Whether he liked it or not.
She frowned, watching him leave, thinking about the fact that maybe he really didn’t like it. She was increasing the business and helping his schedule run well and cleaning up all of the gross stuff in the clinic, and he still didn’t like having her there? Yeah, fuck him, for sure.
She also stubbornly ignored the tiny voice in the back of her head saying yes, you’d really like to, wouldn’t you?
She slid off the barstool and headed for the tables where her cousins were sitting. Now that Griffin was gone, she had no desire to sit at the bar away from the group. She should’ve just sat at the back tables from the beginning. These people, at least, liked her.
She took a seat next to Paige and crossed her legs. She also crossed her arms. It might look like she was pouting, but dammit, she really wasn’t used to people not liking her. Especially men she’d given a blowjob.
Yeah, she’d given him a blowjob. A really good one, at least judging by his reaction to it. She’d made him smile that night. If she remembered correctly, he might have even laughed.
So it was only when she was helpful to him professionally that he got annoyed.
No, it was also when she was standing up for another woman who had been put in a terrible situation.
If he didn’t like that about her, then she didn’t like him as much.
“Hey, Fletcher,” Josh said, pointing to the TV that hung over the bar. “It’s Jason Young. Your favorite musician.”
Fletcher looked over to the TV, and Charlie followed his gaze.
“Don’t care,” Fletcher replied flatly, turning away.
Jason Young was a new rising country music star. He also happened to be from Bad. He also happened to be dating Fletcher’s best friend. In fact, he’d been dating Jordan for about ten years now.
Fletcher and Jordan had met in kindergarten and been instant friends. The little girl had taken care of Fletcher, doing everything from tying his shoes for recess to sharing her chips at lunch. As they’d grown up, they’d been nearly inseparable.
Charlie had hung out with Jordan several times during the summers she’d been in Autre. Jordan was fun, smart, and fearless. She’d always had a natural beauty versus being interested in makeup or doing her hair the way Charlie and her sisters had, but they’d still managed to find plenty in common. Of course, Fletcher had always been around. And where Fletcher was, typically Zeke and Zander were. And where the three younger Landry boys were, there was almost always a party.
Leo was absolutely correct in thinking that the boys had been behind most of Charlie’s naughtiness growing up.
The boys had been behind most of the mischief that people their ages had gotten into.
“Oh my God, he looks so hot,” Maddie said of Jason. “I mean, he’s always been really good-looking, but they’ve clearly done a makeover or something. Or maybe it’s just stardom that makes him look like that.”