Who Kissed Charlie Fine?

Chapter 20

"Oh my God, Charlie!" Jean yelled. "Charlie, look! It's PAM!" Then, seeing Claire was with him, she squeaked out at an even higher decibel, "Oh my god, Pam! Charlie brought CLAIRE!"

Claire practically fell into her friends' arms, hugging them. Jean said, "I thought you said you weren't coming. I'm so glad you're here!"

"Charlie promised to make it worth my while," she said, managing a smile.

"Good old Charlie," Jean cooed.

"Well that's all right for you, but he stood me up last night," said Pam.

She smiled at him teasingly, her large eyes pretending to shame him from underneath her lashes. She too was sleeveless, wearing a short pink and tan dress of some shimmering material tied in a jabot knot under her chin. Her face above the ruffle reminded him of a lovely bloom in garden, one which now he merely wished to admire and not pluck for himself.

"I'm sorry about that Pam. Something came up."

"That's okay. I had a nice bubble bath to soak my mosquito bites and a Skype session with the beef."

"The beef?"

"The BF. Boyfriend," she laughed.

"Did you use that new bubble bath I gave you?" asked Jean.

"Yes and you were absolutely right. I couldn't smell the chives at all."

As if a smart ass comment should have followed and didn't, Jean asked, "Charlie, where's Martin?"

"He'll be coming along later with another party."

"I didn't think he knew anyone else in town."

"He makes friends quickly."

"Claire," Pam said, "you look like you could use a drink."

"Like you don't even know."

"Yeah!" Jean cheered. "Let's do shots!"

"Did somebody say shots?" Adesh said, cutting through the crowd.

"Don't even think about it" warned Dimple behind him.

"Anyone else coming?" Pam asked.

"I got my man covered," Adesh said, handing Charlie a beer.

"Gee, Adesh, what a gentleman." Pam said rolling her eyes.

"What? I grabbed two so I wouldn't have to get back in line."

The girls left, promising to be back in a moment. Alone, Adesh checked with Charlie. "Are you drinking tonight?"

"Yes, actually, I am. Martin's the designated everything tonight and I don't think I'll mind rubbing it in his face."

"So everything's green?"

"Couldn't be greener, Adesh. Thanks for your help."

"What about me?" Dimple said, hands on hips in an emerald wrap dress.

"If you helped us out too, then I am eternally grateful," Charlie said.

"Don't worry, we're even," Dimple said airly. "I'm going to take most of the credit for tonight with my family so when my aunt wants to guilt my mother for my not being at my cousin's wedding, my mother can say, 'And thank God she wasn't otherwise that serial killer would have gotten away.' I'm embellishing a little bit. You won't mind."

"Listen," Adesh said, "there's something else I caught wind of this afternoon, but I'm not sure you didn't know about it already."

"What?"