It was official. Charlie hated cars. It was a five hour drive to Connor's dads place, and she spent four of them in utter misery. It seemed like the winding roads were especially designed to make her carsick. On the fifth hour, after she finally convinced Connor to stop at a gas station so she could get nausea medicine, she managed to drift off - only to be poked awake five minutes later because they were there.
Groggily, Charlie hauled her suitcase and guitar out of the trunk and followed Connor to the house in front of them.
It was a nice house, she had to admit. Big and white, the inside was decorated in a pleasant but impersonal way, all matchy-matchy colors that screamed, "an interior designer was hired here".
"Knock knock," Connor singsonged. "Dad? You here?"
A slightly deeper male voice replied, "In the kitchen."
"So, you haven't seen me in months, and you can't even be bothered to come to the next room to greet me? I feel loved," Connor drawled sarcastically.
As they walked into the kitchen, the other man rolled his eyes. And, okay, Connor and Nora had a point. Sebastian Monroe was stunning. With perfectly messy dark blonde curls and striking turquoise blue eyes, paired with tan skin and lean muscles, he was completely daydream inducing. Low slung, dark wash jeans hung of his hips, and he wore a black button up with the sleeves rolled up and the top buttons undone.
Looking at her, his mildly amused expression replaced with one of pure shock. "Charlie?"
Panic flooded Charlie's mind, accompanied by one thought;
He knows me.
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Bass POV
Bass was putting pizza in the oven and quietly freaking out about Connor staying with him for Christmas when he heard the door open and Connor call, "Knock knock. Dad? You here?"
"In the kitchen," he answered.
Connor strolled in. "So, you haven't seen me in months, and you can't even be bothered to come into the next room to greet me? I feel loved."
Yep, that's my kid. Rolling his eyes he turned around and almost fainted. The most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen stood awkwardly behind Connor. Long, honey blonde curls clung to golden skin, and strangely familiar pale blue eyes stared right back at him. An emerald green crop top (In December. Only in California.) and tight designer jeans molded to her body like a second skin. She was tiny, really, barely 5'5", but she had a presence - and a pair of high heeled black boots - that made her seem taller.
But Connor didn't say... unless "Charlie" was a girl. This girl. "Charlie?"
She didn't answer, just looked at him with a sort of controlled panic. Odd. Luckily, Connor answered for her.
"Dad, allow me to introduce you to Cristina Joy Mathis. She goes by Charlie."
Okay. Charlie's a girl. "It's nice to finally meet you, Christina."
She looked him in the eye. "A pleasure, Sebastian. I've heard stories about you."
"Surely they're not all bad?"
Charlie smiled. "Wouldn't bet on it. Nora has some interesting tales." In all honesty, Nora hadn't said much, but something in the older women's voice made her think that she wasn't too off base.
True to her suspicions, Monroe winced. "Fuck. Nora Clayton? Ignore anything she tells you. It's all lies."
Charlie laughed, a real laugh, something that didn't happen very often. Connor, looking like a little kid on Christmas, grabbed her arm. "We're going to go unpack see you in a little bit bye," he blurted all in one breath, before dragging Charlie out of the room.
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"You liked him. Oh my god, you two are totally crushing on one another. This is great. I should start a matchmaking service. I'm awesome. You're welcome."
Charlie watched in bemusement as Connor sprawled happily across his bed. "Are you a thirteen year old girl trapped in a twenty four year olds body?" she queried. He threw a pillow at her.
By now Charlie had dismissed the irrational fear that Monroe knew her, and Bass had forgotten how familiar her eyes looked.
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Later that night they went out to a bar owned by Bass's friend Jeremy. The four - including Jeremy - hung out for a couple hours, catching up and getting to know each other.
"Go easy on that," Jeremy warned as Charlie finished her fourth drink. "It's strong."
Connor and Charlie looked at each other. "Don't worry," Connor drawled, "she can handle it."
Charlie grinned and toasted them. "Fight like a Mathis, fuck like a Mathis, drink like a Mathis."
Not noticing the looks the two older men were giving her, she turned to Connor, "Come on, I love this song," and dragged him onto the dance floor.
"Did you...?" Bass trailed off, eyes fixed on Charlie.
"Notice how hot she was?" Jeremy finished obliviously. "Duh."
Turning to him, Bass raised an eyebrow. "Girl in her twenties, goes by Charlie, knows the Matheson code."
Jeremy stared at him. "You think she's... her? No. No way. She works with Nora, right? Probably she just told her when she saw the way she drinks."
Bass didn't look convinced. "Take Rachel, rewind twenty five years, add a tan and darker, longer hair, and you have her."
"She's too old. Connor's known her for, what? Four years? She's a senior at UCLA, at least twenty four."
"Could be lying."
"You really want to get Mile's hopes up over a similar name, mutual friend and vague resemblance to Rachel?" They both knew that Miles always got depressed after a false Charlie sighting.
"No," Bass said finally. "I just wish he could find her, and I guess I'm just seeing things."
AN: So? Did you like chapter two? Did you like Jeremy? And Bass? And the little bit of Charloe? Do you like Connor? He's my favorite character to write. Everyone should have a stereotypical gay friend. They're so much fun. Hope you enjoyed, review please! Next chapter I'm thinking will be mostly flashbacks, but we'll see. I might put them in later.
