Chapter TEN*********Brotherly Love*********************************

Charlotte met her brother, Duke at a local sushi bar for lunch. Charlotte was surprised to see Addison and Pete having lunch at another table. She pretended not to notice them.

"Hey there Duke of puke. Why are you in LA?" Charlotte asked her brother.

"Sit down Charlit fartlit" Duke said as he kissed his sister on the cheek. "I'm here on business. I'm thinking of opening an office here in LA."

"Hmmm it might be nice having a friendly face around here. I guess." Charlotte raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"So how's Cooper doing?" Duke asked.

"We broke up. I'm living with my friend Violet now." Charlotte looked down as she spoke.

"So what happened? I thought this guy was the real deal."

"So did I. I told him that I was married a while ago. He wanted details. I didn't want to give the details and he can't respect that so we broke up." Charlotte spoke in a quiet tone. Her brother could tell she was feeling down about it.

"Can't you talk to the guy and work it out. I mean if it has you this down."

"No!" Charlotte called out loud this time. "We had a huge fight and he called me some bad names. I can't go crawling to him. I do have some pride ya know."

"Okay sis relax. You want me to kick his butt for ya?" Duke jokingly asked.

"No, but you could pretend to be my boyfriend." Charlotte told her brother.

"What do ya mean? He knows me. He met me back home in Alabama."

"I know but do you see those two at that table." Charlotte pointed out Addison and Pete. "They work with me and they don't know you. I want them to go back and tell Cooper I had lunch with a hot guy." Charlotte was whispering to her brother.

"Well thanks Chartlit fartlit. If you weren't my sister I'd think you were hot too." Duke laughed.

"I want you to call me when I get back to the office. Let's give you a hot name." Charlotte was scheming to make Cooper jealous.

"Who should I say is calling? Maybe Zeus or Fabio." Duke was teasing his sister.

"No. Say you're Antonio. It sounds like a hot Italian. Send me flowers too. Make sure they arrive at the office before I get back from lunch. Hmm what should the card say?"

"Do you really think he will read the card?" Duke asked.

"Oh yes. They are all very nosey and gossipy at that office. I'm sure they'll read the card. I got it. Call the florist now and say this……" Charlotte dialed the florist number for her brother.

Back at the office Violet and Cooper arrived to find a dozen multi colored roses on the table in the breakroom.

"Ohhhh! What beautiful flowers." Violet said as she sniffed the roses. "I wonder who they are for."

"They're for Charlotte." Dell told her as he walked in the room. "I just signed for them. I figured they looked nice in here."

"Who are they from?" Cooper asked anxiously.

"Open the card Cooper." Violet instructed him.

"No I can't. You do it. Violet." Cooper insisted.

Pete and Addison walked in the room returning from lunch.

"Oooh, Who got flowers?" Addison asked.

"Charlotte!" Cooper , Violet and Dell all answered in synch with each other.

"Oh they're probably from that guy she was having lunch with." Addison announced.

"She was having lunch with a guy? Cooper asked with a sad big eyed expression. "What did he look like?"

"He was good looking." Addison answered. "Looked like a business man. He was dressed in a suit and tie."

"I wonder who that is ?" Violet thought out loud. "She hasn't mentioned a guy to me."

"Just open the card." Pete told them.

"You do it Pete." Violet suggested.

"Okay, I will." Pete opened the card and began to read. "Let's meet tonight at our spot on the beach. 7pm. Antonio."

"Antonio?" Violet said. "Who in the world is Antonio?"

"I don't know." Addison answered. "But Antonio sure is hot and romantic."

Cooper stormed out of the room and went to his office. Violet followed him. "What's wrong Coop? You broke up with Charlotte. You had to know she'd start dating again soon." Violet rubbed his arm.

"I'm mad because that's our spot. We have a secluded spot on the beach we always go to. I bet she's taken him to our spot. It's just not right!"

"Cooper if you want Charlotte back you better talk to her soon before she gets too serious with this other guy." Violet was using her calm therapist voice.

Charlotte came back from lunch and acted surprised to see the flowers. She was carrying them to her office when Dell called.

"Charlotte. You have a phone call at the desk. It's Antonio."

"Thanks Dell. Transfer the call into my office." Charlotte looked around to make sure Cooper was listening, which he was. Charlotte noticed the card on the flowers was already opened. Charlotte went into her office closed the door and answered the phone.

"It's working, Duke. My plan is working." Charlotte smiled to her self. She could see Cooper watching her on the phone from her office window. Cooper looked away when he got caught.

At the Beach 7pm

Charlotte had set up a picnic basket full of strawberries, whip cream, chocolates and wine. She waited to see if her prince would show up. A few moments later she saw Cooper.

"What are you doing here Coop?" Charlotte asked playing dumb.

"I could still come here if I want to." Cooper said. "Even though we broke up I could still come here and watch the sunset if I want to." Cooper answered defensively.

"It's okay. I don't own the beach Coop. You have just as much the right to be here as I do. I'm not mad." Charlotte smiled at him.

"It looks like you're expecting company." Cooper said looking at the fruit and wine.

"He's not here yet. Care to join me until he shows up?" Charlotte motioned at him to sit down.

"Don't mind if I do!" Cooper sat on the beach blanket next to Charlotte and she handed him a glass of wine. Cooper placed a strawberry in Charlotte's mouth and then kissed her.

"Be careful Coop. You're going to scare my date away if he sees us kissing like that." Charlotte said in a flirty voice.

"Good. I hope I scare him far away ." Cooper fed her another strawberry and spilt wine on her tank top"

"Cooper. This is going to stain my shirt." Charlotte half yelled surprised he spilt the wine all over her.

"I'll fix it." Cooper picked Charlotte up and carried her into the water until they were both soaked. Charlotte just looked at him shocked.

"Are you crazy?" Charlotte asked.

"Crazy in love with you Charlotte." He said as he starting taking her clothes off. Charlotte stared at him. Now she was really shocked. Was this really happening?

Did Cooper just tell her he loved her? Should she forgive him for all those mean things he said? Just go with it she thought and she kissed him back. They fell down in the sand and made love as the wake of the ocean waves washed over them.

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