Disclaimer: I only own the story specific characters I created. The originals belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
Hello all. Hopefully you are getting through all the social distancing without too much boredom.
Charlotte woke at first light. Emie was awake and staring at her intently, her tail wagging. Charlotte could already translate that look. Her puppy needed a walk.
Dressing quickly and quietly in some of her new winter gear, Charlotte led Emie outside to the park across the street. They weren't the only early risers, as there were other pet owners walking their dogs.
"What a cutie," a blonde woman about Charlotte's age approached with her own dog. "What's your name, Princess?"
"Emie," Charlotte smiled proudly as the two dogs appeared to get acquainted, "She was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend."
"What an adorable gift," the woman replied, "I'm Samantha, and this my Jack Russell terrier, Peanut."
"Charlotte," she extended her gloved hand.
"I've never seen you up here before," Samantha replied, "First time?"
"I was here once when I was really young but first time in my adult years," Charlotte replied, "I'm here with my boyfriend for a few days."
"You're going to love it here," Samantha replied, "Great skiing, wonderful restaurants, and unique shops. Make sure you take in the fudge shop at the end of the block. Mable's fudge is a can't miss."
"We discovered that shop last night," Charlotte laughed, "It was really hard choosing which flavor to try."
"Oh my goodness, the maple-caramel is my personal favorite," Samantha replied.
"I'll have to remember that," Charlotte smiled.
"Are you and your boyfriend hitting the slopes today?" Samantha asked.
"That's the plan," Charlotte bobbed her head, "I haven't been skiing in a couple of years. I hope I can keep up with him."
"If you need a break, swing by the chalet for some hot chocolate. I'll be there working on ideas for my next novel," Samantha replied.
"You're an author," Charlotte concluded, "Would I have read anything you've written?"
"Probably not," Samantha shook her head, "I'm still a regional name, but I hope someday to spread my wings. I spend time in the lodge looking for inspiration while my husband works the slope. He's the lift manager."
Emie began tugging at her leash. Charlotte thought she saw her canine companion shivering a bit. "I think Emie's getting cold. I'm sure I'll see you around."
"Have fun," Samantha replied.
Charlotte stopped by the café in the lobby of the building on her way back to the condo and picked up coffee and pastries. Eddie was just stumbling out of the bedroom, hair sticking up at odd angles when she let herself in. He looked sexy and adorable all at the same time.
"Hey, there, Sleepyhead," Charlotte greeted him with a kiss before handing him a cup of coffee, "You look in need of this."
"My angel," he gratefully accepted the cup of coffee.
"How'd you sleep?" she asked.
"I always sleep well here," he took a healthy gulp from the cup, "Even with my siren girlfriend sleeping next to me, tempting me all night long."
"I did nothing of the sort," she scoffed, "I let you sleep."
"You did, but even just the simple act of you sleeping beside me is tempting," he pressed his lips to hers again.
"Maybe I'll sleep in the other room then," she teased, "Remove temptation."
Eddie chuckled in reply, "Did Emie wake you for her walk?"
"I don't know if she woke me," Charlotte picked her up, "She was certainly eager to get outdoors this morning, with her big eyes and eagerly wagging tail. I stopped at the café downstairs and picked up some pastries. Apparently you're familiar with the place. The lady asked which condo I was staying in, and then proceeded to sing your praises when I told her I was with you."
"Gabby, yes," Eddie chuckled, "Her family has owned the café since I was a little boy. She's seen me go from a pipsqueak little boy to a pimply-faced teenager to the man I am now."
"You were never pimply-faced," she scowled at him, "You were always handsome."
"You're a bit bias," he chuckled.
"We'd better eat these pastries and get to the slopes," she led him to the breakfast nook with a beautiful view of the slopes lighting up with the rising sun.
"There's no hurry," Eddie told her, "They aren't going anywhere."
"I just want to get the rust off my skies," she smiled, "I don't want to slow you down."
"You won't," he leaned across the table to kiss her.
"I'm not that great at it," she bit her lip while divvying out their breakfast pastries, "I have a feeling you can ski circles around me, and I want you to have fun."
"I will," he chuckled, "I'm with you. I don't need to hit the most challenging slopes. Even if we stick to the bunny hills, we'll still have fun."
"I'm not that bad," she rolled her eyes, "I grew out of the bunny hills years ago."
"Good," he chuckled.
Arriving at the ski lodge, Charlotte's equipment was waiting as was promised by the store owner the previous day. Eddie retrieved his gear from the family locker, and they set off for the slopes.
"We'll take it slow," Eddie told Charlotte once they reached the first slope, "I'll come down a few seconds behind you. If you get into trouble, just go down."
"You're so cute when you get all protective," she pecked at his lips quickly before adjusting her goggles and pushing off.
Eddie watched her cut up the slope with ease. "This woman can do anything," he chuckled and followed her down. For all her talk about being rusty, she looked like she'd been skiing her entire life as she changed directions back and forth as she glided down. Eddie marveled at her form as he was right behind her.
Charlotte was all smiles when he arrived at the bottom of the hill.
"I thought you were rusty."
"I guess skiing is like riding a bike," she was grinning from ear to ear as they made their way back to the lift to head up to a more advanced hill. Though she didn't add it, her father had seen to it that she was trained by a former Olympic skier. She may not have skied in a few years, but she'd been taught proper form, which her instructor said never went away.
After a few more turns down the slopes, Charlotte proclaimed she was starting to feel a bit of the chill and heading into the chalet for some hot chocolate. Eddie offered to go with her, but she could tell he was having fun and encouraged him to keep going. She'd catch up with him later.
After ordering a hot chocolate, Charlotte found the woman she'd met earlier in the morning, Samantha, holding court with several women similar in age near the fireplace.
"Hey, Charlotte," Samantha called her over and had a chair pulled up so Charlotte could join them, "These are my friends, Kelsey, April, Lindie, and Frangelica. We call ourselves the Ski Bunnies."
"Clever," Charlotte laughed after she took a drink from her hot chocolate.
"Ladies, this is Charlotte. She has the most adorable puppy I met this morning," Samantha introduced Charlotte.
"How are the slopes today?" one of the girls, Lindie, asked.
"Pretty good," Charlotte replied, "Not that a novice like me can tell the good conditions from the bad ones. There's snow on them, so I'm good."
"What brings you to the mountains?" another of the girls, April, asked.
"My boyfriend's family owns a condo here. We wanted to get away from the city for a few days before the clock struck twelve on the year," Charlotte explained.
"You're from New York?" Kelsey chimed in.
"Yep, born and raised," Charlotte bobbed her head.
"Ever met anyone famous just walking down the street?" Samantha asked.
"I wouldn't say I met them just walking down the street, but yes, I've encountered some famous people," Charlotte gave a vague response. She didn't feel the need to add that she had several classmates whose parents were legitimately famous, not to mention her own famous family members, like her godparents, both who were quite skilled at making headlines, or her own parents, who had tabloid youths, yet turned it around to become the powerhouse couple who ruled the city.
"I'm so jealous," Frangelica added, "I've never even been to New York City. Is shopping as glamorous as television makes it out to be?"
"It can be," Charlotte bobbed her head, taking another drink from her cup.
Charlotte and the ski bunnies were fully engrossed in conversation when Eddie approached. "There you are," Eddie bent down to kiss her cheek.
"Eddie, these are the ski bunnies, Samantha, Kelsey, Frangelica, April, and Lindie," Charlotte introduced her new friends.
"Eddie Fraser is your boyfriend," Lindie immediately rose to her feet to hug her old friend, "Eddie and I go way back."
"You do?" Charlotte raised a brow curiously.
"We learned the bunny slopes together," Eddie told Charlotte.
"Talk about a small world," Lindie's arm stayed around Eddie's waist.
Charlotte felt a flare of possessiveness strike as she saddled up next to Eddie, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
"Have you warmed up enough to join me back out on the slopes, or did you want to head back to the condo for a while?" Eddie asked.
"I think I have a few more runs down the slopes in me," Charlotte smiled brightly. "I'll see you ladies later."
"Have fun," Samantha waved as they went off.
"So you're familiar with the ski bunnies," Charlotte's voice waffled a bit nervously.
"A bit," Eddie bobbed his head, "They've been together for years. Their families have all been coming to this community in the winter since they were young."
"And you and Lindie learned to ski together," Charlotte added.
"Well, I learned," he snorted, "Lindie learned how to ski down on her backside. She was more interested in looking cute in her ski suit than gliding down the slopes on skies. The ladies are fun to flirt with, but most of the guys around here don't take them too seriously."
"Fun to flirt with?" Charlotte raised a brow.
"Were fun to flirt with," Eddie amended, "There was never anything between me and any of them."
Charlotte frowned a bit in response. Logically she knew he had a past. He had several years on her. He had never claimed to be a saint, but seeing Lindie with an arm around her man did things to Charlotte she had never experienced before.
Eddie could sense the wheels in her head were spinning, "Char, I love you. I'm here with you. You have nothing to worry about where me and the ski bunnies are concerned or any other woman for that matter. I've been in relationships before us, but I was never the guy to cheat."
"And I don't think you'd ever cheat on me," Charlotte gave him a brief smile, "It took me by surprise when I saw you and Lindie hugging. I've never been the jealous type before."
"I'm sorry Lindie made you feel uncomfortable," Eddie gave her hand a squeeze.
"I suppose it's the same way you feel when I'm nice to Devon," Charlotte replied.
"He's definitely not my favorite person," Eddie conceded, "And it's more than because you two were in a relationship…"
"I don't understand," Charlotte frowned.
"There is something about the guy I don't trust," Eddie chose his words carefully, "If you ask me, his return to New York seems awfully convenient."
"Making it as an actor in L.A. is a tough job," Charlotte replied.
"And it didn't seem at all suspicious that he just shows up out of the blue just as you and I started to get serious?" Eddie asked.
"What are you saying?" Charlotte asked, "Do you think he came back to New York to sabotage our relationship?"
"I don't know, but it bugs me that he thought nothing of staying in your home for days on end, not once considering how uncomfortable it might be for you to have your ex-boyfriend staying with you or how it might make your new boyfriend feel," Eddie replied.
"I know I handled things with Devon poorly," Charlotte gave a dejected sigh, "I'm sorry he made you uncomfortable. I was a bit naïve for thinking he just wanted to stay for a few days until he could find himself a place, but I promise you that even if he hadn't had thrown that party which blew up in smoke, I was already going to ask him to leave."
"I know," Eddie caressed her cheek.
"Would you hate me if I said I wanted to go back to the condo for a bit?" she asked, "All this fresh air…"
"No need to explain," he assured her, "Let me lock up our gear and then we can head back."
"Thank you," she smiled.
Emie greeted Charlotte and Eddie eagerly when they returned to the condo. Her tail was wagging excitedly, and she was barking happily as they shed their snow clothes. As soon as Charlotte's hand were free, the little dog leapt into them.
"I think someone missed us," Eddie gave the puppy a few scratched behind her ears as Charlotte cuddled with her puppy.
"I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave her for an entire day of work," Charlotte kissed the top of Emie's head as she continued to love up on her.
"Maybe we should look into getting her a pet sitter," Eddie suggested, "Maybe the sitter could even bring her by the office during lunch."
"Dad would never go for having Emie in the office building, even during lunch," Charlotte laughed, "I'm naïve about a lot of things, but even I know there are limits."
"You could always meet the sitter outside the building," Eddie replied, "At least while Emie is still getting used to your routine. She did pretty well in my parents' home by herself for the few days she stayed with them."
"I guess we'll have to see how it goes," Charlotte kissed Emie again as she stepped into the living area to find all of the toys they'd brought along to entertain Emie had been scattered about the room. "You've been a busy little bee, haven't you?"
Eddie bent down to pick up all the toys and put them back into the box they'd been brought in.
"She's too cute to scold. How are we supposed to discipline her?" Charlotte frowned.
"When she does something truly worthy of scolding, I'm sure we'll find a way," Eddie chuckled, "A few toys around the room isn't a big deal."
"It sure as heck was when we were kids," Charlotte plopped herself down on the sofa and sat Emie in her lap, "I hated picking up after myself when I was young. At first, Dorota basically following me around the penthouse, picking up after me. When I got a bit older, my parents started making me do it. Apparently I used to throw such fits about it."
"That would have been quite the sight," Eddie snickered. He'd witnessed a few tantrums from the younger Charlotte Bass over the years, but he couldn't find it in him to tease her about them. He'd been no saint himself.
"I think she was just lonely by herself all day," Charlotte continued to shower the puppy with affection.
"You're certainly making up for it now," Eddie chuckled just as Charlotte's phone began to ring.
"Its Mom…oh, damn it, the party. I haven't done any planning yet," Charlotte felt the guilt hit her in the gut as she answered the phone, "Hey, Mom."
"Hello, Sweetheart, how are the slopes?" Blair asked, "Can you talk or are you in between runs?"
"No, we're back at the condo already. All the fresh air tuckered me out," Charlotte replied.
Eddie caught her attention and whispered that he was going to step out to get them some lunch to give her time to talk. He took Emie with so she could stretch her legs and wear off some of the energy she seemed to have.
"And how is adorable little Emie?" Blair asked.
"She made a bit of a mess with her toys while we were gone. She pulled every one of them out of the box and scattered them about the room," Charlotte laughed, "She's too darn cute to scold."
"I know that feeling," Blair laughed, "I had three too adorable children. It's not easy, but it has to be done. Otherwise, you would have turned into the hellions your father and I were in our youth."
"So what's up?" Charlotte asked although she had a pretty good idea why her mother was calling.
"Since the offices are closed for the holiday, I've had a bit of time on my hands. Sweetheart, don't hate me, but I've already booked the caterer for your party." Blair stated.
"You booked a caterer," Charlotte repeated in surprise.
"The friend Aiden worked for this summer before enrolling at the CIA just started a catering business. They actually wanted your brother to come in as a partner, but he has his heart set on graduating. Anyways, Aiden said they need an event to use as sort of their coming-out party. I suggested your party. They came to the penthouse this morning with an entire tasting menu, and it was simply delicious. So I booked them," Blair explained.
"I trust Aiden, so if he says the food is good, I'm good with hiring them," Charlotte replied.
"Wonderful," Blair replied, "Serena is getting a bit nervous because her invitation hasn't arrived yet. She worried you might not invite her because of what happened at Thanksgiving."
"That's ridiculous, Mom," Charlotte laughed, "I haven't even gotten the invitation list started. Of course, she's invited. Am I crazy to think I can pull this off with only a few day's notice when I'm not even in the same state?"
"Send me the list of people you want to invite. I'll get a messengering service to personally deliver all the invitations," Blair suggested, "No one is going to turn down an invite to a Bass party, I promise you that."
"You're a lifesaver, Mom," Charlotte sighed in relief. "I'll get the list to you right after lunch. Make sure you check in with Brice and Aiden. I told them they could invite people too."
"Perfect," Blair replied, "Are you and Eddie having fun?"
"Yes," Charlotte replied, "We went shopping yesterday after we got here because I didn't have any appropriate ski attire, and we found this really amazing fudge shop."
"Mabel's?" Blair asked, "How could I have forgotten? They had some of the best fudge I've ever tasted. Sweetheart, you must bring me back some. I don't care what flavor. They were all fantastic."
"Mom, she has your autograph on her wall," Charlotte laughed.
"How adorable," Blair laughed.
"And I met this group of women about my age who call themselves the ski bunnies," Charlotte replied, "They're sort of outrageous, but it the best of ways…one of them has this sort of history with Eddie."
"They dated?" Blair asked.
"Not really, but they knew each other well enough that she got a hug out of him. Mom, I got so jealous. It was almost embarrassing."
"I remember those days well," Blair sighed, "Given your father's history, there were inevitably times we would encounter one of his former dalliances. It took a long time for my claws to not come out."
"How did you get it to stop?" Charlotte asked.
"I just had to have faith in my relationship with your father. It sounds simple, but in the beginning, it was anything but," Blair replied, "I'm sure you'll handle yourself appropriately."
"I hope so," Charlotte sighed, "I love Eddie, and I know he loves me, but sometimes this voice in my head just screams, 'you're not old enough for him', 'you're not mature enough for him', 'he only sees you as a little girl'."
"Those are your thoughts, not his," Blair reminded her.
"I know," Charlotte replied, "Still doesn't shut up the voice."
"Here's a tip," Blair replied, "When those voices are screaming at you, tell them to shut the hell up."
Charlotte burst out laughing. She'd never expected those words to come out of her mother's mouth, certainly not in the manner they did.
"Does that help?" Blair asked.
"It does," Charlotte kept laughing, "It definitely does."
"Good," Blair replied, "Your father is giving me a perplexing look. I'd better go see what he wants. Send me your list when you have time. I love you, Charlotte."
"Love you too, Mom, and thanks for all your help, both with the party and the other stuff," Charlotte replied.
"Lunch is served," Eddie returned with his hands full of food and beverages, "How's the party planning coming?"
"Mom is basically taking it over because her office is closed for the holidays, and she has nothing to do. I don't know why she and Dad didn't go someplace tropical between Christmas and New Years," Charlotte laughed, "She'd already booked the caterer before she called. We need to come up with a guest list, so start thinking about people you want to invite. Make sure some of them are single."
"I'll do my best," Eddie chuckled as he guided her to the dining room table and laid out their food.
"After we get the guest list to Mom, did you want to head back to the slopes?" Charlotte asked.
"We could do that," Eddie shrugged, "Or we could hit the village and see if we can find any other stores for you to spend your trust fund at."
"I do need to get back to the fudge shop. Mom wants me to bring her back some," Charlotte replied.
"Hopefully she mentioned a flavor or we're back to where we were last night trying to pick a flavor," Eddie chuckled.
"She didn't," Charlotte frowned, "We'll figure something out."
"I think little Emie here needs to stretch her legs a bit a bit more," Eddie looked towards where the puppy was curled up in her little bed, looking all comfy and innocent.
"I should dig out one of the sweaters I bought her," Charlotte thought out loud, "She got a bit chilled this morning when we went for her walk."
"Three days into dog ownership, and you're already putting the protectiveness into overdrive," he chuckled.
"Hey, you got her for me," Charlotte reached across the table and gave his shoulder a playful shove.
"And the smile you gave me when I first put her into your arms was worth it," he replied.
"Best present I ever got," she smiled.
"I don't know about that," his eyes sparkled mischievously, "The present you gave me a bit later that evening might be my favorite."
"Yes, the sex has been pretty fantastic," Charlotte smiled.
"You're good for my ego, Charlotte Bass," he brought her hand to his lips.
"And you're good for revving up my libido," Charlotte's grin widened, "Christmas Day, my mom pulled me into her office. She thought you and I were having a fight or something because I appeared distant. I told her I was acting the way I was because if I didn't, I'd want to pull you into the coat closet and have my way with you again and again…I've never experienced the physical cravings for a man before."
"I'm not going to lie and say I didn't enjoy sex before you and I got together, but what I feel with you, it's different, unique," he caressed her hand gently, "Sacred even."
"Sacred, huh," she felt herself start to blush. "I'm going to turn ten shades of red as I ask this, but I'm going to ask it anyway…do you want me as often as I want you?"
Eddie fell deeper in love with her as she asked that question. Her cheeks were flamed red, her eyes darted every which way but in his direction. She may be inexperienced, but she was comfortable enough with him to ask what was on her mind. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek, drawing her eyes to his, "Just about every minute of every day since we first kissed."
"Wow, that long, huh," she bit her lip.
"It would probably be longer, but until that moment I was still forcing myself to look at you as little Charlotte Bass, the girl I've known since she was the baby I held in my arms at her christening," he confessed. "If I'm honest with myself, I haven't seen you that way in a long time, perhaps even longer than I realized."
"Yeah?" she tugged at the zipper of his sweater with a flirtatious smile.
"You were always a cute kid and grew into an even more beautiful woman," He leaned in for a kiss.
"And when did you first notice it?" she continued to tease him.
"Notice how beautiful you had become?" he cleared his throat nervously, "Probably sooner than I should have."
"You're blushing," she trailed a finger down his cheek.
"Let's just say I was over the age of eighteen, and you were under," he cleared his throat a second time.
Charlotte pressed her lips to his, "It will be our little secret."
"I hope you're done eating," he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Curled up together on the sofa in plush bathrobes, Charlotte had a notepad in her lap as they drafted their party list.
"Add my frat brother, Antonio," Eddie was stroking her hair as she relaxed against his chest. Emie was laying on Charlotte's feet as she napped.
"Is he single?" Charlotte added his name to the list.
"Yes," Eddie bobbed his head, "I bumped into him a few weeks after I moved back to New York. We keep talking about getting together."
"Anyone else?" Charlotte looked at their rapidly growing list.
"Thomas Brandon," Eddie added.
"Is he that cute guy in your division?" Charlotte added him to the list.
"Cute?" Eddie raised a brow.
"Not as cute as you, Sweetheart," she turned her head to kiss his cheek.
"Add Max Kesseler," Eddie stated, "He's another buddy from college. He's an industrial engineer."
Charlotte added him to the list. "I think that's plenty. We don't want my place busting at the seams."
"Should be a fun night," Eddie kissed her temple.
"Yes, definitely," she finalized the list and sent it to her mother.
"Is there any other party tasks we need to accomplish this afternoon?" he caressed her shoulder.
"Nope, I'm yours for the rest of the day," she set the notebook aside.
"I made reservations at a great bistro down the street," Eddie stated, "I figured we could do a bit more window shopping and then eat."
"Do we have to leave Emie?" Charlotte frowned. Hearing her name, the puppy lifted her head and gave the pair a set of irresistible eyes.
"Nope, the bistro is pet friendly, most of the village restaurants are pet friendly actually," Eddie assured her.
"Good, because a couple of hours today was about all I could bear to be parted with this little munchkin," Charlotte reached down to her feet to lift Emie into her arms. Emie responded with a lick to Charlotte's face.
"Hey, Munchkin, that's my face to lick," Eddie scowled at the pooch.
"You have never once licked my face," Charlotte snorted.
"Then we'd better fix that right now," as he licked a path from her chin to her cheek.
"While you two sort out who is entitled to lick me, I'm going to get dressed," Charlotte transferred Emie to Eddie's arms. "You two play nice."
Charlotte was thoroughly assumed as she disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed. She could near Eddie having a one-sided conversation about how things were going to be. He was trying to sound stern, but he was failing miserably.
Charlotte emerged from the bedroom in a colorful sweater dress and lacy black leggings and brown leather booties. Her hair was free and wavy, and her makeup was simple. It hit Eddie again how beautiful she was.
"Let's see if Emie will wear this," Charlotte held up the coat she'd purchased for the puppy to keep her warm. "Barty hated being dressed up. Even putting a Santa hat on him could be challenging."
"I'll let you two sort things out while I get dressed," Eddie passed Emie off, pausing for a moment to peck at Charlotte's lips and comment about how beautiful she looked.
Charlotte was pleased as punch when Emie allowed her to put the coat on her. In fact, she seemed almost excited about it. "You are definitely my dog," Charlotte kissed Emie's furry head.
Once Eddie was dressed, in the sweater she'd purchased for him the previous day, they suited up for the weather and strolled down the street. Emie appeared to be leading the way.
"After dinner, would you mind stopping at the fudge shop?" Charlotte's glanced at the window of the shop as they passed. Mabel was hard at work but stopped to wave when she spotted them. Charlotte returned the wave with her mittened hand.
"Sure," Eddie bobbed his head, "Anywhere else you want to go?"
"Nothing is jumping out at me, but it's still early," she smiled, "I really like this village. It's so cute. It doesn't try to be chic. It's got a rustic charm to it that makes it feel so welcoming, and it gets extra points for being pet friendly."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it," he kissed her cheek, keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulder as they walked along.
Getting seated at the restaurant, Emie was seated in one of the extra chairs. After the hostess finished gushing over how cute the puppy was, she went to retrieve cushion for the dog so she'd be comfortable as Charlotte and Eddie ate.
"This dog has the entire world wrapped around her tiny paw," Eddie chuckled as Charlotte helped the fury creature get comfortable.
"Can you blame them?" Charlotte cooed, "She's so darn cute."
Eddie chuckled as he turned his attention to the menu. He didn't know why he bothered. This was his favorite place to eat in the village, and he always ate the same thing. When Charlotte finished with Emie, she opened the menu and proceeded to rave about the options. "This place reminds me of this café in France near my grandfather's vineyard. It even seems to be decorated just like I remember."
"When was the last time you visited your grandfather's vineyard?" Eddie asked.
"This past summer," she replied, "I spent a week with Grandpere and Roman after I graduated. Their vineyard is one of my favorite places to be. It's so quiet and peaceful."
"Sounds wonderful," he smiled.
When the waiter arrived, Charlotte inquired if he spoke French. Her eyes lit up when he confirmed he did. They ordered and had an extended conversation in French about the restaurant. She was thrilled to find out the bistro was affiliated with the café she frequented in France. The chef was the waiter's father and brother of the owner of the French café.
"You're like Forrest Gump. You find connections with everyone you meet," he chuckled.
"I'm sociable," she shrugged, "You'll have to get used to it."
"I'm not complaining," he reached for her hand, "I find it quite charming. I don't know how I never noticed this before."
"My mom calls it the Bass charm, but she also says my father only used it on women he wanted to seduce before he committed to her," Charlotte explained, "I just put it to a different use. I've always enjoyed meeting new people and finding some way to connect to them. I remember when I was a little kid, we were on vacation in some Greek isle, and I'm playing on the beach with some little girl. I didn't speak her language, she didn't speak mine, but someone I found a way to connect to her. We built this elaborate sandcastle together, and by the end of the vacation, we were like best friends. We actually still keep in touch as email buddies. I still don't speak Greek. Her English is pretty broken, but thanks to the handy translating functions we communicate quite well."
"That's amazing," Eddie laughed.
"You speak Greek," Charlotte remembered, "Maybe you can teach me."
"I'd love to," Eddie bobbed his head.
"Maybe we can take a vacation to the same resort someday, and I can see Aurora again," her eyes lit up in excitement, "I can totally surprise her with my proficiency in her language."
"Absolutely," he brought her hand to his lips.
When the waiter returned with their meal, he continued speaking in French, clearly flirting with Charlotte, thinking Eddie couldn't understand him. He was visibly startled when Eddie jumped in with his perfect French to send the guy on his way.
"I think you scared Franco away," Charlotte giggled.
"Serves him right," Eddie was mildly annoyed, "He was flirting with you right in front of me."
"He was being friendly," Charlotte countered, "And to be fair, I did start the conversation."
"Friendly is one thing, flirty is entirely another," Eddie replied.
"You're so cute when you get jealous," Charlotte leaned over to kiss his cheek.
After the meal, they returned to Mabel's for dessert and to get Charlotte's mother the rested fudge.
"Oh goodness, I know exactly which fudge your mother wants," Mabel was thrilled to see Charlotte return with her mother's request. "She loved the dulce de leche fudge."
"Sold," Charlotte laughed as Mabel feed Emie one of her special doggy treats.
"Tell your mother I'd be happy to ship her fudge any time she has the craving," Mabel added her business card to the bag after wrapping the fudge.
"I'll tell her," Charlotte bobbed her head. She was pretty sure her mother would take full advantage. Suddenly, she had an idea. "Miss Mabel, I'm having a party on New Year's Eve for a bunch of friends and family. Could you put together a few dessert platters of your best selling fudges?"
"I'd be happy to. How many guests are you expecting?" Mabel grabbed a notepad to take note.
"I'm not a hundred percent sure of the final number," Charlotte thought for a moment, "Between Eddie and I, we had about thirty, but add about twenty more for family, and then their friends, so probably a hundred."
"Not a problem," Mabel stated, "When do you want to pick up the platters?"
"We should probably head back on the thirtieth to get things set up," Eddie suggested.
"Yeah, so probably that morning. I know it's a bit last minute, but is that enough time?" Charlotte asked.
"Plenty of time," Mabel assured them, "What time will you be leaving?"
"Noon?" Charlotte asked Eddie.
"Sounds about right," Eddie bobbed his head.
"I'll have them ready by noon," Mabel made another note on her paper.
"Spare no expense," Charlotte added.
"Your friends and family will love my creations," Mabel assured her.
"I'm not worried," Charlotte replied, "Thank you so much."
Emie started to tug at her leash, showing some impatience.
"I'll take Emie outside while you finish up," Eddie took the leash from Charlotte's hands.
Mabel and Charlotte talked for a bit about flavors while Eddie and Emie roamed the snowy streets. Again the golden pup stopped in front of the jewelry store.
"Your hints aren't subtle, Em," Eddie told the dog as his eyes locked on one ring he handed seen before. Suddenly it looked perfect. Eddie felt something in the pit of his stomach he didn't expect.
He heard Charlotte's voice calling out to Mabel as she left the shop, he turned towards her, and suddenly he knew. He wanted to marry Charlotte, not in a few years or even a few months, but she'd said she wasn't ready.
"I don't know about you, but my muscles are starting to tense up from all the physical exertion of skiing," Charlotte approached and took ahold of Emie's leash, "How about a dip into the soaker tub?"
It took a moment for Charlotte's words to register.
"Are you okay?" Charlotte saw something in Eddie's eyes.
"Yeah," Eddie shook himself out of his trance.
"Soaker tub? I'm starting to get a bit sore from the slopes," she repeated.
"Sounds good," Eddie bobbed his head.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she thought she saw something in his eyes.
"Yeah, absolutely," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "I'm with you. How could I not be?"
Charlotte gave him an adoring smile as they wandered back to the condo and into the soaker tub together.
TBC…
Thanks for reading and be safe.