Chapter 6

 

 

 

 

Charlotte turned a shade of gray. She promptly got up, ran to the bathroom, and threw up.

 

                        "Do you need to go home?"

 

                        "Shut up! Its not true" Charlotte was sobbing.

 

                        "Sweetie, its true, he practically got run out of town for it"

 

                        "Why did this have to happen to me?" Charlotte screamed so loud, her face turned bright red.

 

                        "Come here" Britt hugged her tight. Charlotte had stopped crying, she was now very, very mad.

 

 

 

She got home from school and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She didn't want Brian to hear her weak crying voice over the phone when she called him. She heard the doorbell ring, so she went to answer it. It was Brian.

 

                        "Hey Sunshine! I stole the van from Mick's so I could come and see you”

 

                        “We need to talk. Come with me.” She grabbed her coat and hat, and led him out to the back garden, where there was a fine dusting of snow on every surface.

 

                        “So, how are Linda and Julian?” Her brows furrowed.

 

                        “Wha….how…..Oh Charlotte.” Brian put his head down.

 

                        “Yes, I know everything and more. Why did you lie to me?”

 

                        “I didn’t want to scare you away, your special, and I thought you’d understand when I told you after a while…”

 

                        “How can I believe a word you have said to me? Maybe I’ve been naïve, but that doesn’t make what you did all right. Just leave, I never want to see you again.” Charlotte’s heart was pounding. She had never felt so angry, and so sad, at the same time. She turned her back to him and walked into the house, as Brian called her name. Snowflakes started to dance in the sky, landing on the ground.

 

 

 

 

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            Friday arrived, and Charlotte, still upset over the Brian fiasco, had taken to her bed whenever she wasn’t at school, or working. But she knew going to the party would really lift her spirits, actually, it was Paul who would be.

 

She decided on a gorgeous black, pinstriped wool dress, strapless with a boned bodes, and a flared skirt reaching mid-calf. She slipped on her black kitten heels, and glided down the curved double staircase.

                 "Yea, it's pretty swinging to say the least. Ere', ave' a drink" John lifted champagne off of the tray of a waiter and handed it to Charlotte. It tasted so sweet, so bubbly, so, good!

 

            "Whoa there, easy."

 

            "Oh don't worry, I drink all the time" Charlotte knew she that was a lie, but this stuff isn't like the whiskey her granddad let her taste when she was 12 at Christmas, so it had to be less potent.

 

            "Well duty calls, I'll be checking up on you" And with a wink, John was immersed into the crowd. Well into her second glass of bubbly, she found Paul searching the crowd for her with George.

 

            "Ah! There you are luv. Thought you were bored to tears and left!"

 

            "Oh no, just enjoying my champagne" Charlotte slurred a bit.

 

            "Hey Char, I luv the stuff too. Did you hear the news?" George was just hot, and there were no other words in Charlotte's mind to describe him at the moment.

 

            "What news?"

 

            "About the new year. American tours, a movie, and album, we're going to be swamped!"

 

            "George! I'm going to kill you!" Paul whispered, rather loudly. Charlotte suddenly felt dizzy, and her legs gave way. Paul and George caught her on her way down.

 

            "Lets get you home." Paul stroked her face softly. Before she knew it, she was in the limo, Paul's face apologetic.

 

            " I shouldn't have led you on, I know. There is just no way I can carry on like this with you, being as I'll be so busy. I'm sorry. I'd like to see you when I'm in London of course."

 

            "No Paul, I'm not your little doll that you can take out of the closet when you fancy to play with me. I'm not one of your groupies." Charlotte slightly slurred.  The limo pulled up to her house, and who else but Brian was sitting on the front step.    

 

 

 

 

Charlotte got out of the car, and slammed the door behind her.

 

“Charlotte, please, just come back inside the car and we can talk about this. I really like you, I didn’t want to hurt you.” Paul pleaded. His face red from distress.

 

“Goodbye Paul!” Charlotte turned around to see Brian sitting on the side of a fountain in the Quinn’s quite expansive front yard.

 

“Charlotte, what are you doing with fucking Paul McCartney??” Brian was totally shocked, and almost speechless.

 

“None of your business! Why are you here? Leave!”

 

“No, look I’m sorry you found that out. I was going to tell you, I swear” He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she back away.

 

“What? After lying to me?”

 

“Please give me another chance”

“No, you have a girlfriend, and a baby. Go home to them. Stay out of my life. You know, I was presented with a fantastic opportunity the other day. I had a screen test, I went, and I learned that I had won the role in a beach movie, and to stay in LA and model for six months! I wasn’t going to take it, because I had fallen in love with you.  But guess what? I’m going, filming begins in March, and I’m in Europe modeling starting in January. I’m leaving you and Paul, and everyone else in this godforsaken place behind!!”

 

With that, Charlotte slammed the front door in Brian’s face, and ran up to her room. She took the telegram she had stashed in her night table, and called the number on it. In California, it was daytime.

 

“Hi, this is Charlotte Quinn, can I speak to Paul Rapp thank you. Hello, Mr. Rapp. I’ve decided I will be taking you up on that movie offer. Yes, okay, great I will call you when the plane tickets arrive. Goodbye.”

 

Charlotte was going to California.