Contracted For Love: Famous Love Series

by Tracey Pedersen

  Reid was the first to notice her, since Jack was looking down at his phone. He nudged Jack and tapped Cindy on the ass. It took the woman a moment to realise this wasn’t the come on she was after, but a warning that company had arrived. She narrowed her eyes at her competition just as Jack looked up and locked eyes with Charlotte.

  “Char,” he jumped up from the couch and walked toward her, “you’re early.”

  “Clearly.” She bit out at him without taking her eyes from his face. “What the fuck is that?” she gestured toward Cindy.

  “Oh, that’s just Cindy being Cindy.”

  “Really, so Cindy is a groupie, as well as a PR rep? Does she even do PR, or does she just give blow jobs in return for a bit of press for the band?”

  “What did you say, you stuck up cow?”

  “Fuck you, Cindy.” Charlotte said pleasantly as she turned and walked out of the room. “Fuck you, too, Jack.”

  She heard Reid shout, “What about me?” from the room behind her as Jack followed her through the door.

  “Come on, Char, it’s not what you think.”

  “I’m not that stupid, Jack—I did see you were more engrossed in your phone than in her ass.” She stormed toward the parked car and clicked the button to unlock the doors. “But really? You can’t do any better than that? With the money you earn, you can’t get anyone who will keep their bloody clothes on?” She slipped into the driver’s seat and he had no choice but to hop in on the other side. “I’m in shock. I cannot believe that your bandmates are doing drugs so blatantly, and where the fuck did Fergus put his pants?” She shot the car out of the parking lot and joined the traffic heading out of town.

  “You don’t want to know about his pants. I’m sorry you had to see that. It won’t happen again.”

  “No, it won’t. I don’t ever want to see you rehearse. I also never ever want you to put me in the same room with Cindy. If you’re having a function and she’s invited, I will stay home.”

  “I thought you’d rather keep an eye on her.”

  “I’ve seen enough of her to last me a lifetime.” She glanced sideways as she drove. “Do I need to keep an eye on her, Jack?”

  “Of course not. I didn’t resist for three years just to give in now, did I?”

  “Fair enough. Where are we meant to be going, anyway? I have to say, I’m not feeling like celebrating after that display.”

  Jack put his hand out and covered hers on the gear stick. She was so angry she was sure she would start crying any moment, but she didn’t want him to think that it meant something other than her being absolutely furious at what she’d seen.

  “I’m really sorry, Char. I promise it won’t happen again. Pull in and let me drive.”

  She turned down a side street and brought the car to a stop. He moved to take her hand again, but she was out of the car before he could grab it. Instead, he met her part way around the car and put his arms around her as she struggled. “Don’t, Jack. I’m not in the mood. We can be fake in love some other time.”

  “Char,” he said her name so quietly that she looked up at him. His fingers reached up to cup her chin and his mouth was tantalisingly close to hers. Charlotte didn’t want to be in his arms; she wanted to go home, go to bed, and cry herself to sleep. The last few weeks had been full of ups and downs, and she was suddenly feeling exhausted at the thought of three more years of this. Three more years of pretending to be in love with him and of turning a blind eye to other women, even though she’d made him include the no sex clause in the contract. This wasn’t turning out like she’d thought it would, and they were only a couple of weeks in.

  “We’re going to celebrate our success, okay? We’re going to put Cindy out of our minds and not think of her again, like you’ve made me do with the press. She doesn’t mean anything to me, I promise. Can you let it go, so I can take you out? I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

  She sniffed and stood there, saying nothing, and he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. Charlotte closed her eyes for a second and a small sigh escaped her. Finally, she pulled away and moved to the passenger’s side of the car. “Come on, then.”

  He grinned and flopped into the driver’s seat before speeding out to the main road.

  ***

  The restaurant was quiet, and they got a table in the back. For once, Charlotte let Jack seat them in the exclusive section, away from prying eyes. She wasn’t in the mood to insist that they sit with everyone else, especially when she was feeling so teary. She let Jack order for them, showing little interest in the menu.

  Her phone beeped as he was ordering, and instead of ignoring it like she normally would during dinner, she fished it out of her bag and put it on the table. She pulled up the text message and stared at her phone until Jack asked if she was okay. Charlotte held the phone up for him to read as she stared at him.

  A huge grin spread across his face as he read the message Jay had sent. “Holy shit, Charlotte! That’s amazing. I knew we should come out here to celebrate.” He jumped up from the table and dragged her out of her chair to engulf her in a tight, warm hug. She buried her face in his shoulder as she felt a piece of the afternoon’s tension break off and float away.

  Jay’s text informed her that she’d been successful in two roles she’d auditioned for two weeks before she met Jack. One of the roles was as the supporting actress in a film expected to be a major blockbuster. The male lead was the highest paid in Hollywood, at the moment, which meant the film was guaranteed to have a theatre release worldwide. Her pay for the film was more than she’d earned her entire last year of working in Australia.

  “It’s just a coincidence, right?” she asked as they took their seats again.

  “Nope, I very much doubt it. It’s a direct result of the Jack and Char love show, as Freddy called it. He put out our press release about the engagement before lunch—that’s what I was reading on my phone while Cindy was…” he stopped at the look on Charlotte’s face. “Sorry.”

  She sighed. “It’s no big deal, Jack. It’s not like we’re in love, or anything.”

  “Well, we might not be madly in love, but we are in this thing together. We agreed to no sex outside of our marriage and I plan to stick to that. No one will tempt me, so you don’t need to worry.”

  “Did Freddy include the wedding date?”

  “Yep: the eighth of February, as we agreed. You’re going to need to start planning.”

  “Me? You’re not helping?”

  “No way! We’ll get you a wedding planner and they’ll take care of it. You just tell them what you want and they’ll get it for you.”

  “Don’t you care about the details?”

  “Not really. You can choose anything you like.” He smiled at her, missing the subtle change in her stance.

  He thinks he’s giving me something grand, by letting me choose what I want, like this is a fun game.

  “No.”

  He crinkled his brow in confusion, “What?”

  “I’m not organising the whole wedding. You’ll be there, too. You’ll have to endure the whole day and probably a honeymoon away. I want the choices to be yours, too.”

  “I thought men were supposed to stay clear of the wedding planning, lest they mess things up.”

  “Well, I’m sure if you were marrying Cindy,” she said her name with all the contempt she felt, “that would be the case. It’s not how I work, though, especially since it’s your money. You should have a say.”

  “Here’s our meal,” he said, indicating the waiter approaching.

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  “I’m not. I’m just surprised by you… again.”

  Charlotte sighed and picked up her knife and fork. She’d lost her appetite, but tried to put in some effort, since he’d been so excited to have a celebration dinner. “Stop being surprised by me, Jack. You’ll save yourself a fuck-load of energy.”

  He grinned at her as he chewed his steak. “Alright, let�
��s get down to the nitty gritty. Where do we,” he raised his eyebrows at her, “want to get married?”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Charlotte swung into wedding planning with military precision. She hired a wedding planner that Jack approved of, and by the end of the week, they’d chosen and booked a venue. They’d decided on a Vegas wedding, after all, and their family and friends would stay at Caesar’s Palace. Jack had insisted on a church wedding with no sign of Elvis anywhere, though, and the date was confirmed for February eighth.

  Jack’s mother was not impressed when she visited them for the first time. “What do you mean you’re having a Vegas wedding?”

  “Exactly what I said, Mother. We’re getting married here.”

  “Why? This place is so seedy. When are you moving back to LA?”

  “I’m not. I like it here. We like it here.” He squeezed Charlotte’s hand as they watched Christina Fawkner’s face screw up in disgust. His mother had barely looked at Charlotte the entire time she’d been sitting on the couch, moaning about how far away he lived.

  “I don’t understand you at all, Jack. We made so many sacrifices and now you want to live in Vegas,” she spat the word out, making it sound dirty.

  “This is not news Mother. I’ve lived here for a year.”

  “I know. Still, it would be so easy for you to come home.” She suddenly turned her attention to Charlotte, “What do your parents think about you living in Vegas with a man you just met?”

  Charlotte heard the words and also the underlying challenge Christina had managed to slip into her tone. She took a deep breath, reminding herself not to bite. “My parents are happy if I’m happy.” She looked at her hand entwined with Jack’s, resting on his thigh, “I’m happy wherever Jack is.”

  Christina snorted and dismissed her with a flick of her hand. “You won’t think that ten years from now, my dear. You’ll want nothing that he wants.” Her voice was scathing and Charlotte remembered the sex tape conversation with Jack in Paris. Tired of the whining, she excused herself and left the two of them alone before any more venom could be aimed in her direction.

  ***

  Before the wedding date rolled around, they’d planned to visit her family in Australia, complete the filming she’d committed to, and Jack would do a six-week tour with Rough Desire. Two nights were planned for Vegas as a kind of soft launch of the tour at the end of the week, and Jack had gotten tickets for Charlotte and her friends.

  She caved and let Mr. Phillips take her to the airport to pick them up. True to form, he opened the door for her without a word and kept the glass up between them on the drive. When they reached the airport, she didn’t wait for him to open her door. His face was startled as he rounded the front of the car to find that she’d already gotten out and set off in the opposite direction.

  “We’re going to have to discuss this at some point in the future, Stepford-man.”

  Courtney was walking through the sliding doors just as she approached, and the two friends squealed and hugged each other. They were still jumping up and down as Fern and Luca piled on for their own hugs.

  Courtney was the first to speak as Charlotte directed them out the door toward the waiting car. “I can’t believe you invited us here! Jack was so generous to pay for our tickets.”

  “Well, I told him you were struggling as much as I was and probably couldn’t afford to come, otherwise. He didn’t want me to be alone at the concert, so it was a no-brainer. I’m so excited to see you guys!”

  “Us, too,” Luca piped up. “I did consider trying out a Vegas hotel, though, instead of staying with you guys. It’s a shame to be in Vegas and not be able to pick ladies up.” He laughed as the three women looked at him. With his dark hair and handsome face, he knew as well as they did that he had no trouble pulling girls wherever he happened to be.

  “You can explore wherever you like. Jack has a car with an automated driver.” She laughed at her own joke as Mr. Phillips put their luggage into the boot and opened the car door for her guests.

  They slid into the back seat and Fern whispered, “He doesn’t seem like a robot.” She watched Charlotte cackle with laughter and raised her eyebrows.

  “Maybe not to you, but trust me, he’s a bloody machine: no personality, and he’s never said one word to me. I don’t usually bring the car, so I can avoid him.”

  “Doesn’t he like you?”

  “Who knows? Jack has some stupid protocol in place, where all the staff members are treated like servants. I’m working on changing that. At least they’ll get three years where they’ll feel like they’ve been treated well.”

  “Three years? Are you guys going to move somewhere else after that?”

  Charlotte froze at Courtney’s words. Shit. Shit. Shit. Me and my big mouth! “Oh, there’s a chance we could. I always imagined I’d be based in Australia. Let’s wait and see, shall we? Now, tell me what’s been going on. Did you get a new flatmate?”

  “Forget about that,” Courtney whispered, grabbing Charlotte’s hand. “What the fuck is that rock on your finger?”

  ***

  Once her guests were settled in their rooms, Charlotte went to get a snack from the kitchen. Everyone else had eaten before they flew, so it was just her for lunch. As always, Mrs. Jones insisted on making her a sandwich, refusing to let her do it herself.

  “I wish you’d let me help.”

  “Absolutely not. This is my job.”

  “I know—I’m not trying to put you out of a job. I don’t want to be waited on all the time, that’s all.”

  “I like to do it for you, Miss Shipton. You’re nice. I’ve worked here for nearly two years, barely speaking to anyone each day.”

  “That sounds awful.”

  “It’s not so bad. Mr. Fawkner pays well, and I get to have my music on all day while I work.”

  Charlotte bit into her sandwich and watched Mrs. Jones preparing dinner; there seemed to be a lot of food just for the five of them. “Are you expecting more guests for dinner?”

  “No, dear. Mr. Fawkner requested extra food to be available for your guests. He said I was to provide them with anything their heart desired.” She smiled as she continued chopping and dicing. “You know, I’ve never had to cook for more than him and his mother the whole time I’ve worked here? This is a nice change for me.”

  “He never has guests?”

  “Never. Oh, he invites those strange musicians around, but they never eat anything. Having you here has given me some nice variety in my day, so thank you.”

  Jack clearing his throat in the doorway had them both looking at him like they’d been caught doing something wrong. Mrs. Jones busied herself on the other side of the kitchen as Jack sat down at the bench. “I came to give you your concert tickets.” He placed a pile of coloured passes on the bench.

  “You’re going now?” she glanced at the clock. “It’s hours until the show.”

  “I know, but we have sound check and a few other things to take care of. Freddy will be there, so I’ll have a meeting with him, too. I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet your friends, but I’ll make that up to them later, or in the morning. Please make sure Mr. Phillips takes you to the show and picks you up.”

  “He can take us, but I’m not sure he’ll pick us up. Won’t you need him to get you?”

  “He can bring us all home in the limo, because—”

  “You have your own limousine?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “I thought people just rented those things. Where is it?”

  “We keep it offsite, unless we need it.” He brushed some hair out of her eyes as she kept eating. “As I was saying, there are backstage passes with these tickets. When the show is finished, show them to security and you can all come and meet everyone. We’ll come home together afterward.”

  She watched him as she chewed. He’d gone to all that trouble for her and her friends. Finally, she was seeing the kind side of him he’d tried so hard to hide during the first f
ew weeks she’d known him. Little by little, the glimmers of warm Jack were sneaking through. She wondered how much more of his shell there was for her to crack. He stood and said his farewells with a quick kiss on her cheek, and then he left the kitchen. The moment he was gone, she looked at Mrs. Jones to see a huge grin on her face as she continued chopping vegetables.

  ***

  Hours later, the group of friends was all dressed up and ready for a night out. They giggled as they drove to the concert and made jokes about whether they were actually in a Google car, since they had a robot driving. They were in high spirits and chattered to Charlotte about Jack and the band. They knew all their songs and couldn’t wait to meet everyone backstage. When she’d told them what Jack had planned, they’d squealed like children attending their first party.

  They made their way to the area designated for VIPs, and Charlotte rolled her eyes more than ever when she saw what Jack had arranged for them. The others were thrilled, but she’d have been ecstatic to be at the front with the standing crowd, instead of up here, looking down on the stage. “Can we move about with these tickets?” she asked the woman at the door.

  “Of course! You have the best seats in the house, though. Why would you want to move?”

  “I might like to move to the standing area, once the concert starts. Is that allowed?”

  “With these tickets, you can move to any of the standing areas, and you have backstage access after the show.”

  She turned to Courtney, “Sorry, Court, but I’m going to leave you here to enjoy the food and wine. I want to get near the stage.”