Fling Club (Serendipity Book 1)

by Tara Brown

  Chapter Twelve

  FIRELIGHT

  Ashley

  On our last day in the mansion, our third one alone while trying to be both polite and not two young people who could possibly be attracted to one another, I was not managing my attraction well.

  Cherry had finally let her guard down a little when she didn’t think I was looking and relaxed some more even when I was looking. Now she was stretched out on the sofa, listening to music through earbuds and twitching her foot to the beat I couldn’t hear. Her long pale legs were toned and fit, because apparently she ran to stay in shape. Which I didn’t see coming. She appeared so controlled and robotic that I couldn’t imagine her sweating at first, but every morning she returned home with a red blotchy face and huffing breath.

  That wasn’t the only thing I found surprising. Her discussion of dieting and our little fight had been all talk. She ate like she was a boxer trying to go up a weight class. I assumed her daily jogs in the park were to help with the amount of food she put away.

  “Would you like a drink, sir?” Mary asked softly, catching me staring at Cherry for the third time. I was starting to think the chef was on my side, trying to protect me from myself. Or on Cherry’s and keeping her safe from me.

  “A coffee, please,” I said politely as I sat at the marble counter. This was her domain, and as much as I wanted to grab my own coffee, I saw the pride she took in her job. She was about fifty years old and very much like my mother, saucy and stubborn and easily offended.

  Cherry was more than I’d originally given her credit for, which was an issue. It was going to be a summer of temptation, forbidden fruit, and all that fun stuff.

  “Some house,” I offered to start a discussion, something I found myself doing with Mary a lot. It was easier than talking to Cherry, who was unknowingly destroying all my self-control.

  “Some redhead, you mean.” She smiled wide. “You forget yourself, Ashley.” She called me by my first name because she knew my story. We’d all been talking enough about our plan that everyone in the household followed the plot. The one thing I found odd about the rich: they spoke in front of the help a lot.

  “No, madam, I do not.”

  “There are things you avoid in this house, and she is number one.” She slid my fresh Americano at me.

  “What’s number two?”

  “The master bedroom. Number three is the Bentley. Number four is the study. And number five is the cellar, but that’s because it’s not safe down there. Dank and creepy.”

  “Any advice for the Hamptons?”

  “Don’t go.” She laughed. “You’re in over your head. Cait Landry is a terrible human being. She’s going to chew you up and spit you out.” Her eyes dragged over to Cherry again. “We got lucky with that one. Sweet as the day is long. Poor thing.”

  “Right, but some of it’s an act, isn’t it? I’ve seen her lose it. She’s feisty. Not such a poor thing.”

  “Only when provoked. She wouldn’t say shit if she had a mouthful otherwise, so to speak.” She got back to chopping vegetables. “Not like the younger one. When you meet her, try not to stare at the things that come flying out of her mouth.”

  “Duly noted. Thanks.” The younger one intrigued me. She sounded insanely awesome and yet terrifying.

  “What are you drinking?” Cherry asked, coming into the kitchen. She was wearing those shorts again, the ones from the first breakfast. The ones I’d been mean to her in. The look on her face still haunted me. The way she’d stood up for herself surprised me. But when she called me the help, I’d lost it. I’d marched down the hall, pissed off at her and excited I’d been right, vindicated even. But then I realized what I’d actually said and how almost none of her response had been her fault. My jokes had been cruel and down putting, and telling her to free herself from society’s expectations of her hadn’t quite come out the way I’d intended.

  “He’s having coffee; would you like one as well?”

  “No, thanks.” She smiled and sat at the counter.

  “Do you want a bun?” Mary’s eyes sparkled.

  “You didn’t?” Cherry brightened right up.

  “I had to. I’ve been craving them since you brought me one the other day.” Mary turned and opened a silver tray that looked like something from a hotel room-service delivery. Under the silver dome was the greatest sight in the world.

  Fresh raspberry buns with cream cheese frosting.

  “No way!” I turned to Cherry.

  She beamed a wide grin, her eyes dazzling with excitement.

  Mary pulled out three plates and three forks and served us each one, delicately as if she were serving the queen. And then we sat, each of us digging our forks into the soft rolls. My stomach growled from the smell, making Cherry giggle as she lifted the fork to her perfect lips. I paused in eating my bite and watched as she did what she had done in the café. She closed her eyes and wrapped her mouth around the fork, moaning as the flavor hit her tongue. I tried not to imagine those lips wrapping themselves around me.

  “Thank you so much, Mary.” Cherry beamed. “That was exactly what I needed today.”

  “I’m going to miss you, my dear. You’re leaving tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, but we should be back in the city again. I’ll have to keep up appearances and all that jazz.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Of course. And Mr. Jardine will go with you, I assume.”

  “Yes.” Cherry glanced my way. “We have to pretend he doesn’t exist until Andy comes back from the city.”

  “Your brother’s coming back here?” Mary’s cheer was lost.

  “He is.” Cherry laughed. “Just tell him to stop cooking. Tell him it’s insulting.”

  “Hmm-hmm.” Mary gave us both some side-eye and cleared the plates. “At least your father will be back. Your brother is a lot more manageable with him here.”

  Cherry bit her lip and leaned on the counter. “You’re getting the better end of the stick, Mary. I have to be in the Hamptons with Mother and no Andy to run interference. Just Ella, whom she has essentially given up on.”

  “How bad is your mother?” My imagination had run off with me as far as this dreaded dragon lady was concerned.

  “You’ll be grateful you’re staying at the Weinbergs’.” Mary chuckled as she loaded the dishwasher.

  “Pretty much. Well, we should go over the whole first night again.” Cherry gave me a look as she got up. “Ella has strict instructions on how that will go.”

  “Okay.” I scowled, allowing myself to admit my concerns as I followed Cherry and tried desperately not to notice the way her shorts hugged the curve of her ass. And of course she was a runner. Checking out her leg muscles and the way her ass tightened when she walked up stairs was not a terrible way to spend a minute or two. Though I didn’t love that she ran in the park. I disliked her going alone, something she promised she’d been doing for years when I’d asked.

  “So, the first night.” She led me to the library and stood in front of the fire, a thing she did frequently. She wore shorts and stayed near the fire to keep warm. Not that I was complaining. We were still missing the sun in New York, regardless of it being spring.

  She rubbed her arms. “I’ll go to the meeting, where the girls will all greet one another and go over the rules for the new girls.”

  “And the rules are?” I asked again, something Andy had told me to do. Press her until she caved, which she never did.

  “Not important for you or Andy to know, and I know he asked you to try to get them out of me.” Her eyes sparkled. “I’ve given Ella enough clues that she can plot without knowing them exactly.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I sat, acting indifferent.

  “Anyway.” She narrowed her gaze. “You will stay home. Then Andy and Dad will come back from the city, and we’ll all go for dinner Friday night. It’s tradition. Andy will bring you, his friend. You’ll flirt with me. We’ll pretend we’ve just met that week. Make sure
your eyes follow me around a lot.” She sounded a bit sad. “Cait will want you if it looks like you’re interested in me.”

  “Flirt with you?” I got up, pacing in front of the fire. “Like, how aggressively?” We hadn’t talked about flirting. I didn’t know if I could flirt and not mean it. Giving what she looked like, I’d mean it. And once I did, she’d be mine. This was a dangerous game we were playing.

  “Hard. It has to be obvious that you’re interested.” She gulped. “There should be no mistaking that.” Her eyes twitched, fighting something, then darted away from mine.

  “So, I should touch you? Put my hand on your back as you enter the room and get your chair?”

  “More,” she said softly, her voice almost getting lost in the fire’s crackle. She stepped a little closer to me. “You should kiss my cheek and put your hand on the back of my chair, make sure you’re sitting next to me. Follow me, anywhere I go.”

  “Kiss your cheek?” I stared at her rosy cheek, noting the way the firelight licked it. Her flawless skin glowed, reflecting the light of the flames. My insides were on fire now too.

  “Yeah.” She stared up at me, her eyes growing wide. She swallowed hard, her thin neck straining to look up at me. “Then after that initial meeting and dinner, all the young people will mosey over to Cait’s the next night. We all bring our show dogs in to prance them about.” She smiled subtly, taunting me. “I’ll bring you, letting everyone know of my intentions to date you for the summer. Cait will see this, take the bait, and ask for you before I get the chance to do it. As the leader, she gets first dibs.”

  “That’s so fucked,” I whispered, still stuck staring at her.

  “Super fucked,” she whispered back, her eyes hooded.

  The air wasn’t cold or awkward anymore. It was full of something else—heat and possibility.

  “I should go pack.” She stepped back from me, breaking the spell. “And you should too.”

  “Okay.” We spoke in a strange way, staring at each other, focusing on our eyes.

  “Don’t forget anything here; you might not be back to the city.” Her tone changed a little, tightening.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll pack everything up, monkey suit and morals included.” I accidentally said it bitterly, possibly taking out some unspent desire on her instead of with her. My comment made her flinch.

  “Night.” She turned, finally, nearly running out of the room.

  I had no idea what had just happened, but I needed to focus on the job and not get lost in the eyes of the girl I was working for. Tomorrow, I would be better—stronger. I would flirt or smile or do whatever it was she asked me to do with whomever she needed me to do it with. I needed this job, but I didn’t need the Cherry on top.

  Chapter Thirteen

  AND THEN IT GOT WEIRD

  Cherry

  The limo ride to the Weinberg mansion was quiet. I browsed social media while Ashley read some gargantuan email. Whatever it said, it didn’t seem to make him happy, or chatty. After the strange, hypnotic way we were talking the night before, lost in each other’s gaze, I’d assumed he’d be a little more inclined to flirt and laugh and joke. I was wrong; he was right back to being his judgy, closed-off self.

  The last two days at the house had been better than the first few. We’d seemed to be connecting in a way I was getting comfortable with. You couldn’t spend days on end with someone without eventually letting your guard down.

  Or so I thought.

  But the drive to the Hamptons was proving that theory all wrong.

  It was early enough that the traffic wasn’t bad, but the drive still took over two hours to get to the massive house facing the Atlantic Ocean. The Weinbergs, for whatever reason, had built their waterfront mansion on some of the prime sandy lots on Dune Road, only it wasn’t built for the view and had multiple rounded roofs with weirdly small round windows.

  It was like something from a science fiction movie.

  The gardeners were working away in the cold wind, untying bushes and raking dead grass, and offered us a wave when we drove up.

  Andy opened the door and greeted us like the valet. “Hey!” He beamed. “I wanted to stay and get you guys settled in. Mom knows you’re here, Cherry, but she doesn’t know about Ashley. So, we need to keep him under wraps until I get back on Friday. I’ll say you met me here, fresh from the airport.”

  “Good to see you too,” Ashley said with a laugh, speaking for the first time in hours as he climbed out and offered my brother a firm handshake and a half hug. Like they were old bros from a nerdy hood in Silicon Valley.

  “How was the drive?” Andy asked as they stalked off, leaving me to climb out of the car on my own. Even the gardener gave me a look.

  “They’re having a broment,” I lamented, and walked after them, leaving the gardener chuckling and shaking his head.

  I gripped my purse tightly, fighting the urge to scowl as I thought of the task ahead. I needed to be stone faced and get through the next seven days.

  I needed Ella. Thinking her name made me smile, so I pulled out my phone and texted that I had arrived.

  Her response made me laugh. Coming!

  “And you’ll have to cook.”

  I deflated a bit as I came closer to Andy’s voice.

  “Likely Cherry will con Theresa into bringing you guys food so that you don’t die over here,” Andy joked as he gave Ashley the tour.

  “We can survive for a few days, ass.” I folded my arms and stood near the fire. It was colder out here on the water than it had been in the city. And this house wasn’t warming; more like an old-fashioned Tudor with dark colors and cutoff rooms. No flow or modernizing.

  “Here are the house keys. The car keys are all hanging in the garage; don’t drive the Lambo, but the rest are fair game. Oh, and the staff doesn’t live on the grounds. The maids might come during the day and work, but then leave.”

  “Oh, wow, the Weinbergs let them have lives. How fascinating,” Ashley said, mocking our own overkept household.

  “Right.” Andy laughed. “No indentured servitude here.”

  “Don’t you have to go?” I growled. Annoyed with all of this.

  “Yes, Miss Cherry. I do.” He bowed and turned to Ashley. “Don’t let her fool you; she can actually cook a couple of things. I’ve seen it personally. She can make a mean PB&J, like, the perfect ratio between the peanut butter and the jelly.” He laughed and patted Ashley on the back, then walked to me and wrapped me in a bear hug. “Behave yourself. Don’t scare him off. We need him for the family dinner on Friday.”

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious.” I sneered and held the door open for him, since there was no one else to do it.

  “I’ll text you.” He waved and darted off, getting into our limo as Hans closed the trunk and waved at me. I waved back and closed the door, shivering from the cold.

  When I turned around, Ashley wasn’t there, but I heard his voice.

  Realizing he was speaking to someone, I told myself to go to the kitchen, but my feet were pulled by the sound of his voice and the way his accent thickened as he spoke.

  “Right, love you too. I’ll call earlier tomorrow. I just wanted to say good night. Okay. Sleep tight.” He hung up, and his shoulders slumped.

  Mine might have also slumped a little.

  Was he talking to a girlfriend?

  Whoever it was, he seemed saddened by the short call. Feeling bad, I walked the opposite way, hurrying for the guest room where my bags were sitting. I hadn’t even noticed Hans putting them away.

  I sat on the bed and took in the view from the bedroom. Gloomy dunes.

  This house made no sense.

  Moments later my sister’s voice flooded the silence, making me smile wide and rush from the room. “Cherry? Oh, you must be Ashley. I’m Ella. Nice to meet you, since we’re coconspirators and all.”

  Wincing, I came around the corner to them shaking hands and Ella staring into his eyes.

  “Might as well get st
raight down to business. You look the part, but why do you think you’ll be able to resist Cait’s charms? No man has been able to yet.”

  “Because I loathe rich girls and their drama and nonsense. And I don’t support the elite using their influence and power to manipulate the world and get everything they want. The odds are stacked against us all a little more because everyone has to roll over for them.” He tilted his head. “I mean you. You’re upper crust.”

  “Good answer.” She dropped his hand and stopped giving him the eye. Most people gave the eye in a seductive way. Ella’s was more an attempt to discern if a person was lying. A skill she hadn’t honed yet but refused to give up on.

  I made a noise, drawing her attention.

  “Cherry Blossom!” She ran at me, hugging me and losing some of her cold edge.

  I hugged her and inhaled a little of the beeswax-and-honey smell she had. Her idea of makeup was lip balm. And she always bought the organic stuff. It made her smell earthy, which she was.

  “I see you two have made introductions. Ashley, you’ve officially met the family shame.”

  “And proud of it.” Ella beamed for a moment, then turned around to me. “I need the rules.”

  “No, we can work around it. I understand the gist of what you want to achieve, but I can’t divulge the rules.”

  “Why?” she huffed.

  “Because I would be breaking the rules if I revealed them, and then I wouldn’t be any better than Cait. How can I shame her for breaking rules if I break them?” I glanced at Ashley, who was still staring at his phone. It was strange to see him so distracted. It made me think he really was seeing someone. I had to admit to feeling disappointed. He was insufferable in an Andyesque way, but I found him attractive even with that massive downside.

  Not that it mattered. He was here for a job, nothing else.

  “While that is very Gandhi-like, you’re not going to hell for being a hypocrite or for ratting out some psychopath’s rule book. This game is still afoot. Get me the rules.” She folded her arms and gave me her best dictator smirk.