“It does seem to be a universal condition,” Charity said, hoping she sounded both friendly and neutral.
“Crystal’s great at organizing, but with her being sick, she can’t always be available. Still, I’ll take what I can get.” She scanned the menu. “The Josh angle is the best part. It’ll give us a lot more press than we would have gotten otherwise. I never understood why he retired when he did. He was at the top of his game. That last season, he couldn’t lose. It was amazing to watch.”
Until the race where Frank died, Charity thought, knowing the loss had devastated Josh and stolen a piece of him.
The server came and they placed their orders. When she’d left, Pia leaned toward Charity. “You look great. That jacket is adorable. Am I allowed to say that?”
Charity laughed. “Yes. Pia, it’s fine. I told you before, I appreciate your blunt, albeit drunk, honesty about how I looked. I’m having fun remembering how to do the girly stuff. I’m even getting highlights.”
“They’d look good on you.” Pia sipped her diet soda. “The problem is where to go. The two best places in town are owned by two sisters who have a serious rivalry. Not only for clients, but for gossip. Each of them has to be the first to know anything. If you’re loyal to one, you’re the enemy of the other. I get around the problem by alternating back and forth. They try to pin me down, but I won’t let them.”
“That sounds like a lot of work.”
“It is, but worth it to keep the peace. You’re still living at the hotel, aren’t you? There used to be a salon there, but it closed. How is it living like the rich and famous?”
“Not so rich and certainly not famous. It’s fine until I can find a place of my own. I get a special rate through the city.” Compliments of Josh, she thought. Marsha had told her about the discount when she’d hired Charity.
“I’ve started looking for a house to buy,” she continued. “There was one place I saw that was terrific. It’s a restored craftsman-style house. I love everything about it except the price. I heard the owner would be willing to bargain, but even then I’m not sure I can swing it.”
Pia frowned. “Which house is that?”
Charity told her the street. “There’s a wide porch and a beautiful backyard. I love the mature trees on the street.”
“Who told you the owner was willing to deal?”
Charity tried not to feel trapped. “Um, Josh mentioned it.”
“Did he?” Pia’s mouth turned into a knowing smile. “He must really like you. He put a lot of money into that property and was expecting top dollar for it.”
“What do you mean?”
“He owns the house. He bought it a few years ago and fixed it up. Actually he was still racing then, so he had the work done. He used it as a rental, then decided to sell it. I know a few people are interested and he’s not lowering the price for them.”
Pia’s expression turned speculative. “He’s always put business before the ladies, but that seems to be changing.”
Charity did her best not to blush. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t know Josh owned the house.”
“You do now.”
“But he didn’t tell me.”
He hadn’t even hinted when he’d shown her the house. Although looking back, she should have guessed something was up when he’d had a key.
“Why would he do that?”
Pia raised her eyebrows. “You tell me.”
“We’re not together.”
“Maybe he wants to be.”
“No. Guys like him don’t…” She shook her head. “He’s too…”
“Rich, successful, hot?”
“I’m not his type.”
“How do you know?”
“Then I’ll pose it as a question. Am I his type?”
“Until today, I would have said no. But maybe times are changing.”
CHARITY LEFT HER LUNCH with Pia nearly as hungry as when she’d arrived. She’d only been able to pick at her salad, mostly because she was thinking about Josh and the house and what Pia had said.
It made no sense for him to give her a break on the price when other people would be offering him more. It implied a relationship they didn’t have. The fact that he’d done it before the “incident”—as she was now thinking of it—should have helped, but only made the situation more confusing.
Just as mind-bending was Pia’s implication that Josh might be interested in her. He wasn’t. His ex-wife had been some gorgeous actress. Charity was going to have to go online and find out who, exactly. But the point was, he was not someone orbiting in her universe. Interested? On what planet?