[Malibu – Evening]
The sun was setting like a smug influencer... golden, dramatic, and way too photogenic. The Malibu waves gently slapped the shore below as Charlie and Lisa lounged on his balcony, sipping non-alcoholic beer out of chilled glass bottles. (The usual cut scene)
Charlie leaned back in his chair, legs kicked up, sunglasses still on despite the fading sun. Lisa sat cross-legged on a beach lounger, wearing his hoodie and looking far too good in it.
"This is nice," she said, taking a sip. "Relaxing. Quiet. No screaming. No skunks. No police."
Charlie lifted his bottle. "To Alan, for being the living embodiment of a midlife crisis in a bathrobe."
They clinked.
Lisa laughed. "Seriously though. Who gets arrested for skinny-dipping to clean themselves?"
"Alan," Charlie said, deadpan. "Alan gets arrested for breathing near authority figures. If the man walked into a DMV, he'd come out on a no-fly list."
Lisa giggled. "Judith must've been furious."
"Oh, she texted me," Charlie said, fishing his phone out and scrolling. "Here... 'Tell your idiot brother if he even breathes within five miles of me, I will personally reenact Dexter with his spleen.'"
Lisa snorted. "Wow. That's almost romantic."
Charlie smirked. "That's Judith. Her love language is aggravated assault."
They both took another sip and looked out over the ocean. For a moment, the silence was... comfortable.
Lisa broke it. "So… I have a job interview."
Charlie perked up. "What? When?"
"Two days from now," she said, a little smile creeping onto her lips. "Manager position at R&R Import and Export."
Charlie blinked. "Wait! Is that the place with the weird commercials? The ones that say, 'We bring it in, we send it out, and we don't ask questions?'"
Lisa nodded. "Yup."
"I always thought that was a front for smuggling llamas."
Lisa laughed. "It might be. But they're offering decent pay, a health plan, and dental, which, as we both know, is basically a miracle in California."
Charlie raised his bottle again. "To adulting."
Another clink. Another sip.
Charlie looked at her for a beat. Then, casually, he said, "So… if you get the job… you thinking about moving in?"
Lisa froze mid-sip.
She slowly lowered her bottle. "Wait. What?"
Charlie didn't flinch. "I mean, it makes sense. It'll be close to your workplace. Besides, you're here all the time, you left your shorts here six months ago, and Berta already calls you 'Miss Lady Who Steals My Damn Coffee Creamer.'"
Lisa blinked. "Are you… asking me to move in with you?"
Charlie shrugged. "Yeah. Kinda. Like a roommate. But with, you know… boobs. And naked yoga sometimes."
Lisa stared at him. "That is the worst phrased cohabitation proposal I've ever heard."
Charlie leaned forward. "Come on, think about it. No rent, no sketchy roommates, ocean view, top-shelf coffee… and a boyfriend who motorboats like a professional."
She laughed. "Oh my God."
"I'm serious," he said, putting his bottle down. "Look, I know we've had our… Charlie Harper moments in the past, but I'm trying here. No booze, no random girls, no waking up in a hotel with a tattoo of a waffle on my butt."
Lisa tilted her head. "That happened?"
He pointed at his hip. "His name was Mr. Syrup. But that's not the point."
Lisa bit her lip, still trying to process. "You really want me to move in?"
Charlie leaned back again, casual. "I mean, you already have a toothbrush here. And a drawer. And your shampoo. And your weird anti-aging face mist that smells like regret and lavender."
Lisa squinted. "So this is less of a romantic offer and more of a 'you're taking up space already' negotiation?"
"I'm just saying," Charlie said, arms wide, "you've infiltrated. You might as well conquer."
Lisa smiled, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable."
"But cute," Charlie added.
"And mildly insane."
"And good at oral," he said, raising his eyebrows like he was auditioning for a toothpaste ad.
Lisa blushed and covered her face. "Oh my God."
Charlie leaned forward, all mock sincerity. "Lisa. Move in. Be the queen of this Malibu castle. Rule over the fridge. Control the thermostat. Argue with Berta about detergent. Let's make this chaos official."
She paused. Then slowly grinned. "Okay. Fine. But I want full control of the TV on Sundays."
Charlie winced. "Even over football?"
Lisa nodded. "Especially over football."
Charlie groaned. "You drive a hard bargain."
"Deal or no deal?"
He extended his hand. "Deal. But I get the good side of the bed."
Lisa shook his hand. "Not a chance."
He sighed. "And thus, the war begins."
They clinked their bottles one last time and drank as the sun dipped below the ocean.
Inside, Berta stood in the kitchen window watching them with a scowl.
"Great," she muttered. "Two of 'em. Time to triple my bleach order."
...
[Skip forward]
[R&R Import and Export – Tuesday Morning]
The lobby was surprisingly modern for a company that sounded like it shipped knock-off electronics and questionable seafood. Expensive furniture, minimalist décor, and the faint smell of overpriced air freshener hung in the air like a desperate attempt to mask capitalism.
Charlie sat on a white leather couch in the waiting area, sipping lukewarm coffee from a paper cup. He wore his best "I'm here for moral support but also too cool to try" outfit: blazer over a plain tee, sunglasses hooked on his shirt, and jeans that probably cost more than the receptionist's chair.
Speaking of the receptionist…
"Hi there," she said, flashing a too-bright smile as she typed away at her desk.
Charlie glanced up and gave a half-smile. "Hey."
And then he paused.
The smile faltered.
She was familiar. Too familiar. Something about the eyes, the hair, the way she popped her gum like it owed her money.
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. "You don't remember me, do you?"
Charlie panicked for a second and gave her his go-to defense mechanism: charm laced with plausible deniability.
"Of course I do," he said, eyes scanning her name tag… conveniently flipped upside down. "How could I forget… you."
She raised an eyebrow. "You called me 'the hottest girl who ever ruined a pizza' after we hooked up and you bailed before breakfast."
Charlie blinked. "Ah. Right. You… uh… chewed with your mouth open. Pepperoni trauma."
She squinted. "You told me you had a gluten allergy."
"And you told me you were twenty-four."
She crossed her arms. "I was twenty-four!"
"Mentally, or…?"
She glared at him.
Charlie cleared his throat and looked at the door Lisa had just disappeared behind. "So… busy day?"
"Just you," the receptionist said flatly. "And your girlfriend."
She practically spat the word like it was an insult to her ancestors.
Charlie sank further into the couch. "Yeah. That's me. Loyal. Committed. Emotionally stable. You wouldn't even recognize me."
"No," she said coldly. "I really wouldn't."
Charlie gave her a tight-lipped smile and turned his attention to the sleek, soundproofed glass doors that led to the interview room.
Inside, Lisa smiled politely as the interview continued.
And on the other side…
Lucia Hendricks.
Charlie saw her. Just a flicker of a glimpse through the glass as the receptionist tapped her tablet to adjust the window tint.
Their eyes met for a split second.
And in that second, his blood ran colder than Alan's confidence during tax season.
Lucia.
'Oh. No.'
Her face hadn't changed much. Still elegant, sharp cheekbones, dark red lipstick that screamed dominate-me, and a power suit that looked like it could sign a hostile merger just by existing.
Charlie froze, coffee cup trembling slightly in his hand.
Memories slammed into his brain like a sitcom flashback montage on crack.
...
[Years Ago – Fancy Hotel Room]
"Lucia," Charlie whispered, kissing down her neck.
"Shh," she giggled, tangled in the sheets. "My husband's in Dubai. He won't know."
He did, eventually.
[Weeks Later – Lucia's Driveway]
Lucia: "Charlie, you have to leave! He's home early!"
Charlie: "You told me he was on a retreat!"
Lucia: "Well, now it's YOUR retreat! Out the window!"
[News Report – One Month Later]
"Lucia Hendricks inherits majority share in R&R following her husband's tragic death. Electrocution by a hairdryer in the bathtub — ruled accidental."
Charlie: "Uh-huh. Sure it was."
He remembered watching that news segment with a beer in one hand and a plane ticket in the other.
She called after that. A lot. Left voicemails. Emailed. Even sent a letter once, scented with something dangerously floral. Not to his address because he never gave his real address, but Alan's address. He called it harmless fun.
Well, he never responded.
And now… she was Lisa's interviewer.
Charlie stood abruptly.
The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Leaving already?"
He faked a cough. "Nope. Just… uh, stretching. Gotta keep the hips limber. Old injury. Tragic dodgeball incident."
He grabbed his phone, turned his back to the glass doors, and started pacing like a man planning an escape route.
'Think, Markus. Think. What are the odds she recognizes you after all this time?'
He peeked over his shoulder.
Lucia was looking straight at the door.
Eye contact. Again.
She tilted her head, slowly.
Her lips curled.
Oh, she recognized him.
Charlie's soul left his body.
He grabbed his blazer, fumbled with his coffee, and bolted like a raccoon caught in a kitchen.
The receptionist blinked. "Uh… where are you going?"
Charlie didn't stop. "Tell Lisa I love her! And that I'm going to fake my death again if this goes south!"
He sprinted down the hallway, knocking over a recycling bin in the process.
Back inside the office, Lucia watched the door calmly, then returned her attention to Lisa.
"So," she said with a perfectly pleasant smile. "Tell me, Lisa… how do you handle chaos?"
Lisa blinked. "Uh… well, I used to date Charlie Harper, so…"
Lucia's smile widened. "Say no more. You're already qualified."
'Huh?! What? It just came out so naturally and she knows Charlie?' Lisa wondered. She wanted to ask, but knowing Charlie's past, she guessed that Charlie and Lucia must have had a bad breakup. 'Yeah, well. Let's go with that.'
'Found you, Charlie Harper. Oh, I miss those old sneaky sex days,' Lucia shook Lisa's hand with a happy smile.
"Now, you must be curious about how I know Charlie Harper and what happened in the past, right? If I were to guess, you are still dating him. And considering he just ran away after seeing me... I think we talk about Charlie Harper?" Lucia said with her usual grin.
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