Gray Areas | Englot | GirlxGirl

22. Same Person

- "Yeah. I'm meeting Alycia for lunch. I'll head over to your place after that," Charlotte said, weaving her car through the tree-lined streets of Los Feliz, earbuds snug in place.

- "Wait a minute. Alycia who?" Marima's tone held a hint of curiosity.

Charlotte chuckled.
- "Who else? Debnam-Carey."

Marima groaned.
- "Charlotte Austin, I swear I'll make you the focus of a publicity storm if you end up causing drama-"

- "What drama, Marima?" Charlotte grumbled. "It's just lunch."

- "Just lunch? Don't let me catch you two clawing at each other in a tabloid!"

Charlotte laughed.
- "You're being dramatic, Marima. Nothing like that. We don't have any issues, except, you know... the Engfa Waraha situation."

- "And isn't that a pretty big issue, huh?" Marima quipped.

- "We're fine, honestly. Relax. I just want to have a casual chat. I've got a few things I need to ask her. I'm pulling up to the café now-I'll update you later."

- "Alright. I'll be waiting for you, Char," Marima replied warmly.

- "See you later." Charlotte ended the call, still smiling at Marima's worry.

She pulled into the parking lot of a cozy, Latin-inspired café and took a moment to breathe, glancing at her reflection in the rearview mirror to adjust a stray strand of hair. Satisfied, she grabbed her bag, got out, and made her way toward the café entrance.

Inside, Charlotte's gaze quickly found Alycia, who was already seated and speaking to a waiter taking her order. Alycia looked up and smiled as Charlotte approached. Standing to greet her, they exchanged a brief, familiar hug before settling into their seats.

After a few moments of flipping through the menu, Charlotte placed her order as well. Once the waiter left, Alycia tilted her head slightly, a playful smile curving her lips.

"Didn't expect you to ask me to meet up like this," she teased, her tone light but her eyes intent.

Charlotte returned the smile, though her gaze was thoughtful. "A surprise, Alycia? I think you already have a pretty good idea why I wanted to see you."

Alycia chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "I had an inkling, especially after Engfa filled me in yesterday. So, what's on your mind?"

Charlotte paused, gathering her thoughts, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. Finally, she met Alycia's gaze. "I... I just want to know how you manage a relationship in this whole PR world. Isn't it hard?"

Alycia's brow lifted slightly, intrigued. "Who told you I was in a relationship?"

Charlotte frowned, her voice soft. "Engfa mentioned you've been seeing someone... for a few months now."

Alycia laughed-a warm sound, though something unspoken lingered beneath it. "Not exactly a 'relationship'-not officially, at least." She paused as the waiter arrived with their orders, filling the brief silence with the clink of plates and glasses.

Once they were alone again, Alycia shrugged lightly, "We're close, sure. You could say it's exclusive... but without a label. So, no, it's not that hard to manage. Is it for you?"

Charlotte nodded slowly. "I'm still figuring that out. It feels different, though... having to hide it again."

Alycia nodded thoughtfully. She took a sip of her drink, setting it down. "Did she mention our talk yesterday?"

Charlotte gave a small nod, her gaze dropping to the table as she traced invisible patterns on the cloth. "She did... and it wasn't exactly a shock. But it's hard not to feel a certain way. We're in a fragile place after everything that's happened recently. I didn't press her on it."