The Brother's Estate

A Lunchtime Rendevouz

The cat cooed as it rubbed it's head against Charlotte's leg. It was eleven-twenty-three in the morning, and she was sat along the bank by the river. It was a short walk from her home, and bordered her land and the land that belonged to the Thornton brothers. She'd learned that there were three brothers living at the estate beside her home, three young men with their own interest in the house.

Charlotte had been able to become quick friend with Jack. Though, she was alone in her home. Her mother hadn't been to visit, but had asked Charlotte to go back home for a weekend. A weekend she didn't want to waste back in her hometown.

She doodled in her notebook, her mind lost in thought as the cool breeze sent her hair flying around wildly. It'd been three days since she'd seen Jack, though they'd spoken over text relentlesly -- she'd even been invited to lunch at his home. The cat who was previously a stranger to her sat beside her and lay it's head on the grass, and she ran her finger through the orange and grey fur of the cat she'd named 'Ash'. Ash was a female cat, and was so beautifully coloured and patterned that Charlotte wanted to take her home and use her as her muse.

Hours had passed since she first sat on the bank. She glanced down at her watch and noticed that she'd been there, wasting the day away, for three hours. It really didn't matter to her. Her quest to find a job hadn't been successful, and as such, she had all the time in the world whilst she waited to hear back from other prospective employers, some of which had already told her she wasn't a 'good fit'.  Her savings were keeping her afloat, however.

"Do you want to come back with me?"

Ash looked up at her and purred as if she were accepting the offer. Charlotte stood up and the cat followed. The walk back to her home wasn't far, but the path took her through a small grove of trees that proved to be fairly steep, especially in the wedge heels she'd opted to wear on her little outing.

Her face was bright red as she reached the top of the small incline, and she rested her hands on her hips, her notebook still in hand as she inhaled slowly. The sun was growing in the blue sky, and she knew that she would need to get home as fast as possible. Ash was still right beside her, and even started walking ahead of her as she crossed the bright green field of recently cut grass. As she passed the oak tree, she turned to see the estate behind her. The estate that she would be in for a late lunch with Jack, and possibly his brothers.

Her fingers were slightly shakey as she put the key inside the lock and opened the door, the cool air bombarding her. Ash followed her in as she put her keys down and went straight into the kitchen. The cat would find herself with 'people' food for however long she stayed, but Charlotte was feeling glad to have the company.

A small tune escaped her lips as she hummed her way upstairs to her bedroom. The room was hardly decorated, but the bed was made with her thickest sheets and biggest, fluffiest pillows. Light dripped in from the sheer curtains, illuminating the light grey walls with the direct, afternoon sunlight, bathing the beige floor in beautiful gold. She threw herself down onto her bed, and lay back, her arms outstretched above her and her hair flowing off the edge of the bed and halfway to the floor.

She let out a sigh. She was ready to sleep in that position until her phone began to ring. As she reached into her pocket to grab her cell, she noticed that it was Jack. Charlotte rolled her eyes and slid her finger across to answer him.

"Charlotte?"

"Yeah, Jack."

"When're you coming round? I just got off work, I can pick you up in about half an hour if you'd like?" Charlotte scrambled for an answer. She looked down at herself and realised she had to move fast -- her clothes were dirty from her little trip out to the lake, and her hair was a mess from the wind. "Charlotte?"