Polite as a Knife

Charlie stood by the railing, letting the breeze hit his face. He needed a minute to breathe. The encounter with Rose had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. The yacht's soft lighting shimmered against the water, music drifted from below, but his mind wasn't in it.

He heard a heavy sigh beside him.

Turning slightly, he saw her.

Kate Beckinsale.

Alone.

She was holding a nearly empty cocktail glass and swirling the last few drops like they held secrets. Her eyes were distant, slightly red-rimmed. Not the makeup kind. The been-crying-in-the-bathroom kind.

'God! She's just... Stunning...' He thought.

Charlie cleared his throat lightly.

She glanced at him, a small, polite smile flickering before she looked away again.

He hesitated. Then took a step closer. It was his very first time talking to a real celebrity from Hollywood, and he was very much trying to maintain his calm. 

"Hey," he said quietly. "Mind if I crash your corner of the sadness deck?"

Kate looked over at him. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Be my guest," she said softly.

He leaned against the railing beside her, mimicking her posture.

"Drink's strong?"

"Not strong enough," she muttered, taking the final sip and setting the glass down on the nearby table.

Charlie nodded slowly.

"Bad night?"

"Bad year," she said, her voice flat. "Maybe bad five years."

He waited a beat.

"Want to talk about it, or should I just stand here and look emotionally available?"

Kate let out a short, tired laugh.

"Michael," she said, with a sigh. "Michael Sheen."

Charlie raised his eyebrows. "The actor guy?"

She nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah. We were together for almost eight years. Had a daughter. She's four now."

Charlie softened. "Damn. That's a long time."

Kate looked down at the ocean, her voice low and tight.

"He never proposed. Not once. Not even after the baby. Not even when I gave up three film roles to stay close while he toured. I waited. Hoped. Tried to be the cool girlfriend who didn't pressure him."

She shook her head, bitter.

"And last month, I realized... he wasn't ever going to. So I left."

Charlie didn't say anything right away. He let the silence sit with her. It didn't feel like she needed a fix. Just someone to listen.

"He's a good dad," she added. "Lily loves him. But I think... I think he just didn't love me the way I needed him to. Or maybe he did and didn't know how to show it. Either way... I'm here. Alone. And drinking like it'll erase the last decade."

Charlie looked at her, then nodded slowly.

"Yeah. That kind of hurt doesn't go away with one party or one drink."

She smirked sadly. "No. But the drink helps dull the edges."

He looked down at his own glass, swirling the bubbles absently.

"You deserve more than someone who makes you wait forever. That much I know."

Kate glanced at him.

"Thanks. Most people here are too busy pretending they're fine to say something real."

Charlie shrugged.

"Fake smiles give me hives."

She smiled again, a little more honestly this time.

"You here with someone?"

Charlie hesitated.

"Sort of. Not... someone I should be here with."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "That sounds complicated."

"It always is," he said. "Especially when it starts with a lie and ends with yacht parties hosted by women who were once my ex. And my date tonight is also my ex. Two exes together in a single place, and yet there's peace. Imagine that."

Kate blinked. "You kidding?"

"Nope. As you said, complicated..." Charlie said with a sigh.

Kate chuckled a bit. "You win. That's worse than my night."

Charlie laughed.

She leaned against the railing, folding her arms, her expression softening.

"You seem... different," she said after a moment. "Most guys here are either too eager or too arrogant."

Charlie looked out at the water.

"Well, I used to be both. Maybe still am. But lately, I've been trying to act like the guy people think I might be. Not the one they regret meeting."

Kate studied him for a second.

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is," Charlie admitted. "But it's worth it. It's like I've rediscovered myself and started a good and healthy life."

Kate smiled gently. Then looked down at her empty glass.

"Think they've got anything stronger?"

Charlie straightened up.

"Let's find out."

A few minutes later...

Charlie and Kate sat side by side on the cushioned stools, drinks freshly poured, glasses clinking lightly. The bartender had set them up with a couple of drinks, and Charlie was mid-story, halfway into one of his classic Harper tales. (He chose a non-alcoholic drink]

"…and then the guy says, 'Sir, this is a wedding, not a karaoke bar.' But I was already two verses into Total Eclipse of the Heart with the bride's grandmother, so I finished it anyway. Respectfully."

Kate burst out laughing, actually snorting a little. She covered her mouth and shook her head. "No. You did not sing Bonnie Tyler at a stranger's wedding."

Charlie nodded, mock solemn. "I did. And I committed. Full eye contact with the groom during the high note. Power stance. Tears. Applause."

Kate laughed harder. "God. You're a menace."

"A charming menace," Charlie said, raising his glass.

"A public threat with cheekbones," she countered, raising hers to meet it.

They clinked glasses.

Charlie sipped his drink and gave her a side glance. "I used to think I was irresistible. Turns out, I'm just allergic to commitment and naturally flammable at parties."

Kate smirked. "That actually tracks."

"I once got dumped because I brought an Ouija board to a movie date night."

Kate blinked. "Why?"

"I thought it'd be spooky fun."

"And?"

"She said it was 'spiritually toxic' and called her mom mid-date."

Kate giggled and shook her head. "I think I needed this."

Charlie tilted his head. "A cocktail? Or my deep psychological dysfunction disguised as humor?"

Kate smiled. "Both. But mostly the dysfunction. You make being emotionally complicated look... weirdly comforting."

Charlie shrugged. "Years of therapy and tequila. In that order."

She laughed again, genuinely this time. "You're kind of great, you know that?"

Charlie put a hand to his chest. "Stop. If you say one more nice thing, I might cry. And I'm already dangerously close to using your shoulder as a napkin."

Just then, a smooth voice chimed in behind them.

"Well, well… look at you two. What did I miss? And why is Kate laughing like she forgot her heartbreak?"

Joline slipped in on Charlie's other side, a fresh glass of wine in her hand and curiosity dancing in her eyes.

Kate smirked. "He was telling me about the time he serenaded a wedding party with Bonnie Tyler."

Joline laughed. "Oh God, not that story."

Charlie raised a finger. "Hey. That performance was raw, passionate, and almost earned me a date with a 78-year-old with a hip replacement."

Kate grinned. "And I bet she still talks about it."

Charlie smiled faintly at the memory, then let the grin slip just a little. "Well… she passed away last summer."

Kate blinked. "Wait, seriously?"

He nodded. "Complications after surgery. But I made sure she went out the way she wanted."

Joline tilted her head. "Which was?"

Charlie took a sip of his drink. "To the sound of Bonnie Tyler and a glass of cold gin. I mailed a boombox and a bottle to the hospice. They played it for her on loop until the end."

Kate blinked. "That's… honestly, beautiful. And wildly chaotic. But mostly beautiful."

Charlie shrugged. "She told me once, if she couldn't get me, she'd settle for my voice. Said I sounded like heartbreak in a leather jacket."

Joline snorted into her drink. "That is so accurate it's borderline dangerous."

Kate chuckled, her gaze soft now. "Well, I'm glad she had that. Some people don't even get good last words."

Joline turned to Charlie, giving him a playful shove. "So, what about you, Mr. Harper? What would your last words be?"

Charlie smirked. "Probably something stupid like 'Does this look infected?' or 'Tell Lisa I didn't mean to buy the vegan bacon.'"

Kate laughed. "Tragic. And extremely on brand."

Before anyone could add more, a new presence joined them.

Rose.

She glided in, cool as ever, with a martini in hand and eyes that immediately found Charlie.

"Room for one more?" she asked, tone light and innocent.

Charlie stiffened.

Joline, ever the hostess, smiled brightly. "Of course. Pull up a stool."

Kate gave Rose a polite nod, though her curiosity piqued at Charlie's suddenly rigid posture.

Rose sat between Charlie and the open air, placing her drink gently on the counter.

Charlie took a slow breath, trying not to fidget, trying not to let it show.

"Kate," Rose said smoothly, turning to her. "You were absolutely stunning in Underworld. I saw an early screening last week."

Kate smiled, surprised. "Thanks. That was… an intense shoot."

"I can imagine," Rose replied. "Leather, guns, blood, and yet somehow, you looked flawless in every frame."

Charlie took a sip of his drink and looked away, pretending to be fascinated by a nearby bowl of shrimp cocktail.

Joline leaned back, watching them all. "Is it just me, or is this the most attractive group at the party?"

Rose's eyes twitched slightly toward Charlie. "Oh, I don't know. Beauty's subjective, isn't it?"

Charlie coughed softly. "So is sanity."

Rose looked at him with the faintest tilt of her head. "You alright, Charlie? You seem… tense."

Kate raised an eyebrow and glanced between them. "You two know each other?"

Charlie forced a tight smile. "Old acquaintances."

Rose nodded calmly. "We had a… brief moment once. But that was a long time ago."

Kate didn't press. Charlie silently thanked her.

Joline swirled her drink. "Must've been one hell of a moment. Charlie doesn't get cagey unless someone mentions marriage or taxes."

Charlie shot her a look.

Kate chuckled. 

Rose smiled, watching Charlie squirm. "It's funny. You think you know someone. Then years later, you see them again… and they've changed. Or maybe they haven't."

"That's the big question, isn't it?" Charlie said as he took a sip from his glass.

[10 minutes later]

The four of them had shared awkward banter and polite laughter long enough for the tension to stretch like a frayed wire. Charlie tried his best to stay neutral, playing it safe with small jokes and sips of sparkling water. Kate seemed to sense something under the surface but didn't press. Joline was just enjoying the attention.

But Rose? She never took her eyes off Charlie. Not really. She always circled back to him in the conversation. A glance here. A touch of sarcasm there. It wasn't overt. It was surgical. Subtle pressure beneath a smile.

Then, with a sudden shift in tone, Rose stood.

"Joline, darling. Mind taking a quick walk with me? Just a little business chat. Girl talk."

Joline looked at her curiously. "Right now?"

Rose's smile was flawless. "Just a minute. Nothing serious."

Joline gave Charlie a playful shrug and stood up. "Don't let the ladies eat you alive, Charlie."

Charlie gave a small nod, eyes narrowed just slightly.

The two women walked toward the upper deck stairs, heels clicking on the lacquered wood.

Kate leaned closer to Charlie.

"Okay. I don't know what that was, but it felt like the air dropped five degrees the second she spoke."

Charlie exhaled, still watching them go. "That's Rose. She doesn't need a gun. She just weaponizes politeness."

Kate blinked. "And you dated her?"

Charlie winced. "I survived her. That's different."

...

[Private Balcony – Side Deck]

Rose led Joline to a quieter part of the yacht, near the back, where the sound of the waves drowned out the music. The lights were dimmer here. Fewer guests wandered this far. Privacy wasn't an accident.

Joline leaned on the railing, still smiling, a little tipsy now. "Alright. What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until the shrimp course?"

Rose stood beside her, both hands resting delicately on the wood.

"I've been thinking," Rose said, voice calm, light. "You've always wanted to get back into modeling, haven't you?"

Joline blinked. "I mean… I wouldn't say no. But that ship kind of sailed, don't you think? Age isn't kind in that world."

Rose turned toward her, expression unreadable. "Not if the right people back you. And I have the right people. A few campaigns are opening up. European brands. High fashion. Edgy. The kind of work that doesn't care how old you are... only how well you carry yourself."

Joline's eyes lit up. "You serious?"

Rose smiled faintly. "Always. I think you'd be perfect."

Joline straightened her posture. "You have no idea how much I've missed it. The runway. The cameras. That feeling."

Rose let the silence breathe for a second before speaking again.

"Then I'll make the calls. You'll get the offers. The right photographer. Right platform."

Joline tilted her head. "Okay… What's the catch?"

'Charlie is mine. Good or bad. Old or new. He is mine,' Rose looked out over the water, letting the breeze sweep her hair back. 'Should I just throw her down and let the sharks eat her? Sadly, there are no sharks here.'

Her voice changed. It was still soft, but colder now. Like killer cold.

"You stop seeing Charlie."

Joline blinked. "Excuse me?"

"No more yacht invites. No more grabbing his arm at parties. No more flirting or taking advantage of his situation. And don't even think about ruining his new life and Lisa's job," She turned toward Joline now. "You step out of his life, quietly, and in return, you step back into the spotlight."

Joline stared, processing.

"Wait a second. You want me to choose between Charlie Harper and Hollywood fame?"

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