52 pages • 1-hour read
A Not So Meet Cute
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Chapters 6-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 6 Summary: “Lottie”
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of sexual content.
Lottie moves in with her sister. The apartment is small, and it’s a squeeze to fit all her belongings into the space. She is sleeping on Kelsey’s floor but told her parents that she moved in with Huxley, and she is nervous about the fact that she signed Huxley’s contract. Kelsey asks if Lottie and Huxley have gotten their story straight before the dinner with Dave, but Lottie admits they haven’t worked anything out. The only things they have discussed are the NDA Huxley’s lawyers wrote up and the details of the deal.
Huxley coincidentally arrives at the door with dress boxes and shoes for Lottie. He introduces himself to Kelsey and expresses concern about Lottie’s living arrangement. He says he has a seven-bedroom house that she should move into. Lottie objects, but Kelsey says that it may not be a bad idea. Lottie reluctantly agrees on the condition that her room is as far from Huxley’s as possible. Huxley asks Lottie to try on some of the clothes he brought, which are expensive and not to her taste but extremely flattering. He says that her living with him will allow him to give final approval on her outfits. When Lottie questions this, he reminds her that it is part of their agreement and scolds her for not paying close enough attention to the contract.
Lottie and Huxley drive to Dave’s house, and she is struck by how large and impressive it is. They bicker with each other, feeling a mutual animosity. When she tries to get out, Huxley says that they aren’t outside Dave’s house and that they need to take a moment to talk through their backstory. He tells her that in his story, they met in Georgia, somewhere she has never been. She calls him “sweetie,” something he dislikes, so he says to call him “Hux” instead. He explains the rest of the fake backstory he gave Dave, and she wonders how she should talk about growing up in a place she’s never been to. He says he can adjust the story to say she moved from Georgia to California when she was 10 and met him on a visit back. He is extremely curt with her, which he says is part of his approach to business. Lottie points out that they’re partners in this situation, so he shouldn’t be commanding her so much.
On their way in to dinner, Huxley hands Lottie a large engagement ring. She expresses disbelief, but he assures her that anything smaller would be unbelievable. Huxley is incredibly tense and barks orders at Lottie as they walk up toward Dave’s house. Lottie reflects nervously on how she can’t pull out due to the contract. She notices that Huxley is totally stoic and focused. Dave and Ellie meet them at the door. Lottie worries her class status will be obvious, but she introduces herself without incident, to Huxley’s approval.
Chapter 7 Summary: “Huxley”
Huxley and Lottie are inside enjoying dinner. Dave compliments their relationship. They covertly bicker during the meal, and a level of sexual tension grows between them. Dave and Ellie appear delighted with Lottie. This encourages Lottie and alarms Huxley, who sees her as getting reckless. They discuss their imaginary wedding plans. Huxley enjoys gaining some insight into how Dave thinks and sees why his blunt approach doesn’t work. Lottie plays her part very convincingly and builds upon their fake “meet cute,” or the story of how they met, and their engagement. Huxley is incredibly impressed with her.
Ellie asks Lottie about her pregnancy, and Lottie says she is eight weeks along. They eat and then go out back to hang out on a loveseat. Huxley reflects on his romantic history and how it’s nice to cuddle with Lottie. When they are left alone for a moment, Lottie says she’s carrying the charade and that Huxley needs to pull his weight, resulting in more bickering. As the evening draws to a close, Huxley reflects on the worst part of the night: He hasn’t had a moment to iron out a deal with Dave, as he and Lottie have been inseparable in their charade. Huxley and Lottie get into the car to leave. They both relax until Lottie teases Huxley, which causes him to snap at her. She doesn’t find this acceptable, and, wracked with guilt, Huxley considers apologizing. Instead, he stays silent for the rest of the drive.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Lottie”
Lottie says she hates Huxley: She worked hard and feels he is ungrateful. They are silent as they drive home from Dave’s house.
When they arrive at Huxley’s house, Lottie is impressed by its style. Andre, Huxley’s right-hand man, meets them at the car. Lottie notes that Huxley is more cordial to him than he is to her. Lottie then learns that she and Huxley will have to keep their charade up at home for the benefit of the staff. She asks if they are going to have to share a room. Huxley says they don’t, as he has told his staff that they will be remaining celibate before the wedding. Lottie scoffs at this, and Huxley intensely informs her that he will be totally committed to their fake engagement until their obligations are fulfilled. He expects the same in return. Lottie is so turned on by Huxley’s dominant tone that she considers masturbating, going so far as to pick up one of her dildos in front of him. She gently teases and flirts with Huxley.
Huxley leaves, informing her that breakfast will be at 7:30 am despite it being Sunday. Lottie inspects the wardrobe and finds that it is packed with designer clothes and lingerie, which she finds overly skimpy. She storms across the hall and hammers on his bedroom door, and he pulls her into the room. She notices that he is somewhat undressed. He informs her that her clothes weren’t suitable for the ruse, so he put them in storage.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Huxley”
The next morning, Huxley receives a text from JP asking about the dinner. Huxley reflects on how well Lottie did the previous night and expresses attraction toward her. He dislikes that she easily gets under his skin. Huxley tells JP that Lottie did very well and that Dave and Ellie love her. JP asks what Lottie looks like, expressing worry that the two may end up intimate, an idea that Huxley rejects.
Lottie emerges from her room in her pajamas. She takes a cup of coffee, and he notices she’s not a morning person. They bicker about the presence of Huxley’s staff on the weekend. He then hands her a letter telling her that her student loans have been paid off. He says he’s unsure how long they will need to maintain the contract and that it’s likely that Lottie will need to spend one-on-one time with Ellie. Huxley then asks about Lottie’s job with her sister, and she gets defensive and storms out.
Chapter 10 Summary: “Lottie”
The next day, Lottie slips out of the house before seeing Huxley. She goes to meet her sister and finds that Huxley is already there. Her sister seems fond of him, and Huxley and Lottie bicker. Huxley then gives her the key to an expensive car and leaves. Kelsey is enthusiastic about how helpful this dynamic with Huxley could be, especially for the business, but Lottie is unenthusiastic due to her dislike of him.
Kelsey and Lottie have an upcoming meeting with a big client and need exact numbers organized for their business. The meeting turns out to be with Huxley. Kelsey is very excited. Lottie awkwardly plays the part of Huxley’s fiancée. It is then revealed that the other men in the meeting are Huxley’s brothers. Lottie can’t read the situation and takes Huxley aside, where he criticizes her performance and tells her to be ready to slip into her role whenever is needed. He then reveals that his brothers are in on the act. He leaves, canceling the meeting and disappointing Kelsey.
Kelsey is upset with Lottie. She accuses her of being a martyr and not appreciating her situation: Cain Enterprises represented a huge opportunity that Lottie messed up. Lottie realizes that Huxley’s business-first attitude can be correct sometimes, and she fears that she might have damaged her relationship with Kelsey.
Chapter 11 Summary: “Huxley”
Breaker and JP ask Huxley if he has ever considered getting Lottie to like him so they can have a more harmonious relationship. Huxley reveals that he didn’t have a choice but to send her out of the meeting because Bower, their site manager, called from New York to inform them of a fire in one of their locations. Huxley spent the morning reaching out to employees and ensuring they received personalized gift packages.
He then gets his secretary, Karla, to set up another appointment with Kelsey. JP expresses interest in her. Breaker and JP tease Huxley, saying that Lottie could be good for him. He reasserts that this is just a deal despite the fact he finds her attractive. Breaker tells Huxley to explain to Lottie why he sent her away.
At home, Lottie is sullen with Huxley, and he remembers that he must show her a more human side of himself. He tries to admit to her why he sent her home from the boardroom, but she doesn’t seem interested and tries to go back upstairs. He follows her, and they have a heated interaction. Their sexual tension spikes. She admits that she hates him and that she hates that she finds him attractive. Huxley says that her sister will get another chance. Their attraction grows as Huxley asks how he can prove he is trustworthy to Lottie. He teases her sexually and makes her orgasm but refuses to have intercourse with her, and they go to bed separately.
Chapters 6-11 Analysis
This second section heightens the tension between Lottie and Huxley, as they find that their personalities clash strongly—at least on the surface. Discovering how their official agreement plays out is bumpy, as Huxley has given Lottie little information to go on when crafting the character of his fiancée from Georgia. Beyond this, Huxley treats his relationship with her like a business deal, a dynamic that she finds unfamiliar and objectifying.
The sexual tension between them grows nonetheless, with their animosity for each other creating internal conflict as well as heightened conflict between them. When Lottie jokes about the sincerity of their arrangement, Huxley’s response both irritates and thrills her:
‘I belong to you and you belong to me until our obligations are fulfilled within our agreement. Do you understand?’ His words pierce me, their meaning strong, poignant. […] [I]t shouldn’t have any effect on me. But for some reason, it sends a chill down my spine, an ice-cold chill (127).
This is an example of a contemporary romance trope featured in numerous novels by Meghan Quinn: the “enemies to lovers” plot structure. Huxley feels that his attraction threatens his capacity to enact the business deal he wants, whereas Lottie can’t believe that she’s attracted to someone who mistreats her in much the same way other upper-class people have before.
The conflict between Huxley and Lottie develops the theme of The Balance Between Authenticity and Appearances, as their ruse makes it difficult for Huxley to engage with Lottie in a casual and friendly manner. He doesn’t mean to dehumanize her; he’s simply unfamiliar with the type of situation that they’re in. Arrogance and emotional unavailability are character flaws for him as well, which leaves him struggling to communicate why he behaves in the way he does, as in the car ride home after the dinner: “Guilt swarms me, because she’s right. […] [T]here’s nothing I can say right now that will penetrate the wall she’s erected, so instead of trying to deliver some half-hearted apology, I stay silent for the rest of the car ride, stewing in my own thoughts and reliving the night” (118). He is still willing at this point to let her believe he is an unfeeling person. Later, however, when he tries to explain why he left the meeting with Kelsey—a sign of his character development—Lottie doesn’t let him, and they devolve into an argument again. This demonstrates Lottie’s own trust issues, as she is afraid of being hurt again and unwilling to take the risk of trusting someone. This guardedness is a primary focus of Lottie’s character arc.
This section also begins to introduce The False Allure of Wealth. Lottie is offered the opportunity to live with Huxley in a large home with her own room, new clothes, and staff at her disposal. Furthermore, meetings are set up to improve Kelsey’s business, and Lottie’s student loans are fully paid off. In theory, she’s obtained what she wanted, and she has the privileges that she’s yearned for since childhood. However, her conflict with Huxley and her lingering insecurities still plague her. Kelsey becomes frustrated with Lottie for not appreciating the luxuries offered to her, saying, “It’s not easy to lower your guard, see this incredible opportunity at your feet, and be grateful? […] Because if I were in your position, that’s exactly what I would be” (155). While Kelsey’s reaction is valid in the context of her disappointment over the failed meeting, Lottie’s reasons for being upset with Huxley and uncomfortable in her circumstances are complex; if anything, the fight with Kelsey brings Lottie’s varied motivations to her own attention. This introduces the idea that Lottie may need more than financial security to feel that she has truly bettered her personal circumstances and proven her worth.
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