by Cee, DW
“Are you loaded?”
“Rubes, what a stupid question.”
I laughed again. “With the cost of living here, I doubt I’ll keep my head above water, but my grandmother is allowing me to stay in her flat, rent free for a year, so at least I’ll have a roof over my head.”
“Where does your grand mum live?”
“An area called Belgravia?”
“She is loaded!” Ruby exclaimed.
I cut Michael off before he got upset with his sister for the tenth time. “The home’s been in my Gram’s family for generations. I don’t know if that means anything. By your expression, I take it Gram lives in a nice neighborhood?”
“I take it you haven’t been there in a while?”
“It’s been at least a decade since I’ve been to her home. I don’t remember much of Gram’s home except it’s near the River Thames and Buckingham Palace.”
“I’m happy to tell you that your Gram lives in a beautiful neighborhood, and that is also where we live. Welcome to the neighborhood. I suspect we will be seeing a lot of each other.”
Was it good that I would be seeing a lot of Michael, or did it spell trouble? As of now, it seemed like a good prospect. The dynamic between he and his sister reminded me a lot of Doug and myself and they portrayed a fun relationship.
“Do you have parents? Do they live with you?”
“Yes our parents are alive, and they stay with us when they’re in London, but most of the time they are out in the countryside.” Michael smiled fondly speaking of his parents.
“Are you a close knit family?”
They both laughed and Michael explained, “Would it bother you if I said we practically live in each other’s pockets?”
“I love close-knit families. We Reids are a tight lot as well. We all live on the same cul-de-sac back in LA.”
“No kidding?” Ruby asked.
“No kidding. Before my grandparents had five sons, Grandpa Reid had the vision to buy an entire block and eventually each son got a lot. Once they earned enough money, they built their homes and all still own them, but now, only my family, Jake and Emily’s family, and Jake’s parents’ family, along with my grandparents live there.”
“We’re at your Gram’s home.” Michael politely interrupted. “Rubes, why don’t you take the car and go ahead, and I’ll walk home after I make sure Laney is settled.”
Ruby nodded her head in agreement, and Michael pushed me out of the car and didn’t give me a choice in this matter. Michael picked up my suitcase, put his hand gently on my back, and led me to Gram’s English home.
On a cobbled street with what looked like attached cookie cutter apartments next to and facing one another, I was transported to another world when I entered the home. A sweet older lady opened the door for me as I bumbled with the keys, and after describing herself as Gram’s housekeeper, she gave us the grand tour of this stunning home.
Michael explained to me that it was normal to have four or even five levels to a home in this neighborhood. But Mrs. Haines explained that Gram pretty much stayed on the ground floor.
“This home is so grand. And what is a reception room and why is there one on every floor?”
Michael looked at me and that’s when I first noticed him. He reminded me of baby James with wavy brown hair and green eyes, and he had a heavy five o’clock shadow from being on the plane all night. There was a slight scar on the side of his forehead, almost Harry Potter-like, and he was the Daniel Craig—rough and rugged looking I so admired. He wasn’t a “wow” at first glance, but he grew on me in a comfortable way, and he was definitely handsome in his own right.
“You’re staring at me. What’s the verdict?”
“I find you comfortably handsome.”
Disgruntled like a schoolboy he asked, “What does that mean?”
“How did you get that Harry Potter scar on your forehead?”
“You tell me I’m comfortably good-looking and then focus on the scar.” Now he was pouting and that definitely reminded me of James.
“I like the scar. I think I’m attracted to imperfection.”
“I’m imperfect, you’re attracted to imperfection, so I’ll deduce you’re attracted to me?”
“We’re all imperfect. If you use that kind of reasoning, then I’d be attracted to every man I meet.” I could tell I was frustrating him, and he could tell I was enjoying it.
“What the hell does that mean?”
Luckily, I was saved by the bell. The phone rang and it was Doug, who was probably checking up on me, as that was part of an older brother’s résumé.
“Hey, Doug. You’re up late, or early,” I answered happily.
“Delaney, it’s Donovan.” He didn’t sound too happy. Could it be because I ignored all of his calls? There were several missed calls, texts and voicemails, which I deleted immediately. Moreover, I purposely pushed his calls over to voicemail.
“Hey Mr. Taylor, how are you?” I acted as if I had no idea why he was upset.
“I think you know damn well how I am.”
“I don’t, and I’m sure you want to spell it out for me, but I’m in the middle of getting a house tour, plus I’m entertaining a guest so can we talk about this later?”
“How the hell do you have a guest already, when you just arrived there? Who do you know in London already?”
“So now I’m an imperfect guest with the scar on his forehead that you are entertaining?”
That made me crack up.
“Who is that?” After what happened the night before I left, I didn’t think he had any right to question whom I spent my time with.
“I told you I have a guest over. I need to call you back, OK?”
“Are you really going to call me back or are you just saying this to get me off the phone?” Now the cantankerous tone dissipated and Donovan’s voice almost sounded insecure. Had I actually used the words insecure and Donovan in the same sentence? There was no way this man was insecure about anything.
“To be honest with you, Mr. Taylor, I don’t know what I’m really going to do. This is the best I can give you for now. Good-bye.” I hung up the phone abruptly.
“And ex-boyfriend? The one that you are running from?”
“No and no. He’s just a friend, an old friend.”
The house tour didn’t take long and Michael finally went home so I could unpack and settle into my new abode. It was weird being at a strange home with no one else, but a once-a-week helper. For the first time, I’d be completely alone. In Tokyo, I was living in the dorms at the university so even though my family wasn’t there, I had around-the-clock friends. Here, I was on my own spreading my wings and forging a new, if temporary, life.
As soon as the plane landed, my emotions were thrown into a tumultuous battle—fear vs. excitement, regret vs. satisfaction, sadness vs. happiness, and most importantly heartache vs. a chance for a new day, new life, and new beginnings. I had told myself that before the plane landed on English soil, I’d rid myself of the old life, old ways of looking at life, and give myself every opportunity to experience a life without feelings of dejection. Rather than constantly looking for another chance to see, talk, hope, and love—only to feel despondent when none of these happened – I would live life without the presupposed broken heart waiting for its daily curtain call. This year was my chance to live renewed and with confidence.
A knock on the door interrupted my self-help, self-esteem roll call.
“Michael. You’re back…already.” I laughed even before adding that last word.
“Ruby wants to invite you to tea, breakfast, lunch, brunch—whatever.” Did I want this kind of attention already? Was Michael’s attention part of this self-help, self-program or would this all eventually turn into regret? “Does it normally take you this long to come up with an answer?”
He brought out laughter from me again. “I guess I should say yes since I haven’t eaten since
yesterday. Although I think Mrs. Haines is cooking enough food for the entire month.”
“May I walk you to our home?”
“Lead the way.” Michael wasn’t Donovan and he wasn’t meant to be, but he was a fun distraction.
Michael and Ruby’s home was not much different from Gram’s. It, too, had four stories, six bedrooms, just as many bathrooms, two kitchens and a ballroom-like room on every floor. I didn’t get that, or the two kitchens, but I didn’t bother asking. I figured it was an English thing.
“Brill, Michael. You were able to convince her we weren’t as loony as we looked?” Ruby gave me a friendly hug.
“Thank you for the invitation. I haven’t eaten since lunch, yesterday.”
“Gawd, blimey, don’t they feed you in that cattle class?” Ruby took me to an intimate dining room and a flurry of people came out and set up the brunch table against the wall. They laid out enough food for about twenty people.
“Will that be all, Lady Alexandra?”
“Yes. This is wonderful, thank you,” she answered someone who looked and sounded just like Mrs. Haines.
“Welcome home, Lady Alexandra.”
“Thank you.”
“Was what you said the equivalent of ‘OMG, don’t they feed you in coach?’”
Michael and Ruby died laughing. “Yeah. OMG, don’t they feed you in coach?” Ruby repeated in a perfect American accent. Michael soon started talking American-English and they re-enacted some of the conversations between me and Michael.
“How do you do that so well? And why would you want to have an American accent when your accent is so beautiful? There are fewer things sexier on a man than an English accent.”
Michael immediately changed his accent and went back to his indigenous roots. Ruby and I laughed at him.
“Shall we get lunch, then get to know one another a little better?” Michael accentuated his accent this time.
“Thank you,” I answered and we piled up our plates with delicious English fare.
“So why are you really here in London?” Ruby was suspicious of me and quite curious, unnecessarily curious.
“I’ll tell you all about myself if you’ll explain why your brother calls you Ruby, but everyone else calls you Alexandra. Also, is Lady a formality, a term of endearment, or a title?”
“You first.”
“There really isn’t much else to tell. I wasn’t lying when I said that I am just here for year to live the English life. I have a generous grandmother, parents who are OK with me putting off school for a year, and I just wanted to try something new.”
“What do you mean put off school for a year?” Ruby asked.
“Nuh-uh! You’re up. Also, I’m adding that I want you to teach me how to put on makeup the way you do because you are gorgeous.” Ruby was stunning. She had red, full lips accentuated by her ruby red lipstick, deep brown eyes and straight, straight brown hair. There wasn’t a flyaway anywhere. Her eyeliner was on perfectly, and wickedly close to the edge of her line, eye shadow had all the proper layers from the basecoat to the neutral colors, topped off by the darker colors. Her lashes were either generously God-given or false—and incredibly envy-worthy. Her makeup was perfection. “And by the way, where does the name Alexandra come from? Aren’t you English?”
“Really? You find my sister gorgeous?”
“Yes. Don’t you?”
“She’s all right. You’re the real beauty.” Ruby groaned and rolled her eyes.
“OK, Ruby Alexandra. What’s your story?”
Michael was the one who rolled his eyes this time, but allowed his sister to explain the story.
“My real name is Ruby Alexandra Bennington, but it was so boring I changed the spelling of my name to A-l-e-k rather than A-l-e-x. And to bring a little excitement into this blue-blooded English family, I tell everyone that I’m from Slovenia. Or at least that I’m part Slovenian—that I am the offspring of a love affair between my father and a Slovenian mistress.”
“Seriously?”
Ruby, or Aleksandra, laughed at me.
“That’s hilarious. What a great personality you have. I hope we can become friends.”
“Isn’t that what we are, already?”
“I guess we are.” I thought about this odd and unexpected turn of events. I’d left home to get away from a man and here I was, courting the attention of another, incredibly sweet and down to earth man, with a sister who could be my new best friend. There was no pretense, no games, just pure humor and fun with these two.
“You’re off in space again. Are you done with us? You want me to take you home?”
“No. I’ll walk home on my own. I want to explore the neighborhood. Maybe I’ll go over to the river and walk off this lunch.”
“Would you like company?”
“Would it be the height of rudeness if I answered no?” By the downcast look on his face, I could tell I was being a bad friend.
“Laney,” Aleksandra said between a fake cough, and all in one breath, “take my brother or he may shut himself in his room and cry till next Tuesday.”
That made me crack up. I knew Aleksandra and I would definitely become good friends. “Well, we wouldn’t want that.” I winked at my new girlfriend. “Come on, tour guide. Make sure I don’t get lost in this neighborhood where all the buildings look the same.”
Michael was quiet all the way to the river. Perhaps I did offend him when I said no to his offer.
“I just wanted some time to think and get to know my surroundings. I’m not the best conversationalist when I’m tired and I feel like I’ve been up several days. I didn’t mean to offend you in any way, especially after how generous you and Aleksandra have been to me.”
“Huh?” Michael was in deep thought and hadn’t listened to anything I’d said.
“I’m trying to say that I’m sorry if I offended you earlier.” He only stared at me. I had no clue what he was thinking.
Though this silence made me slightly nervous, in the short time we’d known each other, I had to admit that this man made me feel...comfortable. That was the best way to describe him. We’d just met but he didn’t seem like a stranger. Whether or not they knew it, both he and Aleksandra offered a diversion from the ritualistic angst I’d felt back at home. They brought humor and a new delight and vigor, in contrast to my usual dreariness.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” His question made me want to laugh, but he was so serious, I didn’t. “Well?” he asked as he came closer to me.
“I used to, but I gave that up two nights ago.”
“Why?”
“Because I was once in love with someone at first sight, and eventually realized it was fanciful thinking that this person would return my love.” My heart cried just a little again. “I struggled with what he thought of me, how I could make him notice me, and how I could possibly get him to return my love. When this turned into an obsession, I decided love at first sight didn’t exist—that it was just a childhood fantasy. That’s when I gave up on it.”
“I hope I don’t scare you when I tell you that the first time I saw you on the plane, walking back toward that bloody awful crowd of people with a disarming smile on your face, I knew this was what Adam must’ve felt when God made Eve out of the ribs of his body. Adam could do none other than exclaim, ‘This is the bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.’ I cannot imagine how I existed before you, and how my life will continue to move on if I don’t do my damned best to win your hand.”
Somewhere in the middle of his beautiful profession, he had both my hands in his, brought them up to his lips, and delicately kissed them. Something about this moment turned off the crying faucet and persuaded me into believing that I’d made the right choice in coming to this new land.
“You know...” I lightened up this sweet, but uncomfortable situation. “I’m not into men who declare their intention within three hours of our meeting.” I smiled genuinely.
>
He stared at his watch, waited a full minute, and started his speech again. “I hope I don’t scare you...” I cracked up and put up my hand to signal for him to stop. “What? It’s now officially three hours and one minute.”
“Is that right? You’ve recorded exactly the time we met?”
He tapped his temple and uttered between a laugh, “It’s all in here. I don’t have a Harvard degree for nothing. If I learned anything in business school, it was to record the exact time my future began.”
“Michael, I’m sorry but I can’t and don’t return your wonderfully romantic sentiment. I wish I did, but I barely know you. You don’t know me either.”
“My declaration must look disingenuous. You probably think I’m only interested in your body since I know you about as well as the last stranger Rubes and I picked up from the airport, and befriended...” I spotted a quick mischievous glint before he went back to Mr. Serious. “I just want a chance to court you. You can decide for yourself if you want me for my body as well.”
“Considering I don’t even know your middle name, how about if we become friends? I don’t know anyone here, I’d love to get to know Aleksandra better, and if you happen to tag along here and there, I won’t complain.” I sported the same mischief during my speech. “And if I decide I want you for your body, I’ll let you know.”
“Deal.” He put his hand on the small of my back and led me toward Gram’s home. “My name is Michael Henry Montague Bennington, Marquess of Salisbury, Earl of Warwick, 3rd in line to a dukedom, son of Michael Bennington, 1st Marquess of…”
“OK... perhaps I’ll learn your parents’ names and title in another lifetime, if I ever meet them.”
“They’ll be here today. Will you join us for dinner, tonight?”
“No thank you. I’ll let you enjoy your family time without the intrusion of a stranger. Were you kidding me when you called out all your titles?”
“Nope. You wanted to know my name. I gave you my entire name, title, and family background, though you rudely interrupted me before I finished my family history.”