by Fields, MJ
“Mady! It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you!” The tall, attractive man with dark hair stood and pulled me into an awkward hug, the kind where you don’t quite get your arms up in time, so they’re kind of pinned to your sides. At least I knew I didn’t have the wrong table.
When he finally released me, I went to take a seat, only for him to move behind me and pull out my chair. I was seconds away from falling on my ass in the middle of the restaurant, yet I managed to recover flawlessly and sit down before he pushed the chair back in.
“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. I’m glad you were able to find time in your schedule.” He took his napkin and draped it over his lap. Everything about this guy screamed money, from his posture to his perfectly styled hair to his suit that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. “I much prefer to do this in person than over email, but in this business, that doesn’t happen often. So it’s really nice when it works out.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, so I smiled and offered a nod.
His expression softened as he took me in. “Wow, I didn’t think it was possible, but you are more beautiful in person than in your photos. With all these filters and makeup apps these days, you can never be sure how someone looks in real life. But, I’ve got to say, Mady, you are absolutely stunning.”
My cheeks flamed with heat, forcing me to drop my attention to the menu set out in front of me. I didn’t have the first clue how to respond to that, even though it wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. However, coming from Mickey Hamilton, a man who was almost twice my age—and quite attractive if I were being honest—made it uncomfortable.
Finn had been worried about the way Mickey spoke to me, thought he was too flirtatious, yet I’d passed it off, telling him I was used to it and that it didn’t mean anything. However, now that I sat across from him, looked him in the eye as he complimented me, I started to wonder if Finn’s concerns held some validity.
“I can’t wait to see the photos of you wearing my glasses. I know they’re going to fly off the shelves once your posts gain traction. Every woman will see it and buy them in hopes that they’ll look as good as you.” His eyes crinkled when he smiled, showing his age a little more—although he still didn’t look a day past thirty. Then again, if I had that much money, I’d probably be able to afford the best moisturizer, too.
“That’s really kind of you to say, Mickey.”
Just then, the waiter stopped at our table to take our drink orders. Usually, I’d ask for something strong to get me through a meeting like this, but a little voice in the back of my head—which sounded eerily like Finn—warned me against it.
“I’ll take a bourbon, neat. And what kind of wine do you have for the lady?”
I held up my hand to stop the gentleman from wasting his breath with the wine list. “Oh, I’m okay. I’ll just take a glass of water with lemon, please.”
Mickey narrowed his gaze on me as the waiter left. With his head slightly tilted to the side, he asked, “You don’t want anything other than water? I thought we were meeting for dinner and drinks. You can’t celebrate with water,” he said, adding a laugh at the end.
“Yeah, but I’m driving, so it’s best if I avoid anything alcoholic.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem. I can get a car for you…or I can drive you. I’ll even get you back here in the morning for your car.” Alarm bells began to sound, this had gone beyond innocent flirting and had turned into something I wasn’t comfortable with. Call it women’s intuition, since he hadn’t really said anything inappropriate.
I smiled politely while mentally scrambling for any believable excuse to leave. “That’s a very, uh…generous offer, but I’m going to have to pass. I have a busy day tomorrow, so I really shouldn’t be out late, anyway.”
“Well then, I guess that means we should probably decide on something to eat so we can get on with this.” At least he didn’t appear to be offended. He scanned over the fancy menu and asked, “What looks good to you?”
Unfortunately, I was too anxious to focus on the options in front of me. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the letters, they wouldn’t stop jumping around the page, looking more like made-up words than names of dishes. I don’t know why I didn’t do my research beforehand, to have the menu read to me. Sometimes that worked better than relying on the waiter to recite the specials.
“I don’t know,” I said, pretending to look over the menu. “It all looks so good. I don’t know if I’ll be able to decide on just one thing.”
“Have you eaten here before?” Damn, this guy kept asking questions, which prevented me from concentrating.
“No, I haven’t. This is my first time, but I’ve heard great things about it.”
He was quiet for a moment, browsing the selections, but unfortunately, that didn’t last long. “What are you in the mood for? Pasta? Seafood? Meat?”
The way he said meat caught me off guard, almost like there was a sexual connotation to it or something. Yet when I glanced at him, there was nothing in his expression to validate that theory, so I brushed it off. Finn’s earlier warnings were playing tricks on me. “I think I’m in the mood for a nice piece of fish.”
Our conversation was interrupted by the waiter when he returned with our beverages. “Do you need another minute, or are you ready to order?” he asked with his hand on a notepad in the front pocket of his apron.
I was about to ask for the specials, but Mickey spoke up first. “No, I think we’re ready.” He pointed to the menu and ordered a steak for himself, and then he took me by surprise when he added, “And the lady would like the sea bass.”
There was something about a man ordering for me without knowing what I actually wanted that annoyed me. Granted, this time, it had saved me from making a fool of myself for not knowing what was on the damn menu, but it still would’ve been nice to have gotten an option, had he given me an opportunity to listen to the specials. All he knew was that I was in the mood for fish, I found it to be a rather controlling move.
“Now, where were we?” He got comfortable in his seat after the waiter left with our menus. “Ah, yes…the business part of this dinner date. The contract.” He leaned to the side to get something from the floor next to his seat and came back with a manila folder.
When he held it out for me to take, I opened it and pretended to scan over the top page, even though I was too anxious to read a single word.
“This is the contract per our conversation. It’s all in there.” He held out a pen that he’d pulled from a pocket on the inside of his coat. “I just need your signature on the last page, and then we can get started.”
His enthusiasm rubbed me the wrong way, although I knew it was probably stemmed from him taking control and ordering for me. “That all sounds really good, but I’d like to take this home and look over it before I sign it…if that’s okay.”
Mickey hesitated for a moment, but then he returned the pen to his coat pocket. “Of course! That’s not a problem at all. I just thought you’d want to sign it now so we’re not wasting time having to mail the contract back and forth and whatnot. But if you’d feel more comfortable waiting, then I understand.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.” I didn’t know what else to say. It was clear he would prefer it if I signed it now rather than go over it at home, but that was something I wouldn’t bend on. Not to mention, Finn would have my head on a stick if I signed it before letting him read it.
“It’s quite simple; it just looks intimidating because of all the standard legal jargon that’s included. But I can assure you that you won’t find any surprises. If you’d like, I can go over it with you.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being pushy or trying to be polite. Either way, it didn’t matter, because he wouldn’t change my mind. I set the folder next to my plate and smiled. “That’s not necessary. My boyfriend wanted to look over it anyway, so it just makes more sense to take it home and mail it back.”
“As you wish. After all, this is your campaign, so I’ll just sit back and wait for you to sell my products.” As if suddenly remembering something, he sat up and snapped his fingers, his eyes bright with excitement. “I brought you something.”
Again, he leaned to the side—to what I assumed was a briefcase or something similar that sat on the floor next to his chair—and came back with an elaborate black-and-gold eyeglasses case.
I politely took it from him and pulled back the lid, shocked at the pair of rose gold aviators that were cradled inside. “These are beautiful, Mickey. Thank you! Does this mean you want me to use this pair for the promotion instead of the others you sent me a couple weeks ago?”
“No, these are my gift to you. They’re a brand-new style that hasn’t even hit stores. As soon as I saw the pictures of you in the other pair, I just knew these would look incredible on your face.”
“Wow, that’s really generous of you.”
He pulled them out and held them up to point out all the features. “The lenses are amber glass, so you can wear them even when it’s overcast without limiting your vision. They have spring-loaded hinges, unlike the other ones, so you don’t have to worry about them stretching out or snapping. And if they do, by chance, stretch out, just take them into any authorized dealer. They’ll tighten them for you, free of charge. There’s a lifetime warranty on all our products as well, so if you accidentally scratch a lens, just send them back, and we’ll ship out a new pair to replace them.”
As much as I loved the sunglasses and appreciated his generosity, I felt strange accepting them without giving him something in return. Maybe he was simply excited to be working with me, or maybe this was how he worked with everyone. That’s when I began to wonder if Finn’s earlier comments were swaying me one way and partly responsible for my reactions. I tried to set what he’d said aside and form my own decisions.
The rest of dinner was reasonably uneventful, aside from a few more flirtatious comments, but thinking about the situation with a level head helped me dodge them. But I had to say, his choice of fish was delicious. As soon as I took the first bite, I’d forgotten all about my earlier irritation over his decision to order for me. And by nine o’clock, he was walking me to my car.
“I’ll go over these and get them in the mail first thing Monday morning.” I held up the folder with a smile.
“I appreciate that. And please, shoot me an email or text once you get the photos ready to post. I’d love to take a look at them before they go viral.” He winked and cupped my elbow in his hand.
When he leaned down, I quickly turned my face to the side so that his lips landed on my cheek. I wanted to believe that was where he’d intended to kiss me all along, but after some of his comments during dinner and with Finn’s accusations playing on repeat, I couldn’t be too sure.
“Thanks again for meeting with me,” he said as he slowly backed away from my car. “I look forward to hearing from you. And if you have any questions about the contract, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask.”
“Will do. And thank you for dinner. It was really nice.” Without anything else to say, I opened my car door and slid in behind the steering wheel. Once I was safely inside, I released a long sigh and retrieved my phone from my purse.
Pulling up Finn’s name, I tapped the microphone icon and dictated, “Hey, I’m leaving dinner and would love to swing by with the contract so you can look it over. Are you home?” Then I waited for his response.
He was normally very quick with his replies, but not this time. So rather than sit alone in the parking lot, waiting for him to read his text, I decided I’d stop by. His house was on my way, so it wasn’t like I had to make a detour or anything.
It was only a ten-minute drive, but every time I checked my phone, only to see that he hadn’t responded, it made the trip feel even longer. I’d left dinner on a high, excited about this Hamilton deal, and I wanted to share it with someone. I couldn’t wait to show him the contract so we could go over it together. But now, the closer I got to his house, I couldn’t ignore the waves of doubt that washed over me. Tonight had been filled with an assortment of emotions, so I shook off the trepidation and continued my drive.
I couldn’t explain it. It wasn’t like there was any reason to worry, other than the fact that he hadn’t responded as quickly as he normally did. But still, there was static in the air around me that fried my nerves.
When I pulled up to his house, relief set in when I saw the lights on inside. However, there was another car in the driveway, parked next to his Tahoe. On my way to the front door, I took a peek through the driver’s side window. When I noticed a crystal angel figurine hanging from the rearview mirror, and then a pink tumbler in the cup holder, I contemplated leaving.
All I could think about was that this was his way of retaliation for me having dinner with Mickey. No matter how many times I’d reassured him that it wasn’t a date, it was like he refused to listen. And now, I stood in his driveway, seconds away from catching him with another woman.
Hurt and anger warred within me, which fueled my steps up the walkway to his front door. My fist pounded against the wood much harder than I’d intended, but I was way beyond the point of caring. That was…until the door swung open.
Standing in front of me was a beautiful woman in one of Finn’s T-shirts. Her hair was wet, like she’d just stepped out of the shower, and her feet were bare. It was obvious this woman was comfortable in his home; I could tell that by the way she answered the door.
With a mesmerizing smile, she asked, “Hi, can I help you?”
“Oh, I, uh…” I cleared my throat and shook my head, hating how emotional I felt at the moment. The anger I’d felt after looking into her car had vanished, sadness filling its void in my chest. My knees on the verge of buckling, I finally whispered, “Is, um…is Finn home?”
“Yeah, he is. And who should I tell him is looking for him?”
I glanced over my shoulder, wondering if I’d be able to make it to my car and back out of the driveway before Finn came to the door. But then I took a deep breath and readied myself for a confrontation I wasn’t prepared to have. “You can tell him it’s Mady.”
Her eyes lit up, and her mouth opened to form an O. “Shit! I’m so sorry, Mady! You’re the girlfriend, right?” Well, that was certainly not what I was expecting. “Here, come in. God, you must think I’m such a bitch.”
Nervous giggles escaped my chest. “No, not at all.”
“I’m Marissa, it’s so nice to meet you. I’ve been on him all week to plan a double date or something. Personally, I think he’s scared to bring you around us, so it’s a good thing you popped by. Now he doesn’t have a choice!”
I so badly wanted to tell her that I didn’t have a clue who she was, but the way she introduced herself made me feel like I should’ve at least known her name. And there was no doubt she knew who I was. Granted, Finn didn’t talk much about his personal life, but with as comfortable as she seemed in his home—as well as the way she spoke about him—I imagined they were close. A sister, maybe?
She led me to the couch, but she didn’t take a seat. “He’s out back with Kyle; they’re rearranging bags of rocks for his flowerbeds. I’ll let him know you’re here.” And then she left the room, leaving me more confused than ever.
Was I supposed to know who Kyle was, too?
Less than a minute later, she was back, taking a seat next to me. And considering I couldn’t possibly make this any weirder than it already was, I took a deep breath and just went for it. “I’m sorry about my reaction when you answered the door, but I didn’t know what to think when I saw a woman standing there in his clothes, looking like she just got out of the shower.”
Marissa laughed and shook her head. “I wasn’t even thinking about that. I apologize. I bet that had you running through all sorts of things in your head. The truth is, I got sick and didn’t make it to the bathroom in time. Got it all down the front of me. Then a
s I was pulling my shirt over my head to change, I got it all in my hair. Sorry for giving you the whole visual.” She shrugged guiltily. “So rather than have Kyle take me home, I thought it would be easier to shower off here.”
Even though my first impression of Marissa hadn’t been kind, I had to admit that she seemed really sweet, like someone I could see myself being friends with. I still had no idea who this Kyle person was, but based on the thin diamond band on her left ring finger, I assumed he was her husband.
“Sick? Are you feeling better now?” I sounded concerned, because, in a way, I was. But more than that, I was confused about why she would’ve stayed after throwing up instead of going home. If she wasn’t feeling well, I would imagine she’d want to be somewhere a little more comfortable and familiar, not around people spreading germs.
Her smile was truly radiant, as if her whole face was glowing. “Oh, I thought Finn would’ve told you. Kyle and I are expecting, and this morning sickness seems to come out of the blue, regardless of the time of day. I was told it’ll pass in a few weeks, so fingers crossed for that.”
I couldn’t help but wonder why Finn had never told me about these two. It was obvious they were close, so I was baffled why their names had never passed his lips. At first, I wondered if maybe he was trying to keep me separate from his life, but that didn’t make sense considering he’d told them about me.
That was definitely something I’d have to ask him later.
“No…he hasn’t mentioned it. But then again, he’s not really one to go around telling other people’s news, so that could explain it.” At least, I hoped that explained it. Truth be told, I had no idea how Finn was with someone else’s secrets, but considering he’d never told me anything about Kyle or Marissa, I assumed it was a safe enough excuse. “That’s really exciting, though. I know we just met, but I’m really happy for you.”