by Cj Howard
Emmaline slipped on a thin gauzy white summer dress that narrowed at her waist and danced in waves around her calves. She set a white sunhat on her head and walked back down the hall to Tristan.
He brightened when he saw her, and she noticed his lingering glance at her. “You look lovely,” he said with a grin, extending his arm for her again. She took it and they walked out of the house to his car.
An hour later they were laughing and talking over lunch, sharing stories and truly enjoying each other’s company. He toasted her with champagne and told her how she had saved the jobs of so many people that day.
“You truly are an amazing woman,” he said, his eyes focused on her.
The corners of her mouth had been turned up nearly the entire time she was with him that day, and his comment only made her smile again. “Thank you.”
He leaned closer to her and spoke softly, “May I ask, and please don’t answer if you feel it isn’t my business, but what was that comment that Peter made to you earlier about being a waitress? What was he talking about?”
She looked at Tristan and knew that she could not betray Peter, “Well, before I became involved with Peter, I worked as a waitress for a while.”
Tristan frowned. “He seemed to use that as an insult for you. It shouldn’t be. Servers work harder than most people, I think, and many times they are underappreciated for the service that they provide. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of, and most assuredly nothing to throw at you as an insult.”
Emmaline was quite pleased with Tristan for saying what he did and she grinned at him. “Thank you!” she exclaimed.
They walked to the building she had discussed with them earlier and the man who owned it happened to be there. He saw Emmaline and came right to her, hugging her and patting her back.
“Well hello, young lady! I’m so glad to see you out on this fine day. How are you doing?” he asked with a broad toothy grin.
“Well I’m just fine, Mr. Turner! I’m so pleased to see you! How are you?” she asked, her hand on his arm.
The old man nodded and pushed his hat back on his head. “I’m getting by, missy, gettin’ by.”
“Mr. Turner, I’d like to you to meet Tristan. He’s a friend of mine.” She waited as the men shook hands and greeted each other, and then she continued. “Mr. Turner, I was just telling Tristan this morning about this wonderful old building of yours because he’s in need of one that he can rent out for a few things. I told him he might see you about renting this old place from you for a short while.”
The old man looked carefully at Tristan and said, “You’re looking for a place to rent?”
Tristan nodded. “Yes, sir, we are. We need a little spot to set up some desks and run an office for a little while, maybe a few months. This is just the right location, and I like the look of it, Mr. Turner, you’ve really fixed this place up nicely. I’ll tell you what, if you’d be willing to rent this to us, I’ll pay you whatever your asking price is for a six month lease, and I’m fairly certain we’ll be out of here before the six months is over, but you are welcome to keep the full six months payment. How would that be?” he asked hopefully.
Mr. Turner rubbed his hand over his chin and looked at Tristan, and then at the building. Then he turned and looked at Emmaline. “Miss Emmaline,” he said quietly, “do you think I ought to lease my building out to this man?”
She took his hand in hers. “Yes, sir, I do.”
He nodded. “Alright then, Tristan, the building is yours. I’ll be here tomorrow and you can drop the payment off and I’ll give you the keys.”
Tristan blinked in surprise. “Well, certainly! I’ll be sure to be here early tomorrow morning. Thank you, Mr. Turner!” They shook hands and as Tristan was walking Emmaline away, Mr. Turner called out, “Tell your grandfather I’ll be by to see him in a few days! We’ll go fishing!”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Turner!” she called back with a wave, turning to Tristan with a smile.
Tristan placed his hand over hers and held it snugly. “I am just so impressed with you! I can’t believe how easy that was! I’ve never had a business transaction go that smoothly before! Thank you so much Miss Emmaline!” He grinned at her and they laughed as they strolled down the street.
He had her back at Peter’s house a little later that afternoon, and he thanked her wholeheartedly again when he dropped her off. He honked and waved good-bye and she went inside the house, happy as she could be.
She was curled up outside in the garden, swinging on the hanging bench with a book in her hands, enjoying a cool breeze just as the last light of afternoon was beginning to wane when Peter came out to her and, by the look of his walk, she could tell right away that he had been drinking some.
Emmaline looked up at him and saw right away that he was in a foul mood. She set her book down and stood up, facing him, but she didn’t say anything. She knew what was coming, and she had to mentally prepare.
“Well, well, well, there she is, folks. The wonder woman who saved the day,” he said sarcastically as he tipped his glass back and swallowed what was left of the contents of it. Then he looked at her and raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.
“I guess our dinner date was off too, then. You never said anything about that. You must really be put out with me for insulting you with the truth today,” he snapped at her and took a step toward her.
“Guess what,” he said, setting his empty glass on the little table near the swing. “I just got off of the phone with Tristan. He can’t stop going on and on about you. He was just soooooo impressed with you today, and do you know what he told me?” He took another step toward her and laughed sarcastically. “He told me that the two of you went to lunch together. Yeah. The two of you, all alone at lunch. Then he said that you walked him over to that building you were talking about this morning and in the snap of finger, you had the owner eating out of your hand and he just gave the building to Tristan for six months so we could move everyone into it like you said this morning.”
She moved to take a step back to walk away before she said something stupid, but he reached for her and slid his hand around her waist and pulled her toward him. “Do you know what else he told me? He told me how beautiful you are, and how fascinating you are. What did you two do today, anyway? Huh? Did you tell him that you are my fiancée? Did you? No. You want to know how I know that? Because I thanked him for complimenting me on my fiancée, and he had no idea we were engaged. He congratulated me, and told me what a lucky sonofabitch I am to have you.” He looked down at her beautiful face, her dark eyes, her little rounded nose, and then his gaze fell on her full lips. “But I don’t have you, do I, Emmaline, because you are out running around with my business partner on a lunch date. I wanted to come out here and remind you that you are mine, Emmaline, you are going to be my wife and you are not going to go date other men, especially business associates of mine.”
She furrowed her brow at him. “It wasn’t a date, Peter. I didn’t do anything wrong today, and as a matter of fact, I saved your butt in that office today, even after you insulted me, and yes, it was an insult, you said it in a mean way and you hurt me, Peter.” She looked at him angrily and he blinked at her for a moment.
“I hurt you, today? Well, let me make it up to you, baby,” he pulled her to him suddenly, holding her firmly and grasping her face in his other hand as planted his mouth on hers, kissing her hard and hungrily. Her mouth was soft and sweet, and as soon as he did it, he regretted it. He knew he never should have done it. Hers was a mouth that his had no business tasting; his mouth was for women who partied, who drank and lied and kissed many men, women whose mouths were not tender and precious like hers was. He found himself lost in it for an eternal moment, deeply regretting ever having touched his lips to hers, but knowing that they had never tasted anything like the ambrosia of her lips, he knew that he would probably never taste them again, and for that reason, he lingered through the regret for as long as the moment lasted, until the kis
s was broken.
Emmaline was too shocked to move at first, and her heart seemed to stop right then. She had been hurt but that had given way to anger and just as she was going to push him away, she felt his kiss change from one of possessive ownership to the gentleness of a boy’s very first kiss, and it caught her off guard. His mouth then simply caressed hers, as though he was drinking her in, and she could not move for a moment, though his grip on her lightened to a feather touch.
She felt her heart begin to beat again and she opened her eyes and instinctively shoved him away from her. He didn’t fight her and when her hand flew up and slapped his face, she felt the sting of it in her own heart, just as much as he did on his cheek. He looked away from her and said quietly, “I’m so sorry. I never should have yelled at you this morning, and I had no business kissing you just now.”
Emmaline’s heart began to race and frustration flooded through her. The pain she had felt that morning returned and the indignation of him forcing a drunken kiss on her was more than she was willing to put up with from him.
“You disgust me,” she said quietly, and then she turned and walked from the garden and locked herself in her bedroom.
It was three days before she agreed to see him, and when she did he was sober, clean shaven, and extremely polite. He talked with her in the sitting room and they sat opposite each other in an awkward silence as he raked his hand through his golden hair and she twitched her foot anxiously.
“I owe you far more than an apology, Emmaline. I’m so very sorry for the disrespect I’ve shown you today and any other day. I never meant to do anything of the kind. I hold you in such high regard, not that you’d know that from the way I’ve behaved, but I’ve come to see you as a friend, and I don’t have many friends, as I’ve said, so I’m not willing to lose this bond we have built. It means too much to me. Please accept my apology.” He looked at her earnestly and she felt all the irritation and frustration in her dissolve.
“Don’t ever treat me like that again,” she said resolutely.
“You have my word,” he said quietly, “and as a way of making it up to you, I bought you your engagement ring.” He pulled a box from a little blue bag beside his feet and opened it for her. Inside was a stunning diamond ring set in platinum.
She gasped and took the box from his hands, looking at it with wide eyes. “Peter, you didn’t need to do this!” she said in shock.
He smiled at her. “I did need to do that. It’s the least I can do to make up for being a class-A jerk to you. Also, our wedding needs to be believable, and no one is going to believe that someone as flashy as me is going to put a chip of a diamond on my fiancée’s hand.”
She laughed at him and it felt good to have the tension between them gone. Her friend was back and they were alright again. She pulled the ring from the box and slid it on her finger. “It fits!” she beamed at him.
“Well, yes. I think there is not one piece of information that Nelson didn’t get about you. I have a complete dossier. Ask me what bus you rode in elementary school.”
She laughed again, and then he handed the little blue bag to her. “There’s a wedding gift from me to you in there as well.” He said quietly and smiled at her.
She lowered her eyebrow at him and opened the bag. Inside she found a delicate diamond necklace with a heart on it, and a matching bracelet. “This is so sweet, Peter, thank you!” She moved over to sit beside him and give him a big hug. It was the first time she had ever hugged him and at first he was very careful with her, but then he felt the goodness of it, and he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.
“You are so welcome. You’ve definitely earned it. By the way,” he said, letting her go and leaning back into the sofa, “you can keep the ring when we get divorced. It looks good on your hand.”
She laughed at him again and held her hand up so they could both get a good look at it. “You know,” he said with a slight frown, “I’ve never liked a girl enough to give her diamonds before.”
“Well, consider them part of my retirement plan as your dedicated employee. How about that?” she teased him.
He smiled. “That works.”
Chapter3
With the dust from their fight settled, Emmaline and Peter began dating again and made their engagement public. The newspapers and magazines, both in print and online, had a field day with the news, and though they originally started reporting it as a gamble of a marriage, it wasn’t long before so many images and stories of them around town together started producing new articles that were written with more of a love theme than a gambling joke theme. By the time the day of the wedding rolled around, everyone in the community was excited for it and looking forward to the big event. They were the “It Couple” of the year.
Peter’s indiscretion had been all but forgotten and he knew that he owed all of it to the beautiful woman who was always by his side in public. He took her to a wedding breakfast feast at a special restaurant the morning of their wedding and on their way to the restaurant, he sat beside her in the car and watched her. She seemed to be glowing with happiness, as though she was radiating sunshine.
“You look wonderful today, Emma. I’m relieved to see you so happy today. It makes me think this won’t be the worst day of your life.”
“Of course it isn’t the worst day of my life, why would you say that?” she asked giving him a look as though he were ridiculous.
“Well, I remember what you said about wanting your grandfather to walk you down the aisle when you married for love. I know how important that is to you. Today isn’t about love, today is a lie to trick the public and make them think I’m not a complete jerk.”
She shot him a low brow look and said, “You are being completely ridiculous. You aren’t a complete jerk, and it’s time the rest of the world knew it. I wish you liked yourself better. You’re not nearly as bad as you think you are.” She fluffed her dress and looked at him kindly. “Besides, today isn’t a complete lie. I’m marrying a really good friend, and in three years when we get divorced, I’ll be divorcing a really good friend, so it’s not as cold and heartless as you make it out to be. Now, enjoy it and have fun.”
Enjoy it and have fun, he thought to himself, looking at her as she emerged from the car into the bright early summer sun in her stunning wedding gown. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline that clung to her curves and flared out at the knee in dazzling waves. He tried to stop himself from thinking that he wouldn’t be unzipping her out of that dress later that night, and having a real honeymoon. He had had to stop those thoughts more than once in the last few weeks before the wedding. It always made him feel ashamed when they crossed his mind, and he did his best to ignore them when they came, but then she leaned over and hugged him, kissing his cheek as cameras flashed around them and as his face neared the curve where her neck met her shoulder, he breathed in her scent and felt the soft warmth of her skin, and it mesmerized him for a moment.
Go on, he thought to himself, go with your friend and have breakfast.
They sat down with their wedding party and her grandfather at the breakfast feast and enjoyed themselves as they laughed and ate, toasted each other with champagne and then headed toward the massive church at Jackson Square. Tourists and locals alike packed around them and cheered as they entered the church together and before he let go of her, Peter looked down and said, “Emma, you look absolutely stunning, and I am one lucky man. Also, I just want to warn you ahead of time, I’m going to kiss you when the preacher tells me to, so please don’t slap me this time.” He winked at her and she gasped at him in mock shock, then he hugged her and kissed her cheek and walked down the aisle, leaving her at the front of the church with her grandfather.
Henri placed his hands on his granddaughter’s face and said softly, “I wish that this was your real wedding day my little one. You look so beautiful and so happy. I only want a love for you that will last all of your days, and someday, I hope you find the right man to share
that love with, but until then, I think you have found a friend that will take good care of you, and that’s enough for now. I don’t think this is a mistake, my Emma, I think you made the right choice to do this. I love you, my girl.” A few tears fell from his face and she wiped them away. “I just wish your grandmother could have lived to see you today, she would be so proud of you, all grown up like you are. I know she’s watching over you from heaven, though, so if you feel a raindrop on your cheek, I’m sure it’s from her.” He smiled broadly at her and she hugged him tightly.
The music began to play and her eyes widened, and a feeling of unease hit her right in her stomach and zoomed through her. Her grandfather patted her hand. “That’s alright, Emma, that’ll go away soon enough.” He winked at her and they started down the long aisle together, passing friends they had known all their lives, who all smiled at her and wiped tears of joy from their cheeks. Partway down the aisle she passed Tristan, who winked at her and her heart gave a little flutter. She took a deep breath and smiled back at him, and then she reached the front of the church where Peter was waiting breathlessly for her.
He had watched her walking down the aisle to him and with every step, he could only tell himself how lucky he was to have her in his life in any capacity that she was willing to be with him in. Her dark caramel skin glowed warmly against the bright white dress that hugged her body as she moved toward him, and her veil could not quite hide her eyes and smile as she reached him and he lifted it over her head. The music stilled and an excited hush fell over the church.
“Who gives this woman to be wed?” the preacher asked.
Henri lifted Emmaline’s hand and placed it delicately into Peter’s, looking from her to him in all seriousness. “Her grandmother and I do,” he said as firmly as he could, and then he kissed her cheek and as he turned away from her to sit down, he wiped another tear from his eye.