by Rinyu, Beth
“Then prove me wrong by agreeing to dinner with me and letting me get to know the real you.”
She cleared her throat and moved in closer, speaking in a more hushed tone. “You just want to take me out because you think I’ll sleep with you again. Well, guess what? That’s not happening! So, I’ll save you the time and money right now.”
I held up my hands. “Okay, if that’s what you want to think, then fine.” I stood up and threw some money on the bar. “I think you just proved my theory was right…you’re very unsure of yourself and totally don’t realize your worth or just how beautiful you really are for that matter. It was very lovely knowing you, Emmeline.” I leaned over the bar and skimmed her cheek with my lips.
She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “It’s Emme,” she whispered with her hand glued to the spot on her cheek where my lips were just moments ago. “Tomorrow night, seven o’clock?” she continued.
“For?” I tilted my head, eagerly waiting for her response.
“You said you wanted to take me to dinner. I’m available tomorrow night at seven. If that doesn’t work for you, then I can’t commit as to when I’ll be available again. Confident enough for you?” She glowered.
A satisfying grin spread across my face. “You’re even more beautiful when you’re self-assured, Emmeline. You should try it more often. Seven, tomorrow works for me. I’ll pick you up here. Have a wonderful night.”
She wiggled her index finger, signaling for me to come closer. As I moved in, she leaned over the bar and whispered in my ear, “And there will be no sex.”
I backed away and held my hands up, feigning innocence. “Perfect gentleman. I promise.”
She shook her head, finally revealing her flawless smile. “And you didn’t win this game.”
“Oh, but I think I did,” I replied as I was halfway out the door.
“No, you didn’t…I never gave you my number, so take that!” she shouted.
Chapter 7
Emme
“I DON’T THINK he’s gonna show, Bridgette.” The black strappy sandals I finally decided on were a little too high and a little too tight. Of course, it didn’t help that I was wearing a hole in the sidewalk, pacing up and down in front of the bar with my phone glued to my ear. As I looked down at my aching feet, I was wishing I’d chosen comfort over style.
“Relax, Em…he’s probably just running late. God knows, he was here until after six making my life hell.”
I stopped my anxiety-ridden march for a brief second and sucked in a deep breath then continued like a tiger in a cage. “I don’t know. I think he has just set me up, so I would agree to go out with him and then not show up.”
“Emme…do you hear yourself? Do you really think he would’ve stuck around for most of the night trying to get your number if he wasn’t interested?”
“Well, remember I told you Dad did bend his ear for a good part of the time.”
“Oh yeah, that.” She groaned. “I can’t believe you let Dad befriend him.”
“I didn’t do anything. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t even be going out with him at all tonight!”
“Then why are you?”
I stopped dead in my tracks at the sound of his voice coming from behind me. “I-I have to go,” I whispered to Bridgette.
Throwing my phone in my purse, wondering how much of my conversation he’d heard, I searched for the courage to turn around to face him. “Well, nice of you to finally show up.” My knees wobbled and it wasn’t from my uncomfortable shoes. Dressed very casually like the night we first met, his attire consisted of jeans, a white tee, and a black blazer. His wavy hair was damp, like he had just gotten out of the shower, and his face sported a little more stubble than the night prior.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“What was your question?”
“Why did you accept my invitation if you didn’t want to?”
I had to think quick, and it was going to be hard with my already flustered state at just the mere sight of him. “Because I need to prove to you that you were wrong with your evaluation of me. Remember?”
It was apparent by his vacant stare that I wasn’t believable, or he wasn’t amused. “So, are we gonna go or what?” I continued.
“I don’t know, are we?” he chided.
I took a step closer and gazed up at him. “You know, the night would be much more enjoyable if you’d stop being so damn serious.” I silently scolded myself for imagining those perfectly pouty lips of his on mine.
“Whatever,” he mumbled.
Clearly all of his redeeming attributes went to his looks and not his personality. One thing was for sure...it was definitely going to be a long night.
________________
Thankfully, Mr. Personality had loosened up a bit over dinner. He allowed me to pick the restaurant and was a little surprised when I chose my favorite pizza place instead of a more expensive venue. I wanted someplace casual without any alcohol to diminish my senses and lead me back where I was a few nights ago. Then, when he told me he hadn’t ever had New York pizza, that sealed the deal.
“So, what did you think? Was my choice of restaurant to your liking?” I asked after we finished eating and stepped outside of the pizzeria.
“It wasn’t bad,” he replied. I had a feeling even if he did love it, he wouldn’t give me the satisfaction of knowing it. “Did you want to see a film or something?”
He had told me a little bit about himself as we ate, but I wanted to know more, and sitting in a movie theater for two hours wouldn’t achieve that. “Actually, it’s such a nice night, why don’t we just go for a walk?”
He shrugged his shoulders in his normal brooding manner and followed my lead.
Time flew by as we took in all the sites I had seen a million times before. Starting out on 50th Street, we headed toward Rockefeller Center, then St Patrick’s Cathedral and past the Library on 42nd Street. I was surprised over how much fun it was being his own personal tour guide and spending time with him. Even my poor choice of footwear wasn’t hindering my spirits. He had opened up a little during our stroll, giving me some insight about his job and a little about his life back home. I noticed that he quickly veered off topic when I asked about his family. Sensing that was a touchy subject for him, I didn’t want to press and take a chance of him shutting down.
“So, you’re the deciding factor in who won’t be able to feed their families in a few months and who will?” I feigned my naivety.
“I suppose, if that’s the way you want to put it.”
“Well, it’s the truth, right? People are going to be out of jobs in whichever office closes. People with families, mortgages, and bills to pay.”
“It’s nothing personal. It’s business, and that’s what happens in business.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’d be able to do it.”
“You’d be surprised by the things you thought you couldn’t do that you end up doing.”
For a quick second my paranoia crept in and had me wondering if my cover had been blown. “So, are you getting a feel for which office might be the lucky one?”
“Maybe.” He continued his stride without missing a beat. This was going to be harder than I thought. Trying to extract information from him was like pulling teeth, but in his defense, it was a little too early in our relationship to be spilling his guts about business deals. It was obvious he was leery about trusting people, and not without good reason. After all, I was going to slowly gain that trust, and once I did, pull the rug right out from under him. Poor sucker. Luckily his charming personality or lack thereof was making that plan a little easier for me to execute.
“And this concludes our tour,” I joked once we reached the Empire State Building. I let out a slight shiver and briskly brushed hands up and down my bare arms, suddenly remembering how quickly mild spring days turned into chilly evenings. Why hadn’t I thought of that before I chose to wear a short skirt and sleeveless to
p? Without even saying a word, as if he was reading my thoughts, he took off his jacket and placed it over my shoulders. Just when I thought this job was going to be a cinch...he had to go and do something nice like that.
Chapter 8
Lukas
THOROUGHLY EXHAUSTED FROM a long day of weeding out the weak, I still wasn’t ready for the night to end. There was something about Emmeline that made me want to get to know her better, which was such an oddity for me. But from the moment I first laid eyes on her driver’s license portrait, something spoke to me, something that my drunken haze had clearly missed on the night we first met. She was beautiful in an unflashy way. Her long dark hair was a stark contrast to her porcelain complexion—and those eyes.
One of the most vivid memories of my childhood was a trip to Provence, France. It was one of the rare occasions my father included my brother and me on his holiday. We bitched and moaned like two schoolgirls when my stepmother planned a tour of a lavender field. My father always wanting to appease his much younger bride, ignored our protest and was adamant that we go. Seventeen plus years later, and I still had never admitted to anyone that it was one of the most breathtaking sites I’d ever seen. An endless sea of purple coupled with the intoxicating fragrance that filled the air on that warm July day.
I was certain that I’d never witness such beauty ever again in my lifetime, until I looked into her eyes. Just like that lavender field, unexpected and beautiful. She was different in so many ways. She was sensible, low-maintenance, and had a sense of loyalty to those she cared about. Perhaps that’s what was so refreshing about her. These were all traits that had been lacking in everyone I’d ever come across in my life. I was certain my parents only had children because it was the social norm. They were both much more into themselves and keeping up appearances. My older brother and I were shipped off to a Swiss boarding school at a young age, only returning home for holidays and summer break. When most of our friends were spending time with their families making memories, we were being shuttled between the nanny at my mother’s home and the nanny at my father’s.
My mother was normally off in Paris, Rome, or wherever her latest fling would take her. My father was too busy with his business and pleasing his wife to even notice my brother’s or my existence. The extent of their parenting was writing out the check for that fancy school that taught us several different languages and proper etiquette for the few times we were used as props for one of their many social gatherings. Ones that we were rarely invited to unless it was to their benefit. As a result, my brother and I became less reliant on our parents and more dependent on each other. We had always been as close as could be; a fact that saddened me from time to time, when I’d think of the state of our relationship now.
“I make really good hot chocolate.” Emmeline broke me from my daydreaming as the cab came to a stop in front of her place.
“Huh?” I replied, still caught up in a memory of years gone by.
“Oh, I was just thinking since it got so chilly out then maybe you’d like to warm up with some hot chocolate. But I totally understand if you don’t. I’m sure you need to be up super early, and—”
“There you go with your assumptions again.”
“So, does that mean you do want to come in...for hot chocolate?” She clarified with a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“Sure.”
“Okay then.” She had her hand on the car door handle, readying to exit.
“Actually no...I can’t.”
“Oh, okay.” I sensed defeat in her voice.
“I have this spreadsheet I have to go over for tomorrow and—”
“Look, it’s okay, you don’t have to make excuses. I’m totally fine with you not wanting hot chocolate.”
The way she emphasized hot chocolate had me wondering if it was code for something else.
“It was fun, and I hope I proved you wrong in your initial assessment of me.”
If anything, she had assured me even more that I was correct in my first impression of her. She did put others before herself, even if it meant she was unhappy. Just listening to her go on about how she had left her dream job to take care of her sick mother and help out her father was a testament to that. Even though she tried her hardest to put up a self-assured front, her insecurities were still apparent. The way she chewed her bottom lip or nervously bounced her leg up and down, the same way she was doing at that moment as we sat side by side in the back of the cab. I found these flaws as she perceived them to be as quite admirable. Her little quirks proved she was a real person who cared about other people’s feelings. I had only wished she could see that she was worth so much more than she thought herself to be.
I placed my hand on her jittery bare leg, taking her a little off guard as she went to exit. “It was very fun, and it’s not an excuse. It’s the truth. If I didn’t want to come in, I would have no problem telling you. Bluntness is not my weakness.” My hand covered her thigh, unable to let go as our eyes got caught up in each other. Suddenly, that sweet, aromatic scent of that lavender field filled my nasal passages once again as our heads inched closer. Our lips meshed together and our tongues collided. My hand moved up her thigh and inched a little farther up her skirt, drinking her in like a parched traveler in the desert. I knew I had to stop myself before each of us reached the point of no return and gave the taxi driver a little show he wouldn’t soon forget. It took everything I had to back away first, wanting so badly to kiss her lips once again and feel her warm soft flesh underneath her skirt as she stared up at me. “When can I see you again?” I whispered, my raspy tone almost unrecognizable, even to myself.
She pulled in her bottom lip, pondering a reply no doubt. “Umm...I actually have a rare day off on Saturday. I wasn’t sure what your schedule was like on the weekends. I mean...I’m sure you’re busy and—”
I placed my finger over her lips to halt her words. “Saturday is fine. I have some work to do in the morning, but I’m free in the afternoon.”
“Okay, then did you just want to give me a call or shoot me a text when you’re free?”
“I would, but I don’t have your number.”
She threw her head back and let out a laugh. “Oh that...well, I suppose I could finally give that to you.”
I pulled out my phone and entered her number as she rattled it off.
“So, I guess I’ll see you Saturday.” Her hand was on the door handle, but she lingered for a moment longer.
“I guess so,” I responded. Stretching her neck, she placed a gentle kiss on my cheek before exiting the cab. I watched her walk inside before giving the taxi driver the address to my hotel. Part of me wanted to make sure she got in safely, the other part wanting to get one last glimpse of her before parting ways.
Chapter 9
Emme
MY SISTER SHOWED up for a surprise visit just a few hours before I was due to go on my second date with Lukas. She said it was to check up on Dad, but I wasn’t buying it. Over the past two months, the extent of her “checking up” was normally a quick briefing from me during our daily phone calls. She had been so wrapped up in work, she didn’t have time to come up for air. I didn’t fault her for that. I realized she had a lot on her plate, and her husband losing his job only added to that stress. So, for her to show up without being summoned and unannounced raised my suspicions ever so slightly.
I had given her a play-by-play of my first date with Lukas and couldn’t help but notice her disdain when I’d throw a compliment his way here and there. Was he someone I’d date of my own accord? Looks-wise…absolutely. Personality-wise…that was still up for debate. There were times he had the personality of an injured boar, then other times that of a gentle giraffe. His guard was definitely up over something in his past, and I was certain it was something he wasn’t willing to divulge to just anyone. Then there was the way he kissed me. What would be a good name for a flavor that contained passion, sweetness, and intensity all rolled into one? Whatever it was, that�
��s what his kiss would be called. I turned to mush whenever his hands were on me. Add his succulent red pouty lips to the mix, and I was gone. I’ll admit that wasn’t a good thing for most girls, but I wasn’t like most girls. I didn’t fall in love…especially not with someone like him.
“New shirt?” Bridgette asked as I slid the pale blue peasant-style top over my head.
“Yes. Myra picked these up when she was in France to sell in the store, and I couldn’t resist.” I turned around and checked myself out in the full-length mirror, running my hand over the gauzy material.
She sighed heavily and flopped belly-down on my bed with her long legs hanging over the side. I knew that was my cue to ask what was wrong, even though I didn’t want to. Not because I didn’t care what was wrong, but because I knew she was about to spew her unneeded big-sister lecture on how to map out the rest of our plan. Being the dutiful little sister that I always was, I responded in the manner that was expected of me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, catching a glimpse of myself cringing in the mirror as I turned around to face her.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Em. I mean, what if you start really liking him? I seem to be impressing him on my own, and he actually cracked a smile at me yesterday.”
I took a seat on the bed next to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. “You know he cracks the most smiles when he’s being condescending, don’t you?”
Defeated, she buried her face in her hands.
“Bridgette, it’s fine, I promise. I’m not going to really start liking him. Trust me. The only attraction I have toward him is physical. You’ve got so much going on right now. Let me help lighten the load a little by doing this.”
“It’s just...” Tears spilled from her eyes before she could get the rest of the words out. Rubbing my hands in a circular motion on her back, I tried my best to calm her down. “I was five days late. I thought for sure I was pregnant, and then today...” More tears, followed by a deep sob.