“Can I help you?”
“Is your mother at home?”
“Do we know you?” Rose asked curiously, gathering up a bit more fabric in her hands to keep things decent as she peered around the solid wood door. She’d never seen the woman before in her life that she remembered. Just then her mother’s voice rang out.
“Dorothy? Come on in. You remember my daughter, Rose – right?”
“Oh yes, of course,” the stranger said easily, stepping inside as she looked at Rose strangely. “You mentioned her when we talked on the phone. Our show starts in a half hour, are you ready?”
“You betcha! I can’t wait to see who gets voted off the island tonight.”
Rose watched in surprise as the two women sat down beside each other. The stranger pulled out a box of cookies from her purse and slid out a cellophane tray, offering a cookie to her mother. Her mother grabbed one, chomping into it and smiled at Dorothy, nodding. Glancing up, she covered her mouth and asked Rose if she wanted a cookie too.
“No thank you.”
“Honey, come here and let me zip your dress.”
“I can get it, Marcy – just relax,” Dorothy ordered and quickly moved to zip the dress on Rose. It felt like everything was upside down… but oh-so right! She wouldn’t have to worry about her mother hurting or being alone if she had a friend here for the evening. She would be able to relax and enjoy herself tonight without worrying.
“Don’t you need to get going? I hear traffic is going to be quite awful downtown,” her mother asked glibly, waving her hands to shoo her out the door.
An hour later, Rose was standing in the middle of the most breathtaking ballroom. She almost laughed when the valet had gotten inside of her Toyota to park it. His expression was priceless. People were pulling up in Mercedes, Bentley’s, Maserati’s… and here comes her little Toyota out of nowhere. For the first time in her life, Rose tossed the keys to her car to someone- like she was truly somebody in this world.
“Be careful with her,” she’d called out, picked up her skirts and headed inside. Going through security was a breeze. There was absolutely nowhere to hide anything on herself even if she had wanted to. She had her ticket, her cell phone, ten dollars in cash, and her driver’s license tucked in the small sequined purse – and that was it.
Stepping inside the grand ballroom, she gasped at the massive chandeliers that hung suspended from the glass ceiling. She could see that the sun was setting outside and it would soon be dark out, creating a magical canopy of stars. The round tables around the edges of the room were covered in linen table cloths and place settings fit for a king. If she and her mother went to a restaurant, there was only two utensils rolled neatly in a napkin. Each setting had three utensils on each side of the plate, as well as a plate for bread and two goblets. She almost pulled out her cellphone to google which utensil to use first. It had been such an ordeal to fit everything in her tiny purse that she didn’t want to chance digging it out to do so.
As people arrived, she saw several mingling and talking amongst themselves. Feeling like a wallflower, she went to go stand towards the back of the room simply content to watch the pageantry of the guests arriving. Seeing a waiter nearby holding a tray with flutes, she walked over.
“May I have one?” Rose whispered nervously to him, feeling uncomfortable, and accepted the glass of champagne. Taking a sip, her nose tickled from the bubbles and she had a flashback to when she’d last had any alcohol. She and Jarrett had toasted to new beginnings awkwardly over paper plates and Chinese take-out. She closed her eyes and wished she had that moment to do all over again. She missed him terribly.
“To new beginnings,” Rose heard Jarrett’s beloved voice softly speak the words she was imagining- and was pretty certain that she was going to cry. The timbre of his voice in her mind was so poignantly tender. She had even imagined the small clink of crystal when their glasses tipped together and touched.
“Open your eyes, Rose.”
Slowly and in disbelief, she opened her eyes and blinked several times. Jarrett was standing beside her holding a glass of champagne and a clear box. He looked devastatingly handsome dressed for the event in a black tuxedo. In his hand, she saw that he held a small corsage that had purple and yellow flowers on it.
“Mindy said this was the right thing to do when you went to a dance with a girl you care about,” he said shyly, opening the box and removing the corsage. He quickly handed the box to a waiter nearby, who immediately disposed of it.
“Can I slip it on your wrist?”
“How did you know I was going to be here?”
“Mrs. Baker is Mindy’s mother. In fact, Mindy should be here shortly. She and her mother come to this event every year. Her mother is a huge supporter and Mindy is the one who encouraged me to start coming a few years ago,” he explained and took her hand in his, slipping the elastic of the corsage over her wrist.
“Isn’t this Mindy’s?”
“What?” Jarrett asked, his brows shooting upwards in surprise. “No. It’s yours. It matches your dress.”
“But we haven’t talked… how did you know?” Rose asked, dumbfounded and shell-shocked. How had he known? The decision to come only happened a few weeks ago – unless… he was involved?
“You do the advertising for this event, don’t you?”
“Advertising and sponsor,” he agreed with a knowing smile. “I love surprising you. You have such a quick wit and beautiful mind.”
“No,” Rose said quickly, shaking her head and backing away from him. Her cascade of curls tickled her exposed shoulder blades where the dress formed a V in the back. “You aren’t going to lay on the charm and hurt me again.”
“I know,” he said softly. “We don’t have long to talk because it will be starting shortly. I want you to know that I am aware I’m not perfect. I started anger management classes a few weeks ago. I knew something was seriously wrong when I pushed away the one woman I love more than anything. I knew that if I ever wanted a chance to try and win you back, I had to be the man you deserved… not the man I once was.”
Rose felt her lip tremble at his words and the moment was suddenly interrupted by a short, plump woman in a very gauche sequined dress. She was happily clapping and nervously hugged Jarrett, jumping up and down. The grey-haired woman then turned to her and pulled her into a tight embrace, shocking Rose. She met Jarrett’s apologetic smile over her head and saw him shrug nonchalantly.
“Rose – this is Mindy Baker, my executive assistant. Mindy, this is my sweet Rose I was telling you about,” Jarrett said tenderly, taking Rose’s hand and kissing her knuckles.
“I am so happy to meet you!” she gushed excitedly. “It’s not every day that someone gets to put Mr. Ariet in his place. Being knocked down a peg or two is sometimes good for the soul… isn’t it?”
“Makes you realize just what you had,” Jarrett agreed, staring at Rose. A small bell tolled, indicating that they needed to find their seats. Feeling a momentary rush of panic, Rose realized that she hadn’t found her seat yet and needed to still look for it. Jarrett extended his arm and smiled softly.
“Your spot is with me, my love. Always.”
Rose heard Mindy sigh audibly and placed her hand on Jarrett’s arm. He led her to a table towards the front of the ballroom and held out the chair for her. Leaning down, he lightly kissed her on the temple before she even realized what he was doing. He then politely pulled out a chair for Mindy as well. Taking his own seat between the two women, he smiled tenderly at Rose.
Glancing down, she saw that he held out his hand waiting for her. Rose put her hand in his and he rested their clasped hand on his leg as he paid attention to the speaker. Rose couldn’t help but look at him each time she got a chance. He was the most confusing, mystifying… tender and loving man she’d ever met. She saw that he’d unbuttoned his jacket at some point and his cummerbund was a pale-yellow shade colored to match her dress.
Her mind was running in circles.
If he had orchestrated the ticket and the dress… what else had he done and why? Suddenly, Rose heard applause and it shook her from her musings. She was missing a lot of the speeches being made and looked around to see that there were television cameras at the back of the room.
“And tonight’s largest benefactor was Mr. Jarrett Ariet and Miss Rose Bellavance. Let’s give them a hand for their kindness. These funds will help supply books to schools in need.”
Rose felt her hand being tugged as Jarrett got to his feet to wave. He pulled her upwards and she nervously waved before sitting down again. He’d donated money and put both their names on it? Part of her wanted to shout that he could donate it to her because she was flat-broke until payday… but she knew it was for a wonderful cause and felt greedy even thinking it. Rose quickly retook her seat as she didn’t want to be the center of attention any more than necessary.
Several waiters began rolling out trays with covered plates to the tables while music started playing. Mindy was happily regaling the others at the table of the merits of her organizing system she had in place at her desk. Jarrett, who remained standing, tapped Rose on the shoulder.
“May I have this dance?”
“I think they are bringing out dinner,” she hedged, pointing at another table and then quickly nodded in agreement. When else would she have a chance like this? She felt like she was getting a chance to be one of the twelve dancing princesses she’d read about so lovingly that first day she met him. This was her moment to be whisked onto the floor by the man she adored. She wanted to talk to him and maybe it would be best to do so while they were dancing.
Taking her hand, Jarrett walked her to the dance floor and gently twirled her before pulling her into his arms. The haunting melody played from the band that was at the back of the stage along the wall.
“I noticed we match tonight,” Rose began nervously as she put her hands on his shoulders. “I think you had this all planned out.” He reached up and put one of her hands on the back of his neck and closed his eyes momentarily in happiness.
“I adore how you feel in my arms,” he murmured, looking down at her. “Yes, I arranged it. I wanted to see you again – but not because I hired you to clean but because I needed to spend time with you.”
“What else have you done then?”
“Your mother’s friend tonight is a care nurse I hired so that way you could relax and enjoy yourself thoroughly. I didn’t want our evening to be over quickly and I knew that it would bother you to leave her alone any more than you had to.”
“What? You did that?”
“Family is important,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “I never had one and always wished that I did. I’ve been a loner forever, but things change and those changes affect you – good, bad, or otherwise. Did you know that I own the entire top floor of the building? I bought the other condo simply because I didn’t want people bothering me… but now…” his voice trailed off and he hesitated for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.
“Now I’m thinking it would be a perfect way to have your mother near us.”
Rose couldn’t speak, nor could she look away from him. His beautiful face, this perfect moment, would be burned in her memory forever. She was afraid this wonderous dream would dissipate like a bubble that popped… yet, he kept speaking and every second that passed made her realize that this was truly happening. She was here with him and he was professing his feelings.
“I’ve found someone that I want to be with – that I want to share my life with. That’s you, my Rose. I love you more than anything and want you to be a part of my world. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that day at the festival but I wasn’t ready yet – I had only just bought your ring.”
“What?” she breathed, her eyes tearing up as Jarrett stopped dancing there in the middle of the dancefloor. He immediately got down on one knee, his eyes glued to her face. She was unable to look away as he knelt before her, pulling a ring box from his pocket and opening it.
“I want to see your smile every day of my life. You are the brightest light in my world. The woman that makes me who I am- and I can’t live without you anymore. Marry me, Rose. Make me the happiest man in the world,” he asked, his dark eyes watering with emotion. She stared at him as he removed the solitaire from the box and slid it on her trembling finger.
“Please don’t make me live another day without you,” he whispered, getting to his feet. “I would do anything to have you with me – by my side- and that includes orchestrating all of this.”
“Yes,” she breathed; her eyes bright with tears.
Epilogue
“Girls, you need to come in now. It’s getting late and Grandma is fixing to head inside,” Rose called out, seeing three sets of feet sticking out from under a sheet that was draped over the bench to make a fort. The garden near their fountain was a perfect haven now that Jarrett had arranged to have glass panels installed to create a fence of sorts for their safety. Her mother was playing dolls with her twin daughters, bringing back memories of her own childhood.
A chorus of high-pitched groans and a flurry of whispers led to the girls crawling out of their make-believe fort first, her mother following slowly behind. Jarrett stepped quickly over and bent to help lift her mother off the grassy field. Her mother blushed and swatted his hands away as soon as she got to her feet, but Rose could see that she adored her son-in-law.
Her whole world was in this garden where Jarrett had nearly kissed her one evening… and had kissed her repeatedly since then. The girls both favored his coloring with dark brown curly hair and chocolate colored eyes – but their hearts and imagination was all from their mother. Her two angels loved to play make-believe and had their daddy wrapped around their pinky fingers.
Smiling, Rose hugged her mother as she walked up to the doorway to stand with her. Jarrett held each of the girl’s tiny hands in his and was dancing in a circle made out of the three of them. His six-foot frame was hunched over to be able to keep up with their tiny bodies as they danced in polyester nightgowns that looked like Disney princesses. Dropping to the ground, they jumped on Jarrett gleefully, shrieking with joy as they began to tickle him.
“I better go rescue my husband,” Rose said gently. “Do you want to sit and have some tea with us? Survivor is on in a bit.”
“You go spend time with your husband. I see him watching you,” her mother teased lightly. “Besides, Jarrett got me one of those fancy massage chairs and I just figured out how to use the controller. Did you know that it will massage your feet for you? It’s glorious!”
“Go enjoy your chair then, mama,” Rose chided tenderly, kissing her on the cheek before walking over to pick up one of the girls bodily. “You two are going to hurt Daddy jumping all over him like that.”
“We were dancing,” he explained, kissing Lily – the oldest twin by a few minutes, on the cheek.
“Just like the princesses in the story, Mama!” she cried happily, clapping her hands. Iris, the youngest twin, started sucking her thumb and lay her head down on Rose’s shoulder, making her heart melt.
“I love you so much,” Jarrett whispered, looking down at Rose. So many emotions and so many things said in the silence between those sweet words.
“Do you love us, Daddy?”
“Of course, I do – you are my sweet little princesses who need to go to bed so I can spend time with our beautiful fairy queen – your mama. Can you girls go to bed like you are supposed to? If you do, I was thinking that maybe we would go to the zoo this weekend. Does that sound good?”
The thought of going to the zoo had both little girls wriggling to get down from their parents and running inside to jump into bed. Following them in, Rose quickly covered them up and kissed each of them on the forehead. Jarrett stood there at the bedroom door watching, his eyes blazing with love for his family. As she walked past him and he closed the door softly, he smiled at her.
“You look like you have something on your mind, my Rose
.”
“I was just thinking what a perfect family we have.”
“I would agree,” he said tenderly, pulling her into his arms. Rose put her finger over his mouth before he could kiss her causing his eyes to widen in surprise.
“…there is just one thing that would make it better,” she whispered lovingly, tracing his lips. “What do you think of us having a little prince in about seven months?”
“You’re pregnant?” he breathed only seconds before he kissed her soundly, making her knees weak. “I think that meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are my life and my world, Rose.”
“You’re happy?” she asked softly.
“You’ve made all of my dreams come true.”
Afterword
Thank you for taking the time to read Conversely Matched. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Doesn’t have to be much, just a simple rating and a few kind words work wonders. Your thoughts, opinions and feedback are much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ginny Sterling
Perfectly Matched
Nikki Eben has had a rough start to her life and learned a few harsh lessons, one of which is about trusting people. Kicked out long ago for a single mistake—she lost her friends, reputation, and family, but gained a loving child and her faith. It took a long time to get on her feet and raise her child by herself, but knowing that there’s always a hand guiding her has kept her strong at her weakest moments—until she met Jakob.
Dr. Jakob Marlin was aghast at the sight of his new car being destroyed by the mischievous toddler running amok, and the fact that he was being reprimanded for it by the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Between the fierce verbal lashing from the young woman, to the chastising he was getting from his own mother on how he was raised not to yell at a woman, he knew something had to give!
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