“Wow, Sally, that’s so nice of you to think of me and to have that sort of empathy. I really appreciate it,” Marcus said diplomatically. “I’ll keep it in mind, but I do have a friend I’m planning to take this year.”
Sally’s smile faltered slightly, but she kept her spirits up and Marcus was glad she didn’t seem offended. “Oh, great! I didn’t know you were already making plans with someone. I was just thinking about it and figured if you didn’t have a date yet, I’d let you know that I’m free that night.”
Marcus smiled at her. It was kind of her to be so thoughtful. His mother didn’t think Sally had fully recovered from the trauma of the accident, even after ten years, and that she still felt guilt over the loss of his father. To know she was trying to take steps to look out for others was definitely a positive sign.
“I really am appreciative, Sally. I’ll let you know if my plans change,” he said, leaving it at that.
Standing, Sally smiled and slipped on her black jacket. “For sure! Anyway, I hope you have a great rest of the day,” she remarked, shaking Marcus’s hand by way of farewell.
After she was gone, Marcus thought through the exchange. It was clear that Sally still struggled to interact with people, that she was oblivious of social cues, but she seemed to be making an attempt. That was the good part. But it also confirmed to him that he needed to make a decision. He’d told her he was taking a friend to the ball, so now he had no option but to invite Tiffany. As an employee, she’d understand better than any of his other female friends that it was a date of convenience and that nothing more would be expected of her. It wasn’t ideal, but he couldn’t risk not having a date with Sally circling.
Chapter 3
“And I…just can’t say…goodbye,” Tiffany Harris belted out, holding onto the last note as she pulled into the back entrance of the Alcott estate. She turned off the engine but sat in the car until the song finished on the radio.
Gazing out over the back of the estate, she wondered why anyone would need a tennis court. It seemed an extravagance, but the pool, now that was something she’d love to have in her backyard. Her kids would absolutely love one, but it would have to be much smaller. The Alcott’s pool was so huge it’d never fit in her pocket-sized yard.
Wednesdays were Ruth days. Tiffany loved Ruth days. Her other client, Mrs. Honeycutt, was a far less pleasant woman to be around, but still, Tiffany loved her job. With Ruth Alcott, she was able to relax and be herself. She oftentimes felt more like a friend than a caregiver to the elderly woman.
Ruth had terrible arthritis and was wheelchair bound, but that was easy for Tiffany. Ruth still had her wits about her, and she was feisty and interesting.
Reaching the back door, Tiffany knocked and called for Ruth, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her back while she waited to be called in. Instead of hearing her client’s voice, Tiffany was surprised to see Ruth’s son approach the door.
“Oh, Mr. Alcott, how are you?” she asked with a warm smile. Although he’d always been friendly in their brief interactions, they’d never spoken much so she didn’t know him as well as she knew his mother.
“Tiffany…hi,” he replied, holding the door open for her. “Mum’s in her craft room, looking for some buttons to take to one of the ladies at her Bible study.”
“No problem. I can wait here for her. We still have time before we need to head out,” Tiffany said. Wednesday mornings she took Ruth to her Bible study group.
“So, I actually wanted to talk to you about something,” he said slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Tiffany’s heart began to pound. Was he about to let her go? Had she done something wrong? She couldn’t afford to lose the job.
“I know this probably seems strange, but do you know anything about the Breast Cancer Charity Ball?” he asked.
She’d heard of it, but she couldn’t imagine why he was bringing it up. “I think so. I mean, it’s a pretty big event, right?”
“Yes…” he replied, his voice trailing off.
Tiffany wondered at his anxiety when he always seemed so confident.
“So, anyway, I’m expected to take a date.” He paused and slowly lifted his gaze to hers, swallowing visibly. “I know this might sound a bit strange since we don’t know one another well, but my mother suggested I invite you this year.”
Tiffany’s eyes widened. Never in her wildest dreams had she expected an invitation to a ball from a man like Marcus Alcott. Confused, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Inviting her was clearly a matter of convenience, but even so, she would never have expected him to invite her. She was just an employee, after all.
Although she’d been caught off-guard, she maintained eye contact with her boss, looking into his deep brown eyes with astonishment. “Wow…” she finally managed to say. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Yeah.” He laughed nervously. “I know it seems a bit strange, but Mum thought you might enjoy it. If you don’t want to go, I’ll understand, but I’d be happy if you’d agree to come with me.”
The shock hadn’t fully worn off, but Tiffany tried to look at the situation rationally. He was a good man. Of course, she thought she’d found such a man once before, but Steve had been anything but good.
Presumably, Marcus Alcott was only asking her to be his date because he couldn’t find another, although she would have assumed any number of women would be more than willing to accompany him. It wasn’t as though he was trying to start a relationship with her, but it still made her wonder what it would be like to go on a date with him. Especially to such a prestigious event.
She’d never been to an event like the ball before. She had nothing to wear and couldn’t afford to buy anything or even get fabric for her mum to make her something. Not to mention the fact that she couldn’t assume her parents would mind the kids. It was simply too complicated.
“I’d really love to go with you, but I don’t know if I can find anything to wear or a sitter for my kids,” she said, listing the two reasons that would prevent her from going. But would those reasons be enough to avoid offending the Alcotts if she decided to decline his invitation? The last thing she wanted was to hurt his feelings or create miscommunication. Or lose her job.
“I can arrange everything. Honestly, you don’t have to worry about a thing.” He seemed to be almost pleading with her, which puzzled Tiffany. Why would a man like Marcus Alcott, a stunningly handsome billionaire, have trouble finding a date for an event like this? Why would he even ask her?
Although the invitation was flattering and she had no reason to distrust him, after everything she’d been through with Steve, she was off men altogether. If she went, and it was a big ‘if’, she’d sort the details herself. She wasn’t going to be dependent on anyone. Not even a billionaire. Who knew what he might want of her next? But she didn’t want to be rude. “I’ll think about it and see if I can get things arranged on my end,” she told him.
“Good. But I’d like to help if I can. Let me know? Oh, and by the way, please call me Marcus.”
She nodded, excused herself, and went to find Ruth. On the way, she stopped in a darkened alcove, leaned against the wall, and took several deep breaths. Had that just happened? Had Marcus Alcott just invited her to a ball? She could hardly believe it.
After regaining her composure, Tiffany continued through the house and found Ruth in her bedroom. It was hard concentrating when her mind was filled with balls and billionaires, but she was determined not to say anything to her employer. Since Ruth had been the instigator, however, Tiffany sensed she knew her son might have spoken to her, especially since she winked and grinned when Tiffany entered the room.
Later that day, after finishing her time with Ruth, Tiffany went to visit her parents and pick up her children. Mike and Polly were upstairs playing, so Tiffany had some time to sit with her mum and chat awhile.
“I like your haircut,” her mum, Marjorie, complimented.
“Thanks!” Tiffany gave her hair a
little flick. She’d needed a change, and now her dark brown hair sat just above her shoulders instead of below. She wasn’t sure if she liked it or not, but a change was as good as a holiday. Although sometimes she thought a real holiday would have to be better.
“So, what’s got you so distracted?” her mum asked.
“What do you mean?” Tiffany frowned.
“You’re my daughter, and I can tell you’ve got something on your mind.”
Tiffany let out a small chuckle. There was no fooling her mum. As she recounted the whole story, she felt even more confused than she had earlier in the day when Marcus invited her to the ball. Every time she replayed the conversation in her mind, her amazement did not dwindle.
“Are you serious?” her mum asked with a spark in her eyes.
“Yes…” Tiffany replied hesitantly.
“You have to accept, Tiffany. And don’t worry about the dress. I’ll take care of that,” her mother insisted.
“Mum, I can’t ask—”
“Let me spoil my little girl for once. We’ll get you looking like a million dollars. No doubt about it. You can’t use lame excuses to avoid something as special as this,” she continued.
Still not entirely convinced it was a good idea, Tiffany drew a deep breath. Going to the ball with her employer seemed like such a crazy thing to do. But if her mum was so insistent, maybe she should consider it.
“Before I forget, can the kids come with us to church on Sunday?” her mum asked out of the blue.
Tiffany pursed her lips. “You took them last week.”
“And they really enjoyed it.” Her mum lifted a brow.
Tiffany pondered. She knew her kids loved going to church with their grandparents and that the Sunday school classes were fun for them, but she wasn’t entirely comfortable with them going. She honestly didn’t see the point. But they’d be disappointed if they didn’t go. She let out a resigned sigh. “Alright, I guess they can go.”
When her mother smiled and gave her hand a squeeze, Tiffany hid a grimace. She knew her mum would like her to go as well, but Tiffany had grown skeptical of church and religion and saw no reason to go.
Chapter 4
Arriving in the office on Thursday morning, Marcus saw the light flashing on his desk phone. He figured it was probably another client updating him on things, but when he checked the voicemail, he was completely caught off guard again.
“Hey Mark, it’s me, Sally. Of course. Anyway, I hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to give you a call to see where you’re at with things as far as the charity ball is concerned. I’m really glad you’re considering me for the date, but I thought I’d see if there was an update.
“Sorry, maybe I should have come to see you in person so we could talk more about all of this. But anyway, I figured I’d call first. I’m just so glad for your kindness and everything. I mean, you’re so successful and strong and really amazing. I’m glad to be working so closely with you. Like we’re business partners or something.
“But anyway, I know that we’ll see a lot more of each other now that we’re working so close together. Thanks, Mark. Really. Just give me a call whenever you’ve decided what you’re doing about the ball.”
With that, the message ended.
Marcus leaned back in his chair. From the very beginning of the message he’d been distracted. Since when did Sally think it was okay to call him Mark? Did she not know that he went by Marcus, or did she think she was being familiar by shortening his name?
The message unnerved him. It was fine that Sally was enthusiastic about her new position, but she seemed to be spending a lot of time thinking about him. He tried not to be annoyed. She was a young woman in need of a friend. And help. She definitely needed help.
Even after ten years and a short stay in a Psychiatric Hospital after her release from jail, she was still clearly overwhelmed by what she’d done, and perhaps being overly friendly with him was her attempt to get over it, but Marcus didn’t know how much more he could reasonably handle. She needed to deal with her guilt in a more appropriate way. She couldn’t work herself into his life in order to forgive herself.
There were plenty of places she could go to for help, and although he and his mum had given her suggestions, she’d never shown any enthusiasm about seeking out psychological or faith-based counseling. Sighing, he sent up a quick prayer for her and deleted the message.
A short while later, Marcus made his way to a meeting and then dealt with a few issues that needed attention. The company was doing well financially, but there was still a great deal of day-to-day pressure.
Arriving home, he found his mother on the back deck, looking out over the harbour. “Hey Mum, how was your day?” he asked, giving her a peck on the cheek.
“Good. But Thursdays are my boring day,” she reminded him.
“I know. But did you at least get some reading done?” he asked.
“Of course. That’s about all there is for me to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I wish Tiffany could come every day,” she said wistfully.
“She’ll be here tomorrow.” He gave her a smile and poured himself an orange juice from the outdoor bar before sitting beside her.
Tiffany still hadn’t gotten back to him about whether or not she would be his date for the ball. Should he take her silence as a no? Or did she just need more time? No doubt his invitation had thrown her.
“Yes. She’s such a lovely girl.”
Marcus knew where she was leading but didn’t take the bait. “I’ll get started on dinner,” he said, standing. He went into the kitchen to begin cooking, but Bree’s photo on the kitchen dresser caught his attention. He walked over and picked it up. She’d loved this house, and especially this kitchen with its European appliances and Italian marble counter-tops. How he wished she were still alive. He’d give everything he had to have her back.
The only thing he could do was donate money to the charity to ensure that no other man had to lose his wife to such a vicious disease. He didn’t want anyone else to hurt the way he was hurting. It wasn’t fair that he’d lost Bree, and it wouldn’t be fair to any other husbands or fathers or children to lose the women in their lives to something so dreadful. But it happened. It happened all the time. And for that reason, he had to keep moving forward and do all he could to prevent it.
But the thought of taking a date to the ball still filled him with anxiety. If Tiffany rejected him, would he take Sally? He let out a huge sigh. No, she wasn’t an option. If Tiffany said no, he’d have to find someone else or go alone. The last thing he wanted was to become Sally’s only source of therapy. She needed professional help and that was something he couldn’t give her.
“You didn’t tell me how work was,” his mum said, wheeling into the kitchen.
He pushed thoughts of the ball aside. “It was fine. Lots of meetings, but things are going really well. We’re closing with a new client tomorrow—another huge contract. The one I told you about last month.”
“I knew you’d get it,” his mum replied with pride in her voice.
“The team worked really hard and I’m proud of them. I couldn’t have gotten this far if they hadn’t done so much to make it all come to pass,” he said humbly.
His mother was watching him, but he went about his cooking, trying to stay busy. He felt like she was observing him the way a scientist eyed a specimen. She was a concerned mother and he could understand that, but he didn’t want her to always feel so concerned about him.
“What is it?” he asked with a gentle smile.
“Your father would be really proud of you, Marcus.”
It wasn’t what he’d been expecting, but his heart warmed at knowing his mother was proud of him and his father would have been, too.
Chapter 5
Tiffany couldn’t sleep. Marcus’s invitation to the charity ball had been consuming her thoughts for nearly two whole days. She’d most likely be seeing him again on Friday morning and would have to give her answer. An a
nswer she still hadn’t made up her mind about.
On one hand, she was tempted to go. The thought of getting dressed up and accompanying a handsome, wealthy man to a ball was certainly appealing. Not to mention the fact that her mother had been urging her to accept.
But how could she go? She’d never been to anything close to a ball in her life and she wouldn’t have the first clue about how to act. And Marcus Alcott was far from the sort of man she could ever be involved with, so it wasn’t as though she could even consider that.
Yes, it would be foolish to pretend to be his date.
These thoughts swirled round and round in her head all night. At 2.43 a.m. she glanced once more at her clock before she finally fell into a disturbed sleep. When her alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., she was completely exhausted and didn’t want to get out of bed. Nevertheless, she had to get the kids ready for school and ready herself for work.
Once they were out the door and she’d dropped the kids at school, she headed to the office of The Angels of Care to do some paperwork before making her way to the Alcott estate.
During the entire drive she felt anxious, the pressure of the charity ball gnawing at her gut. What would she say to Marcus? What if he asked her again and she still didn’t have an answer? And why didn’t she have an answer? She should just say no.
She drove her car into the parking space and went inside, calling for Ruth. Looking around, Tiffany was prepared for an encounter with Marcus, but to her enormous relief, he didn’t seem to be present.
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