A Sudden Engagement (Love: Lost & Found)

by Helen Styles

  Avery chose a cream colored pullover sweater and a short, but not too short, black skirt. She dug in the bottom of her closet throwing things out behind her until she found the shoes she was looking for. Once upon a time she had been a little more concerned about appearances. Shoes and purses were her weak spots. The box she pulled out held a pair of black suede heels with a matching clutch purse. She sighed remembering the excitement of purchasing the two items at 50% off from Macy’s. Chuck had scolded her and said it was a waste of money. Avery frowned as she thought about him. He wanted her to be plain and without friends, but the type of women he desired were flashy, painted, and sexy.

  She shook her head and slipped the shoes on, standing unsteadily. It had been almost two years since she had worn heels, and that was only allowed by Chuck because she was attending her Aunt Nancy’s funeral. She took a few tentative steps around her bedroom, smiling at how pretty she already felt. With a renewed confidence she slipped out of the shoes and went happily into the bathroom to get ready for her dream date.

  To say Joel was punctual was an understatement. There was a knock at her door at exactly 6:00. Avery stepped into the bathroom quickly and sprayed one more layer of hairspray over the loose curls she had created. She had clipped the side pieces on the top of her head, and it gave her a youthful, playful look. She didn’t go overboard with the make-up either. She used just enough to accentuate her large eyes, and high cheekbones. When she reached the front door, she took a steadying breath and opened it to see Joel standing there with one fist raised about to knock again, and a small bouquet of fall colored flowers in his other hand.

  “Hey!” he said happily. “Wow you look great!”

  “Thanks.” Avery said shyly.

  Joel cleared his throat and held the bouquet out to her. “These are for you.”

  Avery took them with a smile and held the door open for him. “Oh, thank you, Joel! They’re beautiful! Come in, and I’ll put them in water before we go.”

  Avery found a small vase in the back of her glasses cabinet and filled it with water. She looked at the bouquet and smiled. There were sunflowers in the bundle and no carnations.

  The restaurant that Joel had chosen was called La Petite and Avery knew he was spending a fortune. The restaurant specialized in French food and the ambiance was spectacular. Every table had candlelight, and the wall lights were kept dim to produce a feeling of intimacy. Avery loved it.

  “So, tell me some more about this guy that almost stole you away.”

  “There isn’t much to tell. He’s a big beefy guy with a tiny brain.” She said and sipped her water. “I don’t know. He was nice to me at first, and I thought I loved him, but after a few months I could see a change.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, I noticed he was drinking more, and he started telling me how I should dress and act. He refused to leave the apartment with me if I had on makeup.”

  “But, he cheated on you with a stripper?”

  Avery nodded and shrugged. “It’s strange, I know. The funny thing is I was glad he did it. It gave me a concrete reason to get rid of him.”

  “Sounds like you had concrete reasons to begin with.” Joel said and winked.

  “True, but I hated the thought of being alone. I kind of always thought I would end up alone and old.”

  Joel’s expression sobered. “Why? You’re beautiful.”

  Avery blushed and dropped her eyes. “Beauty doesn’t last.” She said softly.

  “Not always, but brains and a good personality do; and in my estimation, you have both.”

  The waiter came at that moment with their main course. Avery had never tried duck before and she was dying to dig right in, but Joel’s last comment had left her mouth dry. It had been a long time since a man had made her feel good with a compliment.

  They ate in silence for several minutes, both enjoying their meals. Avery noticed Joel watching her and became concerned that perhaps she had food on her face. She discreetly took the linen napkin from her lap and dabbed at the corners of her mouth.

  “Do you like the duck?”

  Avery nodded. “It’s very good.”

  “They have a pretty good dessert menu too.” Joel said with a smile. “You know,” he began laying his fork down, “I really don’t understand how I over looked you in high school.”

  “Easy, your head was always in a book. Plus you had other girlfriends.”

  “Why didn’t you ever try to talk to me?”

  Avery shrugged. “I did.” She said meeting his eyes. “But you never seemed interested, and you couldn’t ever seem to remember my name.”

  Joel’s face turned serious and he reached across the table to gently take her hand. “Avery, I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, really I didn’t.”

  She smiled and squeezed his fingers lightly. “It’s alright. Kids in high school aren’t the most mature.”

  He slowly withdrew his hand and held up his wine glass. “To new beginnings!”

  Avery raised her water glass and touched it to his. “New beginnings!”

  After the meal Joel took Avery to a little coffee shop that had live poetry readings. Avery was impressed with the emotion the readers, and usually writers, used as they spoke. She had never fully appreciated poetry but after hearing it spoken she purchased two slim books that one of the authors had for sale. Joel had insisted he should buy them for her, but she wouldn’t let him.

  “You brought me flowers and treated me to a wonderful dinner! Here, I want you to have one.”

  Joel took the book and smiled at her. “Thanks, Avery. When we have finished them, we can swap.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

  The cool autumn evening was crisp but there was only a light breeze, as opposed to the blustery wind of the previous day. Avery looked up at the sky and was delighted to see some stars. Usually the lights of the city blotted out most of their twinkling light. Joel took her hand in his and they walked in a comfortable silence to his car.

  When he held the door open for her he asked, “So, where to now?”

  “I don’t know. It’s already 10:30.”

  “Do you have a curfew?”

  Avery laughed. “No!”

  Joel shut the door and came to the driver’s side and got in. Avery was still impressed with the car. It was a black Audi, and obviously new. She didn’t even own a car.

  “Ok, do you like movies?”

  “Who doesn’t like movies?”

  Joel drove Avery back to her apartment and was laughing the whole way.

  “Who would have thought I could find a date that enjoyed hacker slash movies as much as I do!”

  “I’ve always liked them; the cheesier the better!” Avery giggled.

  When they pulled up to her building, both of them felt awkward and sat in silence for a moment. Avery plucked at an imaginary piece of lint on her skirt, and Joel drummed lightly on the steering wheel with his thumbs. He finally turned and looked at her in the darkness.

  “I had a really good time.”

  “Me too.” Avery said softly.

  Joel cleared his throat. “So, can I see you again?”

  Avery nodded. “I would like that.”

  “Great! I’ll call you tomorrow!” Joel leaned towards her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. His face was near her ear and he asked quietly, “Would you like me to walk you up?”

  Avery leaned back and looked at him hard with narrowed eyes. Joel immediately understood what she was thinking and, leaned back as well with his hands up, palms forward.

  “Don’t look at me like that! I really meant to only walk you to your door!”

  Avery laughed and shook her head. “Sorry. I just thought you were…”

  “Being a jerk?”

  “Something like that.”

  Joel looked at her with thoughtful eyes and smiled lightly. “We aren’t all jerks, Avery.”

  She nodded her head once and reached for the door
handle. “I know. I guess it just takes some getting used to.” She stepped out of the car and leaned back in before shutting the door. “I really did have a nice time, Joel. Thank you.”

  “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”

  Avery waved once as she entered her building and watched him pull away from the curb. She was tired but happy at the same time. She pulled her cell phone from her clutch bag and realized that she hadn’t turned the ringer back on after the movie. She stopped part way up the steps when she saw that she had sixteen missed calls. The first missed call was Joanne at 10:45. The other fifteen were from Chuck’s number. Her hands began to shake and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. This was going too far. She began walking back up the steps and sighed when she reached her landing.

  Mrs. Barrimore’s door creaked open a few inches and she peeked out, before opening the door all the way and stepping out onto the landing.

  “Hi, Mrs. Barrimore!” Avery tried to make her voice sound cheerful.

  Mrs. Barrimore gave her a thin smile and rubbed her hip. She was wearing a brightly colored robe and slippers, and her hair was rolled in big pink curlers. “Hello, sweetie. I have Otis in my apartment.”

  “Otis?” Avery asked confusedly. “How did he get out?”

  She shrugged and rubbed her hip again. “I don’t know. I found him on the landing when I came in from the market.”

  “What time was that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, seven maybe?”

  Avery looked back at her door and saw that it was shut. She turned the knob and the door opened easily. She swallowed and turned back to Mrs. Barrimore. “I guess I thought I shut and locked it, but maybe not.”

  “Well, the door was shut when I found Otis, but I didn’t think to check if it was locked.”

  “It’s ok. Thank you for taking Otis. Can I have him, please?”

  Mrs. Barrimore went into her apartment and came back out with Otis in her arms. “He’s a sweet thing.” She said with a smile. “I fed him some tuna.”

  Avery took him into her arms. He began to purr loudly. “That was kind of you. I’ll see you later.”

  Avery watched Mrs. Barrimore close her door softly. She turned and looked at her own door and swallowed again. She turned the knob slowly and let the door swing open. She set Otis down and reached into the apartment, feeling along the wall for the light switch. Once it was on, she closed and locked the door. She stood still listening for any possible sound, but all she heard was the hum of the refrigerator. She felt a little foolish as she went through the apartment and systematically cut on every single light, before checking her two closets and behind the shower curtain. There really weren’t many places to hide in her tiny place. She eyed the bed suspiciously and laid down on her stomach to peek under the dust ruffle. Otis’s sniffing nose and a few magazines were all that were under there.

  Avery sighed and walked back into the kitchen to pick up her phone. She couldn’t believe how many times Chuck had called! Thankfully he hadn’t left any voice mails. Her phone coincidently began to ring as she was looking at it. At first she rolled her eyes, but once she recognized the number, a huge smile spread across her face.

  “Hi.”

  “Ok, I said I would call you tomorrow, but I realized that technically it is tomorrow.”

  “Hmmm, like my own personal stalker!” she said and grimaced at the irony of her statement.

  Joel laughed heartily. “So, I was wondering if you would like to have brunch with me tomorrow, say around eleven.”

  “Wow, dinner and a movie tonight, and brunch tomorrow?”

  “Am I being too forward?” Joel asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

  “I think you just want to fatten me up!”

  Joel laughed. “No, you’re perfect just the way you are. Ok, I’ll pick you up around ten-thirty.”

  Avery told him goodnight and set the phone back down. She thought about calling Joanne, but knew her husband would have a fit if she called this late. She decided a good book in bed would be the perfect ending to her fairy tale night.

  “I think I should come and visit, Avery.”

  Avery shook her head as she held up two pairs of pants to determine which to wear. She had her cell phone between her ear and shoulder, and nearly dropped it from shaking her head so violently. She let the pants drop instead, and straightened her head.

  “No, Mom, really, it’s not necessary.”

  She could hear her mother sigh. “I knew I shouldn’t have moved an entire state away. You know if your father were here…”

  “But he isn’t. Mom, he’s been gone four years now.”

  “He always knew how to talk to you! He could talk some sense into your foolish head!”

  Avery sucked in some breath trying to bury the painful memory that her father was in fact gone. He had been her best friend. Avery didn’t care that she spent the last two years of high school trying to care for him. She didn’t even care that she had to leave college to take care of him, because her mother just couldn’t handle it. She would have done it all over again. He was physically sick, but her mother was mentally ill.

  “Avery! Avery, are you still there?”

  “Yeah.” She replied in a small voice.

  “You need to rethink this thing with Chuck. You can’t just throw three years away because of one little mistake!”

  “It was a lot more than one little mistake, Mom! It was a pretty big mistake that involved him screwing someone else!”

  There was a momentary pause. “Well, Avery, did you screw him enough?”

  “Ugh! This conversation is over! I’ll give you a call in a few days, ok?” She didn’t wait for a response and ended the call. She could feel her blood pressure rising, and sat on the edge of her bed breathing heavily. Her mother always brought on that reaction. She remembered how her first year of college she would sit up half the night. Sometimes helping her father hold himself over the toilet so he could vomit, sometimes cleaning up vomit, because the chemo had made him terribly ill. While she was doing that, her mother would go to the local bar and drink her tears away. It still made Avery sick. No one understood what she had gone through for the three years with Chuck. The man lived within a dual personality. He wanted a nice good girl at home. He presented himself as this boring guy who just wanted everything simple and controlled. It drove Avery crazy. When they went out to eat, it was always one of two places. If they went to a movie, it was one he chose. Even sex was mundane, same position and almost the same day of the week. Life with Chuck was predictable, and the sleep inducing kind of boring. She had thought that all he cared about was work and sports. It was quite a shock to find out that he was perusing every strip club within a fifty mile radius. The day she had broken up with him; she had also gone to the health clinic and gone through a battery of tests including one for HIV.

  Avery shook her head to clear it of the reverie and checked the clock. She only had fifteen minutes to get ready.

  Thanks, Mom. You’ve once again almost ruined something.

  The brunch was at a very posh restaurant on the east side of the city. The space had once been a church and had been renovated for a restaurant. The buffet room was a bright with cathedral ceilings and large windows that were in the lancet style, but considerably wider. The entire place spoke of wealth.

  Avery smeared butter across half of a croissant and looked at Joel playfully.

  “You don’t hit the dollar menu very often, do you?”

  “Oh no, I do sometimes! I just wanted to treat you to some nice places.”

  “And you have indeed. This place is really something else, Joel.”

  “Before you start thinking I’m an accountant by day and a mobster by night in order to afford all of these fine restaurants, I must explain a little of what I do.”

  Avery watched him with interested eyes. She loved the way he made slight gestures with his hands when he talked.

  “To start with, I do work for Goods, which is
the accounting firm my father is partial owner of, but I also handle several clients privately.”

  “Like who?”

  Joel shrugged as if it was nothing. “It’s just a few of the city council members and the lieutenant governor.”

  Avery’s eyes widened and she put her fork down. “Wow, Joel!”

  He cleared his throat. “They pay very well.”

  “I bet. So where do you live?”

  “I have a small house on Mimosa.”

  Avery couldn’t help but widen her eyes again. “That’s a nice neighborhood.”

  “It’s fine for now. I eventually want to move out of the city.”

  “Everything’s so convenient here.”

  “True, but wouldn’t you like a yard with a tree in it?” Joel asked with a lopsided smile. He looked like a little boy, with a hopeful glint in his eye.

  “I would.” She replied with a giggle. “When I was a little girl I wanted to live on a dairy farm!”

  “Really? That’s cool! I used to day dream about a ranch!”

  They spent another hour casually eating and laughing while they talked about high school and just life in general. When they left Joel wanted to take a walk through the historic district of the city. It was a favorite place of Avery’s, especially in fall. The sidewalks were made with red brick and in places cobblestone, and the buildings almost exclusively dated from 1900 and older. Avery couldn’t shop there often, due to the prices of the boutiques and specialty shops, but she enjoyed window shopping. Since it was Sunday, few shops were open, and it was a pleasant peaceful stroll. Avery wasn’t sure when Joel reached for her hand, but once he had it, he didn’t let go until they were back at his car.

  There was a blessed reprieve from Chuck calling for several days. After the night that he had called fifteen times, Avery wasn’t sure what would happen. She could only hope he had finally given up and started to move on. As far as Joel was concerned, there wasn’t an evening that that they didn’t talk, and he was at the Brick Oven faithfully every morning to eat.