The Cinderella Arrangement

by Vanessa Waltz

  “It happens? It happens?”

  Will winced at the shriek in my voice.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I shoved him so hard that he fell back on his elbows, looking at me with a mixture of fear and guilt. “Why didn’t you tell me? We could have died!”

  He sat upright and buried his face in his hands. “I know.”

  People were getting out of their cars and walking toward us with looks of concern on their faces. “You all right?”

  I grimaced. “Will, you need to go to the hospital.”

  “No. There’s nothing you can do for panic attacks. It’ll be a waste of time.”

  “But—”

  “Let’s just go!” He stood, his back facing the wreck.

  “If you think I will let you drive us, you’re out of your mind.”

  Will looked at my determined face and gave me a small nod. I approached the left side of the car out of habit and swore.

  “You sure you’re all right, love?”

  “We’re fine!” I said in a high-pitched voice.

  Yes, everything’s fine. I’m about to drive stick shift for the first time in a decade. Everything’s swell!

  I sat in the driver’s seat with Will chewing his thumb next to me, looking self-conscious. Everything was on the wrong side.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

  “You’ll get the hang of it. Just relax.”

  “You relax!” I snapped.

  I started the car and stalled it. People were honking at us from behind. I turned the key again and floored the gas, burning the clutch but finally moving forward. I relaxed as I shifted into second gear and drove down the highway, following the GPS.

  “Okay,” I began. “Want to tell me what the hell that was about?”

  I eyed him, but he sat there clam-like. A vision of my hands wrapped around his throat filled my mind.

  “I was involved in a car accident years ago and that’s all you need to know.”

  A light flickered in my head. “So when you see car wrecks, you freak out?”

  Pain was etched all over his face as blatant as a Greek mask. “They can trigger episodes, yes.”

  “What happened?”

  He shook his dark head, his wide eyes looking everywhere but me. “Natalie, please.”

  Whatever it was, it was bad. That only added fuel to the curiosity burning inside me. Though, the guilt in his voice didn’t make it too hard to guess what happened.

  He killed someone.

  The adrenaline rush almost made me black out and my palms suddenly felt greasy over the steering wheel. I stared straight ahead, afraid to look at him with judgment in my eyes.

  That was probably what happened. He killed someone—or maimed them so badly that life would never be the same.

  Stop speculating. You know nothing.

  “Think you figured it out, haven’t you?”

  I gave my head a little shake. “Nope.”

  He snorted but said nothing more.

  We kept the conversation light. I had no desire to send him into another panic attack while I was driving.

  It was time to get off the highway, a moment I dreaded. I edged up behind the cars leading to the roundabout.

  “Take the third exit.”

  “Third exit? What does that mean?”

  Will’s face contorted as he fought to keep a straight face. “It means you leave at the third exit. You can count, right?”

  I gritted my teeth. How could someone be so damn annoying? I watched the cars sliding into the roundabout. There appeared to be two lanes.

  “Crap. I am so stressed out.”

  “Don’t be stressed out, Natalie. You’ll get used to it. I promise.”

  Now it was my turn. I had to wait until there was a gap between the cars zooming from the right. We whirled around in a circle and I almost didn’t notice the first exit.

  “Shit! Which one is it?”

  “The third one.”

  But I lost track of which ones were passing by me, and then I looped around the entire circle. “Which one IS IT?”

  By now, Will had dissolved into laughter. He reached over and patted my shoulder.

  “Get off here.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled left down a road. The GPS lead us deep into the country, until the roads narrowed so severely that I didn’t understand how two cars could fit alongside each other.

  It was like something out of a Tolkien novel. There were endless, deep green fields, sheep, unpaved roads, and footpaths that led from village to village. We drove through Ebrington, following tiny, crude signposts. The small, brick cottages, each with a lush garden, looked like something out of a fairy-tale book. I pulled onto the street where we would be staying.

  The bed and breakfast was a flat-faced, beige cottage with a kissing gate bordered by rose bushes. A wonderful pasture bordered the house, where I could make out white dots of sheep and hear the occasional baa. There were footpaths leading toward the pasture that begged to be explored.

  I grinned as I turned back to see William extracting an irate Tom from the car. He let the cat out at once, which immediately dashed into the bushes.

  “He’ll be fine,” he said, noticing my concern.

  As we passed through the kissing gate, I realized how desperate my body was for a nap. It was a struggle just to go up the small steps. I knocked on the blue door with William right behind me.

  It opened to reveal a slight blonde woman wearing an apron.

  “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Pardini.”

  My cheeks bloomed.

  “Yes, yes we are,” he boomed from behind me.

  “I’m Mary. Please come in!”

  Mary could hardly contain her excitement over being considered as a potential affiliate of the prestigious Pardini hotel chain.

  The cottage was immaculate. There were a living room whose floors looked like they had been polished, a giant solarium with a breakfast table and plush, comfortable looking couches, and a tiny, cramped kitchen. The upstairs led to the rooms. It was the cutest place I had ever seen. Tom the cat darted inside from between my legs.

  “I brought my cat with me, I hope that’s all right with you?” he asked in an innocent tone.

  From the look on Mary’s face, it was certain it wasn’t all right, but she was too terrified to say otherwise. I turned around to glare at my husband.

  He shouldn’t use his status to bully people like this.

  Mary’s face fell, but she recovered. “No, no sir. It’s no trouble at all.” She bit her lip as the cat jumped on one of the couches in the solarium.

  “Wonderful. My wife and I want to take a nap, and then we’ll probably want dinner. Do you have any recommendations?”

  “Y—yes! The Ebrington Arms is right down the street. I shall arrange for you for seven.”

  “Lovely. Come, darling.”

  My face burned, partly in anger, and partly flattered that Mary thought I was his wife. He carried both suitcases up the narrow stairs, refusing all offers from Mary for help.

  “Your room is just to the right. It has a lovely view of the garden. The Wi-Fi password is within the book inside your room.”

  “W—wait we’re sharing a room?” My face burned even brighter, forgetting that Mary was behind us.

  He gave a good-natured chuckle. “Of course, silly!”

  William’s laying it on thick.

  It reminded me of his antics at the restaurant when he crashed my date with that boring guy; I already forgot his name.

  “We’re newlyweds,” he explained to Mary. “She comes from a conservative background, so she was always shy.”

  I clenched my fists. Newlyweds who don’t wear wedding rings?

  Mary looked perplexed by all of this information. “I had no idea. Well, I’ll go back downstairs to call the restaurant.”

  Will’s face crinkled into a smile. “Thank you.” He pushed the door open and wheeled the suitcases inside.

  It was a s
mall, neat room. A small, old TV stood on top of a desk in the corner. The bed was small—probably a double--and the tiled bathroom was spotless and the towels were fresh. On the nightstand were a few snacks and a small pot for making tea. Will sat on the bed, his head a few feet underneath the triangular roof. I could see his mind whirring, analyzing every detail. The billionaire looked unimpressed.

  I looked out of the window and saw a cute, small garden and even more of the English countryside. How wonderful it must be to live here, I thought.

  “I don’t know about this place. It’s—minimalistic.”

  “I think it’s great. She was so excited to see you.”

  He grinned. “Lots of women are excited to see me.”

  I guess I had that one coming. I tried to bury my smile. “Do you have to be such an ass?”

  My heart jumped as he pushed himself off the bed and walked toward me. I suddenly realized how alone we were, and how tall and imposing he was. My heart thudded painfully. I wondered what it would be like to be married to him.

  Probably hellish.

  But waking up to his face like his every morning would be a dream. Overwhelmed with that vision, my hand flew to my necklace and yanked on the chain.

  His lips smiled. “You always do that when you’re nervous.”

  “Do what?”

  He gave me a satisfied grin. “It’s flattering, but you don’t need to be nervous around me.”

  His words sent a flash of heat up my spine. The air felt too hot as his hand gripped mine. His thumb stroked the palm of my hand and I felt a wave of dizziness so strong that I stumbled back. Will’s eyes seared through me.

  “You’re tired. You need sleep."

  I looked at the one bed. “So much for keeping it professional.”

  “Well, I pre-booked everything when I thought we would be fucking.”

  “Jesus, Will!”

  He shrugged. “Relax, Natalie. I won’t touch you.”

  Why not? Was he really going to deny the chemistry we had?

  Still holding my hand, his head bent down to give me a chaste kiss on my cheek. He pulled back, looking pink in the face. “Thank you. For helping me.”

  I felt the burn mark of his lips on my face as if he ironed it on. “No problem."

  “Now go to sleep.”

  “What about you?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want to sleep right now.”

  He didn’t want to return to the nightmares he knew would haunt him. I let go of his hand reluctantly, but my body was screaming for sleep. The covers peeled back as I tugged, and I slid inside. Will sat on a comfortable chair near the windows. I denied the desire coursing through my veins like good whiskey. More than anything in my life, I wanted to crawl into his lap and lace my fingers around his neck. I wanted his arms wrapped around me, whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

  6

  I woke up to brilliant sunshine pouring into my room and propped myself up on my elbows. Will was gone. Poor guy spent the night in the chair while I slept on the bed. It was his fault for not booking separate rooms, but I still felt bad about it.

  I slipped out and padded to the bathroom. The shower door sprinkled with droplets. Will took a shower while I was asleep. As I turned the water on and removed my clothes, I imagined him bursting in while I was lathering myself. A delicious shiver ran up my leg. How hot would that be?

  Stop thinking about that. You’re here to do a job.

  Right. I was supposed to be thinking about designs, not lusting after a man who, no matter how attractive he was, had serious issues.

  Dressing quickly after my shower, I left the room and descended the rickety staircase.

  “Good morning!” said Mary when I reached the first floor. “Sleep well?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Breakfast is in the solarium along with your husband.”

  Husband?

  Oh, right. William. I followed the sunshine into the next room, which poured through the glass windows. There, I found a tired looking Will surrounded by a banquet of food. He looked dead on his feet.

  On the left was a table with plates and I grabbed one, loading it with food: figs stewed in tea, some concoction with grapefruit, fresh rolls, and homemade jam.

  “Would you like coffee or tea? Traditional English breakfast or would you like the American version?”

  I might as well go all the way. “Tea and English breakfast, thank you.”

  She left the room, and I nodded at Will from across the table. His eyes were bloodshot.

  He sipped his mug. “This British coffee is weak shit,” he hissed.

  “Will, you should really go for a nap. I can walk around by myself.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be fine.”

  “What do you think about the food so far?”

  Will nodded in a so-so manner. “She wins points for making and selling her own jam. And it’s pretty good.”

  I spread some of the gooseberry jam over a fresh roll and I moaned at the explosion of flavor. “Wow, that is good.”

  “Here it is!” Mary re-entered the solarium with a heavy plate of food for me. She dropped it in front of me.

  “Uh—thanks!”

  There was a pile of what looked like canned beans in a red sauce, fried tomato slices, strips of what looked like ham, and fried eggs. Will smirked at me from across the table and laughed when I tried some of the beans. On the whole, it was unremarkable.

  “What is this?”

  I forked the meat, which was thick and fatty.

  He laughed. “It’s English bacon.”

  I tried it. It was too thick and reminded me of ham. I set it aside and picked my way throughout the plate.

  “I don’t like it,” I said in an undertone.

  Will gave me an amused glance. “It’s a traditional dish. If you asked me, I would have told you to avoid it.”

  I didn’t ask you. “It’s not too bad.” I shrugged.

  After breakfast, Will and I left the cottage to explore the Cotswolds. We drove to Bourton-on-the-Water, where a wide, slow river ran through the whole town. Low-arched stone bridges added to the charm of the bustling village, which looked like something out of a Hollywood set. The little stone houses bordered the river. There was a market of vendors selling wool clothing. It was too cute to be real.

  “God, I would kill myself if I lived here.”

  “What did you expect? We’re in the country.”

  I bought a Cornish pasty from a vendor on the street, which was delicious. It was filled with spiced meat and vegetables. Then we drove to a pair of villages called the Slaughters and parked the car. I wanted to walk around and get a feel for the place. I had never seen such beauty. The feeling of being sucked into a fairy-tale book was overwhelming. The stone cottages side by side, the quiet, little rivers woven through the village, the beautiful green trees and farm fields surrounded us. Everything was so moist. I couldn’t believe how quiet it was. It was strange to not hear the sounds of construction, of cars, of anything, really, except songbirds and the rustling of squirrels in trees. I had never been in such a place. I felt removed from civilization and I experienced a peace I never felt before.

  We walked along the river, passing by people tending to their gardens, and came upon a mill next to a souvenir shop. Behind the shop was a path to the following village: Upper Slaughter.

  Will walked beside me and I gave him a smile. I had to keep resisting the urge to pinch myself. How could this be real? The dirt path followed the river and on both sides were fields of grazing sheep. There was nothing but the sounds of our feet walking, the gentle river playing and the baaing of sheep. I stopped for a moment just to appreciate it and felt the strangest sensation as I looked over the fence to gaze at the sheep. It was like this quiet, sleepy village cast a spell on me.

  “Getting ideas for designs?” he asked as he joined me on the fence.

  “Yeah.” My brain was already freezing images in my head: the yellow sto
ne cottages, the river, and the green fields. “I’ve never been to such a peaceful place.”

  “I don’t know. It’s kind of boring.” He pushed himself off and threw small rocks into the river, upsetting a white swan gliding downstream.

  I rolled my eyes. Of course Will would find it boring. This was the opposite of his home in San Francisco, which was always bustling with noise and activity. It was hard to find peace and quiet in California, where the brown hills were slowly filling up with little boxes. I took pictures of everything so I could refer to them later.

  He stood close to the river, and I was suddenly overcome with an urge to shove him into the water. I was angry about how he treated me, and it would be wonderful payback.

  Let’s see how little rich-boy handles getting his feet wet.

  I tiptoed silently. He still talked as if I stood far away. Excitement pounded through my rapidly beating heart as I raised my palms to his back and shoved.

  “What the fuck?” he roared.

  Will stumbled forward, his right foot sinking into the icy river. He turned with an offended look as I doubled over and laughed, tears squeezing from my eyes. He looked around as if someone else must have been responsible.

  “You did this? What are you, five?”

  I clutched the fence, still crying with laughter as Will hopped onto the trail and shook out his drenched tennis shoe.

  “That’s for being whiny about this place.”

  “I’ve got water in my fucking shoe! Oh, you will pay for this.”

  I screamed and sprinted down the trail as he came after me. Luckily, there was no one else around to see us behaving like idiots. Despite his exhaustion, he caught up easily and yanked me into his chest. Before I knew it, I was flying in the air and he was cradling me in his arms, smirking.

  “Will! WILL!”

  He carried me somewhere—I couldn’t see.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” he said, smiling down at me. “That’s so out of character for you.”

  My face was on his shoulder. He smelled incredible—like pine and cedar. I was caught between the ecstasy of being so close to him and fear he was planning something terrible. “Will! Put me down!”

  He raised his eyebrows. “You sure? Okay.”

  “No! Wait!”