Miss Demeanor

by Beth Rinyu

  “She’s a total bitch! How could she think this is even reasonable?” he shouted. “There is no way in hell she’s getting any of it.”

  I noticed his Southern accent would become more prominent when he was angry or annoyed over something…like whenever he would speak to me.

  “Alex, calm down. She’s not going to, just let it play out.”

  Who the hell are they talking about?

  “Shit, damn it,” I whispered as I frantically searched through my purse to silence my ringing phone. I took a few steps back from Mr. Andrews’ office, so it didn’t look like I was just listening to their conversation, finally locating my phone just as my aunt’s call went to voicemail. Alex poked his head out of his uncle’s office, letting out an annoyed huff at the sight of me. “Oh, you scared me. I didn’t know anyone was here.” I feigned my alarm.

  “Rose, is that you?” Mr. Andrews called from his office.

  “Oh yeah, I was just heading out.” I moved forward and stuck my head in.

  “You’re a dedicated worker…I like that.”

  Alex rolled his eyes. “I’ll meet you out front, Uncle Henry.”

  “Wait a minute, Alex!” he shouted just as he almost made his getaway.

  He turned around, his frustration was evident. “Yeah?”

  “Have you and Rose set up a day to go to the shelter?”

  “No—”

  “Actually, he said he doesn’t have time for such nonsense when I asked him about it earlier, so maybe we can think of some other thing for me to write about,” I chimed in.

  Mr. Andrews looked at his nephew with pure confusion. “Alex, really? You volunteer there all the time. Surely you can take Rose with you.”

  “Yeah, well, the next few weeks are pretty jammed up for me, so I’m not gonna be able to get there.” He started to walk off once again and was summoned back by his uncle.

  “Alex, you need to make time to do this. Besides it being a really good story for the magazine, it’s also great press for our company. Two of our employees volunteering their time to help out the homeless.”

  “Uncle Henry, you of all people know I’m not into appearances, and I don’t do things to receive recognition from anyone. I do it because I want to.”

  “I understand that. But I’m asking you to please do this for the company.”

  “Fine.” He huffed. “Meet me at the Bowery Mission on Prince Street and Bowery at six p.m. tomorrow.”

  “Okay…fine. Oh, wait!” I shouted, calling him back once again. “I just remembered, I can’t tomorrow.” I’d almost forgotten, I may have been meeting my future husband tomorrow evening. There was no way I could let that opportunity pass me by just so I could serve dinner with someone whose personality matched the bowl of soup we’d more than likely be dishing out.

  “Why can’t you do it tomorrow?” he asked, suddenly taking an unusual interest in my life.

  “Because I can’t…I already made plans for that time.”

  He dubiously gazed at me. “Well, then I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “Really? Why do you have to be like this? Can we just do it on Thursday?”

  “Fine!” He relented and finally made his escape.

  Mr. Andrews shook his head and chuckled.

  “Is he my test to see how dedicated I really am to this place?” I teased.

  “It will be fine, Rose. He’ll warm up to you.”

  “I don’t know what I even did to make him so cold in the first place,” I mumbled.

  “I think I know the answer to this already, but do you care to join Alex and me for dinner?”

  “Oh no, besides the fact Alex would probably never speak to you again if I came, I already have dinner plans with my aunt, but thanks for the invite.”

  “Oh, your aunt Kate?” His smile grew at the mention of her name.

  “Yes. Do you know her?”

  “Yes, I do. Please give her my regards.”

  “I will.” I smiled.

  _______________

  “So, now I have to volunteer at a homeless shelter. Do you believe that?” I rambled to Aunt Kate as we waited for our table. “And this guy is the biggest asshole you ever wanted to meet. He’s hated me from the moment I stepped foot in that place for no reason at all.”

  Aunt Kate listened carefully and nodded. “Maybe he really likes you.”

  I shook my head and let out a cackle. “Oh no, trust me…there is no like there! I don’t get it, his uncle is so sweet…oh, by the way, he said he knows you.”

  “Henry Andrews.” She nodded and smiled. “Yes, we do know each other.”

  I narrowed my eyes and studied her face, wondering just how well they knew each other. Mr. Andrews was super sweet, and he certainly wasn’t bad-looking for an older man. Did they have a thing in the past or could I use my matchmaking skills to make that a reality in the future? I immediately scratched that thought when I envisioned her walking down the aisle to him, making his nephew a distant type of cousin or something like that to me.

  “Ladies!” I turned around to the familiar voice, my smile at the sight of Mr. Andrews fading the moment my eyes shifted to his nephew.

  “Henry!” my aunt exclaimed.

  He kissed her on the cheek and her face lit up with glee, confirming my suspicions—there was definitely some history between the two of them. “When Rose told me she was meeting you for dinner, it immediately reminded me of this place. What would be the chances that this was still your favorite restaurant and you would actually be having dinner here?”

  She shook her head and laughed.

  “Oh, Kate, this is my nephew, Alex.”

  “Oh! So nice to meet you. You’re Thomas’ son?”

  “I am.” Alex nodded and gently shook her hand.

  Thomas’ son? How in the world did she know all this? Did she have some secret life in the past with this family or something?

  “Rose was just telling me how much she enjoys working for you, Henry.”

  “Well, she’s a great worker. That’s for sure.”

  My eyes glanced over at Alex, who couldn’t resist his standard eye roll I’d grown so accustomed to whenever his uncle would pay me a compliment.

  “Why don’t you guys join us? I’d love to catch up,” my aunt suggested.

  Alex peered up from his phone and judging by the look on his face, he was feeling the same wave of panic I was. There was no way in hell I was going to suffer through dinner with Alex…none.

  “I would love to, but I have some business I need to discuss with my nephew, and I wouldn’t want to bore you ladies with it. But I’d love to take a rain check.”

  Phew, dodged that bullet.

  “That would be wonderful.” Aunt Kate couldn’t take her eyes off him. It was as if I was watching a high school romance play out right in front of me, only they weren’t teenagers by any means.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when the hostess called our name for our table, breaking up the lovebirds from ogling each other. I waited until we were seated, and Mr. Andrews and his nephew were off at the bar, far away from hearing anything we had to say. “So, Aunt Kate, how do you know…Henry?” I mimicked the high-pitched voice she had used when he had entered the restaurant.

  She cleared her throat and tried to hold back a smile. “Oh, we met through your father. It was a very long time ago.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh…do tell!”

  “Not much to tell.” She opened her napkin and overzealously shook it out before placing it on her lap and staring down at the table.

  “Oh, but I think there is,” I badgered. “You obviously met the fam if you know the father of the dreadful nephew.”

  “Like I said, it was a long time ago.” She let out a regretful sigh. “And I happen to think that dreadful nephew is quite handsome, my sweet niece.” She dropped her head to her menu and laughed, knowing exactly how to veer me off a subject she was less than comfortable talking about.

  Chapter 12

&nbs
p; ___________________

  Alex

  MY UNCLE AND I SAT at the bar waiting for our table, and I found myself glancing in Rose’s direction for the third time since we sat down while she and her aunt ate dinner.

  “See something you like over there?” My uncle raised an eyebrow and smiled as he downed his scotch.

  “Not particularly. Maybe it’s you I should be asking that same question. What’s the connection with you and her aunt?”

  “We just go back a long way. Old friends.” He lifted his glass to the bartender, signaling another.

  I cleared my throat and studied him. “Are friends all the two of you were?”

  “It makes no difference now. That was a long time ago.”

  He definitely had some kind of thing going with her aunt in the past, and that would explain why he had such a soft spot for Rose.

  “You know, you should ease up on Rose a bit. Despite what you think, she’s a very intelligent girl.”

  I downed my gin and tonic, just as the bartender set another in front of me.

  “If the two of you could learn to put your minds together, there’s no telling how successful the magazine would be. You’re both young and have such different viewpoints on life that would resonate with a diverse group of readers,” he hammered on.

  “The only viewpoint she has on life is how to land a rich guy so she can maintain the lifestyle she’s been accustomed to. She’s just like—”

  My uncle held his hand up to stop me just before the dreaded name crossed my lips. “No, Alex, that’s where you’re wrong. Yes, Rose has lived a privileged life. How could she not? Her father is one of the biggest real estate developers on the West Coast. That’s the only life she knows. But I’ve been watching her interact with the other staff, Lucy and Marisa in particular, and I know she has a good heart. She’s willing to try new things, even ones she thinks are beneath her…she just doesn’t realize it yet. That’s why I want you to take her to that homeless shelter to let her see there’s a whole other world out there. You can’t fault her for being sheltered her entire life and only knowing one way of living. Not everyone can be like you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped.

  “You had the world at your feet. You were accepted into Princeton and MIT and you—”

  “Yeah, I know, I blew it by joining the military.”

  “No, that’s not what I was going to say. Not at all. You did something you were passionate about when you had every other opportunity in the world given to you. Not many people would do something that honorable.”

  “Yeah, and look where that got me.”

  “Yes, look where it did get you. You should be very proud of yourself and your accomplishments.”

  “Well, I’m not. I didn’t finish what I set out to do…I failed.”

  “You were a MARSOC Marine. That’s hardly a failure.”

  I bowed my head and stared down at the bar. I hated hearing the word were when it pertained to my time in the military when it should have been are. “You know, they say once a Marine always a Marine. No matter how old you are or how long you’ve been out of the Corp.” I shook my head. “It’s only been two years for me, and I don’t feel worthy enough to call myself a Marine anymore. I feel like I failed everyone and most of all myself.”

  “Alex, you got hurt doing a mission…a very dangerous one at that, and by some miracle you’re still alive to talk about it. How could you think you let anyone down?” He raised his voice. “You could have lived off your father’s good fortune like he wanted you to, but you didn’t, and I have nothing but respect for you for that.”

  I chugged down my drink and stared into space, wishing I could hear those same words come from my father’s mouth, but he was never able to say them to me. “Yeah, well, maybe my dad was right. Maybe if I had gone to school like he wanted, I would’ve never met her, I wouldn’t have gotten injured, and I wouldn’t be going through all the bullshit I’m going through right now.”

  “You’ll get through this, Alex, and soon, she’ll be a distant memory. She was your mistake to be made. We all have at least one of them in life. It’s just setting you up for something and someone better.”

  “Fuck that, I’m so done with women once this is over.” I found my eyes drifting back over into Rose’s direction as she threw her head back and laughed. She turned her head my way, her smile still somewhat prevalent when our eyes connected, causing me to abruptly look away.

  “Never say never, Alex. The right one may be a lot closer than you think.” Uncle Henry grinned and patted me on the shoulder.

  Chapter 13

  ___________________

  Rose

  I HAD GONE BACK and forth all day long with my decision to make an appearance at Starbucks, still having doubts as I stood outside the door readying to enter. Lucy was the only one I had confided my plans to. Even though I was fairly certain she may have blabbed it to a few people at work, it made me feel better to know at least someone knew where I was going to be in case he was a serial killer leading me into a trap.

  Me: Going in.

  Lucy: Okay. Don’t forget to text the code if things get weird. And text me when you’re out of there.

  Me: Will do.

  I placed my hand on the door handle and closed my eyes. This was crazy. I really thought my Prince Charming was inside. Someone I’d never met and only spoken to online, and here I was picking out china patterns in my mind, just because he had money and a villa in Tuscany. My head was telling me to turn around and leave, but I rarely ever listened to that logical voice that sometimes tried to veer me on to the right path. He may be a dud, or he may have fallen for her lies of undying love, throwing my whole plan off course, but I was going to at least go inside and see what I was up against. I owed that much to myself. Plus, I wanted to escape from the heat of the warm and humid August evening and into the refuge of some air-conditioning.

  I walked up to the counter once I entered and ordered myself an iced coffee. Turning my head nonchalantly to check out the patrons, trying to figure out if any of them matched the description of Confused & Unhappy, not that I even had a description of him. But how hard could it be to spot someone who was young, successful, and rich out of all the people who filled these seats?

  “Here you go, miss.” The barista broke me from my daydreaming and handed me my drink.

  “Thanks,” I replied, carefully choosing a seat where I could have full view of all the customers. My eyes scanned the area for my possible target. A younger couple both wearing wedding bands, a teenage girl and her dad, three girls around my age, and a business-type woman on her laptop. None of them fit the description of my Prince Charming. I shook my head over my own stupidity. Ridiculous didn’t even sum up how I was feeling. I started to get up, catching a glimpse of the nice-looking man sitting in the corner—dirty-blond closely cropped hair, sharp dresser, and appearing to be just a little older than me. How did I not notice him in my initial observation? Could this be him? If it was, I hit the jackpot. But where was the girl? Had she already broken his heart and left? Was she a no-show? I needed to find out…but how? I chewed on my straw, thinking of a way to introduce myself to my potential husband without looking obvious. I pulled out my phone and put it in airplane mode, walking over to where he was sitting and taking a seat at the table next to his.

  “Can I bother you for a second?”

  “Yeah?” He lifted his head from his phone. His deep brown eyes locked with mine and it was like fate had collided for both of us. A slow smile etched across his face, revealing a deep dimple in his right cheek, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling in return.

  “Are you getting Wi-Fi on your phone because I just can’t seem to connect.”

  “May I?” he asked.

  “Oh sure.” I handed off my phone to him and he checked the settings.

  “You had it on airplane mode,” he said almost immediately.

  Rich, good-looking, and smart. I cou
ld definitely fall in love with him.

  “Oh wow, I’m such a ditz sometimes. Thanks so much.” I tried to think of something else to say to keep the conversation going. “I’m Rose, by the way.”

  “I’m Brock.”

  “Oh, Brock, I like that…that’s really different.” I batted my eyelashes and tossed my hair over my left shoulder.

  He seemed lost in bewilderment, making no effort to try and conceal that he was totally checking me out. “Yeah, well…” His tone was a little gruffer than when I had first sat down. He paused, giving me the once-over again. “I was wondering if you wanted to join me for some coffee,” he finished, this time in a lot gentler manner.

  “I’d love to.” I couldn’t hold back my smile.

  After getting to know Brock Donavan a lot better, my suspicions were confirmed he was Confused & Unhappy and I was there to help pick up the pieces after his girlfriend did indeed establish she was only after his money. Not only did he have a very successful real estate company, but he came from money as well. His father was an oil tycoon who owned a ranch in Texas worth two and a half million dollars. In addition to that, they owned property in France, Greece, and Tahiti. He was twenty-eight years old and heartbroken over his ex-girlfriend’s admission. I didn’t reveal who I was to him. Instead, I was a sounding board, and in the end, I scored a date with him the coming weekend.

  _______________

  I was walking on a cloud the next day at work. Not even the fact I had to spend a few hours with Mr. Personality at a homeless shelter later could take the spring out of my step. I had hit the motherlode of men. Brock had everything on my list, including great personality. I hadn’t laughed as much as I had with him last night in a long while. Lucy and Marisa were the only two people who knew the premise of how we met. I didn’t even come clean to my aunt, sparing myself of her lecture over how he could be some psychotic serial killer. Instead, she was under the assumption we had met over coffee in Starbucks, not that it still wouldn’t preclude him from being a psychotic serial killer, but for some reason it put her mind at ease to think we met that way instead of online.