“Anna?” The voice is familiar but one that I don't recognize right away.
“Yes.” I say, my mind racing to pinpoint the female's voice.
“It's Shira.” She says enthusiastically through the phone. “Sorry to call you twice in a row. I forgot to leave a message the first time so I was calling back to leave one. Guess I don't need to now.”
“Shira. Hi.” I squeak out, more than a little surprised that Bentley's secret sister is calling me and not the least bit sure what it could be about.
“Sorry to call you out of the blue. I realize you don't know me that well, but I'm in town for a few days and Bentley gave me your number. He thought it might be nice for us to spend a little time together.” She says, pausing for me to say something.
“Oh. Okay.” I try not to seem too caught off guard. “Yeah. That sounds good. What do you have in mind?” I ask, fighting with the door for a second before finally making it inside of my building.
“How about dinner? I'm free tonight.” She says.
“I can do tonight.” I respond, wishing that I had something else planned. I know that sounds bad but I know nothing about this woman other than she shares a father with my boyfriend and works as his assistant. I'm good with men, women are another thing entirely.
I mean, I make friends easy enough, but that usually comes from spending countless hours with them, whether that be at work or school. Being pushed into a situation where I have to sit across the table from someone I don't know, that I don't plan to sleep with, and make polite conversation, is a bit out of my comfort zone.
“Perfect.” She practically sings into the phone. “I have some work to do this afternoon and then I'm free. How does seven o'clock work for you?”
“Seven is perfect.” I say, pushing my way inside of my room and dropping my load of books on the bed, before peeling my extremely full book bag off of my back and dropping it on the floor.
“Great. You are familiar with Piermans yes?” She asks.
“I am.” I say, my mind immediately traveling back to the night Bentley took me there. “Bentley's friend Derek is the chef there.” I add, though I don't know why I felt the need to say it, given that she is probably already well aware of that fact.
“The reservation is under Monroe. I will meet you there at seven.”
“Sounds good.” I say, breathing out a sigh of relief when she says her goodbyes and disconnects the call.
Tossing my phone down onto my nightstand, I immediately turn my attention to my book bag. Pulling out the contents, I flop down on the floor and start going through my assignments to figure out which ones I need to do this afternoon and which ones can wait. Honestly, the last thing I want to do is homework right now. But since I now have only four hours until I am meeting Shira, my plan to eat my weight in Chinese food and get all my work done tonight is out the window.
Pulling out one of the Psychology books I picked up at the library, I thumb through a few pages but then end up tossing the book to the side within minutes, unable to focus on the words as my mind keeps drifting to my impending dinner with Bentley's sister. She said that he suggested it, which I guess is a good thing, right?
I mean, if he's pushing his sister to get to know me, that has to mean he plans to have me in his life, at least for a little while anyways. And while normally that thought would terrify me, I am starting to embrace my feelings for Bentley rather than fight them. It was a losing battle anyways.
****
By five o'clock, I decide to turn my focus on my outfit for the night. Going through the closet I share with Andrea, I look through all of my clothes before moving onto hers, deciding I don't like anything I have. Pulling out a knee length royal blue cocktail dress, I hold it up to myself in the mirror, deciding that between the two of our wardrobes, it's the best option I have. Elegant but not something that says I am trying too hard.
I also find a pair of silver heels on Andrea's shoe rack that accent the silver embroidery at the top of the dress perfectly. While Andrea is taller than me, we are very similar in dress size and lucky enough, wear the same shoe size as well. It works out nicely when one of us has nothing to wear.
I spend the next hour showering and getting ready and then the next thirty minutes after that, nervously pacing my dorm room, wishing that Andrea was here to tell me how ridiculous I am being. Unfortunately, Andrea has been MIA a lot here recently. Apparently she decided that Collin isn't too much of douche to date, or at least not yet anyways.
I really don't know why I am making such a big deal out of this to begin with. It's dinner with Bentley's sister. Yet, I feel more nervous now then I did the first night I met Bentley for dinner. I guess that just goes to show how much more comfortable I am with men.
Finally deciding that I should get going, I exit my room and make sure the door is locked before heading towards the stairwell. As I round the last set of stairs, I jump slightly when my phone starts buzzing in my purse. Waiting until I am off of the staircase, I stop in the hall to dig my phone out. I Immediately click answer when I see Bentley's name flashing across the screen.
“Hello.” I get out a little breathless from my trek down four flights of stairs.
“Rumor has it, you have dinner plans.” I can tell he's smiling just by the sound of his voice and the thought immediately brings a smile to my face.
“It would appear that I do.” I reply, pushing my way outside. “Thanks for the heads up by the way.” I tack on, crossing the grounds towards the parking lot.
“Sorry about that.” He laughs lightly. “I should probably warn you now that she is overly excited about this. She doesn't have many friends. I pretty much consume her life with work.”
“Well that's not being a very good brother is it?” I laugh, freezing mid step when I see Aaron crossing the space towards me.
“I suppose not.” Bentley continues, having no idea that I have gone cold on the other end.
“I gotta go.” I say, not able to make my feet move as I stand motionless in the middle of the parking lot just feet from my car.
“Is everything okay?” The concern in Bentley's voice is clear.
“Yeah. Fine. I'll call you back.” I say, not really processing his words. Clicking off the phone, I keep it firmly in my hand as I close the distance between me and my car, not missing that Aaron veers towards me.
“Wow.” He says, gesturing to my dress as he approaches me. “You always knew how to make me sweat.” He smiles wickedly at me.
“What are you doing here Aaron?” I ask, clutching my phone tighter.
“I was just in the neighborhood.” He says casually, taking a step towards me.
“I suggest you stay where you are.” I warn, taking a step backwards.
“Why do you have to act like that? Can't a man stop and say hello to an old friend?” He asks, giving me an innocent look like he can't even begin to fathom what my problem with him is.
“You could, if the person considered you a friend or had any desire to see you, which I don't.” I bite. “Now if you will excuse me, I have somewhere to be.” I say, making my way around the car to the drivers side, managing to slip inside with no incident.
Throwing my phone and purse into the seat next to me without really paying attention to where they land, I fire the engine to life, eager to get the hell out of here.
“Maybe another time then.” He speaks loudly enough that I can hear him through the window, as he backs away from the car and steps up onto the sidewalk.
I don't look in his direction again as I throw the car in reverse and back out, not even looking behind me as I do. I can still feel his eyes on me when I put the car in drive and speed out of the parking lot, but I don't give him the satisfaction of looking in his direction again.
Trying to shake off the nervous energy running through me, I jump slightly when my phone starts ringing. I'm not able to reach it because when I tossed it into the car, it slid onto my floorboard, so I have no option but to let it ring
. And given that I am currently in the middle of massive city traffic, I can't take my eyes off of the road long enough to try and make a grab for it.
By the time I pull up outside of the valet station at Piermans, my phone has gone off at least a half a dozen more times. Peeling myself out of the car, I make my way around the passenger side to collect my things from the floor before I hand the valet my keys. I wait for him to give me my ticket before heading inside, slightly embarrassed, given how crappy my car is compared to all the others that I see.
Silently apologizing to the valet, I head directly to the hostess desk. Knowing full well that with my run in with Aaron and then the crazy amount of traffic I hit on the way over, I am running a bit later than I would have liked. I am so frazzled by the time I reach her, that I completely forget the name Shira told me the reservation is under.
Trying to remember, I stutter over my words for a second before finally spitting out the name Monroe, only remembering the name from when Bentley told me the story of his real father. Reed was the last name of the man who adopted and raised him. Considering Shira was raised by their biological father, she still bares the Monroe name.
The hostess leads me through the restaurant, for the first time giving me the full effect of the interior. The only other time I have been here, Bentley reserved us a private table in the kitchen so I never actually got to see the dining room area, but it is exactly as I imagined. The aquarium walls that line the lobby give only a preview of the floor to ceiling ones that stretch through various sections of the restaurant, giving the space almost a maze feel.
When I finally spot Shira at a small table next to a window, I am not sure if I am relieved or even more nervous than I was an hour ago. The moment she registers my face, she visibly relaxes and hits me with a wide smile.
“Thank God you're here.” She says, as I pull out the chair across from her and take a seat.
“Sorry I'm late.” I say, but when I look back up, Shira has her phone to her ear.
“She's here.” She says, meeting my eyes. “Okay. Hang on.” She says, holding her phone out for me, gesturing for me to take it. “It's Bentley.” She says, shoving the phone into my hand.
Not sure what else to do, I hold the phone up to my ear, feeling more than a little confused by what is going on. “Hello.” I say, not prepared for the slew of words that come flying at me the moment he hears my voice.
“Why aren't you answering my calls?” His voice is laced with anger and it takes me a moment to catch up. I was in such a rush to get inside, I didn't even think to check my phone.
“I'm sorry. I was in traffic and I wasn't able to get to my phone.” I say, trying to keep my voice even and quiet, considering my surroundings.
“Do you have any idea how worried I have been? First you practically hang up on me. Then, you're late to meet Shira for dinner. And to top it all off, no one was able to reach you. What the hell happened?” He asks, his tone not softening even a little bit, making me feel like a child being reprimanded by her father. Something that does not sit well with me.
Trying to see things from his point of view, I take a deep breath. “I ran into a friend outside of my dorm. I should have called you back. I'm sorry. I was in such a rush to get here on time that I didn't even think about it and then you were on the phone with Shira before I even had time to check mine to see that you had called.”
“What friend?” He asks, clearly picking up on my vague response.
“Just an old friend from high school. Can we please just talk about this later?” I ask, giving Shira the best apologetic smile I can muster. She winks at me and shakes her head like she knows exactly what I am dealing with.
“Fine.” He bites, clearly not happy with me.
“I'm sorry okay?” I say, my tone reflecting how bad I really do feel.
“Me too.” He says, letting out a slow exhale. “I was just really worried.”
“I know.” I cut him off. “I'm not used to having someone to worry about me, so you need to cut me some slack.” I laugh lightly at myself, knowing just how much of a work in progress I am.
“And I've never had someone I've cared enough for to truly worry about them. This is new for me too.” He admits. “Call me after dinner.”
“I will. Promise.” I tack on, ending the call and handing the device back to Shira. She hits me with an understanding smile and slowly shakes her head.
“Men.” She says, taking a long sip of her wine.
“You have no idea.” I laugh, realizing that she probably understands better than anyone, exactly what I am dealing with.
Chapter
Thirteen
“So I understand you are a dancer. Ballet right?” Shira says, dropping her napkin onto the table in front of her as the waiter clears away our salad plates.
“Was a dancer.” I correct her. “Now the only dancing I really do is at Allure.” I shrug. “But yes, I danced Ballet but more Contemporary.” I add on.
“Bentley says you are very talented. I would love to see you dance one day.” She smiles, taking a drink of her wine before continuing. “When I was little I wanted to be a dancer. My dad paid for lessons for about two years before I finally gave it up. I'm not the most coordinated person in the world.” She laughs at herself.
“Anyways, so tell me. How did you and Bentley meet?” She asks, leaning forward like she's really interested.
“Hasn't he told you?” I ask, a little caught off guard.
“Are you kidding me? That man is a vault. I'm lucky if he tells me what state he's working in from day to day, forget about personal life details.” She shakes her head on a laugh.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, he doesn't tell me anything either. I was convinced you two were sleeping together until he told me you were his sister on the flight home.” I admit, both of us bursting into laughter.
“Leave it to my brother to omit something like that.”
“He really is a piece of work.” I say, shaking my head. “But to answer your question, we met at Allure. I remember the first time I saw him, though I will spare you the details.” I laugh, remembering that I am talking to his sister and there are just some things she probably doesn't want to know. “I've never been the relationship type but Bentley has a way of getting people to do what he wants, even when they don't realize it.” I say, smiling to myself.
“That he does.” She agrees. “But he sure is crazy about you.” She adds, catching my eyes. “Honestly Anna. I've never seen that man even like a girl past the bedroom. But you. You mean a great deal to him. That much is blisteringly clear.”
“I don't understand why though.” The words fall from my lips without me actually meaning to say them.
“What do you mean?” She asks, seeming genuinely interested.
“I don't know. Doesn't it seem weird to you that a man who could have anyone he wants, would choose a poor college student dancing three nights a week at one of his clubs? I have nothing to offer him.”
“Listen, I don't pretend to understand the inner workings of my brother's twisted mind. But Anna, you are a rare enigma in the world. I've seen the way you handle him. The way you stand your ground with him. You are the first woman who hasn't bent to his will. I'm guessing that is where the initial attraction started.”
“I guess.” I shrug, feeling a little weird talking about Bentley with her but at the same time, loving the inside look into a man I still know so little about. Not that she seems to know much more than me, or at least that's how she's playing it. I would dare say she knows a hell of a lot more about Bentley than she is leading on.
“It's not always clear why we love the people we do. But there is one thing I know to be true above all others. That man worships the ground you walk on. I knew from the moment I saw the way he looked at you, that this was the real thing. My brother had finally fallen in love. I have watched women throw themselves at him for years and him barely bat an eye but with you, he's an entirely different per
son. You should have heard him on the phone before you got here. Absolutely losing his mind he was.” She laughs.
“Yeah, he tends to get mad at me pretty easily.” I say, pausing when the waiter reappears with our entrees.
“Give him time. He'll get better. He's never been in a relationship before. Honestly, I'm surprised he even lets you out of his sight. He is the most controlling person I have ever met in my life. And stubborn. Oh my God is that man stubborn.” She laughs. “He's lucky we grew up in separate households. Otherwise, I dare say he would have been beaten to death with a high heel at some point.” We both laugh at the comment and I am realizing very quickly that I really like Shira.
She's very different than Bentley in a lot of ways but also very similar too. I can see him in some of her facial expressions and when she smiles. I don't know how I didn't notice before, but she has the same dimples that he does, clearly a trait from their father.
The rest of our meal is spent talking about her job and what it's like to work as Bentley's assistant. She briefly mentions a guy she's seeing but doesn't disclose any additional information regarding the matter. I can't help but feel like it's out of fear that I will tell Bentley, which makes me even more curious about this mystery man.
Two hours after I arrived here in a state of panic, I am now leaving feeling completely at ease and honestly, a bit excited. I think me and Shira are going to be really good friends. I mean, I was intimidated by her beauty and the way she carried herself when we first met. But that was when I thought she was only Bentley's assistant. Now that I know she's his sister, I can appreciate her for the woman she is and not the threat I once viewed her to be.
You and I Together Page 10