Chapter 11

___________________

Rose

“DID YOU NOTICE ANYTHING off about Marisa this morning?” I asked Lucy as we sat down to lunch in my office.

“Other than her running out of the meeting to go home after the phone call that came through…not really. But then again, I really didn’t get a chance to talk to her this morning.”

“She seemed upset over something, and then I noticed—”

We both turned our heads to the tap on my door.

“Sorry to bother you, ladies, but there was no one at the front desk to sign for this.”

“Oh, I got it!” Lucy eagerly jumped up and smiled widely at the FedEx guy. His smile back bordered on flirtatious. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she scribbled her name on the signature pad. “It’s W-a-t-e-r-s.” She spelled her last name for him as he punched it into his tablet.

Lucy had come out of her shell a lot in just a short amount of time. She was starting to wear her hair down a little more often, experimenting with lipstick and mascara, and even dressing up her frumpy clothes with stylish earrings and necklaces. I planned on making an appointment for her and Marisa with my aunt Kate’s hairstylist. They thought the magazine was paying for it for their makeover article. They didn’t need to know that I was—actually, my dad was. It was my way of paying them back for making this new venture a little easier on me.

“You have a nice day, Lucy Waters,” he said in a deep Irish accent.

She giggled when he gave her a wink. Her face was still a slight shade of red when she turned around to face me.

“He was kind of cute, don’t ya think?” I remarked.

She shrugged her shoulders and bit back a smile, divulging her thoughts without even saying a word. I smiled inside and began secretly plotting.

“I better give this to Alex. It looks important,” she said, staring at the letter she had just signed for.

I couldn’t help but glance at the return address on the envelope. My curiosity piqued when I saw it was from a Law Office in Georgia. I wondered what kind of legal troubles Mr. Personality was having.

I finished my soup and hopped on my laptop while Lucy delivered the letter to Alex. I ignored all the other emails for my column that had come through in the last few hours and focused on the one that was sent just a half hour ago from none other than Confused & Unhappy. Taking a deep breath, hoping the advice I’d given him had panned out, I clicked on the mail icon and opened his message.

 

Dear Miss Demeanor,

Sorry for being MIA. I was in Paris working on some new business ventures. I’ve been really thinking about what you said, and I think I want to approach her about this before the trip. I don’t want to take her if her intentions are less than genuine. I will reserve that trip for that special someone who only has my best interest at heart. I figured it would be best to do this in a public place. That way if she decides to freak out, I have witnesses. So, if you hear of a murder happening at the Starbucks on Lafayette and 7th tomorrow evening around 6 p.m., it was nice conversing with you…LOL. In all seriousness, thank you for the advice, too bad you are just some unknown cyber-bot who isn’t even human. I think you and I would have made a great couple.

 

Oh my God. This was fate, it had to be. He was going to confront this woman about her intentions, and even though he was hopeful, I knew better. She was going to break his heart in the middle of that coffee shop. Shouldn’t I at least show up incognito as a concerned stranger to talk him off the edge and help mend his broken heart? He said it himself—we would make the perfect couple. We had to meet to see if that was true, and he had made it easy for that to happen by mapping it all out with the time and place. It was as if all the stars were aligning in my favor and after tomorrow night I would turn Confused & Unhappy into Certain & Ecstatic.

“What are you smiling about?” Lucy inquired when she made her way back into my office.

I pulled in my bottom lip, knowing I should be keeping my plan to myself, but I was bursting inside to tell someone.

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Umm…yeah.” She nodded, not seeming too convincing.

“Lucy, you promise?”

“I promise! I promise!” she sang.

“Come here.” I waved my hand, motioning for her to come behind my desk. “Read this.” I pulled up the email and she moved closer to the screen to read it.

“Oh my God, he’s gonna confront her.”

“Yup!” I nodded. “And she’s gonna break his heart.”

“How do you know?” Lucy asked.

“Because I just do…there’s no way a girl goes from not wanting to marry to begging for a ring in three months’ time. She’s clearly after his money.”

“You never know, maybe she does really love him.”

“Lucy, you’re living in a world of fairy tales. Trust me, she is after his money.”

“Don’t you feel a little bad that he’s going to have his heart crushed?”

I popped a piece of gum in my mouth and grinned. “A little, but maybe I’ll just happen to be there to pick up the pieces.”

Her eyes widened. “No way! How are you going to do that?”

“Maybe I’ll just happen to be at that same Starbucks tomorrow night the same time he is.”

Lucy shook her head. “I don’t like that idea, Rose. He could be some sicko.”

“Relax, I’m gonna scope him out first and then I’ll approach him.”

“Wow, I admire how you’re not afraid to go after what you want.”

“Life’s too short to be afraid. Just like you shouldn’t be afraid to go after the cute little Irishman who was in here just a little while ago.”

Her face turned a bright shade of red. “Oh my God…never!”

“Why not?”

“First of all, he wouldn’t be interested in me.”

“He was totally flirting with you!”

We both laughed, lifting our heads to find Alex standing in the doorway.

“Can I help you?” I asked, slamming my laptop closed.

He stared at us questioningly for a moment before speaking. “Lucy, what time did this letter come?”

“About ten minutes ago.”

He rubbed his hand along the side of his face, appearing to be deep in thought. He didn’t seem to be his normal put together self, but as much as I hated to confess, he did look kind of sexy sporting a five-o’clock shadow on his normally clean-shaven face. “Is that all, Mr. Andrews?”

He snapped out of it and met my gaze. Clearing his throat, he turned around to make his exit.

“Oh, Mr. Andrews,” I called.

He did an about face and rolled his eyes. “What?” He didn’t try to hide his annoyance.

“When should I schedule this little project you volunteered me for?”

“What do I care? Do it whenever you want.”

“Okay, so I take it you’re going to work around my schedule then?”

“Umm…no. You’re a big girl. I’m sure you’ll do just fine on your own.”

“Nope...no can do. You heard your uncle. I’m to go with you.” I flashed him a sarcastic grin.

“I don’t have time for this nonsense right now.” He turned his attention away from me. “Lucy, did my uncle say when he’d be back?”

“He was just grabbing something to eat, then he had a quick meeting downtown. He said he’d be back in a few hours,” Lucy replied.

“Thanks.” He wasted no time making his exit.

“Oh my God! He’s the biggest dickhead on the planet!” I vented. “Now all of a sudden, it’s nonsense…well, he should’ve thought of that before he volunteered me for something so stupid! God, I hate him!”

Lucy giggled at my frustration. “You are definitely an anomaly.”

“A what?” I creased my eyebrows in confusion.

“It just means you’re different. All of the other women who work here fall all over him and think he’s so gorgeous, and you’re the exact opposite.”

“No one gets under my skin as much as he does…no one!” I shouted.

“Careful there, Rose. Once he gets under your skin, he’s a little closer to your heart.” Lucy grinned.

_______________

I spent the rest of the afternoon dishing out more advice. I was earning my pay from helping Daisy S. deal with her overbearing mother-in-law to giving fashion advice to Kelly from Queens. I felt like I had earned my PhD in counseling. As I read over some of my replies, I actually did sound like I knew what I was talking about. I glanced at my watch, surprised to find it was after six o’clock. I had to skedaddle if I was planning on keeping my seven o’clock dinner plans with Aunt Kate. I gathered my things and headed out. The office normally cleared out by five, so it was like a ghost town as I made my way down the hallway. As I got closer to Mr. Andrews’ office, I noticed the light shining under his half-closed door. I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard his nephew’s voice coming from behind it.

“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.