by Lauren Wood
I winced. “There’s a reason divorce rates skyrocketed when people your age were in their prime.”
He waved me off and kept drinking, while I turned my thoughts back to Izzy. There was something about her, and I could have sworn there was a spark between us.
Oh well, I thought. I had my chance. It didn’t work out. That was that. Maybe I could have laid it on a little thicker, but it might have scared her away just as fast.
I finished my beer and started on the walk home. I still thought about her the whole way. But maybe it was all for the best. She seemed uppity and definitely had an air of wealth to her. She reminded me too much of my family, which was precisely everything I wanted to avoid like the plague.
The moment I walked into my building, despite my best attempts to dodge him, I was cornered by my landlord who was looking particularly angry and impatient with me that day. It was the last thing I needed.
“Maybe you’ve forgotten, but rent is due by the fifth of each month,” he grumbled, shaking his finger in my face. “Not every other month. Every single month. Do you know what today is?”
“Tuesday?” I shrugged.
“The twentieth!” he fumed. “Which means you’re fifteen days past due and it’s only fifteen days until rent is due again!”
“I’m amazed that you can figure all of that out without even looking at a calendar!” I teased.
“It took you months to catch up the last time you got behind. If you think I’m going to do this dance with you for another six months again, you’re wrong! I mean it this time, Dawson! This isn’t some shelter and I’m not in the business of charity! You pay the rent on time or you’re out on the street!”
“I’ll have two months worth of rent for you on the first,” I assured him. “That means the second month’s payment will actually be four days early! How about that?”
He cringed, but accepted. “Why do you make things so hard on yourself, anyway? You’re a part of the Hayes family, for christ’s sake! Why don’t you just ask them for the money? Lord knows they have enough of it. More than any one man could ever need.”
“You know I don’t associate with them or take their money,” I reminded him, slipping past to start back up the stairs to my apartment.
“Oh, how great for me,” he groaned, shuffling back to his office.
The last thing I needed that afternoon was another reminder about my family. I hated being a part of the Hayes family’s hoard of wealth. I didn’t want anything to do with it. Taking money from them meant living the way they wanted me to, which was nothing like what I wanted for myself. They thought my art, my passion, was a frivolous waste of time. Meanwhile, they did nothing to earn the pile of money they were sitting on. They were born into it. But apparently it was better to be rich and do nothing than to do something you actually loved.
As for my rent, it was dirt cheap, which was how I liked it. And you got what you paid for, but I had made the little loft my own. I threw down my coat on the back of the nearly broken chair that sat in front of my rickety old wooden table—all shoved into the corner of the tiny kitchen. I used the main space as my studio and slept in the small storage loft that hung overhead.
I was looking over my canvases and paints, feeling the stir of an idea, when my phone rang. I cringed at the sight of my brother’s name scrolling across the screen. I had to give the guy some credit for still wanting to be in my life despite everyone else disowning me, so I went ahead and answered as a token of my appreciation.
“Change into the good clothes I know you still keep in the back of your closet,” he ordered me. “We’re going out tonight.”
“Ah, not tonight,” I groaned. “I just got in actually, and I was about to sit down to…”
“Don’t tell me you’re about to start piddling around with your silly paints,” he scoffed. “Not tonight, Daws. Your old girlfriend from high school who I know for a fact never got over you is having a housewarming party for her new manor. Poor girl is so convinced she’ll be alone forever she went ahead and got her own place. A big one too.”
“You’re really selling her to me,” I chuckled.
“The only reason she’s still single is because she never got over you,” he argued. “Now come on. Even if you somehow don’t like her, despite her being even better looking than she was in high school, you can at least make some money off of her. A big new manor just sitting there! In desperate need of your paintings all over her walls.”
“Give her my number and she can set up a time to come by the studio if she wants to buy something.”
“Oh she’ll come to the studio, alright. And she may even buy something. But we both know what she’d really be coming for.” He laughed.
“I gotta go. Have a good night though. Tell everyone who doesn’t hate me that I said hello, and tell the rest of them to go to hell.”
I hung up and turned my phone off, refocusing on the fresh canvas calling my name from the easel. I pulled out a piece of charcoal and started sketching curved lines that matched the bouncy curls of Izzy’s hair, followed by the gentle curve of her lips. I kept sketching, recreating her face from memory the best I could. But I knew I couldn’t do her justice—especially after only having met and seen her once. It didn’t stop me from trying though.
When the sketch was finished, I started in on my favorite part—adding the color. I used the brightest red for her hair and lips, and mixed a bright sparkling green for her eyes. When it was all finished, or the first pass anyways, I sat back to admire it.
Just as I thought—it didn’t hold a candle to how she looked in the flesh. But at least I had somewhat preserved the memory. Even if the painting didn’t quite capture her, every time I looked at it, it would jog the more vivid memory in my mind.
After cleaning up, I heated up some beans and rice on the stove and cracked open a cheap canned beer to wash it down. I decided to eat out on the balcony—which was what I chose to call the fire escape stairs outside my window. Many nights I’d crawl out and lean against them, admiring the starry sky and the moon or the traffic on the streets down below. The night scene was a lot like Izzy’s beauty—all too easy to appreciate when it was in front of you, but damn near possible to ever recreate on canvas.
As I ate my dinner, I wondered how my mystery woman was spending the evening. Our outing was so brief, I didn’t have a chance to ask much about her. Maybe that’s why she was so quick to leave. She thought I was full of myself and never wanted to talk about anything else.
When my bowl was empty and my beer was gone, I grabbed my coat and headed out again to the corner bar. I was starting to feel a little lonely with nothing but the moon to talk to. The usual crowd would be down at the bar, ready to tell jokes and get rowdy over drinks.
Maybe I’d even meet a girl to bring home. It’s not like I had terrible trouble with the ladies, after all. Apparently I just had trouble with the ones I really wanted. Story of my life.
4
Isabella
My morning was interrupted by another urgent call from Jada, begging me to come to her office right away. Reluctantly, I agreed and told her I would be there right away. Once again, I was off to the dreaded Heartstring headquarters.
I was surprised to see Jack when I walked into her office. “Oh, hello you. I didn’t expect to see you here. You haven’t been returning my calls.”
He greeted me with a big smile nonetheless, leaning down to peck a quick kiss to my cheek. “Baby sister. Sorry, sorry. I’ve been busy as hell lately. But Jada has kept me up to date on everything you’ve been up to.”
“She doesn’t know anything about what I’ve been up to beyond this campaign,” I groaned.
“Oh? Is there anything new in your life to report?”
“Well, no…”
“Then it’s a good thing you have the campaign,” he winked. “It keeps you busy. Gives you something to do besides partying with your rich snooty friends.”
“I guess it’s fine when you li
ve that way as long as you get paid while you’re doing it,” I rolled my eyes.
“And you wonder why I don’t return your calls,” he teased.
“Jack! Be nice to your sister!” Jada scolded.
“What’s this all about?” I asked.
Jada lit up the moment I asked, obviously bubbling over with excitement. “The campaign! Your feature! We made it bigger, as agreed, and the reaction has been huge! We’ve received far more interest than we ever anticipated!”
“I’m glad I could be of assistance to the company’s growth,” I smiled tightly, feigning interest.
“It’s even better than we projected,” she squealed, continuing on into a long boring rant about the numbers and how they surpassed anything that was predicted.
“Doesn’t that make you feel good?” Jack grinned.
“Sure,” I lied for their sake. “Is that all you called me down here for? It was good to see you, Jack. But really, Jada…You could have told me all of this over the phone.”
“There’s more,” she beamed, practically bursting at the seams. “Due to the enormous amount of interest, we want to make this thing even bigger!”
“I saw my face plastered on one of your ads in Time Square yesterday,” I sighed. “How much bigger could it possibly be?”
“Think Heartstring’s own version of The Bachelorette!”
“A reality TV show?” I cringed.
“No, not quite. But you will have the best available users…the most coveted bachelors in the country…all lining up to take you out! And we’ll document your dating life every step of the way until you land on the right guy!” Jada explained. “Isn’t that exciting!?”
“Umm…I’m not so sure…”
“Wait! It gets even better!” she squeaked.
I looked over to Jack, who obviously adored everything about his wife, even in that moment. I humored him and kept listening, even though it was the last place I wanted to be…and the last topic I wanted to be discussing.
“We want to throw a big ball in your honor!” she proclaimed. “Think of it as a debutante style ball, presenting you as Heartstring’s first prized bachelorette! And of course all of New York’s most eligible bachelors will be in attendance. We anticipate a lot of guests flying in from all over the country, and maybe even the world! What do you think!?”
“Jada, I’m sorry,” I said slowly. “I hate to disappoint. But this is where I have to draw the line. This is all too much. Going on some dates and posing for some pictures is one thing. But I don’t want to be waltzed around in a big ballroom like some parade float. I’m a private person, Jada. And I’ve given in to accommodate your vision on this as much as I can, but this…This is where I have to put my foot down.”
“Oh come on, Izzy,” Jack groaned, standing up to take his wife’s side at the head of the table so that now they were both looking down on me in my seat. “I thought you’d be excited. Jada did too. This is all of your favorite things! Think about it! Getting all done up in some big expensive gown, having all eyes on you. A red carpet entrance with photographers snapping away, shouting out your name. Then a whole ballroom filled with men who want you, who came just to see you and have a chance to talk to you. You’d be the envy of every woman there. And you can even invite some of your friends.”
“All of my favorite things,” I scoffed. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do, Jack.”
“Oh I don’t?” he huffed. “Let’s hear it then. What part of that doesn’t sound like a dream come true to you?”
I bit my tongue back from saying, “All of it.”
“If your life is suddenly so full and meaningful that you have something better to do, prove it. Tell me what you’ve been up to other than the usual…Jet-setting around the world, getting drunk on expensive cocktails with your friends, and burning up your inheritance like it’s on fire and turning to ash if you don’t spend it fast enough.”
“You’re the one who budgets my inheritance,” I defended. “If I’m going through it too fast, I trust that you’ll tell me.”
“That’s not the point,” he sighed.
“Then what is the point?” I flew to my feet. “Why are you so hell bent on marrying me off to someone? Forgive me, Jada. But you’ll have to give me a better reason than ensuring that I have a date to bring to holiday gatherings and dinners with you two.”
“You’re sad and lonely,” he shot back. “You try to act like you’re not, but I can see you are. And you have been ever since Mom died. Our mother didn’t worry about what would happen to you after she was gone because she assumed you’d find a loving husband to spend your time with, to enjoy your wealth with. She had our father for that, and she wanted the same thing for you.”
“Dad worked all the time, just like you,” I reminded him. “Mom taught me the lifestyle she picked up as a survival tactic. It’s not my fault that women of her generation, her friends...did more with their time other than just partying. In fact, that’s all they did too. They just did it in the name of charity. Now you expect me to do the same, only in the name of finding a husband?”
“A husband who will keep you company and maybe even start a family with you!” he barked. “You know there’s a whole other section of our inheritance set aside for our children. The ones our parents expected us to have. You want us to be the only ones utilizing that?”
“You’re planning to have more kids?” I asked in surprise.
They both grew tense and quiet. Jada’s gaze dropped. “Well, actually…”
“You’re pregnant…again.” I murmured in shock. “Of course. Now it makes more sense. With your second kid on the way it’s more important than ever that Auntie Isabella is more than just a rich socialite. And you’re trying to set me up for how much more absent you’ll be, taking care of your family.”
“I don’t want you to depend on just me for all of your emotional support,” he said softly, looking guilty for the first time since I came in.
It hurt to think my own brother thought I had to have a boyfriend just to keep from getting jealous of his new family. I had been so excited when he and Jada welcomed their first into the world—even if the circumstances were less than ideal. Jada and Jack hadn’t even known she was pregnant for the first two trimesters.
He was letting me know that he was about to be even busier with Jada and preparing for the new baby, then everything that came after it was born.
“You should have told me,” I insisted. “I’m happy for you. Really, Jack. Just how selfish do you think I am?”
I stood and walked over to hug Jada, which I had maybe only done once before. I wasn’t always the warmest person, but I wasn’t the cold, heartless wasp Jack seemed to think I was either.
“Congratulations,” I told her, turning to my brother to offer a hug as well. But things were still tense between us.
I slumped back down in my chair and thought it over some more. Of course no part of me actually wanted to do it, because there was no part of me that actually believed it would bring me true love. But I knew how desperate he was for this to happen…not for me, but to relieve his own misplaced guilt for moving on and starting a life of his own…One that didn’t have as big of a place for me in it as it used to.
“I made it this far with you traveling all the time and being gone so much,” I told him after a while. “I would be fine, with or without this big spectacle to find me a husband.” I let out a heavy sigh. “But...if this is what you want and it makes you happy…”
“I want you to be happy,” he corrected me. “And I think this could be your ticket to happiness.”
“I think it sounds like a fairytale,” Jada swooned. “And you’re the princess! Oh!” She quickly snatched up a pad and paper and scribbled something down. “I’ll talk to the stylists. Maybe we could even have you wear glass slippers! What do you think?”
“No glass slippers,” I growled. “But fine. Okay.” Once again, I caved. “I do expect a designer gown an
d all the works. If you’re going to force me to do this, I at least want to reap as many benefits as I can.”
“The benefit will be finding true love!” Jada chirped.
Jack and I both shot each other a look at that. Neither of us were natural romantics, even if Jada seemed to turn him into one. He still had his limits.
“Or just finding a decent man who you enjoy spending time with…enough that you think you could actually see yourself spending the rest of your life with him,” he added.
“And lets say I do find this man,” I grinned. “I expect Heartstring is prepared to pay for all the expenses of the wedding?”
“Oh of course!” Jada’s eyes grew wide as she scribbled down more notes. “I can see it now. Heartstring’s bachelorette and the wedding of the century! Victoria will have a PR field day with it!”
I sat there and tolerated listening to the rest of Jada’s plans for the big ball which was already in the works, even before I had agreed. It was never really up to me. I was just along for the ride, and they were the ones driving the whole train wreck.
Three weeks from that day, we would all gather at some glamorous venue for the biggest party of the year. Everyone would be dressed in black tie formal with champagne flowing all night long. I could already imagine the icky feeling of being in the spotlight, with all those strange men staring me down like a prized pig. Despite what Jack seemed to think, nothing about that sounded the least bit appealing to me.
Finally, they released me from the meeting with a promise that there would be so much more to discuss and plan in the weeks leading up to the ball. On the way home, I stopped by a children's boutique and started browsing for clothes for my future niece or nephew, and a few for the new big brother. I didn’t want him to feel left out.
As I looked at the tiny dresses, booties, and hats, I wondered if I would ever want children of my own. I wasn’t so sure about that part, but a companion didn’t sound so bad as long as the guy was tolerable. Either way, I didn’t have high hopes for my ability to deliver the fairytale romance and happily ever after ending that Jada was dreaming of.
