by E. L. Todd
Beatrice sighed then sat down. It was obvious she had a lot of things she wanted to say, but classy and logical, she closed her mouth and kept her thoughts to herself.
When she was across from me, I stared at her face openly. “Good evening, Beatrice.” I kept my hands in my lap while one leg rested on the opposite knee. I dressed nice, wanting her to see me in a different way.
She locked her gaze to mine. “Hello, Conrad. It’s nice to see you again.” She was always polite but her words were meaningless. I could tell she was pissed I was there. It wasn’t personal, but she was still uncomfortable.
I leaned toward her. “For the record, I didn’t know it was going to be you who walked through that door.”
She didn’t react in any way. She grabbed the menu and browsed through the selections.
I hit Theo’s knee with mine then nodded toward Deana, silently asking him to engage her in conversation.
Theo released a deep breath from his lips then he asked Deana a question. Thankfully, a conversation played out.
Now that they were entertained, I concentrated on Beatrice. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you.” She stared at her menu, her eyes scanning left and right. When her face was relaxed, she was even more beautiful. Her hair was full and thick. “You look nice too.”
“Thank you.” I unfastened the belt of my blazer. “My mom picked it out.”
She smirked slightly. “Your mother still picks out clothes for you?”
“For my birthday and Christmas.” I shrugged. “What can I say? She has good taste.”
Beatrice was a little more relaxed. She put the menu aside, exposing her full face to me.
“What did you decide on?”
“Caprese salad.”
I hated these types of girls, the kind that hardly ate anything. “When you go out to a restaurant, you should just indulge and get what you want.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Excuse me?”
“I was just suggesting something more appetizing.”
“I ate an hour ago.” Her voice was crisp and cold. “I’m just not that hungry. But thanks for being so concerned about my eating habits.”
Okay, I shouldn’t have said that. Now we were off to a bad start. “My apologies.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and scanned the crowd.
“Did you work today?”
“In the morning.”
“How was that?” It was hard to have a conversation with her since she was so short and cut off from everything. If she weren’t so cool, I wouldn’t bother.
“It was okay. How was your day?”
I shrugged. “No complaints. How are you doing in your classes?”
“Fine,” she said with a sigh. She seemed irritated, like she wanted to be anywhere but there.
My anger and annoyance was getting to me. I was working my ass off just to get to know her and she was constantly being a bitch. I’m sure she had a good reason to behave that way but I couldn’t figure it out. I hadn’t asked her out once and she was still keeping me on ice, not even entertaining the idea of being my friend. “Did I do something to offend you?”
Her eyes moved to mine. “Sorry?”
“Every time I see you, you give me the cold shoulder. I’ve been nothing but polite to you, being a gentleman and treating you with respect. All I ask is to be treated the same way. So stop giving me short answers and stop being rude. I’m patient, but that patience is running out.”
Theo and Deana stopped talking, their eyes on us.
“About time someone said something…” Deana chuckled lightly.
Beatrice seemed completely caught off guard. “I…I’m sorry.”
“You should be.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “I don’t know what your problem is, but think about other people besides yourself.”
Deana tried to hide her smirk with her hand.
Beatrice’s cheeks reddened and her eyes watered slightly. She seemed thoroughly embarrassed. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to come off that way.” Her apology seemed genuine.
“It’s okay.” I opened the menu and looked for something to order. I hit my knee against Theo’s, silently telling him to pick up his conversation with Deana. He did as I asked.
After I decided what I wanted, I put the menu down.
Beatrice was staring at me, a new look on her face. “What are you getting?” Her voice was quiet.
“Pizza.”
“Good choice.”
I nodded then sipped my beer.
“How are your classes going?”
At least she was making an effort. Maybe snapping at her was a smart move. “Good. I have a lot of papers to do this semester, but I guess that’s expected since this is my last year.”
“Did you like the books you checked out from the library?”
What did I check out again? I couldn’t recall. “Yeah, they were interesting.”
“Do you read a lot?” She seemed genuinely interested.
I shrugged. “For the most part. What do you do for fun, Beatrice?”
She thought for a moment. “I like to garden.”
I didn’t expect that from her—at all. “Where do you garden?”
“Well, I have an apartment so I have to put the plants on my balcony. But I have a lot of different things. I grow peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs and spices, and of course, flowers.”
“Cool.” I looked into her eyes, seeing the emerald color I was so fond of. They reminded me of a summer meadow in the middle of nowhere. “When did you start doing that?”
“My mom and I used to do it together. I guess I carried on the tradition.”
Did that mean her mom was dead? I couldn’t tell. The way she worded that sentence was odd. “It’s a good tradition. Nurturing a garden requires skill and love.”
She smiled. “I give my plants more love and affection than I do to people.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” I smiled while I said it, letting her know I was teasing her.
She laughed lightly. “I’ve been told I have a rough exterior…”
“You don’t say?”
She laughed again then shook her head slightly. “I really am sorry I offended you. You seem like a nice guy.”
I wasn’t. “I have my moments.”
“So…what’s your favorite Star Wars movie?”
“You know how long I’ve been waiting for you to ask that?” I rested my elbows on the table and leaned toward her.
She didn’t lean back. Instead, she flashed me a beautiful and wide smile. Her teeth were pearly white and straight. Her lips were red and soft. I could tell just by looking at them. And when happiness escaped her body, it made her green eyes flash in a brighter shade of color. They emitted more light than the sun. I could look into them forever. “So, what is it?”
“Return of the Jedi.”
She shook her head slightly. “That’s everyone’s favorite movie.”
“No,” I argued. “All my friends like Attack of the Clones.”
“Also cliché.”
“You’re cliché,” I teased.
“How is that possible?” she demanded. “I’m a girl who likes Star Wars. That’s unheard of.”
“No, a girl who has taste isn’t unheard of. But it’s rare.”
The waiter came to our side of the table and took our order. I ordered a bottle of wine, wanting Beatrice to loosen up more. She and I made a lot of progress tonight, more than any other meeting.
She sipped her wine. “It’s pretty good.”
“You would know.”
She smelled it before she took a sip. “You don’t need to own a vineyard to know good wine.”
I took a drink then put it down. “I think wine in a box is good. So I think your theory is flawed.”
She laughed. “Wine in a box?”
“Don’t act like you haven’t had it,” I teased. “Who says wine can’t be cheaper than milk?”
“Any person w
ho’s had wine.”
I shrugged. “Well, I’m pretty easy going when it comes to stuff like that.”
“I can tell.”
I poured more wine into her glass then put the bottle down. “Can I ask you something?”
“I guess. But I may not answer.”
“Why don’t you want to take over your father’s company?”
“I just don’t want to.”
“Come on, Beatrice. What’s the real reason?” I stared at her without backing down. I made my confidence apparent.
“Why don’t you want to run a software company?”
“Because software is boring,” I said. “I don’t even know the mechanics behind it. All I’d be doing is pushing paper around and deciding when to invest and when to fold. Wine sounds a lot more fascinating. Vineyards are beautiful, and wine is delicious.”
“There’s more to it than that…”
“Enlighten me.” I sipped my wine while I looked at her.
She stared out the window for a moment before she turned back to me. “Everyone in the business is fake. It doesn’t matter about the quality of the wine or how it will please people. All that matters are profit margins. And when you have a large company, it’s difficult to tell who loves you for who you are or what you can offer. And when there’s a lot of money involved, there’re also threats.”
“Threats?” I asked.
“When you have something everyone else wants, they’ll try to take it from you.”
Her sentences were too cryptic. I wasn’t sure what her real meaning was.
“And I’m not close with my family. I don’t want anything to do with the business. My passion and interest lies in putting scumbags behind bars.”
“You aren’t?” I asked. “It sounds like you’re close with your father.”
“I used to be,” she said quietly. “We don’t talk much anymore.”
There was a lot more to her than I initially gave her credit for. “Why is that?”
She didn’t answer. “I’m starving. What about you?”
I let the subject change. “I’m always hungry.”
“Your body needs a lot of fuel.”
Did she just compliment me? “Are you calling me fat?”
Her somber mood was broken by the question. “No, not at all.”
“Because that sounded like a fat joke.”
“I just mean you’re a big guy. You look like you need a lot of calories.”
“Again…fat joke.”
She laughed then tucked her hair behind her ear. “You look like you work out a lot.”
“Okay, that’s better.” I gave her a playful look from across the table. “Are you a runner?”
“What makes you ask?”
“You have a runner’s body.”
“I am, actually.”
“Long distance running?”
“I run six miles a day.” She said it like it wasn’t a big deal.
“Training for the Olympics?”
Her cheeks reddened and another laugh escaped her lips. “No, not in the least.”
“You fooled me.”
“I just like running. It helps me…think.”
“What do you think about, Beatrice?” I gave her my full attention, wanting her to know nothing else in the world mattered to me.
“Just…stuff.” She was extremely quiet about her personal life.
“You know what I think about when I work out?”
“What?” she asked with a smile.
“Food.”
She broke out in a fit of giggles.
I made her laugh again. How many times was that now? “I was doing weights one day when my stomach growled like a hungry bear. The guy next to me gave me a weird look and walked away.”
“That happens to me in class all the time.”
“What?” I asked. “People next to you give you weird looks and walk away?”
She smirked. “No, my stomach rumbles.”
“Don’t skip breakfast.”
“I’m not a breakfast person.”
She was skinny for a reason. “Then you should make something good. I make the best French toast in the world.”
“The best, huh?” Beatrice seemed interested.
“Oh yeah, they’ll be talking about it long after I’m dead and gone.”
“Who’s they?” she asked with a laugh.
“Society. Duh.”
Her face was permanently stretched into a smile. She hadn’t frowned once since our conversation started. “People always build things up, and when you finally give it a try, it’s never as good as everyone claims.”
“Not my French toast.” I shook my head. “I make orange slice French toast. It has a tang to it but not too much.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Orange? How do you add that?”
“Like I’m going to tell you,” I teased. “It’s my secret recipe.”
“Are you a closet chef?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m out and proud.”
Beatrice laughed loudly, her eyes watering. “Now I have to try this stuff.”
Should I invite her over? Should I ask her out? Or was that too soon? What if I ruined the fun we had? I had to play this cool. She warmed up to me a lot but I didn’t want to sabotage all the progress we made. “You should come over and try it sometime.” I didn’t look at her as I said it, trying to sound indifferent.
She didn’t respond to the invitation.
Before it got awkward, I kept the conversation going. “I add whipped cream and strawberries on top.” I kissed my fingers then held them out. “Delicious.”
She chuckled. “I never expected you to be a chef.”
“And what did you expect?” I was curious to know.
“A party boy who only cares about girls and hitting the gym.”
Damn, she could read me well. “There’s a lot more to me than that.”
“It seems so.”
The waiter brought our food then walked away.
“That salad looks pathetic,” I said as I cut into my food.
“Don’t pick on my food,” she said playfully.
“If my mom ordered that, my dad would tease her until the sun went down.”
“You talk about your family a lot,” she said. “Are you close to them?”
“No. Like I said, they’re annoying.”
She picked at her greens. “You say that but you still talk about them a lot.”
I shrugged. “My sister got in a bad car accident last year. I guess it changed my perspective…”
Her face turned serious. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine now. But at the time, we weren’t sure if she would survive.”
“Wow…that must have been bad.” She kept picking at her food with eyes downcast.
“She was driving during a storm and a semi lost control and hit her. She broke a few bones and one leg. But she recovered and now she’s running around like nothing happened. The scars are her only reminder.”
“I’m glad she’s okay.” She sounded sincere.
“I’ve always been a little mean to her and it made me realize I should be a better brother.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Well, I never spent time with her unless I had to. And when I did see her, I would pick on her. I don’t know…I was never a good brother. I was never protective when it came to her boyfriends and stuff like that.”
“Are you now?”
I thought about Slade and the fact he used her for months. “Yeah.”
“That accident was horrible but maybe some good came out of it…” She gave me a hopeful look. “You guys can be closer than you ever were before.”
“Yeah…that’s true. But she’s in New York so we don’t see each other often.”
“What’s she doing there?”
I shrugged. “Something with fashion. She graduated from here last year.”
“Good for her,” she said. “That’s cute you went to
the same college.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wouldn’t say it’s cute but whatever.”
She chuckled then finished her salad.
Deana leaned toward her and nudged her in the side. “It sounds like someone is having a good time for once in her life.”
Beatrice smiled and rolled her eyes at the same time. “Shut up and get back to your date.”
“Just admit it.”
Beatrice nudged her back. “I’m having a good time. Now leave me alone.”
Deana clapped. “It’s a miracle.”
Beatrice ignored her and sipped her wine.
When I glanced at Theo, he glared at me. I knew exactly what he was saying without actually speaking.
I turned back to Beatrice as the check came.
I snatched it then put my card inside. “You can take this.”
Beatrice’s eyes widened. “I can pay for my own food.” The playfulness was gone from her voice.
“I don’t mind. It’s easier this way.”
She grabbed the waiter by the arm. “Hold on.” She dug in her purse.
“No,” I told the waiter. “Just take it.”
Deana caught my attention and shook her head with a serious expression. “Just let her pay,” she mouthed. “Trust me.”
The last thing I wanted to do was piss off Beatrice after such a great night. Even though it went against my beliefs, I let it go.
Beatrice handed the waiter the card. “Thank you.”
He walked away.
I sighed and tried to hide my annoyance.
Beatrice looked out the window again and ignored me.
Deana grabbed Theo’s hand across the table. “How about we head to my place for dessert?”
Theo sighed, clearly not wanting to talk to her for a second longer. But he was a horny bastard just like I was. “Sure…”
“Excellent.” She trailed her long nails down his hand.
Beatrice turned her gaze back to me but didn’t say anything.
I wanted to invite her on another date but I knew the invitation was pointless. “Homework tonight?”
She seemed relieved I didn’t ask her out. “I always have homework.”
“Story of my life,” I said with a light laugh.
The waiter returned with the cards and we signed the receipts before stuffing our cards back into our wallets. When we left the table and walked out, Deana had her arm through Theo’s and was steering him to her car. Since she was on a mission, she didn’t say goodnight to either one of us.
