by Adams, Zoe
He raised his eyes to hers. She paid very close attention to him. Her lips and eyes were inches away from his face.
Lady had an interesting bearing. She could hold her head in observance and meekly hold her tongue. Her neck and shoulders were perfectly straight or square. She’d suspend her personality or words until they were demanded of her. Then she would say something utterly smart and floor him. He waited for it and, of course, she delivered.
“Anyone could be hiding under these long tablecloths.” She grinned.
Del had found one more excuse to sit beside her. “Yeah. No telling if you’ll be allowed to eat or be pleasured.”
Lady laughed softly. “I don’t want to get kicked out of the restaurant. Come on. It’s our first time in public.”
“Well.” He looked away. “I guess I’ll get drunk, then.”
Lady looked at him like she wasn’t sure if he was serious or not. She didn’t say anything.
Del teased her, “I’m just kidding. We’ll do that later.”
He wanted to remain on the top of his game. Being drunk wasn’t the best way for him to get things done. Lady passed an integral test on some deep level. Del realized they were both bounding ahead in great strides.
The anxiety on the street had been forgotten. A new kind of energy came from being indoors at the buffering tables. The smaller sounds of eating and scraping plates were dimmed by layers of tablecloths and fine clothes. The restaurant was reserved for longer and more intimate occasions. Del didn’t mind having an extended meal with Lady.
Things between them were mildly restrained. Their courses through life were intact. The relaxation Del sought had been there. They shared a light lunch and playful banter. They were congenial without attracting too much attention.
“I don’t mind this place. As long as there are other restaurants like this.” Del crossed his arms.
Lady lifted her glass and grinned around the rim. “You say it like a true native to the city.”
He looked up and nodded. “The food is much better than a frozen dinner. Can you believe we’ve known each other for a month already? This is the first time I’m allowed to take you to dinner.”
“It’s lunch.” Lady smiled.
Del didn’t know what her angle was. “So it doesn’t count as a first date since it isn’t at night?”
“Yeah. When it’s a date we’ll both know it, because I will dress up.” She fluffed the sleeves on her shirt. “This is nothing.”
Del looked at the feminine flair. “Yes, you’re nothing like I’ve ever met. That’s for sure. You stand out like a sore thumb in the country where I’m from. Even here, in this big city, it’s true. You’re like the water fountain in the middle of the garden. A permanent fixture that’s beautiful in any weather.”
Lady lowered her eyes obliquely. “I know where I want to end up, but I don’t know if it’s feasible. There are things we both need to know about life. I need to know how to be an artist. You need to know if you can live somewhere besides a farm. These are questions that can only be answered in time.”
Lady blinked a few times and continued. “It’s not really fair for me though. I’m so much younger and there’s so much more I have to experience. I could change my mind at any moment. Some people call them hormones, but I call it finding new things and wanting to be happy. I call it life.”
He raised his hand and waved it in surrender. “You make me crazy. I want to pick you up and spin you around. There are lots of things I want to do to you. But I’ll have to do it later. These people don’t need any more information than their imaginations can supply. Some parts of us should remain behind closed doors. Maybe later I’ll try other, braver things with you. Later. When we are ready.”
Del felt like he was rambling on and he shut his mouth quickly. Lady giggled.
“This is kind of nice to sit beside you and share the same view.”
“Yes,” Lady agreed, and looked at Del.
“Are you sure you like it?”
Lady nodded and looked at the empty table. She straightened her shoulders, then slouched with an exhale. She tilted her chin and let her mouth open on his.
Del lingered on the mirrored joining. She lapped at his mouth and tongue. She stopped and he got his turn to cajole her. They were interrupted with civilization bringing their drinks.
Del chuckled softly. Lady smoothed the hair back from her temple.
“Thank you,” Del said politely, and excused the server.
Lady took a sip of wine.
“It’s so nice to sit with you and get waited on by someone else.” Del refrained from putting his boot on the opposite chair.
“Yes, it is nice.” Lady hesitated for a moment then continued, “I was wondering something. We could find a few restaurants we like here in the city. Then have them pack a meal on dry ice and mail them to the farm once a week.”
Lady grinned slyly.
Del looked at her steadily. “What if they don’t want to do that? What if they do it and we get sick?”
Del thought of other scenarios gone wrong. He stifled them and devoted himself to having a fun, stress free lunch.
Lady straightened her chin. Del could be completely honest about the food at home. There was always room for improvement. He wondered when he would have more time for meal preparations.
However, there was no question about Lady in the kitchen. He had no illusions of her willingness to prepare food. She barely consumed anything. Why would she spend hours on something she could get enough of in a minute?
But him supplying any ration of food was a given. Whether it be frozen for a week or longer, it was still something he supplied to his home.
He didn’t expect Lady to do all or any of the cooking. He wanted her for other reasons.
When Lady was caught off guard, she had a wonderful laugh. It came out loud, boisterous, and straight from the heart. He had seen small hints at anger, and little lingerings of a temper. Del hadn’t seen her dark side yet. Sometimes he wondered with baited breath, then realized she was a lady and all class. She’d been denied doing business without proper identification. Lady had been slightly derailed, but stubbornly worked toward a good outcome.
She held her head proudly and marched from different properties and businesses. Her determination to show up made Del smile. He would be happy to accompany her to wherever she wanted. He’d always known it. He vaguely wondered when and if he would have to prove it.
They ate and drank lunch. Del ordered dessert. Lady asked if they shipped food.
They left the restaurant as a happy couple. They were now the recipient of a five-star, four course meal for two delivered once a week. His diet and companionship would be drastically improving. He knew these things were linked, and flew on a new level of happiness.
Del placed his hand around Lady’s mid-section. She placed her arm on his chest protectively. Del couldn’t believe his comfort level. He checked to make sure she had room. Lady remained nuzzled to his side.
His coat opened partially and covered most of her side. She calmed his rugged and loner man ways. He kept his arm around her and steered them toward the bank.
They stopped in front of the blocky stone edifice. Del looked at the bank and began to let go of Lady.
“Oh no,” Lady refused. “You’re coming in with me this time.”
Del gritted his teeth. He put his head back and looked up. A patch of blue sky peeked down at him. He focused on keeping his good feelings.
Del was not an asker or a borrower. He didn’t know how to ask for anything. How could he lay down his pride and help Lady? He didn’t deserve this much pride, and realized it was a little unfounded.
Owning a farm wasn’t that much in the grand scheme of things. Lady wanted to touch the world. And she could do it through fashion. A new pride welled up inside of him. He didn’t care how stupid his grin might look.
“If you want me, then you got me.”
Lady leaned in for another kiss. De
l gave her what she wanted. He didn’t mind the amount of people around. They just continued walking toward intended goals.
“Come on,” Del pulled her toward the door, “I can think of better places to kiss you. Let’s get this over with.”
They entered the bank. It was austere and old. Del got the usual feeling of being watched by professionals.
“Just a minute,” Del whispered to Lady. They stood still and looked around the room. “Lady? I see your mom is here.”
“What?” Lady followed his gaze. “Oh yeah, I see her. Let’s make this quick.”
“Well. We aren’t the slow ones.” Del grinned at her slyly. “There’s not a slow bone in your body.”
The closest banker shook out his hand, and Del gave it one big swing. “Hello. We have some business with the banker over there. Is he available?”
Del made sure his voice was kind but concise. There should be no reason for questioning what he wanted.
“Sure, of course. Mr. Sven is right over there. I’ll call him for you.”
“No need to call him,” Del said loudly. “We’ll just walk over there and meet him by his desk.”
Lady and Del’s footsteps echoed through the domed lobby. Del tried to walk louder. He wanted to take up as much space and consideration as possible. He approached the target and smiled.
“Hello, Mrs. Steele. You must be the banker, Mr. Sven?” Del introduced himself while shaking hands. “I’m Del Ericson. Ms. Steele asked me along for the visit. Earlier today there was a problem with properly identifying her.”
Del purposely swayed his gaze between the banker and the mother. “So, what’s the problem?”
The banker blushed and looked at Mrs. Steele. He quickly regained his composure. Mr. Sven redeemed himself and the entire bank when he directed his attention to his customer.
“Ms. Steele, thank you for coming back. Let’s all step into my office.” He held his arm up and ushered them into a room.
It wasn’t an office with a desk and two chairs. The room could easily hold thirty people. A large table in the room already had people around it.
Lady’s family was waiting. She stood solidly by the door. Her hand was clutching Del’s forearm. Her sharp and smoothed out half circles of fingernails were digging into his skin.
Del didn’t mind. The extra pressure kept him aware of tension in the room.
The door closed with a click and the banker stood there momentarily. It was his building and his job to mediate the sparks in the room. He softly walked around so he could face the group.
“Is everyone here?” Mr. Sven wasn’t asking his young client, rather the older set of people in the room.
Mrs. Steele gave a half nod. “Yes.”
“Good.” He turned his attention toward Lady and Del. “Would anyone care for a refreshment? Maybe some coffee or soda?”
“No, thank you,” Lady said politely.
Del couldn’t resist the tongue in his mouth. “Why? Is that where you hide the money?”
He kept a good natured smile in place, but wasn’t entirely joking. It did break the ice quite nicely though. The banker laughed and then hesitantly looked around the room. There had been a mediocre response of laughs and snorts carried around the table.
Del appreciated how they didn’t beat around the bush. They might not have any immediate comebacks, but Del couldn’t count them out yet. They had already responded, hadn’t they? That’s why everyone was sitting in this room. Del had already established himself with the group. He looked around the room and objectively held his space.
“Wow. This is a nice surprise. You all sure know how to greet people. I mean, we just drove into town yesterday. And you planned out this nice greeting party.” Del kept his voice light and innocent.
Mr. Sven sat down with his back to the door. His chair made a big poofy sound and it took a moment for the rollers to settle into the ground. He looked around and began the introductions.
The three people to his right were other employees of the bank. It was a long and dry introduction. The meeting could last forever if this money man directed it.
“Yes, and I already know everyone else in the room, except one person. Who is that?” Del pointed to a thin man with receding hair. He was wiry and airy. It would be easy for him to move in any direction. Del doubted him for that very reason.
“My name is Joseph Sanford-Leavit. I’m a partner at Sanford, Sanford, Sanford-Leavit, Bennet, and Cossine. I represent the living will of Boris ‘Blues’ Carvierre Steele.”
Lady whispered covertly, “That’s my grandfather’s will, but my mother’s still alive.”
Del nodded. Mr. Sanford-Leavit gave out the same information as Lady. His oratory came prepared to take up the rest of the day.
Del had already been in a situation like this before, and a heavy feeling of foreboding gripped his being. He’d seen greedy people before. He recognized how they sat forward in their seats like hungry lions.
The lawyer played to their eagerness. He switched the stack of papers to another hand. The attention of the room made an audible sway to the left.
Del didn’t know what the papers contained. The best thing he could do was make sure what had happened to him wouldn’t happen to Lady. She would lose nothing, and keep everything from her heritage.
“Go ahead and read it,” Lady’s father insisted.
Lady interrupted after a few lines. “I already know what grandpa owned. What does this have to do with me not receiving my savings account and credit cards?”
“There are very strict rules for you, my dear.” The lawyer looked up from the papers and leveled a serious gaze on her. He may have received a dark satisfaction delaying things and he turned slowly. “Ah yes, Here we are. Your name is Lady Rose Steele.”
Lady refused to let go of Del. “Would you like to check and make sure? I have my ID card.”
Del liked her full name but didn’t have time to dwell on it. He couldn’t believe what he was dealing with. When she wanted her own money earlier she needed identification. Now they were talking about a dead man’s money and barely asked her name.
Del quietly scolded himself. Money was money, but life was right now. Not everyone could have money. He had known something was up when she ran away on her birthday. He should have realized it was all about money.
It kept him focused on business. He sat stone still as any predator. He waited for his turn to pounce. He just needed a reason to do so.
“No,” the lawyer was saying, “there are enough people here to vouch for you. I’m sure you’re familiar with what happened when your sister married? She received all of her inheritance because she kept the family name when she married.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Lady looked toward her sister for confirmation.
Elizabeth Ellen nodded.
“It means you have to keep the family name,” her mother cut in quickly.
“Okay? I’m not getting married. I’m going into fashion.” Lady’s eyes got wide and she looked around. “I’ve always wanted to be in the family business. What’s the problem? Del and I just met. We aren’t getting married.”
Lady looked down at the table and rolled her eyes over toward Del. Her brown eyes were large and held so much. Everything about her was so serious. The attention she received weighed down her brown eyes. They looked like puddles of mud people walked through daily. Her eyes had been brighter. Del had seen pure happiness and joy there before. He wanted them back.
Del didn’t care about all the money that kept everyone tied up in rules and knots. He silently swore Lady would have what she wanted, or at least have what she needed. He forced himself to rationalize. His forced his brain receptors to analyze the entire situation around Lady.
Up until now, Lady had been the impasse with a passion to design beautiful things.
Del needed to be just the right boyfriend. He could convey wisdom. Lady needed him on the friend level first, and Del inwardly sauntered up to the pos
ition.
He owned his own farm, and had his own resources. His capital worth didn’t really have a lot of capital in it. But it was paid for and he didn’t owe one person a thing. Del hoped it put him in a somewhat equal class of mediocre wealth when dealing with old money. He wanted to convey enough money to be a trusted businessman, but not too much to be a money grabber.
Del’s mind clicked an automatic response. “I understand what this is all about. You don’t want Lady and me to be together.”
“Well, that’s the short of it.” Mrs. Steele and the lawyer were nodding. “But there’s also the social aspect. She needs to be in the right scenes and in the right circles. We want to portray the right light. Being social requires civilization. Just pick a city to live in. Any city is fine, but a farm is unacceptable.”
Lady remained silent and looked down at her unpolished long fingernails.
The conversation buzzed around Lady. Del felt like he was the only one truly there for her. He picked up her hand and squeezed it softly.
Mrs. Steele continued to speak, “Of course we want her to advertise the family name in her personal and business lives. They are entwined anyway. She should dress women and flatter men. But she hasn’t even been rightfully educated.”
“Yes, four years of college would make a drastic change to these proceedings,” the lawyer explained. “Your older sister, Elizabeth Ellen, went to college and has worked ever since.”
Lady finally grumbled and shrugged her arm. “Oh, don’t make her sound that innocent. She got pregnant with her junior high sweetheart when she was fifteen. My nephew is almost my age. The Steele name isn’t even close to being lost. Elizabeth Ellen has just as many Steele kids as Frainz kids. Thank goodness she can stay dressed, and in all the best beaches, resorts, and tabloids. She is the perfect mom with the perfect life.”
Lady had a very shrewd look on her face. The sound of her voice had risen. As far as Del could tell, she head done it for one of two reasons. Either she was mad, or she wanted everyone to hear clearly. Lady’s motivation could’ve been for world domination and he still would have her back. But what she said next struck a deep part of him.
