Housekeeping

by Summer Cooper

  “I don’t believe you’ve met my good friend Teddy Giles,” Richard said, introducing the handsome stranger.

  Teddy smiled good-naturedly. Angela noticed that while he might have been good looking, Teddy instantly put out a vibe of someone she would never fully trust. She wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but some people just seemed smarmy.

  “Teddy, this is my daughter Naomi, and her friends Angela, Natalie, and Rachel. Great to see you again Rachel.”

  Teddy nodded a hello to each one.

  “We actually met at the party,” Natalie said with a slight roll to her eyes. Angela could infer from her expression that she had not enjoyed the first time around with Teddy.

  “Oh, that’s right,” Teddy said. Angela could tell he didn’t remember her at all.

  “Well, it’s good to see that your tennis game has not faded at all, my dear,” Richard said to Naomi.

  “Several of us played at school whenever we could,” Naomi responded in her deadpan way. Richard had paid for Naomi to have private instruction since she was six years old until she went away to college. Angela wondered how much Richard hated to see that his daughter was barely an average player after all of the lessons and work she had put into the game over the years. She truly loved to play, but she had been born with the coordination of someone who couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time.

  Angela, on the other hand, had never really had any formal instruction. She loved the game, but it had always come fairly easily to her. Although she considered herself to be better than average, she was in no way an amazing player. Still, she could hold her own on the court with just about anyone she had ever played with.

  “We’ve got to get going,” Natalie said as she and Rachel began to walk away.

  “Bye girls!” Angela said.

  They both had family functions they were expected to attend, or so they said. Natalie and Rachel were both somewhat secretive about what they did outside of this friendship group, but it seemed that they always had something else going on that prohibited them from really being a part of things.

  “Well, sad to see those two go,” Teddy said as his eyes watched Rachel and Natalie walking away. He was really taking in the view, which only added to his smarmy demeanor.

  “I hope you girls aren’t done for the day. Teddy and I are just getting warmed up. Doubles?” Richard said.

  “That sounds good to me,” Angela replied. She hoped the enthusiasm in her voice wasn’t too obvious.

  “Okay, but I want to be on Teddy’s team,” Naomi said as she walked to her place on the court.

  “Fair enough. Besides, too much of our family awesomeness on one team wouldn’t be fair to anyone else competing against us,” Richard joked.

  “Dream on, old man,” Teddy replied as he stepped around the net and jogged over to join Naomi.

  “I’m still young enough to take you down,” Richard shot back as he and Angela took their places.

  When they were out of earshot of the other two, Richard spoke to Angela, “It’s great to see you again,” he said.

  “Likewise,” Angela replied in a neutral voice that took an iron will to produce and keep steady.

  “I tried to get in touch with you the other day, but I guess you were busy,” Richard said.

  “Oh, yeah. It’s been a crazy week,” Angela said. Richard had phoned her twice and left voice mail messages both times. She almost called him back but she was really busy with work, and she was also busy playing a little bit hard to get. Angela had never really been the type to play games, but something told her that this time she needed to remain a bit aloof. She trusted Richard and what he had told her about himself and that he was not quite the man most people thought he was, but still, words and actions were not the same things.

  So Angela decided to just play this one by ear and let things work out as they may. She was not in any rush, even though she had thought about him and his sweet touch almost constantly. Even at work when she was supposed to be concentrating on something else she found her mind drifting and wandering back to that hansom cab ride and those sweet kisses. Every time she thought about it, her whole body got a little bit warm and she almost started to perspire.

  The effect that just the thought of this man had on her was a bit frightening and overwhelming. But no matter how much she wanted to give in she was adamant about forcing herself to take it slow and make Richard prove himself to her. She was seriously considering letting him be the first to initiate her into the ways of physical love, but she had to be sure. He had to prove that she was not just one of his throwaways. He had to prove that he wanted her.

  “I hear that, but you can’t work all the time. It’s not healthy for the soul,” Richard remarked.

  “Says the biggest workaholic I know,” Angela retorted.

  “Touché,” Richard replied.

  “You guys ready?!” Naomi shouted.

  Angela and Richard raised their hands as Naomi tossed the ball up and hit a strong serve that sailed over the net. Richard instantly sprang into action and returned the ball back across the net, sailing right past the feet of Teddy who watched it swoosh by him with a dumbfounded look on his face.

  “That was great,” Angela gasped.

  Richard winked at her.

  She tried to hold back the blush, which only intensified as Richard performed athletic feat after athletic feat, dominating the court and making all of them feel like they had no business being out there. Angela was amazed at the physical prowess of the man. He was moving with agility and strength that a man fifteen years younger could not have mustered. The man was a sexy machine that was for sure.

  After the third game, Angela and Naomi were completely beat and they all decided to call it quits. Angela and Richard had won each and every game by a large margin. Naomi and Teddy were getting increasingly frustrated and by the third game were bickering like some old married couple. If there was any romantic spark between them at all to begin with (with Naomi there was a chance of that with any somewhat good-looking, successful guy in her vicinity) it had all been dashed to smithereens by the middle of the second match. It was rather entertaining to see how flustered they were.

  Angela felt that she held her own and she had made several great shots, but nothing like what Richard had accomplished. He might have won the game if she had not even been there. There was not one ball that got past him if it landed anywhere near him.

  “Well, this has been fun,” Teddy said, trying to not appear as out of breath as he clearly was. “Richard, old friend, I’ve got to be off. I have a lunch date scheduled with a lady friend of mine.”

  Richard shook Teddy’s hand. Teddy said goodbye and nodded politely at Naomi before making his departure. Angela wondered how much of what Teddy did was a complete act and fabrication. He reminded her of some old, stately British gentleman when he was just a kid from a wealthy section of Queens.

  “I’m going to take off too,” Naomi said. “I’ll see you later Angela.”

  Angela observed Richard’s face as his only daughter walked away without so much as a goodbye; it was cold and Angela felt bad for him. His eyes were still beaming with pride and love for the daughter who practically ignored him. It was a horrible situation and Angela was not sure how much longer she could continue biting her tongue with Naomi. The girl needed a wake-up call in the worst possible way.

  “I thought she was getting better,” Angela said.

  “What?” Richard asked, moved from his thoughts.

  “Well, with the party and everything she seemed like she finally was starting to break down some of the walls that she has built between you two all these years. That speech you gave was beautiful and I saw some love and tears in her eyes for the first time in a while. What happened?”

  “She did weaken briefly. She got caught up in the emotion of everything, but one good night’s sleep and waking up in a different environment was all that was needed for the old Naomi to come back into the picture. It’s ok
ay. I didn’t think it was going to work miracles. I didn’t do it hoping to win her over; I did it because I love her and I wanted her and everyone else to see how proud I am of my little girl who is a little girl no longer.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about. I know how much you love her. How can she not see it? How can she not feel that bond that you have with her?”

  “I think she does feel it. And it pisses her off.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it reminds her that she is directing her anger towards the wrong person. She refuses to believe anything bad about her mother. Since she was old enough to form her own thoughts and opinions, Stephanie has been her whole world and when she just up and left the family behind, Naomi didn’t know how to process that. So she just lashed out at me. And she’s still doing it. She’s a grown woman, she knows what she’s doing is wrong, but her fear and her pain won’t let her give in. She’s terrified of what might happen inside of her if it did.”

  “I wish some of your insight would rub off on my parents,” Angela said.

  “Your parents are good people. A little misguided at times, as all parents are, but you know that when it comes to you they’re convinced that they’re always doing the right thing.”

  Angela blushed. “You’re right. I hate that about you. Why are you always right about everything?” she teased.

  Richard blushed slightly, “I’m not always right. I like to think that I know what is right when I see it, but there are times when I don’t have all the answers. It’s just something that comes along with time. You’ll get there.”

  “What? Are you saying I’m too young to be so insightful?” Angela teased.

  “No, I’m saying you’re too young to become this embittered and disillusioned with the world,” Richard replied.

  “Okay, well that’s better, I guess. I do like to keep my positivity and I hope it stays around for a good long while.”

  “I’m sure it will. Did Nick send you the pictures yet?”

  Angela felt her face start to glow. “Yes! He did. They’re fantastic. I can’t believe it’s really me!”

  “Of course it’s you. I told you: you have the kind of raw talent that is given to the very few.”

  “Oh, I bet you say that to all the girls,” Angela said. She felt weird reciting such a clichéd line but she was too tired to really think of anything wittier. She was a bit preoccupied thinking about just sliding down into a warm, sweet bubble bath. That would hit the spot. It would hit the spot even better if the sexy Richard Kane would join her. But she knew it was too soon for that, far too soon. But it was definitely in the cards for the future. She could tell that.

  “Only the ones named Angela Walters,” Richard said with a smile.

  “So, what are you up to the rest of the day?” Angela asked. She felt odd that she had let that slip out of her mouth, but she had been so taken aback by the blushing comments he just said that she let slip the first thing that came to her mind.

  “No plans really,” Richard said. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I didn’t have anything in mind; I was just making conversation. You’re a very curious individual,” Angela said, admiring her own remarkable ability to improvise and cover the slip up so well.

  “Well, it just so happens I do have a very busy day planned. I have a golf game in a bit with a few colleagues of mine. It’s mostly fun, but of course, when it involves colleagues there’s going to be some business done at some point. So it’s a little boring, but not totally. Do you play?”

  “Golf? Oh, I have played, but I’m really not that into it. My dad loves it, though. He used to drag me to play it every Sunday when I was a kid. For some reason, it was his way of having strong father-daughter time.”

  “Well, that is an important thing to get. It’s not always easy for fathers to relate to daughters on their own level, so we reach out at anything we can possibly think of to bond over. It’s rarely successful, but daughters need to be aware that we are trying and that they should love us for it.”

  Angela smiled at Richard, “I guess I never really thought of it that way, but I do hate the game. It’s too much walking around and accomplishing nothing.”

  “You just have to appreciate the quiet nature of the game. It’s really more about communing with nature than anything else, I think.”

  “Maybe, I’ll give it a shot sometime. I have to go, but it was great seeing you again.”

  “Sure thing. Let’s get together this week some night. I’m not taking no for an answer; no excuses,” Richard said with a smile.

  Angela shook her head. The man was impossible and she loved that about him. That was the kind of persistence she was looking for.

  “Okay, it’s a date.”

  “Great. I’ll say hi to your dad when I see him,” Richard said.

  “When will that be?”

  “In about two hours on the golf course,” Richard said with a wink as he walked away.

  Angela felt strange suddenly. She wondered if anything about her would come up during the golf game and who else might be in on this game. She knew that it shouldn’t matter; after all, she was a grown woman and if she wanted to allow Richard Kane to pursue her then that was her own business, but for some reason, she felt like she was doing something naughty that her father was going to punish her for.

  Of course, his punishment typically meant he would lecture her to death. She was surprised her own father had not become a lawyer. Not only did he have the analytical brain for it and the innate ability to tell when anyone was not being completely truthful about something, but he could talk and talk about a simple topic until you were so sick of hearing it that you would say whatever he wanted just to get him to shut the hell up.

  As Angela walked back to the locker room she thought about Naomi and how she was going to blow up if she knew about her and Richard. It was not going to be a pretty scene and it was possible she might lose a friendship over it—at least initially—but she had decided it was worth it. It was not worth it because she was already falling in love with Richard, but it was worth it because she knew that this was not anyone else’s business and no one really had the right to be upset about it. Especially Naomi. Her father could do what he wanted and Angela could do what she wanted. If Naomi was willing to dissolve their friendship over something so silly then that was just her problem. Angela was tired of thinking about it and worrying. Besides, it was still too early to tell what was going to happen with it all.

  She kept using the term ‘falling in love’ when she thought about Richard. Was it true? Did she really feel that way? She still hardly knew the man in that way, but with what she already knew and the way she had found herself becoming fixated on him over the past few years, it really didn’t feel that fast. She felt like it was something that was slowly brewing for quite some time and now it was ready. This was the time to experience the love that was possible for the two of them to feel.

  But did Richard feel the same way? That was a different story. He was naturally flirty and full of confidence so it was tough to tell when he was being seductive intentionally or when he was being himself, which was also very seductive—he probably wasn’t even really aware of it.

  Angela finished her shower and changed back into her street clothes. Then she went to the mall to do some shopping; that always took her mind off things.

  And that was exactly what she needed now.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Oh, this tortellini is the best. It is simply to die for,” Robert Walters said as he finished his dish. He pushed back from the table and held back a burp until he was satisfied.

  Angela was only mildly grossed out, but she was pretty much used to this. They were eating dinner at Da Vinci’s—her father’s favorite Italian—and so far everything had been going pretty smoothly. Her mother was prattling on about this engagement and that engagement that she presently had in the works and how well the new fragrance was doing that they had just launch
ed. It had been her idea and her pet project. Robert had been a bit hesitant to make the slight leap from fashion to fragrance, but he left Jane in charge of it and it had been a fairly successful launch.

  Angela was a bit shocked that her father and mother had asked her to dinner on a Sunday night, especially at the last minute, but it turns out the Guernsey’s were suddenly unavailable due to some illness in the family and they’d had to rush out of town. Angela felt pretty certain that was a total crock and she had a feeling her parents knew it too, but it was rather unspoken. The Guernsey’s had been their closest neighbors in all the years they had resided in Manhattan. Angela knew them quite well. They were nice people, but they were in fact painfully boring as hell. But for some reason, every so often her parents felt the need to have dinner with them. It was very odd.

  “It was very good. I usually don’t care for tortellini, but I thought this was splendid,” Angela’s mother said.

  “I’m surprised you ate any pasta. Aren’t you totally averse to carbs, mom?” Angela asked. She loved to kid her mother about her constant inability to stick to any one diet. She was always on some new diet plan and after a week or two she would chuck it for another flavor of the month weight loss plan that was destined to work. Of course, her mother was barely a size six and didn’t need to lose weight unless she wanted to disappear, but it was true that once a model—always a model. At least in the mind. Her mother still ate like she was getting ready for a big photoshoot.

  Angela wondered if she would have to start monitoring every ounce of food that went into her mouth soon. Nick had called her earlier and told her that one of the agencies he did work for loved her pictures. They felt that there was something raw and pure in her that they had not really seen before and they knew that she could be a new up-and-coming talent. Angela had almost wet herself with joy. She instantly phoned Richard who offered his congratulations. It felt so sweet to have his approval and she thanked him profusely for setting it all up. If it hadn’t been for him then she never would have taken the plunge.