Not What She Seems

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “How are you this evening?” she asked.

  He looked into her eyes and the bottom dropped out of his stomach. She had the most stunning blue eyes. To say they were beautiful would be an understatement. Her full lips curved into a smile, revealing perfect white teeth.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Have you had a chance to look at your menu, sir?” Her hand rested on a delicate hip, her soft curves filling out the pink waitress uniform.

  He cleared his throat. “Yes, I think I know what I want.”

  She pulled out her order pad and pencil from her apron pocket. “What can I get for you?”

  Trying not to stare too much, he shifted in his chair and glanced down at his menu. “I’ll have the corned beef sandwich.”

  She finished taking his order, and disappeared into the kitchen. Rose grinned at him from across the café. He couldn’t help but smile back at her. So this was the waitress that Rose had wanted him to go on a date with. Hesitation stopped him. Would she go out with him? He had never asked a woman out who didn’t know he had money. Frowning, he glanced at the swinging kitchen door. This could backfire on him. Usually, he didn’t have to wonder if a girl would say yes to a date.

  When the waitress brought his food, he read her name tag. That’s right. Rose had told him her name was Emily. He’d forgotten. Racking his brain, he tried to think of something nice to say to her that didn’t sound like a pick up line.

  She placed his drink on the table, smiling at him. “You have such nice eyes.”

  The compliment caught him off guard. That, and his heart hammered, making it hard to concentrate. “Thank you,” he muttered, not thinking of anything else to say.

  “Well, enjoy your meal.” She stood for a few moments longer, as if she wanted to say something else, but in the end turned and walked away, hips swaying.

  As he ate, he watched her wait on tables. Several other times she stopped by, asking if she could get anything else, or seeing if he was enjoying his meal. A couple of times he almost asked her for her phone number, but something always stopped him. He felt like a creep, trying to hit on her while she worked. Eventually, he gave up and left, resolving to talk to Rose about it in the morning.

  ******

  Emily did everything she could think of to get Steven to notice her. She batted her eyes, and smiled every chance she got. And he did take note, she could tell he was eyeballing her, but he didn’t ask her out. He didn’t even come on to her. She cleared his table, slipping his tip into her pocket. At least he knew how to give a nice tip.

  The break room sat empty, so Emily grabbed her purse, rolled up Steven’s tip, and slid it into the hole in the lining. She’d managed to save several hundred dollars over the past two months, putting half her tips away so Richard wouldn’t take them. It still was a far cry from being enough to leave Richard, though. A noise behind her made her whirl around.

  Rose stood there, smiling. “Ethan’s very handsome, isn’t he?”

  She set her purse down on the counter. This was her chance. Rose would be the perfect person to set them up. “Why, are you playing matchmaker?” She folded her arms across her chest, but let a smile flit onto her face.

  Rose blushed. “I just want to see you happy, dear. A young single mom like you should be dating. And you can’t do any better than Ethan.”

  Irritation rubbed at her. Yeah, right. That’s not even his real name. But after the thought flitted into her head she felt guilty. She was the one planning to take advantage of him.

  She shrugged. “Well, he didn’t seem that interested.”

  “He’s just a little shy. Maybe I can arrange something. What are you doing tomorrow morning?”

  Emily untied her apron. “I’ll be at the Laundromat. Tuesdays are laundry days.”

  “Perfect.” A sly grin crept across her face. “Something tells me Ethan might show up.”

  “You’re a little devil, aren’t you?” Emily laughed, and checked her watch. “Oh, I’d better get going. I need to pick up Connor.”

  “Have a nice evening, sweetie.”

  Emily nodded, slipping on her winter coat. “You too, Rose.”

  Outside, the chilly November air forced her to zip up her coat. Rose was going to play cupid. That would be fine with her. Richard would be glad. He wanted Emily to date Steven, and give him a sob story about needing to pay off some large debt before her paycheck gets garnished. Richard wanted her to get a hundred thousand from him. She rolled her eyes. Richard’s pathetic. Unfortunately, he’s getting dangerous too. If she can get a few thousand from Steven, she will be able to take off with Connor, and never be seen again.

  ******

  Gravel crunched under his shoes as Steven walked up the drive. The morning brought a cold breeze that whipped through the trees. He knocked on the old farmhouse door. Frank answered, surprising Steven.

  “Ethan, how wonderful to see you again. Please come in.”

  Frank had aged ten years since he last saw him. His sallow skin hung a little more on his face, like he hadn’t been eating properly. Sadness descended upon Steven. “How are you feeling these days, Frank?”

  “Oh, I’m taking things a lot slower, but I’m not letting it get me down.” Frank led Steven into the parlor where Rose waited for them. They all had a nice visit until Frank had to lie down. Steven followed Rose into the kitchen.

  Rose pulled out a chair, and motioned for Steven to sit. “So, how did you like our new waitress down at the café?” A smile lit up her face.

  His pulse quickened at the mention of Emily. He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “She seems nice. Tell me about her. How long has she lived here?”

  “Her name is Emily Grant, and let’s see, she moved here right after you came.”

  “And she has a little boy?”

  “Oh, did you see him? Her little boy is such a doll. His name is Connor.”

  This confirmed it. She’s definitely the one from the hotel in Nevada. “So,” he said, trying to act like he didn’t care at all, “is she married?”

  “Divorced, the poor thing.” Rose shook her head. “Seems like her husband liked to drink a bit too much, and slap her around. She got right tired of it and decided to leave him. She didn’t even know she was pregnant when she left.”

  Her husband had abused her? Anger pricked at him, and he frowned. It must have been so hard for her. “I’ll never understand domestic violence.” Steven leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

  “Isn’t that the truth.” Rose scowled. “Would you like a cup of hot cider?”

  The two of them sat and sipped hot cider and chatted about the upcoming holidays. He was just about to turn the conversation back to Emily when Rose said, “I think you should ask Emily out. You two would make a great couple.”

  The thought of going out with Emily appealed to him. He could see them having a good time together. However, he had to be back to New York before the holiday. “I can’t. I’m leaving tomorrow. I have to be home for Thanksgiving or else the wrath of Caroline Ashton will be upon my head.” He grinned, and took another sip of his cider.

  “Then you’ll just have to ask her out today. She has Tuesdays off, you know.”

  Steven made a face, and Rose continued, “Why don’t you go down to the Laundromat? She usually does her laundry on Tuesdays. You could take a load of clothes down there, and just strike up a conversation. You know, low pressure and everything.”

  He threw the idea around in his head, considering it. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to go wash some clothes…”

  “Now that’s right.” Rose got up and shooed him over to the door. “You go do your laundry, and just take it from there. Oh, and don’t forget to come by to see us once more before you head out of town again, okay?”

  “Cross my heart.” Steven stepped out into the chilly morning air. Wait, how had he gotten roped into going down to the Laundromat? He smiled. Rose was a sly one.

  He slipped into his pickup, his ne
rves making him feel jumpy. Something about Emily made him feel inadequate. Maybe it was her poise, or the way she made him feel when he was around her. He wasn’t sure, but he liked the thought of being with her. He’d just have to go get it over with. He went to his apartment and threw some clothes into a basket. Then he drove downtown.

  Steven took a deep breath and got out of his pickup truck. The Laundromat was half a block away, and he couldn’t tell if she was inside it or not. He grabbed his basket of clothes and started walking up the street, passing by a man leaning against one of the downtown buildings. He wore a hooded jacket, and stood smoking a cigarette. As Steven glanced at him, the hairs on the back of his neck started to stand on end. The man’s long blond hair hung in his face, and as he walked by, the man scowled. Steven looked away and walked a bit faster.

  He wasn’t sure what he would do if Emily wasn’t inside the Laundromat. He supposed he would go ahead and wash his clothes and wait to see if she came in. He only had one load of clothes, so if she didn’t come in soon he might have to wash them twice. This thought made him smile.

  But as he opened the glass door, he could see that he was in luck. She was inside, folding laundry from the drier and placing it into her baskets. Her little boy was with her, helping her by folding the towels. She looked up when Steven walked in.

  “Hello,” she said, holding up a towel that appeared to have seen better days.

  Steven swallowed, and nodded a greeting to her, his stomach suddenly in knots. Why was he so nervous? It’s not like he hadn’t asked a woman out before. But, something about Emily was different. For some reason, he felt tongue tied when she was around.

  She glanced outside, bit her lip, and then smiled at him. “I’m Emily, and this is my son Connor.”

  “I’m Ethan,” Steven said winking at Connor. He gave Steven a shy smile.

  “I know. Rose speaks very highly of you.”

  Steven dumped his clothes in a washing machine, hoping he would be able to think of what to say to her. She was almost done with her laundry, so he would have to ask her out soon if he was going to do it.

  Emily piled her baskets onto a cart. “So, are you going anywhere for Thanksgiving?”

  “Yes, I’ll be spending it with my family back east.”

  “That’s nice.” Steven saw a flicker of sadness flash over her face, but it went away so quickly he might have imagined it. He took a deep breath.

  “You wouldn’t want to go catch a bite to eat with me, while I wait for my clothes to get done, would you? We could all go to that Chinese restaurant down the street. They even have a kid’s menu.”

  She smiled. “I would love to.”

  Chapter Seven

  The Hunan Chinese Restaurant was only a block away. Emily walked beside Steven, while Connor ran ahead to the corner. Glancing down the street, she couldn’t see Richard anywhere, and she exhaled. The chilly air carried her breath, and Connor thought it looked like steam from a train. He ran circles around them tooting and giggling. She felt the tension ease from her shoulders a bit. Steven laughed and picked up Connor, playfully tossing him into the air. Her son screamed in delight.

  Emily sighed with relief when they were seated in the back of the restaurant. The waitress gave Connor a coloring page and some crayons. This kept him quite content. She relaxed and found herself chatting easily with Steven. His blue eyes seemed to pierce through her and Emily couldn’t stop looking at them.

  “What brought you to Huntington, Emily?”

  His deep voice caused her stomach to fill with butterflies. She shifted in her seat. “I feel like I was driven here.” She smiled wryly, but mentally cursed herself for saying it. “I have always liked small towns. Huntington seemed like a nice place to raise my son. Why did you come to Huntington?”

  “I used to come here as a kid, visiting my great aunt. I guess I fell in love with it back then.” He flashed a quick grin at her.

  Emily’s heart skipped a beat. He certainly wasn’t lacking at all in the good looks department. His dark hair was a stark contrast to his flawless ivory skin. She had a sudden urge to reach up and touch his face. She tucked her hands under her legs.

  “This is a wonderful town. The people here are friendly, and I love the old Victorian houses,” he said.

  “Me too. If I could, I would buy one of these old homes with a big backyard. Connor loves to play outside.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  Unexpected pain stabbed at her. Owning a home could never be in her future. She would forever be running, staying under the radar. Emily blinked back the tears that threatened to spring forth. “I’m a single mom,” she whispered. “I could never afford a house.”

  “You’d be surprised what single moms across the country are doing. There’s a world of possibilities out there.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, his fingers touching her skin briefly, sending warmth through her. “Don’t give up on yourself, Emily.” He stared into her eyes. For a moment, she believed he might actually care about her.

  Her gaze turned downward, staring at her lap. He wouldn’t be looking at her this way if he really knew her. A billionaire… with a public reputation? She could never be with him.

  She decided to change the subject. “So, what’s your favorite movie?”

  “That’s easy, the original Star Wars.”

  “Star Wars? Really? I would have thought someone like you,” she paused, “I mean, um, you look more like the foreign film type.”

  “Oh?” Steven raised an eyebrow. “Why would you say that?”

  Emily squirmed. “I–” She desperately tried to think of something to say. “It’s just this little game I like to play.” She pointed her fork at a waiter. “That guy there, he watches every silly comedy that comes out. And she,” Emily said, pointing at a tall woman sitting with her husband, “she loves a good tear jerker.”

  Steven laughed, and Emily gave him a weak smile.

  “What about you? What is your favorite film?” Steven asked.

  “That would have to be My Fair Lady.”

  “Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison were delightful in that film.” His eyes danced across her face. Warmth spread across her cheeks, and she was glad when the food arrived.

  ******

  Steven paid close attention to Emily as they ate and chatted about nothing important. He felt a surge of warmth when he saw the way she looked at Connor, with such tender love. He hoped to have children of his own someday.

  When they finished eating, Steven stood. “Would you like me to help you put your laundry in your car?”

  “Thank you. That would be nice.” She threw her hair back over her shoulders, and helped Connor up.

  He paid the bill and they walked back to the Laundromat. Glancing up and down the deserted street, he felt relief that no one hung around. That man had given him the creeps.

  When he was done putting her baskets in the back seat, he said, “Thank you for letting me take you out, Emily. I’d like to do it again sometime.”

  “That would be nice.” While she buckled Connor into his car seat, Steven peered over at the dashboard. Cigarette butts lay scrunched up in the ashtray. Strange, she didn’t smell like smoke.

  “Can I call you?”

  She glanced up the street. “Um, I don’t have my phone installed yet, but you can always find me at the Café.”

  Tingles started up in his stomach. He didn’t want to say goodbye. The urge to ask her out again took over. “What are you doing on Saturday?”

  “I’m free until my evening shift. Oh, but aren’t you going to be on the east coast with your family?”

  “I’m just going for Thanksgiving. I’ll be back by Friday night.”

  Emily looked pleased, and climbed into the car. “What time on Saturday?”

  “9:00 a.m. I’ll pick you and Connor up. I’ll have you back before your shift.”

  Emily twisted her hands and seemed to consider it before she said, “Okay, I’m at 301 Pine Street
, Apt. 1C.” She shut her car door and started the engine. Steven waved at Connor, gave him a wink, and headed down the street to his truck.

  ******

  Emily spied Richard walking several blocks away from the small downtown strip, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, his hands shoved in his pockets. An impulse to keep driving passed through her, but she knew she couldn’t. She pulled the car over.

  “So, what did he say?” Richard asked, as he shut the car door. “Is he going to give you the money?”

  A coldness started in her stomach and spread to her chest. “Come on, you know this is going to take a while. If you want him to give us that kind of money, you’ve got to give me the time to get to know him. He’s got to feel sympathy for me.” Emily stole a glance at Richard. He stared at her, his hair almost hiding his dark eyes. “We’re going out again on Saturday.”

  He clenched his fists, and looked out the window. “Where is he taking you?”

  “I didn’t ask.” She shot another look at him, and he leaned closer to her.

  “Be careful. You know what will happen if…”

  “Yes, Richard, I know.” Emily’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel and a lump formed in her throat.

  That night Emily put Connor down to sleep and knelt beside the sagging bed. The shabby curtains hung limply down the window, and the moonlight coming from the holes dotted the room. Things were getting worse with Richard. She would have to choose carefully how she would proceed.

  ******

  Snow was beginning to fall outside when Rose heard a knock on the door. She was delighted to see Steven standing there with a gift basket.

  “I just wanted to give you this and say goodbye before heading out of town.” Steven followed Rose into the den where Frank sat.