Impossible Things

by Alexandra McBrayer

  But that was only part of her. The other part wanted to erase this last month and to be able to forget his face.

  She stood on her tip toes, kissed his cheek and was out the door before he knew it. Not caring that she was far from home in the dark, cold London night, she ran and as she ran she sobbed out her regrets for the night to hear and to absorb.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It didn’t seem that things could possibly get any worse but they did.

  She walked in her front door and the living room was dark and silent. She took off her coat, threw it and her purse on a chair, and took her boots off before she went to the bedroom. She had expected that Sam would be sound asleep but he wasn’t. Instead he was sitting on the bed and in front of him was her suitcase. It was open and its contents were spilling out.

  He looked up and met her eyes and she felt her stomach heave without warning. She turned and ran, barely making it to the bathroom before she threw up. She waited a few minutes until her stomach had calmed, wiped her face with a wet washcloth and went back into the bedroom, ready to face her doom.

  Sam’s face was angry, his mouth a thin, white line as he stared at her. Instantly she went on the defensive. “What are you doing? Those are my things.”

  He stood up and in his hands was a stack of letters. He snapped them at her and said, “My mom called. She had a question about the guest list. I looked everywhere and I couldn’t find it but what I did find was these.”

  She grabbed the letters, bills really, from him and said, “You had no right to go through my things.”

  His face was livid as he stepped closer to her, “No right? No right? You’re about to be my wife! I have every right in the world!”

  Spittle landed on her cheek and she wiped it off and stepped back from him. “That doesn’t mean you own me and it doesn’t give you a right to go through my things.”

  He turned back to the bed and angrily pointed at the suitcase. “When I saw the bills, thousands and thousands of dollars, I had to see what you had spent it on. I had to know, but I could never have imagined this!”

  He picked up the filigree bracelet that Lucas had given her, which of course she hadn’t paid for but he would never know that, and angrily held it up to her face. “You’ve spent fifty grand on this…this shit!”

  He turned and before she could stop him he threw the bracelet. It hit the wall with a sharp crack and she saw stones fly as the bracelet dropped to the floor.

  It felt as if he had hit her.

  She went over to the bracelet and got on her knees in front of it and picked it up. At least ten of the stones were missing and as she searched the floor for them tears began to fall. He came over, stood over her and said, “You were going to bring this debt to our marriage. You were going to try and saddle me with this!”

  Not bothering to look up she said, “No I wasn’t. I would never do that. I bought them and I’ll pay for them. I’ve never asked you for anything!”

  He crouched down next to her and she felt his breath on her hair as he said, “No you don’t ask, but you sure as hell take. I paid for this place, I paid for the heat and the water and I paid for the food that you ate for two months. You can’t even be bothered to get a decent job. No, not you, you’re too good for a real job. You have to have something artistic and special.”

  That hurt and she looked up at him. “I searched and searched for a full-time job when we got here. I sent out over a thousand resumes and went on at least a hundred job interviews. The part-time job was the only one I could get and they didn’t want to lay me off but they couldn’t help it.”

  He snorted, “Yeah because you have a crap degree! Who the fuck gets a degree in architecture? It’s ridiculous.”

  She looked at him, at the man she loved, and she didn’t recognize him. His face was bright red with fury and his brown eyes were filled with an anger and hatred that she hadn’t believed he was capable of.

  “I’ve tried to get any kind of job that I can Sam. I haven’t been picky.”

  He laughed, and it was a harsh sound that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “But that’s the point Lucy, they can be picky in this economy, and you’ve got no skills. You’re useless.”

  She wasn’t useless. It was true that she had a master’s degree in Architecture but without her exams she couldn’t do anything with it and he knew it. Besides that she had plenty of work experience, she had worked her way through college and more than one person that she had interviewed with had told her that they wished they could hire her, but they didn’t have the money.

  Sam knew that. She had told him all about her interviews and he had reassured her that she would find something. Obviously he hadn’t meant any of the things that he had said.

  Angrier than she had ever been before she rose up on her knees and faced him. “You paid for this place for two months! I’ve paid for all of it since then. You spend your money on eating out and trying to impress your stupid co-workers and bosses. I eat two small meals a day, unless my grandmother feeds me, while you eat like a king. You don’t thank me for anything I do for you and you never have! I wash your clothes, I clean this place, I buy the food and cook it and you come and go as you please with never a word to me of thanks.”

  He made a sound of disgust, “Why would I thank you for doing what you’re supposed to do?”

  His words felt like a blow to her solar plexus and all the breath in her body drained out. She had never heard such arrogant, sexist words from him before and they shocked her. Tonight, she had seen so much more of him than she knew existed and it wasn’t pretty.

  She turned and gathered up the rest of the stones and got to her feet. She went to the kitchen, found a plastic baggie and put the bracelet and stones in it. When she went back to the bedroom Sam was seated on the floor under the window with his back against the wall. She ignored him and went to the suitcase and began to carefully put all her jewelry back in it.

  “Listen babe. I don’t want to argue with you about this, but I’m not going to pay for that shit. It’s too expensive and you don’t need it. What the hell are you going to do with crap like that anyway? You don’t need fancy jewels.”

  Ignoring him she continued to wrap each item carefully and pack them away but her silence didn’t deter him. “At first I was going to tell you to sell them and pay the money back to your credit cards but that’s crap. Why should I suffer? I think you should sell them and buy us a honeymoon. It’s the least you can do.”

  She turned at that. Her voice was deadly calm as she asked, “The least I can do?”

  He nodded and getting in to the spirit of it he said, “Yeah, somewhere nice and warm, some tropical beach, somewhere. Have your grandmother pay for that shit since it’s her fault anyway.”

  “My parents have spent almost ten grand on our wedding, a wedding that I never wanted, a wedding that you’re mom forced us into having and it’s the least I can do? And how in the hell is this my grandmother’s fault?”

  He shook his head. “You’re dad was right all along. He warned me about this but I didn’t listen.”

  She stomped over to where he was sitting, looked down at him and asked, “My Dad warned you?”

  Sam looked up at her with a smile on his face. “He told me she was a bad influence, that she made you and your mother want things that you couldn’t have. I didn’t listen though. I thought she couldn’t be as bad as he made her out to be. But he was right. I couldn’t believe it when she showed up to the airport dressed like that! Who wears fur anymore? And her behavior with that young guy was disgusting. It made me sick to my stomach. I guess sleeping with that old whore must be worth the money that she gives him.”

  Her blood was boiling in her veins and it took everything in her not to kick him as hard as she could.

  She turned, walked over to the bed and picked up her suitcase. She walked out of the room and Sam called her name. Ignoring him she went to the living room, sat the suitcase down and put on he
r coat before grabbing her purse. Picking up the suitcase again she went to the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  She turned. He really did seem shocked that she was leaving. “You’re a pathetic piece of shit Sam. My grandmother tried to warn me about you but I wouldn’t listen. I’m too good for you and I finally realized it.”

  He snorted and she looked at him in shock. He looked ugly and mean. How could she ever have thought that she loved him?

  “Lucy you’re lucky you got me babe and you’ll realize it soon enough. Get your act together and maybe then I’ll let you come back.”

  It was her turn to snort in disbelief. She turned, unlocked the door and walked out. When she got to the street she didn’t know where to go so she headed west. At the end of the street she hailed a cab. She didn’t want to be walking the streets of London with at least a hundred thousand dollars with of jewels on her.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Lucy showed up at her grandmother’s front door Isabella didn‘t seem that shocked. She welcomed Lucy in with open arms, and when Lucy told her that she’d left Sam, Isabella wasn’t quite able to hide the smile that flickered across her face.

  She asked Lucy if she wanted to talk about it but Lucy said no. She was tired and just wanted to sleep.

  Her grandmother led her to a beautiful bedroom, decorated in at least ten shades of pink and said, “This is your room anyway. It’s just been waiting for you. I had the crazy hope that your mom would let you come see me when you were little but that never happened. At least you’re here now.”

  Lucy smiled a sad smile and they hugged before her grandmother left her.

  Lucy started the shower and was almost undressed when she realized that she didn’t have any clothes with her. In her haste all she had cared about was her jewels. That reminded her of the bracelet and she felt sick at the thought of it lying in pieces.

  Shaking her head she stepped into the shower and when the hot water hit her back she almost moaned with the pleasure of it. She soaped herself and washed her hair with the shampoo in the shower before rinsing off and getting out.

  After drying off, she washed her panties in the sink, hung them over the shower to dry, and went back to the adjoining bedroom. She pulled back the covers and crawled naked between the sweet smelling sheets. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

  She woke to the sound of a soft knocking on her bedroom door and when she opened her eyes it took a minute for her to remember where she was. When the memory of the night before hit her she groaned.

  “Lucy, its Rodrigo. Are you okay?”

  Shaking her head she set up and only remembered that she was naked when the sheet fell below her waist. She pulled it up to her neck and called out to him. He opened the door a crack and stuck his head in. “I’m sorry to wake you but you had me worried. I was afraid that something had happened to you.”

  Lucy turned to look at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was after two. “Oh! I’ve never slept so late in my life. I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head and pushed the door open a little further. “No, no, don’t trouble yourself about it. I was just worried, your grandmother left you to my care and I didn’t want something to have happened.”

  “Where did she go?”

  He slowly approached the bed. “A childhood friend is visiting and they arranged to meet months ago. Bella didn’t want to disappoint her.”

  Lucy shook her head. “Of course not. I’m sorry to cause trouble.”

  Rodrigo laughed. “Trouble? You could never be any trouble. She felt terrible about leaving but I promised to take care of you. Now…a little birdie told me that you need clothes.”

  “How did you know?”

  She saw the direction of his gaze and realized that her hanging underwear were visible. She felt a blush spread over her face and chest but she nodded and he clapped his hands. “Perfect! Your grandmother checked on you before she left and saw that, so I have clothes for you.”

  He turned and went back to the door and stuck his head out in the hall. “Adwen we’re ready.”

  He opened the door and a maid came in with at least a dozen bags. She sat them on the end of the bed and Lucy smiled at her and the girl nodded before leaving the room.

  Rodrigo approached the bed and opened a bag. He pulled out silk panties, at least a dozen pair in all the shades of the rainbow and threw them towards her. They were more beautiful and more luxurious than any that she had ever owned and she had to resist the urge to hold a pair up to her cheek so she could feel their silky softness.

  As she watched he pulled out a dozen bras that matched each of the panties and then opened another bag and pulled out a gorgeous tan sweater.

  “Ohhhhh,” she breathed, unable to help herself.

  He smiled and threw the sweater on the bed, on top of the bras, and then brought out a pair of dark jeans. Lucy saw the label and knew how expensive they were. She had seen their store but had never dreamed of owning such luxury.

  “Everything should fit,” Rodrigo said, “I picked them out myself.”

  Surprised she looked up at him, “You picked them out?”

  He nodded his head towards the bag and she saw the same label that was on the jeans. “It’s my families company, now mine. I’ve been around women and clothes my entire life. If I can’t size a woman then my Nonno will come back and haunt me.”

  She really looked at him then. She looked past the beauty and the charm of him and focused on the man beneath the layers. He was a good man, a kind man, a man who didn’t have an ulterior motive in loving her grandmother.

  Lucy felt sick with the knowledge that despite everything that she had seen she’d still had reservations about him. She had believed that he loved her grandmother but she had also believed that Isabella’s money made it easier for him.

  Now she finally saw that wasn’t true at all. Rodrigo, her young grandfather, was the heir to the greatest Italian clothing company in the world, and was worth far more than Isabella.

  Lucy had been unfair to him and to her grandmother and she felt terrible about it.

  She had tears in her eyes as she said, “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “Prego. You’re my granddaughter and though it may seem funny because of our ages I take my responsibilities very seriously. So get dressed and come have lunch with me and we’ll discuss all the ways that I plan to torture Sam.”

  She laughed and when he left she got up and got dressed. She opened her suitcase and took out a simple necklace on a platinum chain with a diamond pendant, because the cashmere sweater needed something nice to go with it.

  Her eye fell on the baggie with the broken bracelet in it and she took it downstairs with her, intending to ask Rodrigo if he knew of a jewelry shop where she could have it repaired. If anyone knew it would be him, she thought.

  Rodrigo was waiting for her in the drawing room and the minute she stepped in the room he stood up and came towards her. “Ahh, my Lucy you’re as beautiful as your grandmother. I see you and my heart pounds with regret that I wasn’t there when she was your age. I console myself that I’m here now. We mustn’t be greedy that’s what my mamma has always told me. When I was young I would steal all the candy from my sisters and eat it myself, and she said I mustn’t be greedy.”

  He led her towards the front door and opened the closet but instead of pulling out the coat that she had worn the night before he brought out a beautiful navy coat of cashmere. She sighed and touched the sleeve.

  “You can’t have all new clothes and wear an old coat,” he said, “What would people say?”

  She laughed and he helped her on with her new coat. She put the bracelet in her pocket as he opened the door and let her go out ahead of him. At the curb was a sleek, black sports car and he helped her into the passenger side before getting in. She admired the soft, caramel colored leather and when he got in she said, “This is a beautiful car.”

  He smiled. “Yes. My friend owns
the company and I’m just lucky to know him. We grew up together so I get to try out the latest models before anyone else. They say it can go up to two hundred and twenty miles an hour, but in London I’m lucky if I get it up to forty.”

  She smiled. She knew nothing at all about cars, but it was beautiful. A few minutes later they pulled up in front of a restaurant and before the valet could open her door Rodrigo said, “I should have asked but do you like Italian?”

  She nodded and he was relieved when said, “Good,” before getting out of the car.

  The restaurant was beautiful and the meal was wonderful. They talked and laughed over multiple courses and at the end of the meal the chef came to their table. He and Rodrigo shook hands before the chef turned to her and Rodrigo introduced them. “Chef let me present my granddaughter, the beautiful Lucy Jacobs.”